DEAR DR. ROACH: How can you actually tell with at least a moderate degree of certainty that you might really have a heart or blood pressure problem, as opposed to just having an anxiety attack that is less serious? — D.S. ANSWER: A panic attack is an abrupt change in mental state. They are usually […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My primary care doctor has ordered that I get an MRI scan with and without contrast dye. I have been having head pain every day in one single spot behind my right eye. My question is, is gadolinium (the contrast dye that will be injected to enhance pictures of my brain) safe? […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 75-year-old woman in very good health with the exception of my Barrett’s esophagus, which I have had for five years with no dysplasia. My gastroenterologist had prescribed 20 mg of omeprazole once a day for those five years. He thought that a dose this small is not a problem. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: What’s the difference between homeopathy and allopathic medicine? — H.L. ANSWER: Homeopathy is a pseudoscience based on two assumptions. The first is that the body always knows what to do, so treatment includes a substance that will cause the same symptom a sick person currently has in a healthy person. This seems […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’ve been wearing a pessary since my youngest child was born 28 years ago. I’m grateful for it, since I’ve been able to continue backpacking, skiing, playing tennis, dancing, etc., without leakage! Anyway, now that I’m approaching 70, I’m realizing that removing and reinserting it may become an issue as my hands […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: A friend recommended hyaluronic acid for joint pain in my wrist and hand. I have been taking 180 mg once a day for a couple months now and have experienced notable success. I also feel that my neck pain and range of motion in my neck have improved. My question is, what […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation in January 2012. I am aware of when it comes by how I feel — a little out of sorts, but no shortness of breath, chest pain or light-headedness. Consulting with my app on my smart watch confirms the same. I am taking bisoprolol and rivaroxaban. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I completed proton therapy for prostate cancer in August 2021. Approximately nine months later, I began to bleed from my rectum. My oncologist suggested that I be treated by a colorectal surgeon, who recommended we try formalin. After 10 treatments, it became clear that this approach was not working, so he then […]

DEAR DR ROACH: I am having significant issues with my hip replacement that was performed 10 years ago. It can get quite painful after kneeling, lifting heavy objects or sitting in some chairs for extended periods. My MRIs show no issues. C-reactive protein tests and sedimentation rates are within the normal range, so my doctors […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: In the winter, I enjoy an occasional soak in a hot bath, especially when my muscles ache after a hard day, and I often add a cup or more of Epsom salts. These seem to make the bath even more soothing and therapeutic, and I feel especially clean afterward. Am I crazy, […]