DEAR DR. ROACH: My understanding is that physicians are taught: “First, do no harm.” In my opinion, they often do by telling terminally ill patients how long they have to live. This happened in the case of my brother, who was given six months. From the day of that pronouncement, all we saw was the […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Recently I read about a possible tragic consequence of traditional mammography. The article to which I refer states that there is the possibility of rupture of a tumor present in breast tissue during compression of the breast required for the mammogram, thus spilling any malignant cells into the system to take up […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Very recently, my husband was admitted to the hospital with a ruptured spleen that bled into his belly. His surgeon repaired it with a coil. He was not in an accident and had no injuries or any kind of bruising anywhere on his body. His doctor had never seen this; he says […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have had nocturia for at least four years. As an example, during a recent, typical night I had my sleep interrupted five times. The measured urination volume averaged 22 ounces per time. This means, of course, that I am dealing daily with notable dehydration. Two internal medicine docs have shrugged it […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: More than a year ago, I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in the smoldering stage, based on a bone marrow biopsy and blood tests. Every three months, my hematologist checks my blood tests and tells me that when I feel bone pain, it will be time to begin chemo. While I am […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I heard that there is a sudden surge in people coming down with severe meat allergies. Is there any information as to why, after years of eating red meat, you suddenly can become extremely allergic? E.V. ANSWER: Meat allergies are uncommon; however, there has been a recent surge of meat allergies due […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Your column on warfarin in August left out an important fact: Some people need to take the brand-name drug Coumadin rather than the generic warfarin. This happened to two members of my family from different generations and different parts of the country. It has been explained to me that some people need […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m currently taking 10 mg of lisinopril once a day to control my blood pressure. I no longer have health insurance due to being laid off. Is there an over-the-counter medication I can use, similar to lisinopril? — C.L. ANSWER: I am sorry to hear about your situation. I am sure it […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Can you tell me if there is any hope of a cure for tree-nut allergy, particularly for a child? — X.M. ANSWER: Tree-nut allergies, like all allergies, vary in severity from mild to life-threatening. Allergies to tree nuts (these include walnuts, cashews, almonds and others) are common, are more likely to be […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m 67 and male. When I had a male doctor, he did a yearly testicle and prostate exam during my physical. Now the practice has been taken over by female doctors, and for the past three years, this has not been done. Is this new? Is there a correct way to ask […]