DEAR DR. ROACH: My brother, who is 48, has a leaky aortic valve. It is a birth defect in his bicuspid valve. His health is otherwise excellent. We have lined up a good surgeon. The problem is that my brother does not know which type of valve to get: mechanical or tissue. The doctor will […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Can you provide any tips for dealing with ”jackhammer” esophageal spasms? Eleven months ago, I had my first attack of these dreadfully painful spasms, which lasted for about 30 minutes. The immediate trigger was red wine. In subsequent small experiments, I have discovered that they can be triggered by both red and […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a male who is 71 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 138 pounds. I play, on average, three softball games (left field) a week, as well as bike 25 miles and swim 1 mile per week. My diet is mostly fruits and veggies, lean meat, fish, nuts and […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: In 2012, I was diagnosed with osteoporosis in my hip and osteopenia in my spine. My doctor put me on alendronate. I was on that for two years, but did not like the way it made me feel (very achy and stiff). So I quit taking it. My chiropractor suggested strontium to […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: You recently wrote about growth hormone. I believe there is a small group of cows with growth hormone in their milk. This milk is why we almost never see very short people under a certain age. Is this the major source of growth hormone, or is it something else? — W.T.T. ANSWER: […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a middle-aged woman, who has just today, as a result of a breast biopsy, been diagnosed with breast cancer (ductal carcinoma). Although I haven’t yet seen the surgeon, I know that chemotherapy will be offered to me after surgery. I know chemotherapy is one of the usual treatments for most […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 66 and am generally healthy, with a pacemaker. I started to feel a small, very mild pain in my right side, under my ribs. My doctor checked my liver, and it was normal, with diffusely increased echogenicity (diffuse hepatic steatosis). Then I was sent to imaging, where they checked my […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 85-year-old female. In May 2014, I had five implants (lower jaw) and a full upper denture placed in my mouth. Ever since that time, I have suffered from excessive salivation 24/7, with or without the dentures. I have seen my APRN, five dentists, two oral surgeons, one otolaryngologist, one […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a female, nearly 55 years old. In August 2011, I was fortunate to receive a heart transplant (I had an enlarged, weakened heart that was thought to have started with a virus). Since then, I’ve done very well; I go for a checkup every three months. My bloodwork has always […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: In October 2014, I had my aortic valve replaced, and a pacemaker was put in. I was put on 100 mg of metoprolol daily — then 50 mg, then 25 mg. I have been off this medicine for six months. One side effect of metoprolol is lightheadedness. I have had this condition […]