DEAR DR ROACH: I’m a 68-year-old female with osteopenia. My doctor wants me to take a bone medication such as Boniva or Fosamax. I’ve read that folks with esophageal issues may be harmed by taking these. Can you explain why? — C.M.C. ANSWER: First off, we don’t usually treat isolated low bone mass (osteopenia) with […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was recently diagnosed with grade 1 spondylolisthesis. I had been a runner for most of my life and had lifted weights for a number of years. Could these two activities have been the culprits? I have a little numbness at times down my left leg and around my ankles. As long […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 84-year-old male and have had atrial fibrillation for many years. In 2022, I had the WATCHMAN procedure. Prior to the WATCHMAN implant, I took Eliquis to help prevent strokes. During this time, I never had an issue with purpura spots. After the WATCHMAN, I took Plavix for six months […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 68-year-old male in excellent health. I had an exam that incidentally noticed a relatively small, internal iliac artery aneurysm. Since then, I have had annual CT scans to monitor the size. As of January, it had grown to 3.2 cm. As we get closer to surgical intervention, my vascular […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Do you have any recommendations to stop restless legs at night? My husband has been to many doctors to find a cause or a solution to stop them. His legs have raised up as much as a foot in the air at night, constantly jumping and causing many sleepless nights. No one […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I would like your opinion of probiotics. Do you think they would help with chronic diarrhea after having my gallbladder removed? — C.F.R. ANSWER: Probiotics are bacteria that are abundantly found in a healthy colon. They are thought to provide benefit to people in certain circumstances. Unfortunately, there is only proof of […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My 22-year-old granddaughter had her first seizure less than a year ago. She had a few tests done, which showed that everything looked normal. She did an MRI, a CT scan and two electroencephalograms (EEGs). She was told that the seizures she had are non-epileptic ones and are much safer than epileptic […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Does taking a medicine to reduce fever hurt? I read that fever is useful for the body to fight off infections. — J.S. ANSWER: There is some experimental evidence that higher temperatures help the body kill bacteria and control virus infections, but the magnitude of the benefit is probably small. Fever is […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a healthy 55-year-old woman who eats well and exercises (with both weights and cardio) six to seven times per week. Four years ago, I was diagnosed with Lynch syndrome. (I have the “MLH1” genotype.) My primary care physician suggested testing after my sister died of cancer at the age of […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My 64-year-old son just returned home after cardiac bypass surgery. The surgery went well, but he has very severe pain. His body won’t tolerate any oral painkiller due to nausea and vomiting. I can’t imagine what it will be like with six to eight weeks of excruciating pain. He is emotionally drained. […]