NHS GP told me to stop finasteride, scolded me for taking it, denied I had hairloss

[Kirby_]

I've mentioned before that I saw a dermatologist at last in November for my hair loss, which I should have done far earlier than I did. I saw the doctor privately, as I needed to see someone quickly to calm my mind, and because my GP would not let me see an NHS dermatologist.

I approached my NHS GP at last earlier today that the diagnosis and treatment information I had seen a dermatologist and had been given a legit (but non-NHS) prescription for finasteride, which the GP had no idea I was taking.

I took the letter from the dermatologist and one of the three packets of fin I had to show him.

The GP erupted angrily pretty much immediately. My GP acted as if taking finasteride for hairloss was like using street heroin cut with brick dust!

Firstly he said, why have you seen someone privately without telling me? How can you afford that?

Secondly he said, (finasteride) is not properly legal for this to be prescribed for hair loss, it's "off licence", no one legitimate should prescribe it for hair loss. He said that no one on the NHS can prescribe it.

Thirdly, he looked at my hair (or squinted at it) and said I had no hair loss at all, and shouldn't be treating something that didn't exist with dangerous semi-illegal drugs. He asked, how long do you hope to use this for, the next 50 years?

Fourthly, he refused the liver function test that I was suggested by the dermatologist to get while using finasteride, because I shouldn't be on finasteride anyway, so don't need a liver test.

Lastly, he just said I have anxiety as the issue, hair loss is "untreatable" anyway, and no one needs hair and it's normal to go bald, gave me a form for another packet of Lorazepam (anti-anxiety drug) and said, forget about hair, treat your anxiety.

That's ignoring that 99% of my anxiety at the moment is because of my hair loss!! I told him very explicitly that treating my hair loss is part of calming my anxiety, and hair loss is causing the anxiety!

So, I can't get the liver function test, he refused to top up my prescription for fin, told me to stop using fin immediately (and held onto my fin packet, with the dermatologist's letter, which I wanted to keep) because it is dangerous and not legal to use for hair loss, was told that hair loss is not preventable/treatable, was told I have no hair loss and shouldn't be taking fin, basically doubted anything the dermatologist said.

What do I do now? My first thought was to go back to the dermatologist, but I can't afford to see him again TBH. I did ask to see an dermatologist on the NHS (again) but was refused.

I am not going to give up taking finasteride, my anxiety about hair loss would destroy me very quickly if I did, I can barely hold together at the moment.