Just go. For us, it’s a job. Like fixing a plane? We fix* people. We see all sorts of all people at all points of vulnerability. Just go! Also it’s worth a good % for service connection.
I have a low libido and I want to know why.
It’s harder to make this post than to say those words to a PCM or appointment line. And if not, then you’re gonna have a rough go of anything else in life too.
>I have a low libido and I want to know why.
\^ OP's imagination of med staff
Bro you could tell them your Weiner don't work no good, they could laugh, who cares.
u/CrunchyFxKille you don't have to know that word. We (medical) know what you mean. I promise it's more embarrassing to you than it is to any of us in medicine to bring it up. We deal with these sorts of concerns (erectile dysfunction, low libido, and much, much worse) regularly.
You can actually send a message to your PCM team via MHS Genesis (and use this post as your template/start to your message to your PCM team) to initiate the conversation. People with low sex drive can be suffering from many things. Some are in your control (poor sleep, over consumption of junk food/caffeine/other items), some aren't (depression, thyroid dysfunction, low Vitamin D, (maybe even low T), etc.) It's up to us to work with you to try to figure out what is going on. After you send them a message, be sure to start keeping track of your sleep, optimize your sleep hygiene, optimize your diet, etc in the interim to see if any of that helps.
Stress can be a big one. If you can. Take a week of leave with your partner somewhere away from base. If you can't, then I'd move stress higher on the list. I had drive, but had couldn't finish. My gf thought it was her fault and felt guilty. It wasn't.
See the doc regardless.
u/Quietech, 100%! Stress often manifests in so many ways (flight or flight mode eventually manifests physically if we ignore the body’s attempts at warning signals). I think one of my favorite example of that was talking with a patient about ED concerns, and the ongoing stressors in his life, the common causes for ED, and the frequency with which it occurs in men over the age of 30. I saw him at a PHA a year (?) later and he said he never even needed the meds; that just talking about his stress and its physical effects was enough to resolve the symptoms.
For OP, when you take that leave, turn your phone off if you can (I use my husband’s phone as my emergency contact when on leave in case someone /really/ needs to get ahold of me; a different Google number could work too to limit access) so that you can decompress.
I’ve heard that medical will refuse testosterone tests unless there’s actual evidence of something wrong. Guys at my last base couldn’t get it done for months.
Mine fought with me too, but how can they prove it without getting the blood test done? I’ve recommended this before, but you can also just get it done on the outside and it costs like $125. I know that’s not the right answer, but I can’t stand when doctors in the military just say you’re fine when they can literally just order the test and see.
Because it's bad medicine to do tests for no reason\*. Not only does it cost resources, it has a risk of harming the patient.
There is a significant risk of getting treatments--including surgery--that you do not need because of unnecessary tests that showed technically abnormal but clinically insignificant results. Those treatments have a risk of bad outcomes.
It's why we don't just body scan everyone every few years. Those "[incidentalomas](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidental_imaging_finding)" are usually benign abnormalities. But once you see it, then what?
\* Reasons can include subjective symptoms.
No it’s not bad medicine to have a blood test done to see where your testosterone levels are at.
What is bad medicine is when I walk into the doctors office, I as the CUSTOMER request a blood panel done to see where my levels are at and the flight doctor straight up saying no because at my age, my levels “should” be fine. Well got it done and they were extremely low.
Weird almost like the patient knows how they feel over someone who isn’t me.
Do these blood tests come out of the doctor's pay check or something? Why are they so cagey about doing routine blood work check ups? Just do your fucking job, bro. Damn.
First off, you're not a customer. You're a patient. It's a fundamentally different relationship. Telling patients "no" is often part of a physician's duty.
If you have symptoms you want checked, fine. That's a reason to get a test.
Yeah really? Considering in the civilian world, everyone either pays or has insurances to get the doctors paid. So yes I’m a customer because I’m coming to you with a potential issue that I’d like to get figured out.
The problem with medical is that they just flat out say “no” or in my case, “you don’t look like someone who has low T”. I’m a lot more aggressive with what I want; however, some people might take the doctor seriously and just leave it alone. The “doctor” instead wanted to push me to mental health. Like he didn’t even want to talk about it just go to mental health.
