ArcaMax

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a skin rash (granuloma annulare), and my dermatologist said that there really isn't a cure for it. It's in various areas of my body -- my upper back, my trunk (mostly in areas where garments hit), and a few other places. The dermatologist recommended using metformin to see if this helps.

All my labs are excellent, so ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 77-year-old man who's prediabetic. I was told by a longtime diabetic that sugar (candy, soda, cake, etc.) doesn't need to be avoided -- just carbohydrates such as pasta, potatoes, etc. I was surprised to hear this. Is it really true? -- Anon.

ANSWER: We often use terms like carbohydrates, starches and sugars imprecisely....Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: Could you please inform and educate us, especially pregnant women, about the effects of cytomegalovirus (CMV)? This is the No. 1 reason why children are born deaf to parents that aren't deaf. My niece was pregnant and evidently caught a bad cold, but it was CMV. She remembers her ears being very stuffy, and she had a hard time ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My mom has Capgras syndrome and firmly believes that her husband (my dad) is dead. She thinks that there's someone whom I snuck in and built a lie around, and she tells everyone that this man is the same man. It's really difficult for us, especially my dad.

I understand that Capgras cannot be cured, but there are medications ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I understand a vaccine to prevent Lyme disease is in the works, but I wonder when it'll be available. We've had multiple tick bites in our family, with some that resulted in Lyme disease. While I appreciate that our dog receives a vaccine and monthly anti-tick prevention, we're long overdue for prevention for humans. Your ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: A dear friend of ours was diagnosed with lung cancer and subsequently had a stroke. Since then, he was told that he had disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and that there wasn't any treatment for it. The doctors don't want to do surgery for the cancer because they're afraid that he might have another stroke, so he's ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: A few years ago, at the age of 65, I was hospitalized and in critical condition with a calcium score of 14 mg/dL. After many tests, the diagnosis was hypercalcemia. After a 10-day hospital stay, I was discharged, and every test in the book was done to find the cause. All tests came back negative as to the cause, and still to ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'll be 70 in August, and in 2012, I had prostate cancer. My prostate was removed. My PSA level was low but rose fast, so I guess it was an aggressive form of cancer. After the removal, they still found evidence of cancer, and I underwent 35 radiation treatments that were also completed in 2012.

Afterward, I had two Lupron ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I got vertigo for the first time; not knowing what was happening, I went to the hospital fearing that it could be an aneurysm or a stroke. The hospital told me it's "just" vertigo, showed me the Epley maneuver, and prescribed meclizine for me to take for three days. A follow-up visit to my primary care doctor a couple days ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 73-year-old female who has Type 1 diabetes that began as Type 2 diabetes more than 30 years ago. I have a very strong family history of coronary artery disease, and I personally have a cardiac stent. I use an insulin pump and have good control with carb counting. I struggle with my weight (160 pounds at 5 feet, 2 inches ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I know this maybe an ignorant question, but what exactly constitutes protein? I know that it naturally comes from livestock and their byproducts. But one can find diverse categories -- such as cereals, pasta, sweet/salty snacks, and even soda pop -- with "protein" displayed on the packaging. What's up with that? -- E.M.

ANSWER...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but my rheumatologist hasn't been helpful in finding a medication that I'm not allergic to for alleviating joint pain. (I seem to be allergic to most meds that I've tried.) I'm only 68. I saw the term "biological" medication for RA in one of your recent columns. What is this, and do...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 76-year-old Caucasian male who's in excellent health. (Or so I thought.) Recently, my cardiologist suggested a coronary artery calcium (CAC) test, and my score was a frightening 1,241! I'm now extremely concerned about my heart health.

I've been extremely active all my life, and I routinely work out -- about 10 hours per ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 57-year-old man, and I've had Crohn's disease since I was a child. For the past 18 years, I've managed it quite successfully with 6-MP, budesonide and Xifaxan. For the past five years in particular, I've been in perfect health. My C-reactive protein (CRP) test was under 5 mg/dL, and my colonoscopy from about four years ...Read more