DEAR DR. ROACH: You have written about PPIs such as Prilosec, which I have successfully taken for over 10 years to fight a severe case of GERD with a small hiatal hernia. However, what is your opinion on my long-term usage (which has been a true lifesaver) and continuing it essentially forever? My gastro specialist […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Sixty years ago, I married into a family that included a woman doctor in the generation before mine. My mother-in-law was always lamenting that she had never understood a little ditty that Aunt Doctor would always say: “Oranges are gold in the morning, silver at noon, and lead at night.” I finally […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 66-year-old man. I take medicine for blood pressure, atrial fibrillation and asthma. Three of my medications (diltiazem, carvedilol, albuterol) say that they can cause driving problems. My problem is that over the past two years, I have been having anxiety problems while driving on the interstate or small rural […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m not able to get any straight answers from the doctors about a serious issue my husband is having. He was diagnosed in August 2019 with bladder cancer. In early September 2019, the tumor, part of the lining and end of the ureter were removed and tested, and we were told they […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 75-year-old woman who has been suffering from four to five bouts of hot flashes with night sweats (about every two hours from bedtime until morning) since I stopped taking HRT at age 62. I haven’t had an uninterrupted night’s sleep since then, and I rarely wake up feeling rested. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 58-year-old healthy female. I am 6 feet tall, and weigh 130 pounds. My last blood pressure reading was 100/58. I have Raynaud’s phenomenon. I exercise every day (walk, bike, snowshoe). All of my medical laboratory results are within the normal range with the exception of my antinuclear antibody. In […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: In your recent column about the COVID-19 vaccine, you review the Pfizer vaccine results along with your suggested approach. You say: “People with a history of COVID-19 infection benefitted from the vaccine just as much as those without, suggesting no natural immunity was present.” I’m curious what specific results from the study […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 77-year-old man in good health. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease about 15 years ago, but had no symptoms. Recently I had a colonoscopy after blood was found in my stool. A biopsy confirmed Crohn’s disease, and a follow-up CT scan showed a stricture in the terminal ileum. My […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have seen a couple videos and read a little about ivermectin use with COVID-19 and wondered what your thoughts were. — S.R. ANSWER: Ivermectin is a prescription drug that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of certain parasitic worms in humans. It is also used in […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: What are your thoughts on the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy? I have read that it is safe. Could you explain how? I have a minimal understanding of the mRNA vaccine, and no understanding on how the vaccine could affect pregnancy. — H.B. ANSWER: Pregnant women do not seem to be more likely […]