DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your recent column on the value of the shingles vaccination. In 1991, I had a mastectomy and, as a precautionary measure, I had my other breast removed in 1994, with all lymph nodes removed in both arms. After my surgeries my instructions were never to have blood taken, blood pressure […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My wife had a laparotomy several months ago, and she lost the hearing in her right ear, possibly from an antibiotic given (intravenous vancomycin). She has had four steroid injections into the right ear, to no avail. She now has to be fitted with a hearing aid. What is the likelihood of […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Our excellent insurance allows for a yearly wellness visit at no cost. My regular copay is a very reasonable $10. So, the cost is not the real issue. For the past few years, after my visit, I have received a bill for $10, with the explanation that while the wellness visit was […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I know an elderly woman who has been taking 60 milligrams of NP thyroid, then she needed a new doctor, who prescribed 37.5 micrograms of levothyroxine. Why would the new doctor change her thyroid medication when she is having no problems with the NP? Ever since the change, she suffers from headaches […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have primary biliary cirrhosis, for which I take Actigall. My numbers are good now. I have had loose bowel movements since a colonoscopy several months ago, and sometimes I do not make it to the bathroom in time! My doctors have not given me any advice. — S.P. ANSWER: Primary biliary […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 80-year-old man who still has psychological drive, but who has lost the physical ability for an erection. Is there any safe way to restore this? I have had multiple bypass surgeries, so I am fearful of medicines like Viagra or Cialis, but I wonder about the safety of testosterone. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My grandson is 26 years old and has a rare disease called pseudohypoparathyroidism. The only doctor in our area who knows this disease has only ever seen one case. The medicine my grandson is on is not working and causes bad headaches. His back hurts. He also has blood in his urine […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Short of amputation, what’s the best one can expect in minimizing the sporadic but harsh symptoms of restless legs? — J.M. ANSWER: Restless legs syndrome, also called Willis-Ekbom disease, is an underdiagnosed condition. The major symptom involves an overwhelming urge to move the legs, often in conjunction with other symptoms, described as […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I walked into a glass wall and hurt my nose. It swelled up immediately and later developed bruising. My friend told me to ice it, but that an emergency room visit wasn’t necessary. Now I’m wondering if I should have gone. What’s the right thing to do when you think you might […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My son had a pacemaker placed in 2013 and got it checked every four months. He developed an ulcer on his coccyx. He was being seen every two or three weeks in a wound clinic, and I was told it was 98% healed. The visiting nurse came between visits to the doctor […]