DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 70-year-old woman with lichen planopilaris. While I know that this is rare and not life-threatening, it is nonetheless extremely upsetting to me. Are there any promising treatments, and what side effects do they have? I was told that with one drug you must have your eyes checked regularly, and […]
Dr. Roach
Posted inDr. Roach, sj-web
It's wise to consider potential side effects of treatment
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 70-year-old woman with lichen planopilaris. While I know that this is rare and not life-threatening, it is nonetheless extremely upsetting to me. Are there any promising treatments, and what side effects do they have? I was told that with one drug you must have your eyes checked regularly, and […]
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Elevated calcium level may offer clue to excess parathyroid hormone
DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a healthy female in my mid-70s. I’ve taken the recommended calcium citrate with vitamin D for years, until about three months ago, when test results showed I have slightly higher than normal calcium levels. I stopped the calcium, but testing results were the same three months later. Since women have been […]
Posted inDr. Roach, sj-web
Elevated calcium level may offer clue to excess parathyroid hormone
DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a healthy female in my mid-70s. I’ve taken the recommended calcium citrate with vitamin D for years, until about three months ago, when test results showed I have slightly higher than normal calcium levels. I stopped the calcium, but testing results were the same three months later. Since women have been […]
Posted inDr. Roach, sj-web
Elevated calcium level may offer clue to excess parathyroid hormone
DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a healthy female in my mid-70s. I’ve taken the recommended calcium citrate with vitamin D for years, until about three months ago, when test results showed I have slightly higher than normal calcium levels. I stopped the calcium, but testing results were the same three months later. Since women have been […]
Posted inDr. Roach
Trouble swallowing needs investigation
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 54-year-old female. In the past year, I have developed difficulty swallowing. I usually do not have this in the early morning, but as the day goes on, especially in the evening, I find that when I eat, I have to labor to swallow. This occurs mostly with harder foods […]
Posted inDr. Roach, sj-web
Trouble swallowing needs investigation
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 54-year-old female. In the past year, I have developed difficulty swallowing. I usually do not have this in the early morning, but as the day goes on, especially in the evening, I find that when I eat, I have to labor to swallow. This occurs mostly with harder foods […]
Posted inDr. Roach
Medical trials do not give treatments an automatic pass
DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your column on a regular basis, and on occasion your response to those seeking advice on the benefits of some particular medication or treatment includes the comment that the trials were not large enough or powerful enough to show any significant benefit. Are there any medical guidelines for setting up […]
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Gleason score is a measure of cancer cells’ aggressiveness
DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband has stage 4 prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 9. He has metastatic disease to multiple sites in his spine, pelvis and shoulder. He was diagnosed January 2015. His PSA was 85.3. He is receiving the standard care with androgen deprivation therapy (Lupron, Zytiga and infusions of taxotere). His […]
Posted inDr. Roach
Benefits and side effects of your medicines are best enumerated by your doctor and pharmacist
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 86-year-old white male. I am currently taking tamsulosin 0.4 mg and finasteride 5 mg. What benefits do these bring to me, and what are their side effects? — B.B. ANSWER: These medicines almost always are prescribed to treat an enlarged prostate. Tamsulosin (Flomax) is what is called an alpha […]