DEAR DR. ROACH: I read the letter from the man who took niacin to lower his cholesterol, which resulted in diabetes. I am not sure if you are aware that red yeast rice, which I have been taking, is supposed to reduce cholesterol. To my knowledge, it has no side effects. My doctor said my […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have suffered for several years now from irritable bowel syndrome. I believe my symptoms began after back-to-back bouts of food poisoning, possibly norovirus. That said, I noticed something curious, and a gastroenterologist said that while it was not uncommon, he could offer no explanation. I thought maybe you might have a […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your recent column on PSA screening for prostate cancer. As an oncologist who specializes in prostate cancer, I wanted to add that it is important for patients to understand that 1) screening is very different from diagnosis and treatment, and 2) that the PSA test is a very good and […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: In your recent column on pseudogout, you didn’t discuss treatment. I had it earlier this year, and after a while it went away. It was very painful. Is there any medication to help it? — D.B. ANSWER: Pseudogout, like gout, is caused by the deposition of crystals inside a joint. But rather […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a problem taking antibiotics that treat infections. Every time I do, I have an unpleasant reaction. For something like a UTI, is it possible to get a one-dose treatment instead of taking a number of days’ treatment? I probably could tolerate one day. I tend to panic over side effects, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I had a St. Jude’s aortic valve put in in 1998. I have taken Coumadin since that time. A couple of years ago, my doctors changed the goal for my INR to 2-3. I don’t know why. I get nervous about having a stroke from a blood clot when my reading is […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’ve been having trouble with boils for a couple of years. Last year, my doctor told me that it was a staph infection. After about a week on the antibiotics he prescribed, I started to develop an allergic reaction: a rash all over my body. I was told by a local clinic […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 66-year-old woman who had early-stage breast cancer and routine sessions of radiation after a lumpectomy. Everything went very well. Less than two years later, I had a mild silent heart attack. I have always been healthy. My high blood pressure has been checked routinely and controlled with medicine, in […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 75-year-old woman who had successful cataract surgery two months ago. However, it left me with swollen eyelids and noticeable pouches under both eyes. My doctor advised that some people have a reaction like mine. I was told that the swelling should abate by six months. The healing was excellent, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 80 years old and have had problems with a slightly enlarged prostate for years. This, of course, means frequent nightly trips to the bathroom every one and a half to two hours. I stumbled upon the fact that if I take two ibuprofen (400 mg) at bedtime, I seldom have […]