Q. My son stopped taking Wegovy due to strength loss. His job requires physical power, and he noticed that he wasn’t able to do as much as usual. Shouldn’t doctors warn patients about this when they prescribe these weight-loss drugs?

A. A study of GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Wegovy was presented recently at a medical meeting. The scientists reported that about 35% of the weight lost could be attributed to muscle.

Another reader shared these thoughts about weight-loss medications: “Doctors need to make sure their patients know about muscle loss and prescribe strength training and adequate protein intake when prescribing GLP-1 drugs. If they monitor with simple body scans, they can set a minimum calorie goal to avoid muscle wasting. If the patient can’t maintain muscle, the drug is too strong. The goal is slow, steady weight loss while preserving muscle.”

Q. When my husband went for his regular dental cleaning, the dentist said that his gums were severely swollen. He recommended a periodontist and also asked if my husband was taking blood pressure medicine.

That raised a red flag. I started looking for information online and found that amlodipine can cause severe gum swelling. We immediately took him off amlodipine. After several visits to the periodontist, they have determined that they have to do surgery on the gums to the tune of $3,000.

A. Amlodipine can make gums swell. It can also cause fluid retention and swelling in the legs and feet, to the extent that some people need larger shoes.

Other common side effects include dizziness, fatigue, nausea, stomachache, drowsiness, flushing and heart palpitations.

Your husband should check with his physician about a different medication for blood pressure control. He may want to prepare for that meeting by reading our “eGuide to Blood Pressure Solutions.” This online resource is located under the Health eGuides tab at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.

In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features, 300 W. 57th Street, 41st Floor, New York, NY 10019, or email them via their website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”