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1. Name the German tennis player who won the LOW-RISK ESTRADIOL TREATMENT
1991 Wimbledon men’s singles championship COMES WITH FDA-BOXED WARNING
and an Olympic gold medal at the 1992 Barce- DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 70-year-old wom-
lona Games playing doubles with Boris Becker. an who has suffered with vaginal dryness ever
2. What Canadian TV sports drama series de- since I went through menopause. My doctor
buted in 2025 and followed the romance be-
tween hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya has prescribed estradiol 0.01% hormone cream
Rozanov? to help with the symptoms. The side effects and
3. In the early 1900s, golf innovator Arthur F. warnings are worrisome, even though my doc-
Knight patented a center-shafted, mallet-head- tor assures me that it’s safe to use. I value your
ed putter named after what city in New York’s opinion and would appreciate your thoughts.
Mohawk Valley? -- K.C.
4. Running back Carnell Williams, 2005 NFL Of-
fensive Rookie of the Year for the Tampa Bay ANSWER: The Food and Drug Adminis-
Buccaneers, was nicknamed after what brand tration requires boxed warnings, which are the
of luxury car?
5. The “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry” is the nick- highest level of concern, on systemic estrogen
name of the college football series between like pills. Until November 2025, the same warn-
what two teams? ings existed on topical treatments like creams
6. In 1950, the Fort Wayne Pistons and Minneap- and gels. In my opinion, the risks of estrogen
olis Lakers played the lowest-scoring game in cream like the estradiol that you have been
NBA history with how many combined points? prescribed are low. I agree with removing the
7. What facility, first opened in London in the boxed warning since it can scare women from
1840s, used pig lard, salt and copper sulfate to using these helpful, low-risk treatments for their
create the world’s first indoor artificial ice rink
for skating? symptoms of low estrogen, including vaginal
Answers: dryness or painful sex.
As always, I do recommend that anyone
who is prescribed estrogen and has a history
of Georgia Bulldogs. 6. 37 7. The Glaciarium.
of an estrogen-sensitive tumor (such as breast
5. The Auburn University Tigers and the University
cancer) should discuss this treatment with their
3. Schenectady. 4. Cadillac.
1. Michael Stich. 2. “Heated Rivalry.”
oncologist prior to starting it. For most healthy
menopausal women, topical estradiol is an ex-
cellent and very safe choice.
***
DEAR DR. ROACH: I’ve read that millions
of people have parasites and aren’t even aware of
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it. How do I cleanse myself safely? I’m hesitant
to use animal medications like fenbendazole or
ivermectin. I drink clove tea daily, but I don’t be-
lieve that it’s sufficient because it doesn’t cross
the blood-brain barrier. What are your thoughts
since this is one of your fields of study? -- R.R.
ANSWER: It is probably true that millions of
people in the United States alone have undiag-
nosed parasitic infections. The most common of
these are intestinal parasites, such as Blastocys-
tis or Strongyloides. While it may be unpleasant
to think about intestinal parasites, we generally
don’t recommend treatment in asymptomatic
people, even if it’s been diagnosed.
Microorganisms are categorized into three
groups: beneficial ones, like the healthy bacteria
that are found in our intestines by the trillions;
harmful (pathogenic) ones that cause disease;
and commensals, which neither help nor hurt
us much. For most people, protozoans like Blas-
tocystis are commensals, so there is no need to
treat them. There are very few instances of when
an asymptomatic parasite needs to be treated,
and it is quite rare among people who are born
in the U.S.
Clove tea is a traditional herbal medicine to
treat some parasites, but it is not particularly ef-
fective; I don’t recommend it as a treatment.
The most common symptoms of intestinal
parasites are diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloat-
ing, gas, anal itching and weight loss. Parasites
are not a common cause of these symptoms
in the U.S., but persistent symptoms deserve a
thorough evaluation, not home remedies and
certainly not powerful antiparasitic medicine --
unless it’s been prescribed after a firm diagnosis.
Ivermectin is used in both animals and hu-
mans for parasitic infections. Although fenben-
dazole isn’t approved for humans, similar med-
icines like albendazole can be used for humans
in cases where a parasite is in need of treatment.
Infectious disease doctors are the experts in the
treatment of parasitic infections.
Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer
individual questions, but will incorporate them
in the column whenever possible. Readers may
email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.
cornell.edu.