DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My problem is sweating at night. Sometimes I wet three different pajama tops per night. Last year I had a lower-back operation, and I am on tramadol and doxazosin. A doctor told me to take gabapentin for sweating, and it worked for about three weeks, but no more. What ideas do you […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I’ve been trying to deal with shingles pain for six months. At times it’s so bad that I can’t sleep. I have tried Tylenol, Aleve and Advil, and some herbals that my wife bought. Nothing works. Can you tell me what will? How did I get it? Will the shingles vaccine take […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have an 11-year-old granddaughter who plays on three soccer teams. She heads the ball often. I am worried that this might cause brain damage. I think I read that it did. I would appreciate your input on this. — C.G. ANSWER: This is a question I have dodged answering for years […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Will you tell me the value of vitamin D-3? Is it good for you? — T.P. ANSWER: Vitamin D is more than good for you. It has been crowned king of vitamins. Sunlight falling on the skin turns a skin material into vitamin D-3 (cholecalciferol). Another form of vitamin D is D-2 […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Last December, my husband called the paramedics when I did not respond to him. They rushed me to the hospital when I began convulsing. I have no recollection of any of this. When I woke one week later, I was in the ICU. I was told that I had broken heart syndrome. […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I had a thoracic aortic aneurysm repaired in 2008. Since the surgery, I had several setbacks that brought me to different hospitals. They did CT scans, and, all in all, I have had about six scans in the past two years. I’m supposed to have another CT scan for my operated aneurysm. […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My uncle just had an emergency carotid endarterectomy for 99 percent occlusion of his right carotid artery. He is 82 years old and quite fit. He had a carotid Doppler (ultrasound) study every year. Furthermore, there was no bruit in his artery. Doppler studies do not show occlusions greater than 90 percent. […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Please help me understand polycystic ovary syndrome — or, as it now is called, hyperandrogenism. My granddaughter is 13. Several months ago, her mother noticed a patch of hair on her chest and a slight mustache. Her pediatrician checked her testosterone level, and it was high. The doctor sent her to a […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a 68-year-old male. For a number of years, I did back exercises on a floor mat and concluded with 50 pushups. About 18 months ago, I had the first of two knee replacements. My surgeon suggested that I not do pushups on the floor in order to protect my new […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am seeing a doctor for weight loss. He has placed me on vitamin B-12 injections three times a week to increase my energy and my metabolism. Isn’t B-12 an iron vitamin/supplement? Will I overdose? Are there side effects? Will my organs be damaged? I am losing weight, but my energy hasn’t […]