DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I fell on concrete last month and broke one arm and bruised the other. Now the arm that wasn’t broken has a big water blister on the elbow. It feels like it’s filled with liquid. Every now and then, it hurts. Do you think it’s serious? — C.A. ANSWER: If my diagnosis […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I saw a copy of your column in which a writer asked about resources for epilepsy information other than the Internet. I thought I might let you know that I have operated a nationwide, toll-free information line on epilepsy, called the Epilepsy Information Service, since 1979. We have taken more than half […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: A co-worker told me everyone over 50 should be taking a glucosamine-chondroitin supplement for joint health. What is your perspective on this? — R.M. ANSWER: Does you co-worker mean that glucosamine-chondroitin prevents arthritis, specifically osteoarthritis? If so, I don’t agree. Glucosamine has a large fan base for the treatment of osteoarthritis. That’s […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I got hurt at my place of work in May of last year. I had surgery on my left ankle in which a tendon from my foot was moved to my ankle. After the surgery I got what they call reflex sympathetic dystrophy. My whole leg from hip to foot burns with […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I don’t know how closely you follow professional basketball, but I am a fanatic. Recently one of the best players on my favorite team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, was banged in the knee by an opposing player and ended up with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. The player is Ricky Rubio. He was […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am writing regarding your article on periodic limb movements of sleep. Please check out REM sleep behavior disorder. I, too, had fighting dreams, and what made them dangerous was my acting out the dreams. If my wife grabbed my arm to wake me, she became part of my dream, and it […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: This is my third attempt to get information on Guillain-Barre syndrome, of which I am a victim. Please put it in layperson’s terminology. Several doctors have told me they can do nothing for me. — V.A. ANSWER: Guillain (gee-YAWN)-Barre (buh-RAY) syndrome is an illness with a superficial resemblance to polio. It brings […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: On Dec. 24, 2011, my grandson, age 28, died in his sleep of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Can you tell me what caused this? He had two children, ages 4 and 6. Should they be tested? What is the best test? Dan played football, hockey and baseball, and was never sick or short of […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: You have written very little about asthma, its cause and treatment. Is it inherited? I am 86 and developed it at the age of 5. My daughters and their children are asthmatics. — H.S. ANSWER: Asthma obstructs the flow of air into and out of the lungs. Part of the obstruction comes […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have a gorgeous 19-year-old daughter who has acne. We hear it is due to heredity and hormones. We go to a dermatologist and get fair results. Tetracycline doesn’t work. We hear birth-control pills are good. Any suggestions? — J.P. ANSWER: An attack on acne centers on oil production, clogged skin pores […]