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DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a healthy 70-year-old female who still works full-time and plays tennis regularly. I’m 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weigh 140 pounds. My concern is my memory, especially my speech. English is my second language, but I’ve been in the United States for over 40 years. Words often disappear from me when I need them and come back later when the subject is closed.
When I shared my concern with my friend, I was told that nicotine patches are helpful for memory loss, even though I’m no longer a smoker. I quit smoking 15 years ago after decades of smoking. What’s your opinion on nicotine patches for memory loss? -- M.M.
ANSWER: First, occasional word recall difficulty isn’t abnormal for healthy 70-year-olds, even native English speakers. Many people who are aging normally have tip-of-the-tongue word recall problems and usually find the word they’re looking for later. Unless you have significant progression with this problem or have other memory or thinking problems, this may be nothing to worry about.
To answer your question, nicotine patches were shown to have small improvements in memory and attention in healthy older people and in people with mild cognitive impairment (some but not all of whom will develop dementia later). But they aren’t approved by the Food and Drug Administration for this purpose.
These findings are small and aren’t replicated. An ongoing trial is underway and may be published soon. In the meantime, I don’t recommend nicotine patches for memory, attention or word recall.
DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 76-year-old man, and I have to urinate at least every two hours every night. My urologist did a digital check on my prostate and found that it was of normal size. He recommended a cystoscopy. He said that they numb the penis beforehand, but I’m concerned about the pain. I forgot to ask the doctor if I could be given a strong sedative. Can they give me a sedative before this procedure? -- K.O.B.
ANSWER: They absolutely can give you sedation for this procedure. I personally think that people shouldn’t feel compelled to try to get through medical procedures without medication to make the procedure less painful, uncomfortable or scary, especially because procedures can sometimes seem this way.
Men in particular seem to have a hard time asking for relief. On the other hand, physicians are less likely to offer pain relief to women during procedures. Both men and women deserve a discussion about their options to reduce their pain and discomfort.
You should discuss this well ahead of time with your urologist, who may want to have an anesthesiologist administer the sedative. People who do undergo moderate sedation should have someone to help them get home and get information about how the procedure went. The sedative can make it hard for a patient to form new memories for a while, meaning that patients may forget some of the explanation that they get after the procedure.
Additionally, your urologist can take steps to make the procedure more comfortable, such as adjusting the pressure of the fluid that flows through the cystoscope; allowing you to watch what’s happening on the screen if you want; and allowing you to choose the music you’d like during the procedure. These are relatively simple steps that have been proven to reduce pain, discomfort and anxiety.
Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu. (c) 2026 North America Syndicate Inc. All Rights Reserved