How to get my doctor to give me tests?!

General Discussion
#1

Hi,

I’ve been using Propecia/Proscar for about 4 years now. It started with a prescription from Ashley and Martin (hair treatment company) and then continued with local GP prescriptions thereafter. Although I’ve always had some minor sex drive reduction and ED symptoms, they started becoming a lot more significant only about 3-4 months ago. Since then I’ve been reading as much as I can, and this forum has been an incredible source of information.

I have decided to stop using finasteride… and, based on the advice of this forum, I approached my doctor to consult him on the issue and ask for the blood tests (that are recommended on this forum prior to quitting drug use. See viewtopic.php?f=13&t=7). However, the first doctor that I approached (my family’s long-term GP) told me that my life was probably going to be ruined, he told me that he was going to refuse to help me or give me any advice on the matter. He asked me to go to speak to Ashley and Martin and sue them because they were the first to prescribe the drug to me (and he also made an anti-semitic remark about their CEO or something). I was completely shocked at his behaviour… but I decided that I’d go see another doctor instead.

The 2nd doctor that I visited told me that this forum was talking nonsense. That the blood tests were pointless… that finasteride would have no effect on any of the things that were recommended to be tested for in my blood and that they had a natural variation anyway. He also tried to convince me that the whole purpose of the advice provided by the forum was to prolong my suffering…

I also asked if he knew anything about whether it would be smart to ween off instead of stopping the drug cold turkey. He told me that it was stupid to think that it would make any difference and that I should just quit cold turkey. I mentioned to him that some had said that weening off might reduce the shock to the endocrine system (as stated somewhere on this forum) and he told me that this was a load of garbage.

Anyways, after a long discussion he agreed to test for only a handful of things. These were (I’m just writing what I saw on the paperwork):

  • LFT/UEC/UA/Ca
  • TSH (+/- FT4 if TSH abnormal)
  • Testosterone, free
  • PSA
  • Full blood count

Now, there were a couple dozen other things that these forums recommend that I test for, which he hasn’t approved. Clearly he wouldnt do it, and the first doc I saw refused to do any testing. I don’t know what to do… every time I see a doctor, it costs me money. They seem to have little idea about what they’re talking about on this issue… but they aren’t giving me all the blood tests I need. Does anyone have some advice as to what I should do next? Are the tests that I’ve just done any good for anything? Do I need to keep pursuing doctors until I get one that will give me all of them?

  • Anthony
#2

I’m confused. By what reasoning did your first doctor believe “your life would be ruined” if you quit Fin? Nearly everyone who has side effects while on Fin find their issues are resolved after cessation of the drug. Staying on Fin is no guarantee you will be just fine either. Some here have crashed after several years on the drug so you are playing a daily game of chance. But it is in the very great likelihood your life will be saved by quitting Fin, not ruined.

What your second doctor is saying is very typical of the general medical community. They parrot the Merck company line and have only seen Finaseride used on older patients for cancer treatment. They may just be ignorant You need to keep searching until you find an Endo who understand PFS. You can take information from this website i.e., the Swedish notice of permenant side effects and the BBC Radio One piece found on the homepage for starters.

#3

Seriously, find some new doctors if you can.

#4

And then what happens if you do crash and it could have simply been avoided by weening off? He’ll say, “sorry I guess I was wrong”

Your doctor is an idiot. He’s ignorant and has no idea what hs is talking about. Get a new doctor. It’s not easy to simply find an open minded doctor who believes this drug is dangerous.

good luck.

#5

Doctors are so fucking clueless. The urologist I was once seeing suggested that this website was actually somehow run by Merck, and his explanation predictably made no sense, but his goal was to make me out to look like an idiot. You simply can’t mention the internet to doctors… there may be nothing the average doctor hates more. They used to control the flow of health information with an iron grip, but now people are free to research and compare notes independent of them, and they cannot accept that. Almost the first thing I hear anytime I mention the internet to a doctor is “Well, you can’t believe everything you read on the internet,” like I’m some 10 year old that doesn’t possess any ability to discern between truths and untruths.

#6

The thyroid tests you can do on your own. Find them at stopthethyroidmadness.com. The best bet for others is to see one of the so-called PFS docs, they are most familiar with the situation and the right tests, but they are expensive. However in the long run going to one of them and getting an accurate set of first tests is much more favorable for $1500 than seeing 10 doctors for an average of $150 each and getting nowhere. There are also some other places where you can get the blood tests on your own but they are not covered by insurance. Search the site for them.