DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a friend who lives in Paraguay and had been diagnosed with chikungunya. It has been extremely painful for her for several years. Her doctor prescribed 90 mg of etoricoxib daily and a shot of duodecadron once a month.

I’ve never heard of chikungunya, and the medical care she is getting seems sketchy. I wish there was a solution for her immense pain. Do you have any knowledge of this virus and/or the medication for it? Are you aware of any new or trial drugs that might be worth trying? — J.

ANSWER: Chikungunya may not sound like a real medical condition, but it is a viral disease that was first found in West Africa. It has since spread to the Caribbean and the Americas with transmission occurring in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and a few cases in Fl

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