DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 55-year-old male. After five or six days of thinking I had pulled a muscle in my bicep, I was diagnosed via ultrasound with an unprovoked, extensive deep-vein thrombosis in my left upper arm. I’m glad I made the decision to have it checked out. I have no family history […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My friend was diagnosed with H. pylori. He was treated and then later he was given a stool sample test. This test showed “negative,” and he was told that it means he does not have the H. pylori bacteria anymore. No more medication was given to him, and no special or restricted […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m 64 and healthy. I’m very petite at 4 feet, 10 inches tall. I’ve had a low weight most of my life, keeping around 95 pounds. Two years ago, after retiring and being less active, I got up to 110 and maintained it for a year. Then I got married and am […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My brother had four ministrokes in five days. They can’t find what caused it. He was in a university hospital for seven days. — M.L. ANSWER: A stroke is defined as a neurologic deficit (such as weakness or difficulty speaking) that lasts for more than 24 hours. For deficits that last less […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am being treated for macular degeneration with injections of Lucentis into the eye. My cardiologist has determined that I have atrial fibrillation and wants to prescribe the anticoagulant Coumadin (warfarin). My non-medical mind senses that these two drugs have opposing functions relative to blood clotting. Am I right? — H.W. ANSWER: […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m vegan, primarily for ethical reasons, but I also enjoy the health benefits. There are so many more nondairy milks on the market now than when I went vegan, 23 years ago. I especially enjoy the taste of soy, coconut and almond milks, but from a health perspective, which is best? — […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: As a preventive measure for prediabetes, my doctor recommended I take 500 mg of metformin twice a day (morning and evening). I have been following this regimen for two months. The same day I started the medication, my night sweats started up again, with a vengeance. On the metformin, my quality of […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I moved to the Northern California mountains about 17 years ago. There was much discussion about Lyme disease at that time. My husband and I decided, since we were surrounded by tick-carrying deer, that we should take all precautions. There was a vaccine available, given in three separate doses. We learned that […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am concerned that my child has chronic traumatic encephalopathy after a serious concussion and several other head traumas. Can you tell me the current ideas for treatment? — K.L.R. ANSWER: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a degenerative disease of the brain, described in boxers in 1928 (“punch-drunk” or “dementia pugilistica”), but recently […]