DEAR DR. ROACH: Could you please explain why alcoholics get distended abdomens, and would the disorder reverse itself if someone quit drinking? — J.P. ANSWER: Alcohol causes injury to liver cells. The liver has the ability to regenerate. In some people, those with a very long history of alcohol abuse, the liver loses its ability […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Could you help explain the preponderance of testosterone-enhancing drugs that I see advertised lately for “low male libido”? Do they contain anabolic steroids, and if so, shouldn’t they be prescribed under the strictest medical supervision and for reasons other than “low male libido”? — L.R. ANSWER: It depends on which type of […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Several years ago my husband received a stent for a 99 percent blockage. What had kept him alive was a network of collateral arteries, thanks to a lifelong high level of exercise. His cardiologist put him on Crestor, and he became an old man before his time — muscle cramps, muscle weakness […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 64-year-old woman in fairly good health and who takes no medications. Both my mother, 88, and my sister, 53, take medication for hypothyroidism. In the past four months, I have had bloodwork done three times to check my thyroid and had slightly elevated TSH scores (between 5 and 7). […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: For the past five years I have been using vaginal estrogen. I was first given Estradiol Cream. I have always had very thick, curly hair. In less than a week I started noticing hair coming out in my hands when washing it. Within a couple of months, my hair started to look […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am writing on behalf of my mother. For the past 17 months she has been experiencing what she feels are parasites coming out of her skin. She has seen multiple doctors, including skin doctors. They have done blood tests, X-rays and endoscopies, and she has been given several medications, such as […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been taking 1,000-1,200 mg of calcium daily for a long time now — more than 12 years. I am 46. I don’t get much, if any, dairy in my diet, but I am a good vegetable eater. Should I be concerned about calcium supplements and kidney stones or other places […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 80-plus-year-old man with rheumatoid arthritis. My doctor has reduced my methotrexate dosage due to his concern about kidney damage. He prescribed Tylenol. My question is whether Tylenol also has a potential problem for my kidneys. — R.B. ANSWER: Rheumatoid arthritis is a serious form of arthritis that can cause […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My great-grandson was diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta. He had his first leg fracture before his 2nd birthday. I understand there is no cure. How do we help him be the best he can be? — A. ANSWER: Osteogenesis imperfecta is sometimes called “brittle bone” disease. There are several different forms, and the […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: In a recent column, you recommended “very aggressive treatment” of the COPD in a man who was nearly passing out when coughing due to a cold. I know a man who has been diagnosed who continues to smoke a non-filtered brand of cigarette. His coughing is persistent, and he coughs up phlegm. […]