DEAR DR. ROACH: After decades of feeling fatigued, I started working with a naturopathic doctor. She ordered a saliva test for my total cortisol output, which was normal at 27. She also ordered a full thyroid panel (also normal) and a test for Epstein-Barr virus antibodies. My levels are: EBV IgM is less than 36, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My 60-year-old husband is a longtime alcoholic. He is also bipolar. His current drug of choice is cough syrup. He drinks a bottle a day or more of generic cough syrup without alcohol. At age 59, he was diagnosed with early dementia, which I attribute to the cough syrup abuse, as he […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: How many people must buy the three-part series of HPV vaccine for about $500 to prevent one case of cancer? You easily can find the facts if you bother to check. I am not saying that there are no benefits to the HPV vaccine or that it isn’t safe. I am saying […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am interested in finding out more about steroids in sports, but I am having a hard time finding medical research on anabolic steroids. One source I found even stated: “There has been no scientific research performed to find out the effect of a specific amount of steroid on a weight-training program.” […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: In a recent column, you said that companies can pay doctors to promote a product. Can these doctors promote a product in their office when it is to just one patient? If they do, I feel that it would be crossing the line of ethical conduct. — C.G. ANSWER: Promoting a product […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have never gotten the flu vaccine. Years ago, it was believed to be too dangerous for anyone with an autoimmune condition. They said that the body could not handle the vaccine and that it was actually dangerous to receive it. I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. I value your knowledge and opinion. Please […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I love fish and chips. I eat them once a month. I have tuna and other fish throughout the month as well. Quite often, the fishy odors linger for days until all remnants have left my body. Is there anything I can do to counteract the smell? I feel that others can […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Regarding urine collection in boot camp, I had the same experience in the fall of 1962. As I remember the story, after a few weeks in “captivity,” our systems were cleaned out and our urine had medical value. A nearby drug company used it. I often have wondered about this, and would […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Is there anything that I could take for an enlarged prostate that would allow me to donate blood? I have been trying saw palmetto and pygeum. Thank you. — M.J.C. ANSWER: One class of medicines used to treat an enlarged prostate is called the 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. These work by blocking a […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Why does every article mention the formal name of drugs, and then the popular name? For example, you recently mentioned “apixiban (Eliquis).” Could the world still function with ONLY one name per product? — G.N.R. ANSWER: Every drug has not just two, but usually three names: a precise chemical name, which can […]