DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I’ve been training by lifting weights and by running for a couple of years. In the past year, I’ve found myself in a rut. I’m not making the progress I made when I first started. Have you any suggestions for me? — P.T. ANSWER: Periodization could be the answer to your lack […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Will you please explain myasthenia gravis? Has modern medical care improved the quality of life of a person diagnosed with this disease? What exactly is it? How is the thymus involved? Muscles and nerves are involved too, aren’t they? — C.K. ANSWER: A little background information is needed. Nerves prod muscles into […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My husband, 57, has varicose veins. He has seen three doctors, spent a bunch of money and says the doctors said there isn’t much they can do and that he isn’t likely to have a serious problem with them. His legs look bad to me. I am concerned he could develop a […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Our grandson, 6 feet 2 inches, 190 pounds, is in excellent condition and is very active. His only problem is excessive sweating of his feet. After about 3 miles of hiking, he can literally wring the sweat from his socks. Is there something he can do to stop the sweating? — L.D. […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: An EKG, taken during a routine physical exam, showed that I had a left bundle branch block. At the same time, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The surgery was a success, but more cancer was found in my lymph nodes. What impact would chemo or radiation have on my heart problem? […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I was first diagnosed with psoriasis in July 1972, at the age of 23. I am now 63. I begin my 40th year of suffering from this dreadful disease. I have tried virtually every form of treatment. I have studied the new biological treatments now available, and it is with a certain […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Over the weekend, I played basketball with some neighbors, all of whom are younger than me and all of whom made a big deal about that. I wanted to show them I could keep up with them. I started showing off with some hotshot moves, and I felt a tremendous pain in […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I was told that the platelet count should be between 150,000 and 400,000. For about 20 years, my count has been as low as 70,000. Recently it was 77,000 with a few giant-size platelets. Should I be concerned? — E.R. ANSWER: Platelets are the smallest blood cells. Another name for platelets is […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Regarding fibromyalgia: You stated that there are simple tests that reveal it. My 50-year-old daughter has the symptoms. She has pain in the hips, legs and now the neck and shoulders and has had it for two years. Her doctor knows of no tests for it. Please inform me. — M.L. ANSWER: […]

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Recently you discussed atrial fibrillation. As you can see from the attached information, my husband has had many medical problems. In the early months of this year, he developed atrial fibrillation. A cardioversion was performed and worked for about five minutes. Then his doctor prescribed amiodarone. Since being on amiodarone, he has […]