DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My brother, who’s trim and fit, felt faint on his 71st birthday while attending a tenants meeting. He left the room to get some fresh air and started sweating profusely. Emergency medics took him to the emergency room, where his vital signs were fine, as was an EKG. The doctor told him […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a man of 64 years. Please discuss gout. — J.R. ANSWER: In the bad old days, people believed gout to be the illness only of aristocrats who ate rich foods and drank fine wine. Now it’s an illness for everyone, but mostly it’s a man’s illness. Gout occurs when the […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: As a lady of 87 years, I do all household chores and gardening. I have arthritis of my knees and take Tylenol once or twice a day. Since I read the enclosed article about Tylenol, I have stopped taking it. I would like to know what you think of it. I would […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: A 50-year-old friend of mine was diagnosed with leiomyoma of the uterus. Does this have anything to do with fibroids? She has fibroids, but her doctor says they are best left alone, since they shrink at menopause. What causes leiomyoma? Can it become cancer? What treatments are available? — L.B. ANSWER: “Leiomyoma” […]

Should older men ask for testosterone treatment? DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am in my mid-80s and looking more like a coat hanger every day. I’d like to slow the muscle loss down to a slow walk or at least hold my own. My doctor has no problem with me exercising, because I am pain-free and […]

Adrenal gland failure requires treatment DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 54. Last year, after two months in two different hospitals, I was diagnosed with Addison’s disease. I have to take prednisone daily. I have gained 84 pounds, and now I have type 2 diabetes. I know Addison’s has to do with the adrenal glands shutting […]

Bed-wetting profoundly affects children DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Our grandson soon will be 15. He still wets the bed. His parents have done everything from pills to alarms, but nothing helps. Sometimes he gets depressed, and that scares us. He says he will never be able to have a relationship with a girl. Sometimes we worry […]

Small navel hernia not usually troublesome DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 65 and in good health. Recently during a physical, my doctor pointed to my belly button and said, “You have a hernia.” I had noticed a year ago that my belly button went from an innie to an outie, but didn’t give the matter […]

Colon cancer has few early signs DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Will you address the signs of early colon cancer? I am 71 and had a colonoscopy when I was 65. In the past month, some of my stools have been in small pieces. They are not black, but could this be the start of something? I […]

Don’t rely on tablets for all your calcium DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Please write about what is the right kind of calcium — citrate, carbonate or phosphate — for a 72-year-old woman. In what amounts? — J.O. ANSWER: The recommended daily calcium intake from age 19 to 50 is 1,000 mg. For men and women older […]