Andrologist PROFESSOR DAVID HANDELSMAN Medicine, Concord Clinical School SYDNEY NSW Australia

I saw him today.

Here is how it went.

Nurses checked blood pressure, height and weight.

Went into Prof David Handelsmans rooms. He asked me some questions about my background, employment and so fourth.

He then asked me to go though what happened.

I explained that I took finasteride and within 2 - 3 weeks my libdo went from normal to zero.

He asked me why do I think finasteride caused this issue. I said because I have never had this problem and it happened within 2 weeks of taking the drug.

He asked me what drugs I had tried. I went though the list. I explained I felt a brief but full recovery on Arimidex.

I spent some time talking about all the things I took.

He then examined my body, checked my testicles, checked various other things. Pulse heart and so fourth.

Went back to his office.

Basically he said that these drugs can cause no long term damage and once you stop taking them you should have no problems.

I explained zero libido - He said this was in my head and I was focusing on the problem too much.

I explained that my teeth became sensitive after taking finasteride - He disregarded this.

Told him shortly after quitting that chunks of skin were falling out of my scalp with blood - Disregarded.

Explained that before I was taking finasteride I was 95 kilos and very strong and no fat on hips. Now I am 85 and despite this have developed love handles and a stretch mark on my love handle - Disregarded.

Explained that my morning erection is like %10 what it used to be - He said that you mind controls this so it is effectively in my head.

With the rash on my testicles - He made no comment - I guess he thinks this is in my head too.

I explained that I get really fatigued after a short outing like someone pulled out my battery and that this is resolved on cortical. - This is in my head too.

I explained that I had developed cystic acne on my back - He said this happens with large doses of testosterone. I told him it started before I took any testosterone. I told him that I can cure it by taking small doses of cortisol and that it comes back as soon as I stop taking it. – Disregarded this, probably in my head :neutral_face:.

He disregarded my full recovery on arimidex - In my head too I guess.

He did not look at any of my lab results that I brought along. I guess he did not need to because this was all in my head :neutral_face:

He took some blood to do some basic blood work in his labs.

The resolution was that - All this is in my head and it is because I am focusing on this too much, this has caused the physiological and psychological changes.

This doctor did not regard anything I had to say as meaningful and it seems that my lab tests were not meaningful as he did not look at these.

I told him about the Irwig study - He disregarded this.

So as you can probably assume I would NOT recommend this doctor unless you want someone to disregard ALL of your symptoms and tell you your problem is in your “head”.

I really fell that he has shares in Merk or something.

Sorry your appointment didn’t go well.

For future reference… rather than telling a doc about studies etc, next time bring printed journal articles from Traish, Irwig etc about the problem, Media articles on the problem etc, that you can point to as evidence the problem does exist.

If he dismisses all of it regardless… find another doc.

Yeh right.

I think as soon as he heard me say finasteride and that my libido was gone even after stopping the drug he came to the conclusion it was all in my head.

He questioned me in such a way that he already had preconceived ideas finasteride could not do this.

I have seen 2 endocrinoligists, 1 andrologist and a few others. The last endocrinologist threw my printed studies in the bin without reading them…

I have given up on doctors, I only went because my mum can see that I have a serious problem and wants it to be resolved.

He said he new who Irwig, he knew he was in Washington but he disregarded his work too.

The progress that I have made with this condition has been based on my own research and testing.

But yeh, any doctor who does not listen to what the patient is saying should be avoided like the plague.

It is a pitty as he does do a lot of research and gets a fair bit of funding.