Dr. Jacobs - 2nd study on PFS cognitive side effects

Science PFS Research
#1

[Size=4] Dr. Alan Jacobs is conducting a followup study to the recently published paper: Persistent Sexual, Emotional, and Cognitive Impairment Post-Finasteride - A Survey of Men Reporting Symptoms ( jmh.sagepub.com/content/early/20 … 8314538445 )

[b]If you took Finasteride, do not have any pre-existing conditions and are suffering from persistent cognitive/psychological side effects (anxiety, depression), pls complete the new followup survey:

surveymonkey.com/s/finasteridepsych[/size]
[/b]

Below is a copy of the email I received from Anne Ganzer, who is conducting the new study survey.

Thanks
Mew

====================
[i]
"Dear Research Participant,

If you participated in our initial research study, thank you.

The first study was published in the June 2014 issue of the American Journal of Men’s Health. It is our hope that through research we will learn better ways to treat this illness and raise awareness of Post-Finasteride Syndrome among health care providers.

We are embarking on part-II of our research. We very interested in trying to find out why some men that take the medication Finasteride for male pattern baldness experience severe psychological side effects including anxiety and depression both while on the medication and even after they stop it for months, even years.

Over the past several years we have seen an alarming increase in the number of patients that experience significant cognitive and psychological symptoms. In an effort to understand why this happens we are collecting information pertaining to these specific problems with the hope that we may determine some associations.

This is an anonymous survey. You are under no obligation to complete this survey or to answer any of the questions that you do not feel comfortable answering we just ask that you exit the survey and we will delete the incomplete file.

Should you choose to complete the survey please complete the entire survey as skipped questions make it difficult to interpret the data.

If you would like to participate in this research survey please click the enclosed link and follow the prompts. If you choose not to participate in this research survey we thank you for your time.

surveymonkey.com/s/finasteridepsych

Sincerely,

C. Anne Ganzer, PhD.
PhD "[/i]

#2

His questions are all about mental health history and psychiatric disorders. Why is that not surprising? Quite frankly, his survey consists of inappropriate questions given the nature of the condition.

The guy is a joke.

#3

Yea, agree. All my current mental issues are from fin. Period. No doubts.

#4

you are complaining about someone who actually is interested in us and taking us seriously. whats your problem?

Just because hes not covering all symptoms, doest mean that his studies will be worthless.

#5

You are clearly unfamiliar with Dr. Jacobs. He has implied several times in the past that PFS is anxiety related, further stating that he has successfully “treated” some PFS patients.

His previous survey contained multiple leading questions related to underlying anxiety and depression. This one is chock-a-block with them. He simply doesn’t believe that PFS is an illness of somatic origin.

#6

Fuck this clueless idiot making money from our misery. Not doing his irrelevant spreadsheet surveys. We don’t need him.

#7

So is there a consensus to not take this survey and support his research? I don’t want to do anything that supports the ridiculous notion of these side effects being in our head.

#8

Here is a Doctor that is working to help validate PFS. What the f%$K is with all the whining?

#9

Some of the posters are saying that his past comments and the questions on his surveys indicate that he is not trying to validate pfs at all, but he is trying to establish evidence that pfs is just psychological.

#10

Fin puts you into some serious permanent depression. Maybe he should just take it so he can see what happens. It safe after all.

#11

I have not been able to read the findings from his previous survey. So I cannot comment on whether or not his efforts were in our favour.

That said, here are two threads relating to an article Dr. Jacobs posted on his official blog.

  1. viewtopic.php?f=29&t=7881&hilit=Jacobs+blog

Note the line:

  1. viewtopic.php?f=29&t=7589&hilit=Jacobs+blog

Personally, I do not feel that this particular survey is relevant to my experience of PFS, thus I am unable to respond to the questions as they are currently set out. All the more frustrating since I have no personal or family history of psychiatric illness.

Dr. Jacobs may well have seen PFS patients with a history of anxiety and/or depression. Many on here have openly admitted to such a history. However, this only serves to fuel any bias he may have that PFS is a type of anxiety disorder. Which subsequently does nothing to help those of us without such a history, or the plight of PFS at large.

#12

Does he make any reference to physical side effects at all? Irrespective of personal or family history of other issues, these sides should and must be considered when considering pfs in its totality, otherwise it appears like one is pursuing a biased agenda.

