DEAR DR. ROACH: Is there any risk starting the two-step process for the new shingles vaccine given the COVID-19 virus? My husband had the original shingles vaccine, and he has also contracted shingles. Should he get the new vaccine? He doesn’t believe it is necessary. — L.M. ANSWER: Several people have asked whether the new […]
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Sweets and starches are not off-limits to diabetics
DEAR DR. ROACH: Is prediabetes reversible, and if not, is it permissible to eat sweets and starches in moderation if you have it? — C.W. ANSWER: In many cases, prediabetes can be reversed. In North America, by far the most common type of diabetes is Type 2, and a major risk factor is being overweight. […]
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Does osteoporosis medicine perform differently for men?
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 65 and get very little exercise due to a below-the-knee amputation I had 27 years ago. Although I have a prosthesis, I experience open sores. I have been diagnosed with severe arthritis and severe osteoporosis. My doctor has me taking alendronate, calcium and vitamin B. A recent column of yours […]
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Beta blockers work with other hyperthyroidism meds
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 80 years old. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. I am taking methimazole 10 milligrams, two tabs daily. Whenever the endocrinologist reduces the tablets to once daily, my TSH remains low. I am also taking metoprolol. I read on my computer that beta blockers interfere with the absorption […]
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Shy bladder has reader in a legal predicament
DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a problem called “shy bladder,” which has put me in a legal predicament. I was pulled over for speeding (which I was). After passing a breathalyzer twice, I was taken to the police station to give a urine sample. I was unable to do so. I was told I was […]
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Heart failure after viral infection provokes sudden life changes
DEAR DR. ROACH: My son-in-law had Guillain-Barre as a child, and is now 39 and a new father. He has an executive job with nothing strenuous. He cannot get the flu shot and consequently got the flu. He has been diagnosed with an infection around the heart and was hospitalized for several days. No one […]
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Squeaky hip joint likely aggravating, but not dangerous
DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m 69 years old. I take no medications, and I’m in very good health. Fifteen years ago, I had a hip replacement and now it is starting to squeak when I walk. It is a ceramic socket and a titanium ball. Is there any kind of cream I can rub on my […]
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Are frequent nighttime bathroom trips from overactive bladder?
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 77-year-old woman who suffered with urinary tract infections until my gynecologist prescribed estradiol, which I currently take. The UTIs are now infrequent, but I am sleep deprived from waking up four or five times per night to go to the bathroom. I relieve myself before I go to bed […]
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We all benefit from vaccines, whether we take them or not
DEAR DR. ROACH: A recent column on vaccines left me unable to complete all the dots. An 80-year-old who has been sick only once (from a vaccination) stated that he/she will never willingly accept another vaccination. You conclude your column by suggesting that by being 80, this person should look forward to a vaccine for […]
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Exercises for arthritic hands: beneficial or detrimental?
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 69-year-old woman developing arthritis in my fingers, especially the middle joints. I do various finger bending and straightening exercises, and I rub my hands together vigorously to warm them. I recently visited a hand orthopedist to get a steroid injection into the worst joint. To my surprise, he advised […]