DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been taking a multivitamin for years, and now one of my physicians wants me to take a vitamin that has NO vitamin D or calcium. He just removed kidney stones in two separate procedures. I can’t find any vitamins like that. — D.A.S. ANSWER: I completely agree that people with […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I recently was diagnosed with kidney cancer, and my wife is now getting treatment for breast cancer. Would cooking on a nonstick skillet have caused the cancers? My wife was using one for quite some time, but not anymore. — B.R. ANSWER: When someone is diagnosed with any serious disease, but especially […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 62 years of age and in excellent health. I run or hike 3 or more miles on most days, road bike, swim and weight train. I eat sensibly, and I don’t drink, smoke or take drugs. I don’t drink coffee or even take aspirin for pain. My last physical exam […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 61-year-old woman in fairly good health except that I have been taking prescription omeprazole once a day for heartburn for at least 10 years, if not more. I’ve read articles that say this isn’t good to take long term, like I’ve been doing. When I’ve tried to stop by […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I got a call from my internist that my blood test showed an elevated uric acid and I would need to start allopurinol for gout. I had been having big-toe pain at night. A nurse friend gave me some of her tart cherry extract pills to take until I started medication. Before […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 70-year-old woman in good health. I recently saw a neurologist about my almost daily migraines. I also noted a feeling across the top of my right foot (and partway around it) that feels like a slightly tight band. It doesn’t affect any part of my life. During the examination, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Why would thyroid medication no longer be effective after 20 years of taking it? I was diagnosed in 1995 with Graves’ disease, quite severe. I was treated with radioactive iodine and eventually put on Synthroid, 100 mcg. I have taken the same dosage once a day ever since. Six months ago, my […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your recent column on vitamin C. I am 88 years old, and my family and I have taken supplemental vitamins most of our lives. Five years ago, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and survived it with radiation treatments and a change of diet. I had taken a handful of […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband suffers from systemic pain, sometimes it is worse than others. He has osteoarthritis in his lower back. He has been resistant to taking over-the-counter pain medication because he thinks it upsets his intestinal tract. He has been taking two glucosamine tablets each morning for quite a while, but doesn’t think […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have had cancer twice, and I try to do everything in my power to prevent a recurrence or a new cancer — exercising daily and following a strictly healthy diet that includes lots of vegetables and fruits, and buying organic produce whenever possible. Since most of our fresh foods, i.e. vegetables […]