#13

Yeah, where are the questions (1) have you lost collagen In your lower legs, arms; face, (2) have you developed a bend to the left on your penis (Peronies), (3) have you developed buldging veins on your penis, (4) has your skin become paper thin, etc on and on

#14

Did you read Mew’s post? The answer is the questionnaire is gathering information strictly on those “suffering from persistent cognitive/psychological side effects.” No one study is going to address every single one of your very specific symptoms.

#15

What about brain fog? The condition that cripples your thought process. I’m sick of this pussy “depression, anxiety” bullshit.

#16

I think your missing the point of finatruth’s post. Some are thinking the doctor may just be trying to gather evidence to say PFS is psychological i.e. not real. Finatruth’s post was giving examples of symptoms that cannot be easily explained away to being in our heads like those he listed. Given what I saw on the first page of his questionnaire and the previous quote about 50% of us bringing in pre existing mental problems, they might have a point.

I would be curious as to what mew thinks. I guess he believes in it enough to post it. Or what does awor or anyone behind the scenes in the research think?

I would hate to give ammo to someone that might be trying to discredit our issues. A few years ago we had a ton of momentum and then Anderson Cooper interviewed someone that made us all seem ridiculous and at the time I felt we lost a lot of steam.

#17

Nate99- thank you, I was wondering if I should even respond to clampdown since I thought it was glaringly evident what my point was.

tim1911- yes brain fog, poor memory recall, tip of the tongue problems, difficultly concentrating, and if they looked a little further I bet they would see most of us have a nystagmus

#18

As someone who’s consulted, and continues to consult, with Dr. Jacobs, I can assure you that he believes wholeheartedly PFS is real and has said as much to me. I can’t speak to his previous comments about our carrying pre-existing mental problems, but I’ve spoken with him as recently as the last few months, and he’s acknowledged a number of my physical symptoms and, at least to my face, has never doubted them. He’s also been forthright in saying that he doesn’t know what the cause of PFS is, but that all of the research going on – not just his – will hopefully lead to a better understanding of our condition; he and I have spoken specifically about the Harvard research, in fact. In addition, as many here know, he’s treated some guys with testosterone, which I can think of no reason he would be prescribing if he really thought this was all psychological. I’m certainly not a doctor, though, and thus could be wrong about that last point.

My response to finatruth was in the context of my own experience, as well as with the knowledge of the fact that Dr. Jacobs was among the first doctors to acknowledge PFS and, at least for a while, probably the most high-profile one, considering the respect he holds in the New York City medical community. Not to mention he appeared on national television during the big media blitz of summer 2012 to speak about the validity of our condition. In retrospect, I realize I was unclear – I can thank my debilitating brain fog for that – but the point I was trying to make was that no study is going to proceed exactly as you would want it to, and given Dr. Jacobs’s previous activity in raising awareness of PFS, I would think you guys would give him the benefit of the doubt.

Right, given Mew’s displayed this topic so prominently, I think his opinion is pretty clear. I don’t want to put words in his mouth, though.

I have terrible brain fog, too. So bad, in fact, that it’s destroyed my successful career in a highly competitive field in a major American city – and with it my life. Dr. Jacobs has tested me for brain fog, acknowledged I have a bad case of it, and continued to treat me for it with, among other things, progesterone.

Yes, progesterone, which I know you used to go on about incessantly – and maybe still do. I’m not trying to give you a hard time, and I don’t see the point in arguing since we all should be on the same side of this, but other than possessing unfettered arrogance I’m not sure why you think you can make claims about a trained medical professional and then use your complete absence of medical experience to express theories of your own. You obviously believe what you’re saying, so I would politely suggest you speak to a qualified physician to get an accurate diagnosis. If you do have such evidence, I apologize for missing it – I don’t spend a lot of time around here and, even if I did, probably wouldn’t be able to remember your providing a diagnosis on account of chronic memory problems stemming from my brain fog.

#19

Clampdown you moron, go read the Melasma studies where DOCTORS, theorize that finasteride has caused a change in the ratio of progesteone to estrogen. So what I have always theorized was realized in a recent study.

I am arrogant bc I’m going to be right.

#20

I was referring to your claims of nystagmus, not to anything related to progesterone/estrogen ratios (for the record, I’m currently on treatments to try to address both progesterone/allopregnanolone and estrogen/testosterone levels). Though it’s not a surprise you’ve again resorted to childish insults.