DEAR DR. ROACH: Could you please provide your recommendations on how we should conduct ourselves after we get the COVID vaccine? Please include an explanation of how immune we actually will be. — T.S. ANSWER: Three vaccines are approved under an emergency authorization at the time of this writing: Two mRNA vaccines, made by Moderna […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am currently on rituximab immunotherapy. I have had my first Moderna vaccine, and my second shot is scheduled in four weeks. My oncologist is not sure how the rituximab affects the immunization and the effectiveness of the vaccine. Can you explain how people on immunotherapy should most effectively take the vaccine […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’d like to know what kind of damage to look out for after being a heavy drinker between the ages of 19 and 40, at which age the drinking slowed to a comparative trickle. I used to have many binge events plus regular consumption three to four nights a week and now […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’ve had regular swab tests for COVID-19, which have always been negative. The last one was just a few days ago. I had an antibody test six weeks ago that also was negative, but my antibody test this time was strongly positive. I’ve been very careful about protecting myself and I haven’t […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have had low GFR readings ranging from 53 to 37 for the past 15 years. I’m an 87-year-old female in good health. I do strength training and Pilates, and am quite active walking my dog and doing my own yardwork. I’ve had heart disease for 10 years with no symptoms, and […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My wife and I tested positive for COVID-19 on December 20, 2020. Due to our ages, we qualify to receive a vaccine now. But we have heard and read conflicting advice relating to the appropriate vaccination timing for people who have tested positive, ranging from get it as soon as you can, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: What is celiac artery compression syndrome? I’m told I have this, and it’s causing an aneurysm that needs to get repaired. I found out on a scan taken for another reason. I have had some pain after eating. — I.J.M. ANSWER: The celiac artery is one of three large arteries that provide […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My doctor is insisting I take cholesterol medicine after I’ve refused to take it for years. I am 66 years old, and my total cholesterol is 301 (triglycerides 76, HDL 83 and LDL 206). He has prescribed rosuvastatin, 20 mg a day. I feel with my triglycerides and my HDL being good […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have had over 50 vaccinations in my life (I’m 78), most of them while I was in the military. I have often wondered how the vaccine spreads throughout the body, as the shots are almost always given in the upper arm. I would welcome your explanation of what exactly takes place. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 78-year-old woman. Last September I had severe pain in my right hand. The pain was so bad that I had to go to the emergency room, where they did an MRI. Results showed I have cervical radiculopathy, a pinched nerve in my neck. They put me on hydrocodone and […]