DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 78 and had polio when I was 17. I have lived with weakness on my left side. About a year ago, I started feeling a lot of fatigue. I saw an endocrinologist, who tested for low testosterone and thyroid. I took medicines that fixed both problems, but I still feel […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My wife was diagnosed with COPD. She is on medicines and has been given lung tests that confirm COPD. Is there a cure? — C.F. ANSWER: About 24 million Americans suffer from COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Half of them have been diagnosed; the other half have its signs and symptoms but […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: On my own, I went to a sleep clinic to be assessed for sleep apnea. After two nights there, I was told I need a CPAP machine. They decided I needed a full face mask because I am a mouth-breather. After the first night, I knew I could not wear that mask. […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My son had blood work done for employment at a hospital. He tested positive for latent TB, so now he has to take isoniazid for nine months. Is this a normal treatment for this kind of infection? What is the prognosis once he is done? He is working with the Centers for […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My basketball coach is gung-ho for stretching exercises. We spend at least 15 minutes of every practice doing all sorts of stretches. Some of us wonder what this is doing for us. Our coach claims that it keeps us from injuries. Does it? How? — J.D. ANSWER: Some sports-medicine authorities are of […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I would like to take organ donation a step further and donate my body to science. If any part of me can help find a cure for a disease or help someone live longer, I will have been of some use to my fellow human beings. Furthermore, it would save my family […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: As marijuana smoking is quite popular, I would like to know what effect its smoke has on the lungs of the user. Having been part of the police department and being aware that users inhale and keep the smoke in their lungs for quite a while, it seems that this practice could […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: One doesn’t hear or read often about my problem, which was diagnosed by a speech therapist. It’s spasmodic dysphonia. It started about a year ago. Sometimes it worsens in the evening hours or when I get upset. It’s quite annoying and at times difficult for me to speak, and is, of course, […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a 69-year-old woman and take simvastatin and alendronate. I was feeling really tired. My muscles and joints hurt. I told my doctor, and he cut the dose of simvastatin. I was still tired and hurting, so I stopped all meds. I now feel a lot better. My doctor says I […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I refill plastic water bottles with regular tap water. When the bottle is empty, I wash it and the cap, and refill it with water. I hear that toxins are released from plastics after reusing them. Reusing is cost-efficient and saves the planet from more trash, but it’s not worth the risk […]