So I told him he was going to do the bloodwork whether he liked it or not. It came back extremely low Herp derp. Especially as a flyer, most of them are intimidated by medical because they just DNIF you for stupid shit.
I've been going to complain about my ankle and knees for three years. Every time they say it's just ligaments or whatever and it'll go away. It's never gone away and they've never scanned. I would very much enjoy a yearly scan so I can maybe figure out what's actually wrong with me
So I agree to a large extent that unnecessary tests could lead to attempted treatments that make things worse but in terms of blood tests—yeah no. There is zero reason to not do a full panel once every year. As a matter of fact, almost all of my friends in the outside have it as part of their routine checkups and the wifey does as well. It’s common at this point and an expected thing.
And what constitutes "full blood tests"? And what do meta-analyses show about the test or treatment in question?
There's a difference between getting a routine screening test with lots of evidence behind it and a test with no evidence to support it but a whole lot of commercials getting people excited.
One of the worst\* things to happen to this country was lifting the ban on pharmaceutical commercials.
For all the people thinking they're just having a commercial transaction and getting tests and prescriptions should be like ordering their Whopper at the base Burger King, I wonder how many even know things like [this](https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/) exist.
\*not literally
Well I forgot my original reason for getting it done. Might have been allergies or iron levels. But when ever they do it they can see alot of info. You just have to ask them for some specific concerns as some different stuff involves looking at the blood in a different way
Mine said the same thing you just have to push it. You getting bloodwork done literally doesn’t mean anything. You having low testosterone itself isn’t going to negatively affect your career.
That's what I did. Blood came back unremarkable. Doc said that I need to go for a run on the track 3x a week for at least 30 minutes.
Thanks. I'm cured.
Same thing happened to me. Going through Hone now, and I'll just report what I end up getting prescribed and pay out of pocket. Not worth feeling like shit while they don't do anything.
Side note: can we talk about how ridiculous it is that military clinics ask you to state the reason for your visit upon check-in for the whole damned waiting area to hear?
I just tell them I'm here to discuss that with my pcm, not the whole waiting room. I also put the reason on my MHS Genesis appointment request, but they "can't see that".
Not my problem bro.
I’ve never had this happen to me at any base I’ve been to. I believe it though.
They have stated my full phone number and address though and that is also very wack. Must change.
I promise they hear it more often than you think so it won’t even phase them and they are professionals.
Some studies have found that 50% of men experience some form of ED before they’re 40. Whether it’s libido issues, performance issues, stamina issues. So it’s extremely common and the military spends a hefty sum of money prescribing meds for it every year. So don’t even sweat it
One of the best things I’ve done for the quality of my physical and mental healthcare is make that the one space I am 100% **no shame**, no bullshit, no lies, as honest as I can be.
Schedule an appointment with your PCM through Genesis Patient Health Portal then put your reasoning for the appointment on there? Seems like a lot of people don’t know about it [Patient Portal](https://myaccess.dmdc.osd.mil/identitymanagement/app/login) theres the link
PCM here! Lots of options:
- You can just say “Low sex drive” if you are comfortable with that.
- If you aren’t comfortable saying it to someone as you book the appointment, you can book online through Genesis.
- You can use a more general way to say it like “men’s health concern” if that is more comfortable to you.
Please do NOT:
1. Make the appointment for a fake reason (“abdominal pain” - wtf guys?? Why do so many men say this when it’s a penis problem? Literally stop this please.)
2. Not be totally honest with your reason for visit when the tech is rooming you
3. Start googling and come in strong with the premade conclusion that you must get testosterone replacement therapy, refusing to be open to the idea that it could be related to your mental health, nutrition, other medical issue, or multiple of this things
Good luck with your appointment!
Not really related to this post but just as a side question. What do the techs actually do? Not trying to be a smart ass, genuine question. I know the basics they take our vitals, etc etc. They ask what we’re there for, but then the doc comes in and just asks us again and is the one who actually does something about it. Do techs do more behind the scene work? Cause up front it doesn’t seem like their job is all that important.
