Serious medical concerns need physician, not medical columnist

October 20, 2012 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: My dad has been having chest pain toward the left side in the center for two days. He “thinks” he cracked a rib from coughing or that it’s from sleeping on the couch. I noticed he was breathing like someone with a very tight shirt on – he was breathing very quickly in and out using only the top portion of his lungs. He hasn’t been coughing any more than normal. A few days ago he was sick and missed two days or work which is extremely unlike him to miss even one, let alone two.

To back up, he is 50, overweight, not very physically active, has a poor diet, is a 30-year smoker (I believe up to a half pack a day), has a hiatal hernia long with severe GERD, beginning signs of diverticulosis/litis and likely stomach ulcers. We can’t get him to go to the doctor for anything on his own, [Read more...]

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Diabetes may have far-reaching side effects

April 2, 2012 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I was wondering if you could shed some light on something for me. My daughter is 24 and has suffered five heart attacks, is diabetic, and has had a collapsed lung and numerous blood clots. None of her doctor can really explain these problems but don’t think it is attributed to the diabetes. What do you think? Is diabetes enough to cause all her ailments?

She was never a drug user although she did use to smoke quite heavily. She has now quit after being put in the hospital for pneumonia and needing to be on life support for a month. During that time she also got foot drop which I understand is from being stationary in bed with no foot board. Is this permanent?

DEAR READER: Given the nature and severity of your daughter’s problems, I believe she may be suffering from some type of clotting disorder or a heart disorder. [Read more...]

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Soup diet ahead for this octogenarian

July 12, 2011 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I’ve been reading your articles for years. I hope that you may have some guidance for me.

I had my first heart attack in 1978 at the age of 47 1/2, and had triple bypasses in ’83 and ’90. I decided to follow the advice of my doctor at that point and retired on Social Security disability. I took my meds — but two years ago my teeth started falling out.

My new dentist billed me $10,000 to fix things, but his work started falling out within two years. When I went to him for my last repair, he said nitrates used for heart problems cause deep root decay in teeth. He recommended I simply use “stickums” like Fixodent to keep them in place like dentures. Is that true?
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Cold water, warm water: It’s all the same

May 25, 2011 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I have read that drinking the appropriate amount of water each day is good for my health. I also see a lot of information about how much water is enough. Now I get an email from a friend who forwarded a message that drinking cold water with a meal is bad for heath but drinking warm water with a meal is good for it.

Does it matter whether I drink cold or warm water with a meal? Does it matter whether I drink cold or warm water without a meal? Thank you.
[Read more...]

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Getting warm isn’t easy

February 18, 2011 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: My hands and feet are cold winter and summer. My doctor has tested my thyroid a couple of times, but nothing comes of it. I’m 86 years old, had a mild stroke and, before that, a heart attack. My pills are warfarin, simvastatin, atenolol and furosemide. Can you help me get warm?

DEAR READER: Hands and feet become cold to the touch when they fail to receive an adequate supply of oxygenated blood. When a person is exposed to lower temperatures, the small arteries of the arms and legs narrow as a means of shunting heat to the remainder of the body where it is most needed. While the most common reason for this to occur is outdoor exposure or from sitting in a cool room, there may also be an underlying health problem, such as a thyroid condition, Raynaud’s, arterial disease, circulatory inadequacies and more.
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Exercise fails to increase heart rate

April 10, 2010 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: I’m a 54-year-old female who had a heart attack at age 47. They think it was a coronary spasm.

I’ve begun to work out recently with a personal trainer because I am about 80 pounds overweight. He is concerned that I have difficulty getting my heart rate up. After 20 to 30 minutes of cardio (3 miles per hour at a 2 percent incline on the treadmill), my heart rate is still around 98 to 105. Should I be working harder or could it be a result of taking Toprol XL even though I do not have high blood pressure, nor have I ever had it? My cardiologist thinks taking 1/2 of a 100-milligram tablet daily is a good idea to prevent future attacks.

I also take simvastatin, tizanidine and an 81-milligram aspirin each day. My triglyceride result just came back at 223, but the rest of my cholesterol was normal. My total was 180, and my heart rate while standing still is about 68. And I smoke cigars daily. Need I worry? My trainer is.
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Daily Column

March 7, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT:
I read your column every day and have not seen you address a concern I have. I was told that “curved fingernails indicate that a heart attack is imminent”. I want to know if this is based on any medical facts since I have them on both hands. I had a normal stress test in 2005.

DEAR READER:
You don’t need to worry. The fingernails can become ridged or curved as we get older or if a vitamin deficiency is present. This is normal. To my knowledge there is no relation between the fingernails and the heart.

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Strange symptoms may be related to heart attack

February 12, 2008 By

DEAR DR. GOTT: Since last year I have had a problem and no doctor seems to know what it is. My entire back gets cold and hurts. I immediately put a heating pad on it and a few minutes later the sensation goes into my chest causing me to not be able to breathe. I went to the emergency room a few weeks ago and as I was leaving, a nurse with a laptop came up to me and said my platelet count was 600. However, when I received a copy of the hospital report, it said I had had a myocardial infarction but did not mention my platelets. I am out of my mind trying to figure out what it is.
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