How To Find a New Dr.

[doughbooy]

Originally Posted by HeadDoc

stating location and docs that they think are doing a good job would help. Posting the names and locations of docs that they do not feel good about may not be a good idea legally. I don't think it serves any of us to be caught up in matters of defemation.

Good point. Ill post mine when I feel its appropriate. Im still evaluating him.

[stat1951]

I think that posting the GOOD doctors, the ones who listen and are willing to learn and who are willing to look at advanced TRT positions (beyond what they learned in medical school 5 years ago or 10 years ago or whatever) and who provide top notch TRT treatments would be an excellent idea.

Maybe a "sticky" that could just keep growing and growing?

Larry

[doughbooy]

Hopefully Ill be able to post my Docs info, will see if he is willing to go to Injections first.

[HeadDoc]

this idea of posting the names and locations of docs is not a neutral idea. I'm working thru this with the other mods and admin as we post. Here's few of the concerns: the docs may not want to be listed on a "steroid board", the doc may want consent, the board may want written consent from the docs involved. There is nothing to prevent this procedural issue from getting some attention from members as well. You involvment is necessary if this is going to be a useful enterprise from newcomers to the forum.

[doughbooy]

HeadDoc,

What if we just posted the city, state and zip and then if another member was interested they could PM for more details?

[HeadDoc]

Originally Posted by doughbooy

HeadDoc,

What if we just posted the city, state and zip and then if another member was interested they could PM for more details?

I think we have a winner.

[lepiricus]

Originally Posted by HeadDoc

I think we have a winner.

I too, like this idea. I was thinking about this the other day. Because I am having a horrible time finding a decent doc and the anti-aging sites and such offer little help.

Obviously docs do not want it publicly known they are willing and more importantly, able, to do trt. They would have all sorts of guys on them wanting to get "hooked up". With the suggestion made, you could make a single thread and the members could post only the following information:

City, State
statisfaction rating (1-10)

You could delete any posts that attempted to hijack or give out names publicly.
People reading the thread could respond to the poster in PM. It would be the poster's own judgement call to release doc's name. I think that would be a good buffer to weed out knuckle-heads.

[stat1951]

Actually, I found numerous doctors in my area who claimed to do "state of art" TRT and who very openly discussed that "fact". Many bragged of the fact that they were already treating "many hypogonadal males".

Invariably, through further research (whether they were GPs, Endos, or Uros) I was dismayed to discover that they treated anywhere from a couple of hypogonadal patients - to maybe as many as ten. In every case the doctors thought that it was "a waste of time" to check for estrogens and estradiol levels or DHT levels. Two doctors specifically said, "For what? I wouldn't know how to treat it if it was too high anyway". One doctor specifically said that there was no need to do that as males do not have a uterous so don't produce estrogens (yet he was a doctor who "claimed" to be a TRT doctor).

And the TRT protocols?

1. Compounded T creams - especially if they were "alternative medicine" oriented doctors. And universally not covered by my insurance and therefore much higher in cost.

2. AndroGel (and occasionally Testim). One doctor went so far as to say that 5 grams of AndoGel would "cure any known hypogonadal state". He was the doctor who first started me on TRT and did so after testing ONLY Total T and PSA. No Free T. No LH and FSH. Etc. When asked about his regimen for follow-up, he stated he would check my Total T and PSA with my next annual physical (a year later).

3. IM Shots. Every doctor that I checked with but one used the protocol of 200 mg Test Cyp every other week. The one exception used the even older protocol of 400 mg Test Cyp once a month.

In every case (every one) the doctors not only declined to consider the use of HcG, but some expressed considerable concern that I was even asking about it. One doctor specifically referenced it being a medication strictly for female fertility.

So I think that it many cases it isn't a concern by the doctor that people will find out that they do HRT / TRT or deal with treating hypogonadal males (after all, every major medical clinic / hospital in this country - John Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, etc., etc. recognizes Hypogonadism as a recognized medical disorder). Why would doctors be "embarrassed" that they are treating a legitimately recognized medical disorder? I don't think that the "really good" TRT practitioners are "afraid that the word will get out", I think that most of the really good ones would like for the word to get out.

And I think that doctors who are actually doing legitimate "state of art" TRT (like SWALE) are more than willing to let it be known who they are and what they offer.

The Yahoo H2 Hypogonadism forum has a file where members can openly post their doctor's information... with no apparent concern for legal entanglements. As long as the doctor isn't being bashed or slandered, what is the concern? The doctor is listed in the phone book (probably both in the business section and in the Yellow Pages) and is open for business and is treating hypogonadal males. What legal concerns are there? As far as I can see, posting a doctor's contact information on a forum is completely without legal concern (as long as there is no slander involved) simply because the member is doing nothing more than posting public information:

(A) If I can find the doctor's info in the phone book then it is a public listing
(B) If I call his office and ask if he treats hypogonadal males (before I would make an appointment), then that too is then public information

So what's the big deal?

Most medical forums that you would check (Thyroid Disorder Support Forums, Cushing's Disease Support Forums, Prostate Cancer Support Forums, etc., etc., etc.) almost universally have sections where recommended doctors can be posted with no concern (the Board simply announces that no bashing or slandering is allowed and refuses to post any postings that bash or slander). I am concerned here that a mountain is being made out of a molehill.

I think that a much bigger problem is that there will be relatively few doctors who end up getting posted simply as there are so few doctors that individuals are comfortable with recommending as being "really good" TRT practitioners.

In my case, I personally dealt with four and had pre-appointment discussions with probably another 18 - 20, 22 doctors (before finally just giving up) in my area (NE Ohio). I finally gave in and made the drive up to see SWALE. As it stands right now, from my personal experiences (both direct and through phone calls), I could recommend only one doctor - and that would be SWALE.

Now don't get me wrong, I think that this project is a good idea - a very good idea. After all, it might turn out that there's a very progressive TRT practitioner in my immediate area (and who is even on my insurance coverage!)...

Larry

[pmgamer18]

Larry that was so dam good will you please put this in the files section at the H2 group call it and att. to the Finding a New Dr. I could never put this in the words you just did and you put it so well.
Thanks Phil

[stat1951]

Phil,

Done.

Larry