DEAR DR. ROACH: What is your personal experience with the natural progression of Type 2 diabetes? Are medications like metformin used with the hope that the diabetes will get a little better or at least not get any worse? Does monotherapy usually progress to the use of multiple diabetic drugs and then eventually to insulin […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was diagnosed with a Bochdalek hernia following a lung CT scan I had for a separate problem. I had had some pretty serious pain a few months earlier, and went to the doctor, but nothing was found at that time. It wasn’t until later, when I had the CT scan, that […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My 72-year-old husband was diagnosed with multiple myeloma recently, and we have been told that he will need chemo treatments. He also has anemia, which I think is probably normal. He had a back injury in early February and a kyphoplasty in May, with a bone biopsy done routinely. After tests, we […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: In February, my doctor had me get a neck ultrasound because she said one side of my neck felt larger. The results came back that the right lobe of my thyroid gland did measure larger. I had a blood test, which was OK. Another ultrasound was done last month. The doctor’s nurse […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a pretty healthy 53-year-old female and have central sleep apnea, along with a few obstructive events. I see a neurologist for this, and he doesn’t seem concerned with finding out why I have the central events. I should mention that I use a BiPAP nightly, and my apneas average 10-12 […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’ve been told by a nutritionist that fat-free milk isn’t good for us and that it’s better to use whole milk even if restricting some fats from your diet, which we are doing. This person said that the process used to take fat out of milk is laced with many chemicals that […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 61, and I ride a bike and paddle a kayak, although not as often as I should. I also weigh more than I should. I come from a family with a long history of heart problems, and recently was diagnosed with mild diastolic dysfunction. What exactly does this mean? Can […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I would appreciate any advice on dealing with seborrheic dermatitis. I have scratched areas until I bleed. I was told to use Selsun Blue shampoo and hydrocortisone cream, which help. It affects my back, face and scalp. Is this caused by sebaceous glands in skin? — S.L. ANSWER: Seborrheic dermatitis is a […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 75-year-old female in fairly good health. I take statins to keep my cholesterol under control, and am being followed by an endocrinologist for a parathyroid problem, which also is under control. For the past two years, when I visit my physician for an annual wellness check, I have some […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: At age 69, I still ”zone out” briefly, losing time and location. In grade school I was always told that I daydreamed too much, and at one point was deemed ”rather slow” on my report card. I repeated 6th grade. I once missed a flight when my name was called, as I […]