ArcaMax

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 70-year-old active dentist and pharmacist with chronic lower back pain. My MRI shows a compressed/extruded disc in contact with a specific nerve. It is extruded by 5 mm. I know that this is very common, and not all patients with compressed nerves are symptomatic. I have specifically located lower back pain and numbness in...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read a recent column of yours in which you said that everyone who is my age can assume we've had measles. I remember having measles when I was in the second grade but have a vague memory of my parents calling it German measles, which I believe is rubella. If a person has had either, do they have immunity to both types of ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband and I read your column regularly and appreciate your attention to science and facts, especially when addressing issues related to infectious diseases and vaccines. I am writing today because I am deeply unhappy about the repeated messages in the press to those born before 1957 -- or sometimes 1955 --who, as you wrote...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 69-year-old woman. I'm in good health despite various events that happened last year (i.e., a hole in my stomach lining, a loss of consciousness, a platelet-rich plasma injection in my elbow, and shoulder surgery). Also, I have asthma and a history of eosinophilic pneumonia, although it's been a number of years since I ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 72-year-old woman, and I have developed painful burning and tingling in my feet over the past several months, to the point that I cannot sleep many nights. Unfortunately, I cannot tolerate gabapentin on an ongoing basis, and topical anesthetic creams only help a little.

I do not have diabetes, but I do have significant ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I recently read this morning that the shingles vaccine, Shingrix, "may have a protective effect against dementia." It goes on to say the studies that have been conducted so far are only observational. Is this something that you could address? -- J.S.B.

ANSWER: There have been several studies showing that people who get a ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I just found out that I have a kidney stone. I'm 77 years old, and I don't want to deal with it. I've heard of potassium citrate and pulverizing it with sound waves. Are these options? -- J.M.

ANSWER: When a person gets a kidney stone, the goals are to manage any symptoms, determine if a person's health is at risk (especially ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 77-year-old female in good health. I am up to date on all vaccines, but I would like to know why after each COVID shot (about every six months), I have a debilitating reaction with flu-like symptoms. I ache all over, including my joints. This lasts for one to two days after the shot, and it's the only vaccine I react to....Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 76 years old, and I have had an essential tremor for over six years. It has progressively gotten stronger, mainly in my hands. I have been reading about an MR-guided focused ultrasound and was wondering if you considered this safe. This involves creating a small lesion in the thalamus, which concerns me. -- S.F.

ANSWER: ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 74-year-old man with no major health issues. Over the past several years, I have been getting a COVID booster in the spring with a second booster in the fall, as well as a flu shot. At my age, is it still appropriate to get a COVID booster in the spring? Also, after getting an respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I contracted influenza A nine weeks ago, which was confirmed by a nasal swab. I had my regular flu vaccine in mid-November, but it was no match for this virulent strain. I was sicker than I can remember, and COVID seemed mild in comparison. During the illness, I developed a sinus infection and was prescribed an antibiotic that ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I recently had a CT scan, and my score was 184. My cardiologist put me on 40 mg of Lipitor, which I reluctantly took for three weeks until I developed severe pain in my feet and hands. I stopped taking it, and the pain went away. I'm a 64-year-old male in excellent shape. I'm currently taking a chelation supplement, vitamin K2 ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband and I recently welcomed our new granddaughter. She is 2 months old and therefore several months away from receiving her first MMR vaccine. We live in Texas, and while there are currently no known measles cases in our area, we are aware that it could happen due to the highly contagious nature of the virus.

I am 65, ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a female who is 63 years old. My blood pressure is 110/70 mmHg. I'm 98 pounds, and my heart doctor believes that I might be one of those people who produces cholesterol. My total cholesterol is 241 mg/dL, my LDL is 168 mg/dL, and my HDL is 65 mg/dL. My doctor did a calcium score, and the result was 31. Should I take ...Read more