ArcaMax

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 77-year-old female. After experiencing hair thinning for over a year, I was diagnosed with incomplete lupus by a rheumatologist. My blood markers were high, but I don't have typical symptoms. My primary care physician and cardiologist aren't convinced, and I don't "feel" like I have it.

I started taking Plaquenil, which...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 63-year-old male in good health. A few weeks back, I could not urinate while standing. The only way I could was by laying on my side, and it was very painful with a burning sensation. I went to urgent care and was then sent to an imaging center. My prostate gland wasn't appreciably enlarged, so I was sent to the ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: After about 10 months of being on Ozempic and working my way up to a 1-mg dose, I lost 40 pounds effortlessly. Sugar cravings disappeared as if by magic. I then noticed myself drifting backward and craving sweets again. My doctor increased my dose to 1.7 mg of Wegovy instead of 2 mg of Ozempic. I find myself continuing to crave...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I had a comment about your recent column on nuclear stress tests. As an 87-year-old person who has experienced atrial fibrillation and a mild stroke, I have had two nuclear stress tests done. In both cases, I told the supervising nurse that I wanted to go the max limits they would allow. Even though I attempted to prepare by ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a healthy 84-year-old who exercises regularly, eats meat and dairy sparingly, doesn't smoke, and has a BMI about 25. (I'm 6 feet, 1 inch tall, at 185 pounds.) My yearly wellness test was excellent, except my cholesterol and LDL levels were 250 mg/dL and 150 mg/dL, respectively. What is the risk/benefit level of statins for...Read more

DEAR DR ROACH: I'm 60 years old now. I never had chicken pox as a child but was tested as an adult, and I do have the antibodies. I've been on a standard dose of acyclovir for 15 years after I had a severe neurological reaction to a potential but unconfirmed herpes simplex infection.

My doctor said there is evidence that maintenance acyclovir...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 85-year-old woman in relatively good health. I had been taking raloxifene for approximately 45 years. My doctor at the time said that since I had a complete hysterectomy, I should be on it for the rest of my life to help prevent breast cancer and osteoporosis. My bone density is normal.

A few months ago, my provider ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate two months ago. I thought it was another kidney stone I needed to pass, but I had a totally blocked urethra. I was sent home from the emergency room with a two-week catheter. My urologist prescribed 5 mg of finasteride and alfuzosin.

I spend winters in Florida, but my urologist in ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm interested in consuming dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). I've read it will destroy the root of cancer and hasten the healing of broken bones, ligaments and strained muscles. My question is whether it is OK to consume the suggested amount of DMSO?

My aortic valve was replaced with a mechanical valve three years ago. After 12 months ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a good friend who is almost 77 years old. He was a heavy smoker until about 14 years ago. He decided to quit smoking and used nicotine gum to help with this process. It's my understanding that nicotine gum should only be used for a fairly short period of time to help a person quit smoking.

However, he is still using it ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My daughter-in-law and son are expecting their first baby in late January. I am a 65-year-old healthy, fit woman. I walk daily and do yoga. Other than perhaps my age, I have no medical risk factors. She is requesting that I received the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine. I do not see any reason that it is necessary. She...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: It seems that many of the medications I see advertised on television carry a warning about "thoughts of suicide." Can you explain why so many diverse drugs share this same side effect? -- W.S.

ANSWER: Unfortunately, suicide is a too-common cause of death that many people are uncomfortable talking about. However, it is clear ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband is 73 and was diagnosed with heart failure and a severely dilated left ventricle. At the time, he was pumping 10 liters per minute. He had a proBNP natriuretic peptide level over 10,000 and an ejection fraction of 39%. Later, he was found to have an abdominal arteriovenous malformation (AVM). He underwent three ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: You recently wrote that you do not recommend probiotics in healthy people. I am a 78-year-old male who, three years ago, underwent an esophagectomy to remove my esophagus and part of my stomach because of cancer. I was put on 30 mg of pantoprazole, which was later increased to 40 mg. I've read that prolonged use of this ...Read more