DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I take Zocor for cholesterol, Micardis for blood pressure and Dexilant for acid reflux (heartburn). When I wake each morning, my lower back, hip, knee, shoulder and ankle joints ache. I like to golf, but the day after, I can barely move from stiffness and pain. Recently I read that proton pump inhibitors (my Dexilant) may cause joint pain. I also read that discontinuing them causes a rebound with more-severe acid reflux. Is there a way to wean myself off this drug? — K.H.

ANSWER: I’m answering the proton pump inhibitor question. For the joint pains, you have to see your family doctor.

PPIs are the most potent suppressors of stomach acid production. Nexium (esomeprazole), Prevacid (lansoprazole), Prilosec (omeprazole), Protonix (pantoprazole), Dexilant (dexlansoprazole) and AcipHex (rabeprazole) are their names. They’re No. 3 on the list of most prescribed drugs. More than 113 million prescriptions for them are written annually in the United States.

All of them can cause joint pain. However, that’s a rare complication.

It’s true that there can be a rebound overproduction of acid when they’re stopped. That doesn’t happen to everyone. You can withdraw from their use by taking them every other day, then every third day and then stopping. Or you can handle the acid production without drugs. Eat smaller meals. Lose weight if that applies. Prop up the head of your bed with 6-inch blocks under the bedposts. Lie on your left side in bed. Avoid foods like fatty foods, fried foods, chocolate, mints, excessive alcohol, colas, red wines, orange juice and other citrus fruit, tomatoes and any food that you know gives you trouble. You also can use the many heartburn medicines found in drugstores, like Tums. Or you can use a different acid-lowering medicine, one not as potent as PPIs. They are Tagamet (cimetidine), Zantac (ranitidine), Axid (nizatidine) and Pepcid AC (famotidine). Some of these do not require a prescription. You can test the possible PPI relationship to your joint pain in this way.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 77 and have an enlarged prostate. I’ve been on doxazosin. My new urologist gave me a thorough exam and said my gland was large. He said it was up to me if I wanted to have the procedure where the gland is pared down through a scope — a TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate). When is this necessary? — P.

ANSWER: I just covered this question last week, so I’ll give you an abbreviated version. You can try a different medicine or add another medicine to your program. Or you can have a procedure to free the urethra, the tube that empties the bladder, from the enlarged gland. A TURP is only one such procedure. Or if your symptoms aren’t bothering you, you can do nothing. I favor the last one.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My husband and I wish to leave our bodies to science but do not know whom to contact. How do we go about this? — E. & C.D.

ANSWER: You and your husband deserve a round of applause. Most medical schools have a body-donation program. Contact the medical school nearest you and ask for the anatomical donation committee or the anatomy department.

If you can’t make contact with a medical school, three organizations can assist you in donating your bodies: MedCure (866-560-2525), BioGift (866-670-1799) and Science Care (800-417-3747).

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: What is your opinion of glycerin suppositories, if needed two or three times a year? They work within 15 to 30 minutes. — D.L.

ANSWER: It’s OK to use these suppositories as you do. Nothing bad is going to happen.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

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