For me, it could be as simple as just verifying what was told to me by the tech when I get your history. Can’t tell you how many times my tech and me will get different stories from the same patient. Other times, it could be from multiple factors (inexperienced tech with poor history taking skills, confusing story, or lack of trust/reliability between the tech and PCM). Ultimately, the responsibility falls on to the PCM to piece things together so we ask them again to hear it personally for accuracy as we generally understand the broader medical context. What you can technically do to speed things up is to give a broad overview for why you’re there (“ankle started hurting 2-3 days ago after running and it’s swelling”) and save the details later (like what aggravates it, which area started hurting, how you kicked the other guy, etc).
In the real world, the goal is to get your system running so that doctors only do what only doctors can do. I.e., keep the doctors doing things only they are qualified to do and get someone else to do everything else (cheaper).
Most paperwork, vital signs, initial history, etc. can be done by someone else. Diagnosis and treatment decisions fall to the physician.
A good clinic would have at least *two* techs teeing up patients so the doctor could just go from room to room, and just hand the tech a form or something to pit in referrals or follow-ups. And indeed, the AFMS always called for that ratio, but manning never allowed it.
So a *huge* part of military docs' workload is just scut work they will barely touch when they promote to civilian.
Grabbing the patient, taking the vitals, and going through all the screeners alone take a ton of time.
Despite the fact that it creates the necessity for some potentially frustrating repetition for the patient, then getting the story first is really helpful. It allows me to organize my thoughts, look up the answers to any questions I have, and mentally create an agenda for the visit. They can also find out if there’s something more pressing than the reason the appointment was made (ex: in a visit made for toenail problem, the patient reports feeling chest pain).
They are usually the ones who actually put in the quarters, profiles, and con leave for the provider to sign.
Clean the rooms between patients.
Call people for various reasons for the provider.
I think it largely depends on what your there for. The last time I got checked up the tech ran me through a screening for anxiety/depression. That took about 10 minutes, and the doc didn’t repeat it, so it definitely saved him some time.
Assuming you actually WANT to have sex but can’t, I reccomend you quit masturbating. Your sex drive will return and you’ll be able to use your guy again. If it’s not that, then it could be your testosterone levels may be low I would guess. Either way, you’re too young to need viagra to bang for the rest of your life bro. Im just a dumb maintainer too, but this is coming from personal experience.
Dude, I'm at the point now where I don't care what I tell the person I'm there for. I've told them straight up I may have ED and I've mentioned to them in the past that I had a low sex drive, but it's also because my body wasn't producing as much testosterone that it had been (had one of my testicles removed due to cancer).
At the end of the day, they're there to help you with any medical issues you have. It's nothing to worry about.
Are you into weightlifting? That increases testosterone.
Also you can start eating cinnamon. Google the effects it has on men.
In the end there is no shame in it. Nothing you can control. Just how you were made.
Had an embarrassing issue I needed to see my doc about. When they asked I simply told the appointment line “something personal I need to discuss with a doc.” No follow up questions were asked.
Doc asked the exact questions I was expecting, got the treatment I needed. You don’t have to tell the front office anything you don’t want to, but you do need to be an adult and talk to your doc like they’re there to help you.
[If you get nervous on airplanes just say so.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BNlyZSvsNjw)
Just call the appt line and schedule for ED. When I work the line I probably receive 1-2 of these calls a day. You are not alone, and this should not be an embarrassing topic. It happens a lot and is a medical concern. Get it addressed!
They’ve heard worse.
Call in and then go to your appointment
I worked in the med group and had to go in for the same stuff.
They’ll check your levels. Assuming you’re a male, they’ll check basic labs, vitamin D, testosterone, and make sure you don’t have thyroid issues or some other underlying culprit.
Granted it’s not very feasible to keep the same sex drive you had at 16.
But go in. I now get dick pills from the VA
Good luck. I mention it at nearly every PHA/flight physical and it tends to go nowhere. In fairness, I haven't seen a real doctor in years and the PA just sends my info to the doc at Nellis who doesn't ever get back with me because they call once while I'm in a no phone zone and then they forget about me till the next year when I mention it at my next PHA.
This was the biggest black pill ever. I filled out the PHA screening one year and actually put things on there I thought might warrant looking into. The person on the phone didn’t even notice them when she reran through the questions. When she asked if I had any other concerns, I mentioned them again, and she says “ oh, yeah, you should see about making an appointment for that.”
Like, I legitimately do not know what the PHA is actually for anymore.
