DEAR DR. ROACH: I went through many tests for a cough that lasted for 30 years. No treatments worked. The only sign my doctor could find was that my throat had scars from coughing that long. My allergy specialist had tried for years with all kinds of prescriptions, to no avail. I am now living […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My 72-year-old aunt has both hypertension and Type 2 diabetes. She is not on any medications yet. If she took medication to correct her hypertension only, would her blood sugar levels normalize? Or, if she took medication to correct Type 2 diabetes only, would her hypertension be eliminated? I need to know […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I retired from a large hospital after smoking was prohibited in the building. At that time, doctors still smoked in their lounge, and other employees — nurses, technicians, etc. — smoked on the adjacent strip-mall property or in their personal vehicles. I imagine that the doctors no longer smoke in their lounge […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 64 years old and was diagnosed with hereditary hemochromatosis several years ago, following an enhanced annual physical exam that my company provides. My condition is now successfully managed through regular phlebotomies, or blood-letting. I consider myself very lucky, as I understand that many people with hemochromatosis are either misdiagnosed or […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: A reader recently asked you about taking niacin for lowering cholesterol and what side effects might be expected. Your reply did not include the very serious side effect of diabetes. Although it may occur only rarely, it did happen to me, and to my brother. We had totally different experiences, but the […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: About eight years ago, I was diagnosed with CIDP (chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy). After several tests, it finally was diagnosed by a spinal tap. One of the effects of this disease is that one’s toes feel as if they are asleep, and in my case, it made my legs very weak and […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 85-year-old male in pretty good health. I recently had a stool test by the Veterans Affairs hospital. They came back and stated that I had blood in my stool, which indicates colon cancer, and that I should have a colonoscopy ASAP. My insurance company provided me with some eight […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: With the flu season coming on, would you please discuss the difference between what people call the “stomach flu” and what the flu really is? I have two friends who last year said they weren’t getting the flu shot anymore because despite having it, they got the flu. They each described several […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My son, in his mid-20s, uses a preworkout energy supplement to which I am opposed. Can you tell me if this is harmful so that I can show him scientific research and your educated and medically sound response? The supplement he uses contains alanine 1 g, creatine 1 g, arginine 1 g, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I drink a lot of coffee, about 80 ounces per day. I feel no ill effects and have no stomach discomfort, but my wife says water is better. A kidney specialist basically said, “fluid is fluid” and that as long as I am hydrated, coffee is fine. With studies showing that coffee […]