DEAR DR. ROACH: Do you have any information on cytochrome P450 testing for drug sensitivity? — S.S. ANSWER: Cytochrome P450 is a family of enzymes that are important for cell metabolism and critical for detoxifying many drugs. Any given person has a particular set of P450 enzymes, and understanding them sometimes can help determine the […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a badly torn rotator cuff on my left shoulder, so that arm is basically a constant problem. In January 2017, my physician suggested that I would benefit from the pneumonia vaccine and that it would take two applications, one year apart, to complete. I agreed to have the vaccine, which […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My wife of 52 years is 71 and has developed what I assume is a problem with her breathing when she sleeps. During some periods of sleep, she starts taking a rhythmic set of breaths. There usually are four deep breaths followed by four shallow breaths. Each set of the four breaths […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 76-year-old woman. I read your column daily, but I do not remember reading anything about chronic kidney disease. I have just been diagnosed with CKD and have been reading as much as I can get my hands on. This is very frustrating, since much of what I find is […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 63-year-old female who broke her wrist back in June. There were three fractures involving both the radius and the ulna. Surgery was required, with two metal plates installed. After nearly six months of occupational and physical therapy, my wrist and hand still are extremely stiff and have limited range […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m 13 weeks pregnant, and I am on pregabalin (prescribed off-label for anxiety). I asked my GP if it is safe to continue to be on it while pregnant, and he was very dismissive and hurried me out the door without really telling me anything. I read about a very small study […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: For over two years, my wife has been having a problem with her lower lip. From morning on, it swells, irritating her and causing her to lick her lips constantly. She has seen doctors, dentists and specialists, all of whom have no answer and have no one to refer her to. It […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been on blood pressure medicine (nifedipine) and cholesterol medicine for approximately 30 years. I am 72. Over the past two years, an average of my readings (morning and night) is 135/85, and my pulse is 103. I exercise 20-25 minutes every day, farm, play golf, work in my wood shop […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a healthy 94-year-old woman. Over the past four months, I have had pain in the nipple of my left breast. I went to my doctor and was told to put hydrocortisone on it twice a day. I did and it didn’t help, but the doctor told me to continue. I […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 70-year-old male. In 2013, I experienced an episode of total urinary retention. My urologist’s diagnosis was enlarged prostate, and he tried treating me, unsuccessfully, with drugs, after which I underwent a TURP operation. Six months later, I experienced another episode of urinary retention, which resulted in a transurethral resection […]