DEAR DR. ROACH: Why is pain measured by numbers? I have severe pain, and doctors do not know what to do when I say it is an 11 on a scale of 1-10. My pain can’t be measured by numbers. It depends on the time of day, what I have done during the day and […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 66-year old male, who is healthy with a very active life, both physical and sexual. Like many men my age, I have an enlarged prostate that my doctor monitors during annual visits. It doesn’t impair my life, with the small exception of being annoying (waking up nightly to a […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am hoping you can answer a question that I cannot seem to get answered by the pharmaceutical company, my pharmacist or my physician. My husband and I both took the first dose of the Shingrix vaccine as prescribed by our physician in July 2018. We were told we would need to […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Around two years ago, I had an L4/L5 herniated disc that caused a sciatic nerve problem. My doctors tried prescription medication (including medicine to act on the nerves), two lumbar injections and physical therapy. I also tried a chiropractor and acupuncture. After all of the above steps, my back pain has basically […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a relative who sells one of the popular brands of essential oil products and related equipment. She sends out many social network postings about the benefits of these products, including sharing postings from others who sell the products. I do not purchase these for several reasons. I am sensitive to […]

DEAR DR ROACH: I have weakness, numbness and the feeling of pins and needles in my hands, legs and feet. I have been diagnosed with both Sjogren’s syndrome and fibromyalgia. I was working full time as a library assistant when my legs and knees collapsed a few times. I went to a neurosurgeon, who sent […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I need some hope. My 24-year-old granddaughter, recently married, came down with ulcerative colitis. Right now, she is getting two Humira injections a month. She has lost so much weight and her diet is so limited. Do things normally get better? Will she ever be able to become pregnant? It has been […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: If a person has been exposed (verified by blood test) to herpes 1 and 2, can that person be a blood donor? Could a person catch herpes by sitting on a toilet seat that has been used by an infected person? Are scientists working on a cure for herpes? — Anon. ANSWER: […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your recent column on prostate cancer treatments, and I must disagree on the differences between IMRT and proton radiation therapy. IMRT or X-rays can cause secondary aggressive cancers of the bowels or bladder. I know of an individual who died from this type of cancer after IMRT. Proton radiation therapy […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your recent column regarding identical twins where one of the two was balding while his twin was not. Within my extended family, there are identical twin brothers, who also were almost impossible for family members to differentiate. If their DNA genes are “identical,” now that they are adults, how can […]