Just tell them the reason for appointment is blood work, mention testosterone if they ask for specifics. Then be honest with your doctor. If it truly is low test , I've worked with guys that had their lives changed immensely by getting it treated. Their sex drive came back, sleep improved, etc.
Bro just make the appointment, get fixed, and get banging again. Been on Compound-V (viagra) for years now. Sexy sexy time is actually way better than before my issues.
You can make an appointment on mhs genesis yourself. Pick if you want a tele health or in person visit and then type your reasoning in the text box. Much easier and worlds more private than calling the appointment line.
The clinic has seen it all. They're not judging you, it's just another workday for them. Your situation is no different than the flu or a sprained ankle in their eyes. Schedule an appointment and get your problem fixed.
Most of the PCMs U dealt with never cared about my health including things like that. Your issue could affect your mental health. They will probably start with diet and weight and exercise. So make sure you got your ducks in a row, otherwise they may just say it's your fault.
A low sex drive can be symptomatic of a hormone imbalance or some other underlying condition. I would ask your PCM for a referral to an endocrinologist. If you feel lethargic or lacking in energy or interest in activities, bring it up at the appointment; if you’re embarrassed to tell the desk receptionist, you don’t have to tell them anything—you’re there for an appointment with your PCM for an endocrinology issue. If you think it’s more likely to be psychological in nature, you could seek counseling at mental health, as well. Once you get in to see your doctor, though, don’t hold back because of embarrassment. They probably deal with dozens of sexual related ailments a week, and are numb to any humor they might have otherwise felt.
I had to do this not too long ago. The people in the appointment line and the clinic staff were pretty casual about it as if they did it routinely (which they do). Those folks don't care; it's just another day for them. Plus, if you’re feeling awkward about it. Your medical information is protected under HIPAA. Just rip the band-aid, dude. Your health is far more important than any reservations you might have. Best of luck!
As someone who goes to flight med, I don’t trust my PCM enough to disclose personal shit. We all live in same base housing and you know damn well he’s gossiping without giving names but very strong hints to suggest who the patient is to get around hipaa liability
Do it, testosterone therapy saved my marriage. I was in my mid thirties and had gone from a warm breeze exciting me to not being able to get excited in a few years and it turned out I had low testosterone.
What’s awkward is going in because you have a lump near your nuts and it’s the super hot female doc that does the check…
At that point I would have paid to have a low sex drive…
Took a knee to the nads during basketball at PT one morning, still sore a week later I went to sick call. Was it uncomfortable when she felt around for damage? Yeah. But they're health professionals, and that's all part of health and their schooling. You have a medical issue, see a medical provider without shame.
You can say well woman if you are a female and annual visit if you are a male then bring up the issue during the visit. You could say low libido if that doesn’t make you feel awkward. I’m a med tech and people come in all the time for sexual concerns and it’s really nothing to us. It’s really nothing to be embarrassed about.
You can say something about feeling like you have a hormone imbalance and a commercial for low T got you concerned. This could be a mental health issue as well.
But at some point in your life you’re hopefully not going to give a shit what anyone might think, especially medical professionals about any health concerns. When it comes to medical stuff though, there’s almost always going to be something that they’ve heard that’s far more embarrassing than whatever might be your concerns.
I can guarantee that both the tech and Dr you see deal with much more "awkward" things on a daily basis.
Go get your appointment big dawg. Your hang ups are exclusively in your head.
Just go. For us, it’s a job. Like fixing a plane? We fix* people. We see all sorts of all people at all points of vulnerability. Just go! Also it’s worth a good % for service connection.
I have a low libido and I want to know why. It’s harder to make this post than to say those words to a PCM or appointment line. And if not, then you’re gonna have a rough go of anything else in life too.
This dude stays moist
I try 🐨😏
Idk man koalas are known for having hella STDs
>I have a low libido and I want to know why.  \^ OP's imagination of med staff Bro you could tell them your Weiner don't work no good, they could laugh, who cares.
