DEAR DR. ROACH: I read in your column recently that you suggested saw palmetto to a male reader who was having difficulty with his blood pressure dropping due to medications prescribed for his enlarged prostate. That was causing frequent trips to the bathroom and a weak urine stream. I have read a number of articles, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 69-year-old woman with hypothyroidism. Although my TSH score is in the high-normal range, a new doctor recently increased my dosage of levothyroxine just slightly because of fatigue, joint aches and more. I feel great again. My question: When the “normal” levels of TSH were determined, were they for everyone? There […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a healthy 90-year-old woman. I enjoy playing tennis and bridge. A week ago, I started to take the drug metformin. I do not have diabetes. The reason for taking it is that I read an article about it by an expert in longevity. My only concern is that the drug […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your column faithfully, but I can’t recall you ever addressing urinary incontinence in women. As it’s a subject that’s not normally addressed socially, I wonder if you can tell us what can be done about it. — O.P. ANSWER: Urinary incontinence is a big and important topic. Twenty-five to 60 […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I discovered that when researchers set out to induce insulin resistance and obesity in lab mice, they use monosodium glutamate (MSG)! Then, reading labels in the grocery store, I found that MSG is in just about everything, from cereal to sausage patties! So, if MSG causes obesity and insulin resistance in mice, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I would like your advice concerning my 75-year-old boyfriend, whom I have known for eight years. He had what I suppose would be called a nervous breakdown two years ago. He was admitted to a mental hospital for seven days. He came out on olanzapine, lorazepam and Wellbutrin, and now has been […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I recently went for an annual checkup, and was told that I am anemic. Other than advising me to take iron pills, I was told to see my gastroenterologist. Upon seeing him and advising him that I’m feeling fine (no problem with GERD or any other conditions), he wanted to schedule me […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: In your recent column about the prognosis for a patient with esophageal cancer, what about offering the patient the option of just doing nothing? I suspect this may contradict your training. Clearly this course would seem especially hard, given her caregiver role. But in some cases, perhaps like this one, the range […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 68-year-old woman diagnosed with osteopenia. My hip T-score is -2.3, and lumbar spine T-score is -1.6. My doctor suggested medication, but I am concerned about side effects. Is this really necessary? Can I safely wait? I am very active, eat a well-balanced diet and take calcium and vitamin D […]

DR. ROACH WRITES: I have been flooded with letters from women who have suffered atypical femur fractures after having been on bisphosphonates (osteoporosis medicines like Fosamax and Actonel), and wanted to make several points about this condition: –Atypical femur fractures are probably much more common than previously recognized, possibly as high as 1 woman in […]