DEAR DR. ROACH: The new laws concerning prescription of opioids, especially the requirement of three-day or seven-day prescriptions, has caused quite a disruption in our area, causing some doctors to take early retirement. Doctors should decide how long to treat patients. There are people who could get liver failure taking Tylenol or overusing aspirin. The […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 66-year-old male who lives in Louisiana. I have suffered seasonal allergies all my life. They seem to be present almost year-round as I get older. I have tried every over-the-counter medication I can find and some prescription medications, with little long-term relief. The new rage here to combat these […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Some 20 years ago, as I was turning 50, a biopsy confirmed prostate cancer. I elected to deal with that through surgery, a radical perineal prostatectomy. For the following 10 years, follow-up blood tests came back showing PSA at “less than 0.1,” which I interpreted to mean levels below the detectable limit. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My stepdad is 84 years old and having problems with B12 deficiency. He is taking B12 shots, 1,000 mcg once a week, in addition to taking a 5000 mcg B12 vitamin daily. The numbers come back below 200. None of our doctors can figure it out. Any advice on to what is […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My uncle, a retired surgeon, is 90 years old. I visit my uncle periodically to inquire about his health and well-being. He eats, but is a little weak. I suggested to my aunt, a retired obstetrician, to give him a nutritional supplement. I take one myself and found it to be effective […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Can you please give more insight into carcinoid syndrome? In particular, I’d like to know its symptoms and how it gets diagnosed and treated? What kind of a doctor would one see with that diagnosis? — S.B. ANSWER: A carcinoid tumor is a type of neuroendocrine tumor of the digestive tract or […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: At least three times a year I suffer from a pinched nerve. According to my physician, it is due to osteoarthritis and/or stress and bad posture. The pain can make me nauseated at times. On one occasion, it drove me to go to an emergency clinic. The physician prescribed gabapentin. After researching […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am interested in your opinion of the drug Fosamax. I am a 63-year-old female who recently had my first bone density scan. The results were severe osteopenia. On the FRAX tool, I have a 10-year probability of a major osteoporotic fracture of 10%, with a hip fracture risk at 2%. The […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My stepdad is 84 years old and having problems with B12 deficiency. He is taking B12 shots, 1,000 mcg once a week, in addition to taking a 5000 mcg B12 vitamin daily. The numbers come back below 200. None of our doctors can figure it out. Any advice on to what is […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 70 years old and had a kidney transplant 18 years ago. I developed diabetes, but it was controlled through oral medication. I recently went into the hospital for pneumonia and was given large doses of steroids and injections of insulin. Now I am unable to bring my sugar down with […]