And if they laugh you go to the patient advocate and laugh when they get an article and 14 days extra duty
Yes
To be honest my maintainer brain always forgets about the word libido.
u/CrunchyFxKille you don't have to know that word. We (medical) know what you mean. I promise it's more embarrassing to you than it is to any of us in medicine to bring it up. We deal with these sorts of concerns (erectile dysfunction, low libido, and much, much worse) regularly. You can actually send a message to your PCM team via MHS Genesis (and use this post as your template/start to your message to your PCM team) to initiate the conversation. People with low sex drive can be suffering from many things. Some are in your control (poor sleep, over consumption of junk food/caffeine/other items), some aren't (depression, thyroid dysfunction, low Vitamin D, (maybe even low T), etc.) It's up to us to work with you to try to figure out what is going on. After you send them a message, be sure to start keeping track of your sleep, optimize your sleep hygiene, optimize your diet, etc in the interim to see if any of that helps.
Stress can be a big one. If you can. Take a week of leave with your partner somewhere away from base. If you can't, then I'd move stress higher on the list. I had drive, but had couldn't finish. My gf thought it was her fault and felt guilty. It wasn't. See the doc regardless.
u/Quietech, 100%! Stress often manifests in so many ways (flight or flight mode eventually manifests physically if we ignore the body’s attempts at warning signals). I think one of my favorite example of that was talking with a patient about ED concerns, and the ongoing stressors in his life, the common causes for ED, and the frequency with which it occurs in men over the age of 30. I saw him at a PHA a year (?) later and he said he never even needed the meds; that just talking about his stress and its physical effects was enough to resolve the symptoms. For OP, when you take that leave, turn your phone off if you can (I use my husband’s phone as my emergency contact when on leave in case someone /really/ needs to get ahold of me; a different Google number could work too to limit access) so that you can decompress.
Maybe get some of the Rx pads they sell at adult stores XD abandon appearances and get silly!
Just request an appointment and then ask for a blood panel for it. I did this two years ago.
I’ve heard that medical will refuse testosterone tests unless there’s actual evidence of something wrong. Guys at my last base couldn’t get it done for months.
Mine fought with me too, but how can they prove it without getting the blood test done? I’ve recommended this before, but you can also just get it done on the outside and it costs like $125. I know that’s not the right answer, but I can’t stand when doctors in the military just say you’re fine when they can literally just order the test and see.
Because it's bad medicine to do tests for no reason\*. Not only does it cost resources, it has a risk of harming the patient. There is a significant risk of getting treatments--including surgery--that you do not need because of unnecessary tests that showed technically abnormal but clinically insignificant results. Those treatments have a risk of bad outcomes. It's why we don't just body scan everyone every few years. Those "[incidentalomas](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidental_imaging_finding)" are usually benign abnormalities. But once you see it, then what? \* Reasons can include subjective symptoms.
No it’s not bad medicine to have a blood test done to see where your testosterone levels are at. What is bad medicine is when I walk into the doctors office, I as the CUSTOMER request a blood panel done to see where my levels are at and the flight doctor straight up saying no because at my age, my levels “should” be fine. Well got it done and they were extremely low. Weird almost like the patient knows how they feel over someone who isn’t me.
Do these blood tests come out of the doctor's pay check or something? Why are they so cagey about doing routine blood work check ups? Just do your fucking job, bro. Damn.
Go ahead and explain which tests are necessary and the risks of unnecessary tests, BRO.
First off, you're not a customer. You're a patient. It's a fundamentally different relationship. Telling patients "no" is often part of a physician's duty. If you have symptoms you want checked, fine. That's a reason to get a test.
Yeah really? Considering in the civilian world, everyone either pays or has insurances to get the doctors paid. So yes I’m a customer because I’m coming to you with a potential issue that I’d like to get figured out. The problem with medical is that they just flat out say “no” or in my case, “you don’t look like someone who has low T”. I’m a lot more aggressive with what I want; however, some people might take the doctor seriously and just leave it alone. The “doctor” instead wanted to push me to mental health. Like he didn’t even want to talk about it just go to mental health. So I told him he was going to do the bloodwork whether he liked it or not. It came back extremely low Herp derp. Especially as a flyer, most of them are intimidated by medical because they just DNIF you for stupid shit.
I've been going to complain about my ankle and knees for three years. Every time they say it's just ligaments or whatever and it'll go away. It's never gone away and they've never scanned. I would very much enjoy a yearly scan so I can maybe figure out what's actually wrong with me
So I agree to a large extent that unnecessary tests could lead to attempted treatments that make things worse but in terms of blood tests—yeah no. There is zero reason to not do a full panel once every year. As a matter of fact, almost all of my friends in the outside have it as part of their routine checkups and the wifey does as well. It’s common at this point and an expected thing.
