DEAR DR. ROACH: My uncle, a retired surgeon, is 90 years old. I visit my uncle periodically to inquire about his health and well-being. He eats, but is a little weak. I suggested to my aunt, a retired obstetrician, to give him a nutritional supplement. I take one myself and found it to be effective […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Can you please give more insight into carcinoid syndrome? In particular, I’d like to know its symptoms and how it gets diagnosed and treated? What kind of a doctor would one see with that diagnosis? — S.B. ANSWER: A carcinoid tumor is a type of neuroendocrine tumor of the digestive tract or […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: At least three times a year I suffer from a pinched nerve. According to my physician, it is due to osteoarthritis and/or stress and bad posture. The pain can make me nauseated at times. On one occasion, it drove me to go to an emergency clinic. The physician prescribed gabapentin. After researching […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am interested in your opinion of the drug Fosamax. I am a 63-year-old female who recently had my first bone density scan. The results were severe osteopenia. On the FRAX tool, I have a 10-year probability of a major osteoporotic fracture of 10%, with a hip fracture risk at 2%. The […]