That was unexpected

DZ, like many men his age is affected by benign prostatic hypertrophy, an inconvenience rather than an affliction. He held off for some time reporting this to his GP, knowing what would happen, but eventually bit the bullet and had it confirmed. We then discussed therapy. Treatment of this condition has come a long way since DZ qualified and most patients receive symptomatic relief with drug treatment, surgery being reserved for the worst cases.

DZ may have mentioned that his GP is usually subject to my own strong views on what therapy I should receive, to which he seems to respond with weary resignation. I was quite clear that I wasn't prepared to take the testosterone antagonist, Finasteride, with it's potential for causing decreased libido and impotence. The possibility of growing tits did not appeal either. The thought that some people will endure these side effects when taking the drug to treat male pattern baldness seems to me illogical. Why make yourself more attractive if you lose interest and can't get it up? 

To Quote Chuck Jones;

"A true fanatic is one who redoubles his efforts when he has lost sight of the original objective"

So my GP wrote me up for the second line drug, Tamsulosin. I didn't get on with that at all. Not only did it not seem to improve symptoms at all, it also gave a rather unpleasant side effect. I won't specify exactly what it was  but it was reminiscent of the limerick about the young man of Gwent, who found that instead of coming, he went!

Back in 2016 DZ published a post extolling the virtues of the Phosphodiasterase Inhibitor, Tadalafil. One such was that it is licensed for the treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy as a third line treatment, and DZ has now been on this for some time. And over that time it appears to have caused a totally unexpected and unreported side effect.

Prior to starting the drug DZ had total male pattern baldness. Head as smooth as a billiard ball. It wasn't something that he was concerned about, as advised here. About a year after starting Tadalafil there was distinct fuzz starting to appear on the billiard ball which has continued to develop to this day.

Not quite as marked as this, but most definitely an improvement. I know that a series of one patient hardly qualifies as significant research, but then I'm not an academic.