DEAR DR. ROACH: I was diagnosed with high LDL cholesterol 20 years ago. I have been taking higher statin doses and now take Crestor 20 mg. Due to muscle pain, my cardiologist prescribed Praluent injections of 75 mg every two weeks to lower my LDL to below 77. I am 74 and have two heart […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: For 58 years, I’ve been walking around with a visible tracheostomy scar on my throat, leading the curious to ask: “Yuck. What happened there?” My answers have changed over the years, but were usually something like: “I was 4. A doctor had to cut my throat open so I could breathe.” But […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a paraplegic due to a spinal cord injury back in 1979. I battle one UTI after another, and I am becoming immune to most antibiotics. Why the constant infections? My urologist just ordered a CT scan but seems uninterested in me as a patient. I am sick of being sick. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I recently read in a magazine that it would be better to contact a registered nurse over a physician assistant for medical questions. I was surprised. Just what is the hierarchy below a doctor? How about a nurse practitioner? — P.H. ANSWER: I don’t look at doctors, nurses and physician assistants as […]

DEAR DR ROACH: I am a 79-year-old male who has been on tamsulosin for years, but it is not helping much. A recent CT scan showed my prostate at 6.2 cm transverse measurement. My urologist suggests taking Avodart to shrink it. However, I have read that this drug, along with other similar drugs, can cause […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 77-year-old woman. I am 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weigh 107 pounds. I take no medication. When I went to the doctor last week, he found that my alkaline phosphatase was 176, my ALT 10, and my AST 11. He told me I had fatty liver and to […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: What is the difference between chronic pain and acute pain? How can I best describe my chronic pain when it is variable in intensity but negatively impacts so much of my life and my activities? Are there things my doctor should consider or suggest in my treatment or in communicating with me? […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a daughter (almost 31 years) who is concerned about Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome. Her maternal grandmother has been diagnosed with that condition. She is interested in seeking out a genetic test for the condition to learn if she is susceptible. She was referred to a commercial, direct-to-consumer laboratory for the test. How […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: In December, I developed an abscess in my jaw from food getting caught in my tooth. I went to see a local dentist who prescribed clindamycin and metronidazole. I came down with a case of C. difficile. I have since found evidence that multiple antibiotics and clindamycin are causes of C. diff. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: For months, I have had a persistent cough that I have been unable to get help with. I saw an allergist about three years ago and was told I am allergic to dust mites (I understand a large number of people fit into this category). I was first referred to a lung […]