ArcaMax

DEAR DR. ROACH: About four months ago, my doctor switched me from a combination of 5 mg of amlodipine and 100 mg of Losartan daily (which I'd been taking for several years) to 10 mg of amlodipine only. Things went just fine until very recently, when I started developing some annoying skin problems. I've noticed wart-like growths and itchy, ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm curious about peptides. I read that they're incredible health cures and effective at lowering weight and high cholesterol. People say that major pharmaceutical companies are suppressing them because they offer better cures at cheaper prices. Is there any credibility to these claims, and should I take them, mainly by self-...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a friend who had gallstones and ultimately had her gallbladder removed. When they went in, they saw lots of infections, cleaned her out, and put drains in her liver. She's been feeling awful and weak, and she wants to get a second opinion. Which type of specialist should she see? -- D.L.G.

ANSWER: Treatment for a ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm an 83-year-old female who's in good health. I don't take any prescriptions, and I'm not overweight. I donate blood regularly, work out at a gym, and hike. I started taking 50 mg of trazodone in January 2019 for its side effect of helping with sleep. It helped somewhat, so my doctor increased the dose.

One evening, I rose ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm currently in the final stages of recovering from osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). Getting a diagnosis took two months, all of which I spent in excruciating pain. I finally found someone that has knowledge of ONJ. Can this condition recur if I continue taking Prolia? -- N.L.

ANSWER: ONJ is a rare side effect of denosumab (...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My daughter, who's 44 years old, was recently diagnosed with rectal cancer. It's stage III and contained. She has no cancer in her liver, lymph nodes, rectum or colon. Her doctor is going to start her on a more aggressive chemo than he first thought of, then radiation. Since the cancer's contained, once it's removed, would her ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: Could you address Munchausen syndrome and how to treat a person who might have it? What causes the constant talk about real or imagined illnesses, and is there a treatment for it? -- Anon.

ANSWER: Factitious disorder, sometimes called Munchausen syndrome after the 18th century German nobleman Baron Karl Friedrich Hieronymus von ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 74-year-old woman who's quite healthy (I am active and don't take any medications), but I have a history of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). Recently, I experienced bad-smelling gas, leg cramps, and finger and toe spasms. I quit eating milk products, and my symptoms almost immediately disappeared. My question is: Do food...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 62-year-old woman in fairly good health. I'm currently on Wellbutrin, carvedilol, Farxiga, Entresto and spironolactone, and my blood pressure is very well-controlled. I also recently started Zoloft. About eight months ago, I started feeling bad and spoke to my doctor about it. She wasn't concerned at the time and said ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My 83-year-old sister underwent the simple procedure of replacing her pacemaker battery. She's also been diagnosed with early signs of dementia. They gave her propofol, and when she woke up, she had extreme vertigo. Since it was an outpatient facility, they dumped her in the emergency room. She spent four days in the ER because...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I've decided that it's time for me to find a new primary care doctor. My biggest concern is access to my medical records. I currently have access to a patient portal to request doctor appointments or prescription renewals and review test results. Since the health care providers in my area use different portals, I need to know ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have occasional difficulty when going to sleep and/or getting back to sleep. I have tried Ambien, trazodone, clonazepam and Lunesta. All have their pros and cons.

My question regards sleep quality. I know there are several stages of sleep that we should go through and that the brain cleans out junk during sleep. Do these sleep...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your recent column on prostate biopsies. I'm no doctor, but I'd advise against them. My boyfriend got a biopsy in 2012, which I believe caused his cancer to spread beyond his prostate into his bones. He died three years later in 2015.

Think about this: A needle is inserted to extract cells so that they can be tested. When...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: Could you please comment on radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for chronic shoulder pain with rotator cuff disease? I'm 78 in good health with arthritis and a small separation of the rotator cuff. I've received epidurals that do work very well. I don't want to keep getting them, but I also don't want surgery. My shoulder orthopedic ...Read more