DEAR DRS. DONOHUE AND ROACH: My 85-year-old wife had a benign ovarian tumor removed in 2008. During a vacation in Florida the next year, she had a bowel blockage. The treatment was insertion of a tube through her nose and into the stomach. The doctors said the blockage was caused by adhesions from her prior […]

DEAR DRS. DONOHUE AND ROACH: I take a vitamin D every day, but I also put sunscreen on my exposed skin when I go outdoors. Won’t the sunscreen interfere with the effects of the vitamin D? — L.P. ANSWER: Low vitamin D is increasingly being diagnosed, and has been implicated in many conditions. What is […]

DEAR DRS. DONOHUE AND ROACH: Three years ago, I found that out my blood pressure was high, and my doctor put me on atenolol. The medication solved my blood pressure problem but created, I assume, another: erectile dysfunction. Once I started the atenolol, my erections were totally different. I am 60 years old and otherwise […]

DEAR DRS. DONOHUE AND ROACH: About four months ago, my 39-year-old, retired Marine son was diagnosed with dermatomyositis. He had always been very healthy, and he used to run six or seven miles a day to stay in shape. Now he can barely get up from a sitting position. He has a rash that covers […]

DEAR DRS. DONOHUE AND ROACH: Help, help, help. I’m getting stooped, I hate it, and I hope you can tell what I can do to keep it from getting worse. Will exercise help? — S.M. ANSWER: There are two common reasons for a stooped posture, and both of them need early evaluation. The more common […]

DEAR DRS. DONOHUE AND ROACH: My daughter was diagnosed with a disease called neurofibromatosis. She has three daughters. One has it, and so does her 3-year-old granddaughter. Her other two girls are OK. None of the doctors has told us anything about this disease. Can you shed some light on it for us? — M.K. […]

DEAR DRS. DONOHUE AND ROACH: About two years ago, I had an anxiety attack. The doctor prescribed Xanax, and I was on it for a short time. He then switched me to respiridone, 0.25 mg. I am trying to go off respiridone also. Is it better to fight a nervous episode or to take a […]

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Nick Lachey, 39; Eric Dane, 40; Susan Tedeschi, 42; Lou Ferrigno, 61. Happy Birthday: Size up whatever situation you face. You may feel compelled to make an impulsive move based on emotions, but this will lead to lingering side effects that stand in the way of your success. Your numbers […]

DEAR DRS. DONOHUE AND ROACH: I am a female in my 70s. When I was 12 years old, I, along with a younger brother and older sister, all had what our doctor called “yellow jaundice.” We all were very sick for about two weeks. It was very contagious and a good percentage of the schoolchildren […]

DEAR DRS. DONOHUE AND ROACH: I am a 60-year-old woman. I am 5 feet 6 inches tall and weigh 118 pounds. I exercise four to five times a week, and I work with kids every day in the afternoon. For my 60th birthday I went skydiving. I always have been extremely healthy, but I decided […]