DEAR DR. ROACH: Two weeks ago, my sister-in-law, age 74 and in excellent health, collapsed and died suddenly and unexpectedly while working full time at a nearby university. The autopsy reports that she died from aorta root rupture. My brother and all of us need to more fully understand these words. What causes aorta root […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: For the past few months, I have been training for a 160-mile bike ride, scheduled for this July. After almost every long ride (longer than three hours) I suffer the most excruciatingly painful cramps in my vastus medialis quad muscle. I am a 59-year-old male, a life-long runner and have had quad, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was diagnosed with cluster headache at age 20. Now, at age 65, I have endured these excruciating headaches for some 45 years. In my particular situation, I can have once- or twice-daily headaches for anywhere from two to four months. My symptoms include a throbbing in my left temple, with the […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 55. I was having numbness on the left side of my face, and my left eyelid started to droop. I thought I was having a stroke. I went to the hospital, and they told me this is Bell’s palsy. I asked where it came from and the doctor asked if […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been diagnosed with a-fib. For various reasons, it has been determined that I should not be on blood thinners for any sustained length of time (neither Coumadin nor the more recent generation). My cardiologist has suggested that a good alternative in my case might be the WATCHMAN device, which involves […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was wondering if you can give me any advice on dealing with my diagnosis of low vitamin D. I have been plagued by this for years. My problem is compounded by severe GERD, which makes it impossible to take vitamin D supplements. I have tried sublingual drops, gummies, tablets and gel […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Several months ago, I noticed a slight pain in my right shoulder, and a month later, pain in my left shoulder. The pain got steadily worse in both shoulders. My doctor took X-rays, gave me cortisone injections and prescribed exercises. However, the pain worsened, requiring a visit to the ER, with pain […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Yesterday, my 11-year-old son had his well-child visit. His doctor informed us that he needed his DTAP, hepatitis A and meningococcal vaccines. My son hates shots. During his previous set of shots, he vomited and almost passed out. This time around, he actually did pass out. What concerns me most is that […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 69 years old and being treated for rheumatoid arthritis with weekly self-injections of methotrexate. Should I expect these injections to reduce or minimize the pain in my hands, fingers and shoulders? There seem to be constant flare-ups in my fingers. In fact, I am seeing a hand specialist in a […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: What is your personal experience with the natural progression of Type 2 diabetes? Are medications like metformin used with the hope that the diabetes will get a little better or at least not get any worse? Does monotherapy usually progress to the use of multiple diabetic drugs and then eventually to insulin […]