[ ARC forum 2 ]
Written by Rood at 25 Nov 2002 15:14:27: Re: doubts and treatments available over the counter (in the UK)
As an answer to: doubts and treatments available over the counter (in the UK) written by Val at 23 Nov 2002 15:03:53:
>Maybe I'm starting to become a little paranoid, or maybe it is a normal reaction but I get the impression that when I do my stretches and have the impression that it's done something, the following time I do them it seems to me like my foreskin is even tighter than it was before I started. I don't know if this is a normal reaction because in the beginning the foreskin tends to return to its normal size and therefore tightens a little, but it certainly isn't reassuring...
>Also, if anybody is interested, the hydrocortisone cream I'm using is actually available over the counter. The doctor prescribed a 30mg tube but the chemist was out of those so offered me the 15 mg tube which is actually available without prescription. The name of the product is Cortopin. I hope the fact that it is available without prescription doesn't mean it is completely useless.
>I'm also wondering if I should insist with my doctor to be referred to a urologist. She doesn't seem to be in the know about this type of treatment. Better than the other doctor though who was covering for her the first time I went in who had never heard of the use of topical steroids for the treatment of tight foreskin and said I should bring in the articles I got off the internet.
>I'm not British and I'm always surprised at the tendency in this country to assess you at GP level instead of referring you to a specialist and, to make things worse, GPs are often reluctant to actually visit you. To answer your question, no, my doctor didn't actually ask to see my foreskin relying solely on the information I was giving her which seemed OK at the time, considering that the nurse kept walking in and out and was making me a little unconfortable.
=============================================================================Both your doctor's attitude and the casual nature of her examination room procedures strike me as bizarre. She sounds like a person who's mind is elsewhere...hence her suggestion to destroy the problem rather than solving it. It's possible that she sees many patients with life-threatening or rather serious medical problems the circumstance of a tight foreskin appear to her as being rather inconsequential.
When I am in an examination room even my doctor knocks before entering, and a nurse never enters without first being asked. I have taught myself not to feel uncomfortable, however, in such situations. It is a habit that I would highly recommend that you cultivate. Shame can prevent one from revealing or acquiring necessary information, especially important in any medical situation.
That the doctor would not as a matter of procedure actually examine you seems to me very unprofessional. Perhaps NHS doctors are beaten down by overwork, lack of space, and low pay.
Here in the States a few GP's have begun house visits, again, but the patient pays a huge premium for the privilege. It is a service available only to the wealthy.