ArcaMax

DEAR DR. ROACH: My friend is 63 years old. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease two years ago. She started having tremors probably two years before her diagnosis, but they were being attributed to longtime use of a psychiatric medication that was prescribed for her bipolar disorder. She is opting not to take any medications for Parkinson...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: After 11 years of medical uncertainty, over 50 doctors, and my daughter's diligence, my 19-year-old granddaughter was finally diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). This is a rare condition that affects the connective tissues and comes with a variety of issues, most of which she has experienced.

While it was a blessing ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm 85 years old and in basically good health for my age. I am an active nonsmoker, eat healthy, practice tai chi, and enjoy having many friends. I have no reason to experience extreme anxiety.

Yet, for months, I have had unexplained blood pressure spikes. The highest I had was 243/127 mm Hg, and this is when I called local ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My blood sugar level is around 150 mg/dL on average without medication. With metformin, I have diarrhea 24 hours a day. I am 82 and very active. I walk about six miles a day on average. I tried to tell my doctor about the severity of my problem, and with a smile, he said, "Metformin can do that."

I insisted on a replacement ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: It was less than five years ago that I had a TURP (transurethral resection of the prostate) surgery for slow urination. It is not at a critical point yet, but it feels like my urine flow is slowing down again. How often do men who've had a TURP surgery require a second operation?

A normal prostate is the size of a walnut. As ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: Why is it that certain medications warn against possible infections in the perineum? I saw an ad for Jardiance that warned against this. Just now, I viewed a Farxiga ad, and there was the same warning spelled out in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. This seems very specific. What is it about the perineum that makes it ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I would like your opinion and advice. I am a very healthy 77-year-old man, and I walk about two miles each morning. Generally, I enjoy one wheat beer every afternoon, and my primary care physician has told me to feel free to continue with it. I've read that moderate drinking can be good for one's health, but I've heard that it ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I had all the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) when I was younger. I could go six months without having my period. I had all the other symptoms, too, like oily skin and facial hair. It's a terrible thing for a young teenage girl. I also had trouble getting pregnant; though, fortunately, Clomid worked well for me ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a generally healthy, 63-year-old woman. I haven't been feeling well for months. I have experienced bloating and a poor appetite, and I'm not eating much. But somehow I am gaining weight. I started having diarrhea, and my doctor did a culture and found that I have E. coli.

They started me on antibiotics, and the diarrhea is...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 80-year-old obese woman with high blood pressure that is being controlled with nifedipine and losartan. Over a year ago, I noticed that my small toe on my left foot was becoming numb, and my left foot and ankle were swollen by the middle of the day. I told my physician, who checked on my lower left leg in the morning ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: Three months ago, I caught a respiratory virus on a trip to South America. According to my ENT doctor, my ear canals are clear, and my sinus infection (if I, indeed, had one) is all cleared up now. Labs show that I didn't have COVID or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). I am feeling fine, and I'm back to my normal activity. But...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 67-year-old male in good shape. I have Crohn's disease and have been taking one tablet of mercaptopurine for the past eight years. This is the only medication I take, and if I eat bland, exercise, and keep stress down, I feel good.

I was at the dermatologist, and she had to take biopsies of three possible melanomas. One...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a question about suntanning. First off, I want to say that I get yearly skin cancer checks, love the sun, and hardly ever use suntan lotion. I monitor my time outside, so as not to get a sunburn. I see warnings about certain days being high ultraviolet (UV) days. Are they talking about UVA or UVB, and which one gives you...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: In 2022, my primary care doctor recommended that I get a PSA test. Even though I did not believe in it, he was a very caring doctor, so I had the test done. My result showed a PSA score of 38 ng/mL. I saw a urologist and had a biopsy that showed cancer, so I was started on Lupron.

After six months, I told the urologist that I ...Read more