My husband has an enlarged prostate and takes the medication tamsulosin. The problem is that his body now gives off an unpleasant odor that I can smell throughout the house. What can you do?
Dr. Ellie Cannon responds: Tamsulosin can be a very effective treatment for an enlarged prostate.
It addresses one of the most common and uncomfortable symptoms of the condition (difficulty urinating) by relaxing bladder congestion.
But it can have some unwanted side effects, such as dizziness, dry mouth, and heart palpitations. However, some patients may also experience excessive sweating, which can lead to worsening body odor.
A possible solution would be to change medication.
Finasteride tablet is one of the most commonly prescribed treatments for an enlarged prostate, so it might be worth trying.
But there are other possible causes of body odor.
Some medications, such as antidepressants, are linked to body odor.
People with obesity, as well as those with kidney or liver disease, are more likely to suffer from bad odor.
Some medications, such as antidepressants, are also linked to the problem.
I have a painful wart and I have tried all the usual remedies in the pharmacy without success. I went to my GP for help, but he told me that doctors don’t take care of them. What other options do I have?
Dr. Ellie answers: A wart is a type of wart that grows on the bottom of the foot.
They are caused by a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV), which is usually contracted by walking barefoot in contaminated places, such as public showers.
People with breaks in the skin on their feet, also known as fissures, are at higher risk.
In the past, GPs offered cryotherapy (a freezing treatment), but the NHS no longer funds it. Even though warts are highly infectious and often painful, guidelines now state that we should tell patients to simply leave them alone.
This is not an ideal situation. Warts eventually go away on their own, although this can take years. An over-the-counter treatment is a cream called salicylic acid, which is applied every day for three months. But it is often ineffective, so it may mean having to pay a podiatrist for treatment.
On rare occasions, a GP may refer a patient to hospital, but this would only be for those with multiple warts or a weakened immune system that makes it difficult for the body to clear the infection.
A home remedy is the duct tape method. This involves covering the wart with tape for six days, before soaking it in warm water and scrubbing it with a cardboard file or pumice stone. This is repeated for two months. Research suggests that it is as effective at removing warts as cryotherapy.
For more than three years I have had pain in my anus. It feels like it’s constantly under pressure, like there’s something lodged there. My consultant prescribed nortriptyline, but I read online that it can cause depression and other side effects. What do I have to do?
Dr. Ellie answers: Problems affecting the buttocks are distressing: not only are they uncomfortable but they can also affect bowel movements.
Feeling constant pressure in the rectum is a condition called tenesmus. Patients often feel a constant need to go to the bathroom, even after they have done so.
It can also cause intestinal spasms and cramps, which can be very uncomfortable.
Tenesmus may be a sign of inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. However, these are often accompanied by other distressing symptoms such as diarrhea and bloody stools.
In rare cases, cancer can also be a cause, so a colonoscopy (a small camera that examines the inside of the intestines) is always recommended.
However, many people experience tenesmus that is not related to an underlying problem, and when the cause cannot be found, it is more difficult to treat.
There is evidence that tenesmus is related to stress or anxiety. While they may not be the cause of the pain, they can aggravate it.
Two common treatments for tenesmus are amitriptyline and nortriptyline, which are types of antidepressants that can combat nerve pain and reduce the feeling of needing to go to the bathroom.
Like all medications, they can cause side effects, such as dizziness, constipation, dry mouth and –
in rare cases – depression. However, for the vast majority of patients they are safe, so they are worth trying if other treatments have failed.
Additionally, it can sometimes take several weeks before any effects are felt, so it is important for patients to continue taking the pills before stopping.
Has dizziness left you spinning in limbo?

Thousands of Britons struggle with chronic dizziness, which can sometimes last for months.
Over Christmas, I suffered a bout of severe dizziness that left me frail and disoriented.
Fortunately, it passed after ten days. But it left me wondering whether the NHS is well equipped to handle this extraordinarily common problem.
Thousands of Britons are battling chronic dizziness, which can sometimes last for months, and doctors often cannot find the exact cause.
When this happens, there are very few treatments the NHS can offer patients.
However, in many cases, GPs do not treat the problem as serious. And perhaps we don’t spend enough time discussing their possible options with patients.
It’s easy to feel ignored when you have an invisible medical problem that doesn’t have a clear diagnosis.
Have you suffered from dizziness and felt misled by your GP? Write to me and let me know, while my team at The Mail on Sunday plan to investigate.
There is no way to free up NHS beds
I was horrified to read last week about a vulnerable woman who was forced to leave an NHS hospital after being threatened with a £600 fine.
According to a report, which first appeared on MailOnline, the woman was still suffering from a chest infection and “looked like she weighed five kilos”.
However, staff at a south-east London hospital told him he would have to leave to free up a hospital bed for a new patient.
I’ve never heard of this happening before, but I’m not surprised. For years the NHS has suffered from a shortage of hospital beds due to delays in the discharge of elderly or vulnerable patients.
But this is a problem caused by our weakened social care system, meaning it is difficult to find homes or healthcare workers to care for frail patients once they leave hospital.
Fining people who haven’t found a place to go is not only cruel, it won’t solve the underlying problem.
Have you ever been fined or threatened with a fine for staying in the hospital too long? Write to me and let me know.