ArcaMax

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 78 years old. Breast cancer runs in my family, and I am one of the lucky ones who had a lump that was caught early through an annual mammogram. I had a partial mastectomy, which entailed the surgical removal of a lump about the size of a pea. I underwent 14 days of radiation and was cleared.

I then saw an oncologist who ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: The females in my family on my mother's side seem to develop dementia/Alzheimer's on a fairly regular basis. It seems to become noticeable once the women are in their mid-70s or so. We girls are concerned as we head toward our elderly years and wondered which sort of diet or supplemental changes we should look into? There seems...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My sister was trying to make a telehealth appointment with her primary care physician. The receptionist called her back to inform her that she needed to pay a co-pay of $30 for the appointment first. I didn't know that this was the new norm for these. Is this true?

If this ever happened to me, and I am able, I would get into ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a layman, but I disagree with your recent advice about the MMR vaccination specifically for a person without rubella antibodies. I am 73 years old. When I was 18, I caught rubella. Unfortunately I was rooming with a young couple who were newly married, Catholic and pregnant. The young wife caught the disease from me and, on ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was born in 1954, and my mother took diethylstilbestrol (DES) to prevent miscarriages. I had a hysterectomy last year, and my doctor told me I didn't need a Pap smear ever again. I told him I wanted one, and he said "no." Since I have my cervix, I am afraid of getting cancer, which runs in my family on both sides. Now I found...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband is 72 years old and on a waiting list for a hip replacement due to severe osteoarthritis. The surgeon he was referred to is quite young, has been performing anterior minimally invasive hip replacements for five years, and does about 250 per year.

Originally we had asked to be referred to a different surgeon who has ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. (No surprise there as symptoms were omnipresent.) CPAP machines seem incredibly uncomfortable. Are they the preferred gold standard even for mild sleep apnea? (I'm not even sure if "mild" is accurate since all sleep issues are serious to me.)

Also, I believe my deviated septum is ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 67-year-old female in pretty good health. The only medications I take are for my thyroid, arthritis and hormone replacement. Early last year, I was sick with a cold/flu for a couple of weeks and had diarrhea during this time. I figured it was from my sickness; however, the sickness went away, but the diarrhea did not.

...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: What is your opinion on taking gummies that contain 8 mg each of CBD, CBN and THC before bedtime for sleeping assistance? I am an 81-year-old male and have been taking them for several months, and they seem to help me. Could you comment on gummies for elderly people to assist with sleeping issues and any downsides of taking them?...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband woke up with double vision about three weeks ago. It appears that his left eye is turned inward and does not move with his right eye. He's had a prescription for prednisone that did not help. An MRI has ruled out a brain tumor, and blood tests have ruled out myasthenia gravis.

An optometrist has prescribed prism ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 66 years old and have had highly episodic and infrequent shooting pains in my outer right knee on and off for the past five or six years. It's like an intense burning sensation or electric shock to the bony outer part of my tibia directly below the knee, and it only lasts for a few seconds.

But when it occurs during sleep...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I want to point out a serious health concern. My daughter turned 40 last year and got her mammogram, which came back with a shocking diagnosis of stage 3 microinvasive carcinoma. She underwent three surgeries, the last of which was a double mastectomy.

I read that cancer incidence increases with hormone usage greater than five...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 75-year-old woman in reasonably good health. Two months ago, I had a seizure in my doctor's office during my annual checkup. I woke up in an emergency room in a large metropolitan hospital.

I take ramipril for high blood pressure, which is controlled. I am now taking levetiracetam for seizures. I have never had a ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 74-year-old man. I have a DEXA score of -3.3. I take 1,200 mg of calcium with vitamin D daily. I lift weights and swim two to three times a week. My doctor put me on Prolia, and I had six months of infections. He switched me to Fosamax, and my blood pressure was 201/121 mmHg.

I found a Phase 4 clinical trial showing ...Read more