DEAR DR. ROACH: My 22-year-old granddaughter had her first seizure less than a year ago. She had a few tests done, which showed that everything looked normal. She did an MRI, a CT scan and two electroencephalograms (EEGs). She was told that the seizures she had are non-epileptic ones and are much safer than epileptic […]
DEAR DR. ROACH: Does taking a medicine to reduce fever hurt? I read that fever is useful for the body to fight off infections. — J.S. ANSWER: There is some experimental evidence that higher temperatures help the body kill bacteria and control virus infections, but the magnitude of the benefit is probably small. Fever is […]
DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a healthy 55-year-old woman who eats well and exercises (with both weights and cardio) six to seven times per week. Four years ago, I was diagnosed with Lynch syndrome. (I have the “MLH1” genotype.) My primary care physician suggested testing after my sister died of cancer at the age of […]
DEAR DR. ROACH: My 64-year-old son just returned home after cardiac bypass surgery. The surgery went well, but he has very severe pain. His body won’t tolerate any oral painkiller due to nausea and vomiting. I can’t imagine what it will be like with six to eight weeks of excruciating pain. He is emotionally drained. […]
DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a question I hope you can help me with. I’m a 70-year-old man with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). My urologist, who I see every six months, put me on finasteride and Flomax to help with my enlarged prostate and with emptying my bladder. Both have been effective. Over the past […]