DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been waking up at night with my hands “asleep,” but it isn’t the kind with the “pins and needles” feeling. I mentioned it at a routine physical, and my doctor said that it sounded like carpal tunnel syndrome and to try to sleep with my wrists straight. Is there any […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Two weeks ago, my sodium was too low. I was told to drink more water and increase my sodium. I always put salt on my food. I eat ramen noodles and drink the broth, so I don’t understand how it can be low. Both my feet are so swollen that I can […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 32-year-old woman, and for my whole life, as long as I can remember, I have had a very fast resting heart rate. When I was in my late teens and early 20s, it was around 80 beats per minute. Now it is not uncommon for it to be 100 […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am confused. I was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor in my rectum two years ago. When I asked if it was cancer, I was told no, it was a carcinoid. The tumor was successfully removed with TEMS surgery. When I went to the doctor’s office recently (it wasn’t my regular doctor), […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a spot on my back that never stops itching. It has been like that for several years (at least three), and although it is tolerable, it is also very annoying. Every so often, a sore that looks like a pimple will form, which usually lasts for several weeks, then goes […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes (diagnosed a year ago), and I currently take metformin, Tradjenta, Levemir and NovoLog as part of my treatment. However, my question is regarding some advertisements I have been seeing in my newspaper. These advertisements claim that they can cure type 2 diabetes with no surgery, lower […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: In 2003, I had surgery for throat cancer, followed by radiation treatments. I have been negative ever since. My salivary and thyroid glands were damaged. Does the thyroid gland control bowel movements? I’ve been constipated a lot. I’ve tried different laxatives without good results. — J. ANSWER: Radiation therapy, though it can […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My son suffered seizures as a child and was diagnosed with benign rolandic epilepsy. At the time, we were told that he should avoid antihistamines, since they could trigger seizures. He was on medication from ages 8 to 18 (Dilantin), but has been both medication- and seizure-free for more than 10 years. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have had numerous endometrial biopsies and two D and C’s. A while ago, I had a little bit of spotting. I had an endometrial biopsy done, and the doctor said I have simple hyperplasia. Can I get cancer from this? And will the hyperplasia go away when my periods stop? I […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My wife and her two siblings all have Alzheimer’s disease. My wife is 81 and now lives in a nursing home. Her sister is 86 and in hospice, and their brother died at age 80. What is the risk of getting Alzheimer’s if a family member has it? — Anon. ANSWER: Alzheimer’s […]