ArcaMax

DEAR DR. ROACH: My primary care physician scheduled me for a cardio stress test and ultrasonography with intravenous "microsphere" imaging. I'm slightly concerned about the term "microsphere." Is this a safe procedure? Are there any complications stemming from this chemical/procedure? Should I be concerned about a stroke? How long do these ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 61-year-old retired African-American woman. This past week, I just had a Pap smear (I hadn't had one since 2021) and was told that it was positive for human papillomavirus (HPV). I'm upset because I was celibate from 2021-2024, and then in January 2024, I got married to my current husband, who lives in Africa. I was there ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I've been feeling just awful. My doctor put me through the normal tests, and all were good. A neurologist recommended that I get a cortisol test. I did, and it showed a high cortisol level. I'd never heard of this. Would you explain what high cortisol is, how it is treated, and if there are any natural cures or therapies? -- S....Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was 47 when my first colonoscopy found a villous adenoma, and during the past 21 years, I've had eight or nine more without problems. But this week, I had another and wound up with aspiration pneumonia, despite having followed the prep instructions to the letter. I know my stomach was empty.

How could this happen, and what ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I recently read in your column that you test your patient's magnesium levels when they have been on long-term proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs). When I asked my doctor to include this in his order for blood tests, I was told that the test isn't accurate, and he wouldn't order it. Is there a special magnesium test that I can request? ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: Can you comment on endometrial cancer? I have stage IV, and I'm in my 50s. I remain concerned about inflammatory foods. I've now embraced a macrobiotic diet, and I feel great. -- T.P.

ANSWER: In North America, endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological cancer. Most women with endometrial cancer will see their doctor ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband, 79, has to get both of his shoulders replaced (a reverse total shoulder replacement) due to osteoarthritis. He had the first shoulder done two months ago. It is a very painful procedure and consists of a long and painful recovery. Physical therapy is helping.

Now I'm concerned with every painful twinge in my ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband suffered a grand mal seizure about six months ago. He was in the hospital for seven days. When he came out of the seizure, he was very combative and experienced memory loss. He still deals with short-term memory loss, and his neurologist says that it could take a year for him to get back to normal. My question is: Is...Read more

DEAR DR ROACH: We're all amazed at the substantial advances in treating cancer in recent years. But are there certain cancers that science and medicine haven't had much success with? -- A.M.H.

ANSWER: I'm afraid so. Many cancers remain difficult or almost impossible to cure, due to a combination of factors. One is that certain cancers usually...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 75-year-old woman who's in very good health. Since my early 50s, I've had issues with my cholesterol. My doctor has put me on several statins that caused very sore joints and muscle aches, to the point that I finally had to stop them. I felt that it just wasn't worth all the aches and pains.

My doctor decided to put me ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 69-year-old woman who's been on different blood pressure medications for a very long time. I was on 20 mg of lisinopril and 5 mg of amlodipine for a while, but my blood pressure spiked to 190/100 mm Hg. My doctor then increased the amlodipine to 10 mg, which brought my blood pressure down somewhat, but I still was often in ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 74-year-old male in good health. My lab work has been pretty consistent over several years. My cholesterol level is always below 200 mg/dL with a high HDL (80 mg/dL). All of these results over the years have been done at the same commercial lab company.

I recently had blood drawn, but this time, I used a different lab. ...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 79-year-old female who's in good health. I am 5 feet tall and weigh 95 pounds, and I'm very active. I've been taking Prolia for the past two to three years for osteoporosis, which has since improved to osteopenia. Right after this past Prolia shot, I developed discomfort in my mouth and was told that I have a cracked root...Read more

DEAR DR. ROACH: I want to know what you think about vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), both the surgically implanted type as well as the external noninvasive device for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other indications. What kind of doctor does this? Just reading about it gives me hope that less drugs are being used to treat these conditions. -- L.L...Read more