How else can I say it? I have gas. I take Crixivan [indinavir], and Crixivan farts can clear a room. A friend told me to try pancrelipase (Cotazym). He’d discovered it when desperate: raised from the almost-dead by HAART only to find that the meds were giving him terminal gas. His doc told him about this pill ordinarily prescribed for pancreatic problems -- it has digestive enzymes that replace those normally produced by the pancreas -- but that also defuses gas. Since Cotazym and the similar, more potent Ultrase MT20 are Rx only, insurance will cover both. Ask your doctor for a ’script -- by now there are also generic and over-the-counter varieties available. Whichever you choose, make sure it contains lipase, the fat-digesting enzyme that seems to be the critical ingredient. Caveat emptor: The product won’t work on Crixivan farts if it doesn’t have lipase. I take a few pills before eating anything that typically causes me problems, like my morning bananas. Works great every time, and keeps me from blowing everyone away.

--Peter Staley, Brooklyn, New York