No, no, and yes - in that order.
Welcome to the board, skii96! I compliment you on your questions, as well as on going to a doctor when you don't have to do so - it will tell you how you're doing when you're not having problems, and will provide a "baseline" for any problems that come up down the road. To answer your questions . . .
No, you should not have to know the doc well before you're up front with him or her about any AS use. It's better to establish a positive relationship at the start - before you have any kind of medical problem that might be impacted (or even caused) by your AS use. Now is the best time to find out about any prejudices, presuppositions, or preconceived notions your doctor may have. (A good doctor-patient relationship is for the long haul - I've been using my current doctor for over 20 years.)
Will he help you out? As in, will he write prescriptions for AS? Assuming that you do not have a legitimate medical need for AS, no - he will not, especially if you are a new patient. (He will feel that you're coming to him as a source and, even if he were flexible enough to consider prescribing an AS-related drug, he would not do so for a stranger. And if he would, he would be a sleazebag, and I'd recommend that you find another doctor. Remember, the kind of bozo that will prescribe anything questionable for you is not the guy you want treating you when you really have a medical problem.)
I hate to say this (actually, I love to say this, because it's a dose of reality), your AS use is on you. Everything from the decision to use AS, to the develoment of a cycle, to figuring out how to score your gear. Your doctor's proper role is to make sure you don't go off the wall. He can give you honest opinions, but don't expect him to supply the gear.
Are there "certain docs that are good to go to?" Again, if you're looking for a source, no. But if you are looking for a physician who may have a better understanding of AS than others, you will find that most often among sports medicine specialists, endocrinologists, and on rare occasion, urologists and rheumatrologists. But your best best is a good general doctor who has a knowledge of AS, and finding one of those is a crapshoot.
My advice: Find a good doctor, period. One that you can trust as a patient when you have a medical problem. Confide in that doctor now so you know whether you have chosen the right physician for you - remember, you shouldn't expect a pontifical blessing, but you shouldn't get condemnation either. What you should get is the doctor's best opinions, whether positive or negative, and then take responsibility for making your own informed decisions. But always be up front about your AS use - it will often be directly related to your medical condition, on everything ranging from your blood pressure to your cholesterol levels to how horny you feel. And if you don't tell your doctor about your AS use, then he or she will spend time poking you up the butt needlessly to find another cause for any skewed readings.
Finally, if you know anyone else who uses AS, ask them if they can recommend a doctor. But once again, remember that you want a good, medically competent doctor, not a freakin' source. And incidentally, if you find a doctor who admits that he or she does not know much about AS, that is not a good reason, in itself, to drop the doctor. I'd rather have a physician who admits that he doesn't know something (and is willing to either check it out or refer me to a specialist) than a doctor who doesn't know squat but but doesn't admit it.
Four simple words for you . . .
Quote:
Originally posted by skii96
. . . my mother whos has worked at a hospital for over 30 years knows exactly what the doc does and says to me before i can even explain what happened! this is why i'm going to a doc not affiliated with that hospital, but it brings up the point that alot of docs arent trustworthy and that is why i am leary of going and spilling my guts about my AS use!
I don't blame you, skii96 - once burned, twice shy. The problem is obviously that you've been using a doctor who knows your mother. You haven't mentioned your age, but remember that if you are under 18, the degree of confidentiality which is honored depends on the individual doctor. (Some feel the need to tell parents.) If you are over 18, however, there is no excuse for breaching confidentiality at all. (In fact, it's legally actionable under civil law.)
So the four words I would have for you are quite obvious: Find your own doctor.
And make sure that the doctor does not know your mother or, at the very least, that he will not discuss with your mother anything about you. Establish that up front.
Also, remember that sometimes, confidentiality is not breached by a physician, but by his or her staff (nurse, medical assistant, receptionist, billing clerk, etc.). It all boils down to gossip, but gossip has no place in a medical practice. So avoid any physicians where any of the staff knows your mother.
But do find a doctor in whom you can confide your AS use - it really does make a difference in the event that you have a medical problem in which AS use has an impact.