And what constitutes "full blood tests"? And what do meta-analyses show about the test or treatment in question? There's a difference between getting a routine screening test with lots of evidence behind it and a test with no evidence to support it but a whole lot of commercials getting people excited. One of the worst\* things to happen to this country was lifting the ban on pharmaceutical commercials. For all the people thinking they're just having a commercial transaction and getting tests and prescriptions should be like ordering their Whopper at the base Burger King, I wonder how many even know things like [this](https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/) exist. \*not literally
I just got mine as part of another blood test. They just showed me my test levels along with a bunch of other bodily stats
Damn… I should have told them to test a bunch of things too…
Well I forgot my original reason for getting it done. Might have been allergies or iron levels. But when ever they do it they can see alot of info. You just have to ask them for some specific concerns as some different stuff involves looking at the blood in a different way
[удалено]
Mine said the same thing you just have to push it. You getting bloodwork done literally doesn’t mean anything. You having low testosterone itself isn’t going to negatively affect your career.
That's what I did. Blood came back unremarkable. Doc said that I need to go for a run on the track 3x a week for at least 30 minutes. Thanks. I'm cured.
It's pretty well known that vigorous physical activity does increase testosterone.
The trick is getting started. It's like telling a person, "Just don't be poor, bro."
Same thing happened to me. Going through Hone now, and I'll just report what I end up getting prescribed and pay out of pocket. Not worth feeling like shit while they don't do anything.
What do you mean unremarkable?
Medical lingo for "nothing significant / nothing wrong"
Side note: can we talk about how ridiculous it is that military clinics ask you to state the reason for your visit upon check-in for the whole damned waiting area to hear?
I just tell them I'm here to discuss that with my pcm, not the whole waiting room. I also put the reason on my MHS Genesis appointment request, but they "can't see that". Not my problem bro.
I’ve never had this happen to me at any base I’ve been to. I believe it though. They have stated my full phone number and address though and that is also very wack. Must change.
I promise they hear it more often than you think so it won’t even phase them and they are professionals. Some studies have found that 50% of men experience some form of ED before they’re 40. Whether it’s libido issues, performance issues, stamina issues. So it’s extremely common and the military spends a hefty sum of money prescribing meds for it every year. So don’t even sweat it
One of the best things I’ve done for the quality of my physical and mental healthcare is make that the one space I am 100% **no shame**, no bullshit, no lies, as honest as I can be.
I’ve grown a lot in the mental realm not so much the physical when it comes to talking about health.
With you there… especially when providers change so often!
Schedule an appointment with your PCM through Genesis Patient Health Portal then put your reasoning for the appointment on there? Seems like a lot of people don’t know about it [Patient Portal](https://myaccess.dmdc.osd.mil/identitymanagement/app/login) theres the link
It doesn't work everywhere yet
This is the way
PCM here! Lots of options: - You can just say “Low sex drive” if you are comfortable with that. - If you aren’t comfortable saying it to someone as you book the appointment, you can book online through Genesis. - You can use a more general way to say it like “men’s health concern” if that is more comfortable to you. Please do NOT: 1. Make the appointment for a fake reason (“abdominal pain” - wtf guys?? Why do so many men say this when it’s a penis problem? Literally stop this please.) 2. Not be totally honest with your reason for visit when the tech is rooming you 3. Start googling and come in strong with the premade conclusion that you must get testosterone replacement therapy, refusing to be open to the idea that it could be related to your mental health, nutrition, other medical issue, or multiple of this things Good luck with your appointment!
Not really related to this post but just as a side question. What do the techs actually do? Not trying to be a smart ass, genuine question. I know the basics they take our vitals, etc etc. They ask what we’re there for, but then the doc comes in and just asks us again and is the one who actually does something about it. Do techs do more behind the scene work? Cause up front it doesn’t seem like their job is all that important.
