DEAR DR. ROACH: You stated in a recent column that there is no evidence to support taking vitamins D, C and zinc when treating/preventing COVID-19. I recently spoke to an infectious disease doctor who told me that doctors are giving this very vitamin “cocktail” to hospitalized patients with COVID. Lots of resources say having these […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: What can you tell me about cannabis products containing delta-8 THC? — M.O. ANSWER: Cannabis products have many active chemicals. The ones that have been best studied are the tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THCs are psychoactive, and the term THC generally refers to the delta-9 isomer, but several others, including delta-8, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 70-year-old woman in excellent health. For the past few years, I have had a creeping, bloody discoloration of my feet, starting at my ankles and going toward my toes. When you touch one of my feet it is momentarily normal but quickly goes back to looking bloody even sometimes […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 68-year-old woman in good health, but I am overweight. For the past few months, I have been vigilant about keeping track of my diet and have been walking 13,000-14,000 steps each day. I have lost enough pounds to be noticeable. About half of my steps are on a treadmill; […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband had many tests for bacteria in his urine. Three months ago, he had no protein in the urine; two months ago, the number of protein was 20; one month ago, the number was 100. His urologist is not concerned. My sister, who had amyloidosis that eventually took her life, always […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a friend whose 50-year-old son is healthy except for having had his spleen removed in his 20s after an auto accident. Recently, he was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs. He has had extensive tests, but none of his doctors could tell him why he was getting these clots. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I know you are not a dentist, but I have a question connected to high blood pressure, which I’ve had for 20 years. I am 75, in fairly good health and have gingivitis. For high blood pressure, my doctor took me off amlodipine 5 mg and prescribed a different calcium channel blocker, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 60-year-old healthy man. I am very active as a team roper. My arthritis bothers me every day, every waking hour. We ride two or three days a week. I take a tramadol with acetaminophen (37.5/325) and a 500-mg acetaminophen in the mornings. This works well during the day. But if […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I recently had a full spinal health check done, since I have a history of scoliosis and a few other things I can’t pronounce in my spine in my neck. My neck no longer has a 45-degree curve — it is now straight up and down, and it has my thyroid completely […]