DEAR DR. ROACH: My 32-year-old son is on Xarelto for a deep vein thrombosis for about two months now. I was with him when he hit his head hard on the door hatch of his SUV two days ago. He has no symptoms, but I am still so concerned. He is in a hotel room […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: When my mother discovered she has a factor V mutation, everyone in the family decided to be tested as a precaution. This is a hereditary item, which I am sure you know. It was determined that I carry the gene. I am 65. I have had no issues, and it probably never […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Is it possible for a person to reach the age of 70 and just now be diagnosed with bipolar disorder? Are there degrees of impairment, like with autism — some worse than others? — C.S. ANSWER: The hallmark of bipolar disease is mania. “Mania” has a specific meaning in psychiatry: It’s a […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My daughter is a registered nurse, and tells me that when getting blood tests, it is not necessary to fast eight to 12 hours even though my doctor says to do so. Four hours is enough, she claims. Is this true, or is my daughter trying to be a doctor, if you […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 74 years old and have been a brittle Type 1 diabetic for 50 years. I have no history of heart disease. My doctor of 40 years recently retired and had me control my hemoglobin A1C to a range of 5.9-6.2. My new doctor, who is in her mid-30s, wants me […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I just read another sad story about a woman who had breast cancer, fought it and seemed to win, but after five years, it came back and took her life. The same sequence of events happened to my wife two years ago. She fought the second round of cancer for a year […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My neighbor is battling cancer for the third time. The medical personnel she sees when she goes for her chemotherapy treatments are urging her to get rid of her two cats. They claim the cats are a danger to her health. Wearing gloves and a mask while cleaning litter boxes will not […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 35-year-old white male who was a drug addict from the age of 14 until 32. You name it, I took it. About three years ago, I quit drugs and have lived a healthy lifestyle since. I do not drink alcohol, and I smoke one or two cigarettes a day. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I had an abdominal X-ray to check on my gallstones, and was surprised to find an enlarged spleen. I was told it might be leukemia or lymphoma! I was sent to an oncologist, who reassured me that I did not have cancer and recommended I get checked again in six months. My […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: How much mercury is safe? — A.C. ANSWER: The chemical element mercury exists in three forms: elemental mercury, which is the kind in thermometers; inorganic mercury, especially mercuric chloride; and organic mercury, including methyl and ethyl mercury. All of these have toxicities, but the types of toxicities are different for each, and […]