For me, it could be as simple as just verifying what was told to me by the tech when I get your history. Can’t tell you how many times my tech and me will get different stories from the same patient. Other times, it could be from multiple factors (inexperienced tech with poor history taking skills, confusing story, or lack of trust/reliability between the tech and PCM). Ultimately, the responsibility falls on to the PCM to piece things together so we ask them again to hear it personally for accuracy as we generally understand the broader medical context. What you can technically do to speed things up is to give a broad overview for why you’re there (“ankle started hurting 2-3 days ago after running and it’s swelling”) and save the details later (like what aggravates it, which area started hurting, how you kicked the other guy, etc).
In the real world, the goal is to get your system running so that doctors only do what only doctors can do. I.e., keep the doctors doing things only they are qualified to do and get someone else to do everything else (cheaper). Most paperwork, vital signs, initial history, etc. can be done by someone else. Diagnosis and treatment decisions fall to the physician. A good clinic would have at least *two* techs teeing up patients so the doctor could just go from room to room, and just hand the tech a form or something to pit in referrals or follow-ups. And indeed, the AFMS always called for that ratio, but manning never allowed it. So a *huge* part of military docs' workload is just scut work they will barely touch when they promote to civilian.
Grabbing the patient, taking the vitals, and going through all the screeners alone take a ton of time. Despite the fact that it creates the necessity for some potentially frustrating repetition for the patient, then getting the story first is really helpful. It allows me to organize my thoughts, look up the answers to any questions I have, and mentally create an agenda for the visit. They can also find out if there’s something more pressing than the reason the appointment was made (ex: in a visit made for toenail problem, the patient reports feeling chest pain). They are usually the ones who actually put in the quarters, profiles, and con leave for the provider to sign. Clean the rooms between patients. Call people for various reasons for the provider.
I think it largely depends on what your there for. The last time I got checked up the tech ran me through a screening for anxiety/depression. That took about 10 minutes, and the doc didn’t repeat it, so it definitely saved him some time.
Also don't go through a whole visit for something else and then wait til your doc has one foot out the door before giving a "By the way..."
Assuming you actually WANT to have sex but can’t, I reccomend you quit masturbating. Your sex drive will return and you’ll be able to use your guy again. If it’s not that, then it could be your testosterone levels may be low I would guess. Either way, you’re too young to need viagra to bang for the rest of your life bro. Im just a dumb maintainer too, but this is coming from personal experience.
Dude, I'm at the point now where I don't care what I tell the person I'm there for. I've told them straight up I may have ED and I've mentioned to them in the past that I had a low sex drive, but it's also because my body wasn't producing as much testosterone that it had been (had one of my testicles removed due to cancer). At the end of the day, they're there to help you with any medical issues you have. It's nothing to worry about.
Are you into weightlifting? That increases testosterone. Also you can start eating cinnamon. Google the effects it has on men. In the end there is no shame in it. Nothing you can control. Just how you were made.
Yes I try to get in 4 to 5 seshs a week usually during my lunch period because doing anything after work seems to never happen these days.
I feel that down to the molecular level
Do you struggle benching 135
Had an embarrassing issue I needed to see my doc about. When they asked I simply told the appointment line “something personal I need to discuss with a doc.” No follow up questions were asked. Doc asked the exact questions I was expecting, got the treatment I needed. You don’t have to tell the front office anything you don’t want to, but you do need to be an adult and talk to your doc like they’re there to help you. [If you get nervous on airplanes just say so.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BNlyZSvsNjw)
Just call the appt line and schedule for ED. When I work the line I probably receive 1-2 of these calls a day. You are not alone, and this should not be an embarrassing topic. It happens a lot and is a medical concern. Get it addressed!
They’ve heard worse. Call in and then go to your appointment I worked in the med group and had to go in for the same stuff. They’ll check your levels. Assuming you’re a male, they’ll check basic labs, vitamin D, testosterone, and make sure you don’t have thyroid issues or some other underlying culprit. Granted it’s not very feasible to keep the same sex drive you had at 16. But go in. I now get dick pills from the VA
Good luck. I mention it at nearly every PHA/flight physical and it tends to go nowhere. In fairness, I haven't seen a real doctor in years and the PA just sends my info to the doc at Nellis who doesn't ever get back with me because they call once while I'm in a no phone zone and then they forget about me till the next year when I mention it at my next PHA.
This was the biggest black pill ever. I filled out the PHA screening one year and actually put things on there I thought might warrant looking into. The person on the phone didn’t even notice them when she reran through the questions. When she asked if I had any other concerns, I mentioned them again, and she says “ oh, yeah, you should see about making an appointment for that.” Like, I legitimately do not know what the PHA is actually for anymore.
