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Dear Dr. Roach: I got a call from my internist that my blood test showed an elevated uric acid and I would need to start allopurinol for gout. I had been having big-toe pain at night.

What’s a man to do? Equally important, what’s a doctor to advise when the PSA test is reported elevated? Or should men even be screened for this test? During the past 10 years, there has been considerable flip-lopping about it.

Dear Dr. Roach: I’m female, 68 years old, with hypothyroidism, but no other medical problems. I exercise about 10 hours a week and try to eat healthily. During one of my physical checkups, my TSH was 0.002, so I saw an endocrinologist.

Dear Dr. Roach: Why would thyroid medication no longer be effective after 20 years of taking it? I was diagnosed in 1995 with Graves’ disease, quite severe. I was treated with radioactive iodine and eventually put on Synthroid, 100 mcg.

Dear Dr. Roach: I read your recent column on vitamin C. I am 88 years old, and my family and I have taken supplemental vitamins most of our lives.

Dear Dr. Roach: My husband suffers from systemic pain, sometimes it is worse than others. He has osteoarthritis in his lower back. He has been resistant to taking over-the-counter pain medication because he thinks it upsets his intestinal tract.

Dear Dr.

How important are new tests to diagnose and treat disease? Or improved surgical techniques, speedier emergency care and doctors specializing in various fields of medicine? The fact is that all improvements in medical care make life easier for patient

Dear Dr. Roach: I’m 36 and have had Crohn’s disease for years. I'm having a mild Crohn’s flare. My specialist is leaning toward biologicals (Remicade, Humira, etc.), but I’m not game for that.

Dear Dr. Roach: My son had an ultrasound the other day for a hernia. I have had six hernias. His results showed an inguinal hernia, 2.2 centimetres and “reducible.