DEAR DR. ROACH: I am writing in regarding my husband, who has had nocturia since around the age of 24. He gets up three to four times a night, sometimes more if he drank liquids before bed or had a salty meal. He has undergone a bladder emptying study with a urologist that was normal, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am writing in regarding my husband, who has had nocturia since around the age of 24. He gets up three to four times a night, sometimes more if he drank liquids before bed or had a salty meal. He has undergone a bladder emptying study with a urologist that was normal, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was recently admitted to the hospital after a fall and required IV hydration. Since then, I have seen advertisements for water everywhere. I will admit to feeling better when drinking alkaline water with electrolytes. The issues are cost and so many used up bottles in landfills. I have been a tap […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a regular reader of your column in the Sarasota, Florida, Herald-Tribune. I happen to be on 200 mg of hydroxychloroquine daily for my rheumatoid arthritis. There are mosquitos carrying Plasmodium vivax here, and so far, four people have contracted the disease. Does hydroxychloroquine offer any protection? — A.L. ANSWER: There […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 65-year-old with high risk for breast cancer, and I have osteoporosis. I have an MRI and mammogram done each year, and I’m on Prolia twice a year. My question regards a suggestion from my oncologist to take low-dose tamoxifen for prevention of breast cancer, along with the MRI and […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband was diagnosed with hemochromatosis 13 months before he died. I recommended that his blood relatives get tested so they can get treatment early, if necessary. Some doctors don’t know to check ferritin levels to make a diagnosis in a person with a family history of hemochromatosis. — C.G. ANSWER: Hereditary […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 90-year-old woman, and I consider myself reasonably healthy, except for one problem. I have severe lumbar spinal stenosis. For a number of years, I’ve been receiving an epidural injection, roughly every four months. So far, the injections totally eliminate the pain for approximately two months; then the pain gradually […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m severely constipated. My doctor has me on seven medications and supplements. I would like your opinion on taking all of them throughout the day. They are Movantik (I take Tylenol with codeine), magnesium citrate, MiraLAX, apple cider vinegar gummies, magnesium oxide, a probiotic and Linzess. — F.F. ANSWER: Opioids, such as […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: What are the symptoms for cold agglutinin disease, and how is it diagnosed? — P.W. ANSWER: Cold agglutinin disease is a specific type of anemia where antibodies attack and destroy a person’s own red blood cells. Unlike the usual type of autoimmune hemolytic (“hemolytic” means “destruction of red blood cells”) anemia, the […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 63-year-old man. At a recent visit to my endocrinologist for my annual thyroid check (I have Hashimoto’s disease), I revealed that I have been suffering from fatigue and erectile dysfunction. After additional blood work was performed, my doctor indicated that I have low testosterone levels and high prolactin levels. […]