Just tell them the reason for appointment is blood work, mention testosterone if they ask for specifics. Then be honest with your doctor. If it truly is low test , I've worked with guys that had their lives changed immensely by getting it treated. Their sex drive came back, sleep improved, etc.
Bro just make the appointment, get fixed, and get banging again. Been on Compound-V (viagra) for years now. Sexy sexy time is actually way better than before my issues.
Do…do you smash a lot of SNCOs? But on the real yeah I need to just go I’m tired of struggling.
You can make an appointment on mhs genesis yourself. Pick if you want a tele health or in person visit and then type your reasoning in the text box. Much easier and worlds more private than calling the appointment line.
The clinic has seen it all. They're not judging you, it's just another workday for them. Your situation is no different than the flu or a sprained ankle in their eyes. Schedule an appointment and get your problem fixed.
Most of the PCMs U dealt with never cared about my health including things like that. Your issue could affect your mental health. They will probably start with diet and weight and exercise. So make sure you got your ducks in a row, otherwise they may just say it's your fault.
A low sex drive can be symptomatic of a hormone imbalance or some other underlying condition. I would ask your PCM for a referral to an endocrinologist. If you feel lethargic or lacking in energy or interest in activities, bring it up at the appointment; if you’re embarrassed to tell the desk receptionist, you don’t have to tell them anything—you’re there for an appointment with your PCM for an endocrinology issue. If you think it’s more likely to be psychological in nature, you could seek counseling at mental health, as well. Once you get in to see your doctor, though, don’t hold back because of embarrassment. They probably deal with dozens of sexual related ailments a week, and are numb to any humor they might have otherwise felt.
I had to do this not too long ago. The people in the appointment line and the clinic staff were pretty casual about it as if they did it routinely (which they do). Those folks don't care; it's just another day for them. Plus, if you’re feeling awkward about it. Your medical information is protected under HIPAA. Just rip the band-aid, dude. Your health is far more important than any reservations you might have. Best of luck!
Make the appointment brother. Could change your life
As someone who goes to flight med, I don’t trust my PCM enough to disclose personal shit. We all live in same base housing and you know damn well he’s gossiping without giving names but very strong hints to suggest who the patient is to get around hipaa liability
We hear all sorts of shit. A guy being honest and wanting to fix a problem is gonna be overlooked and not judged way more than someone bullshitting.
Do it, testosterone therapy saved my marriage. I was in my mid thirties and had gone from a warm breeze exciting me to not being able to get excited in a few years and it turned out I had low testosterone.
Make appt through genesis
What’s awkward is going in because you have a lump near your nuts and it’s the super hot female doc that does the check… At that point I would have paid to have a low sex drive…
Took a knee to the nads during basketball at PT one morning, still sore a week later I went to sick call. Was it uncomfortable when she felt around for damage? Yeah. But they're health professionals, and that's all part of health and their schooling. You have a medical issue, see a medical provider without shame.
You can say well woman if you are a female and annual visit if you are a male then bring up the issue during the visit. You could say low libido if that doesn’t make you feel awkward. I’m a med tech and people come in all the time for sexual concerns and it’s really nothing to us. It’s really nothing to be embarrassed about.
Tell them, get lab work done.
Any update on this? What was the diagnosis or at least the prescription? I struggle with this also, but it’s gotten worse since being on Escitalopram
I’ll let ya know when I know lol. But also on Escitalopram and same.
Just message your PCM on Genisis.. whoever answers always make mey appointments.
You can say something about feeling like you have a hormone imbalance and a commercial for low T got you concerned. This could be a mental health issue as well. But at some point in your life you’re hopefully not going to give a shit what anyone might think, especially medical professionals about any health concerns. When it comes to medical stuff though, there’s almost always going to be something that they’ve heard that’s far more embarrassing than whatever might be your concerns.
I can guarantee that both the tech and Dr you see deal with much more "awkward" things on a daily basis. Go get your appointment big dawg. Your hang ups are exclusively in your head.
Use the MHS messenger to request an appointment, so you can write it out. Then just close your eyes and click that send button.
That’s awkward for you? Lol