Can a reproductive endocrinologist find any problems....?

Question

I am having a lot of trouble with my reproductive system. I have been in pain for the entire past year & 1/2 (during,before and after my cycle) and have polycystic ovarian syndrome. I have recently been told by a gyn professional that she cannot take my case because my primary care physician was wrong (think he is right) when we had an MRI done that revealed I had a tumor around my right cervical area.
I was told to see an endocrinologist (by my primary care physician) and cannot figure out if I should see a reproductive enocrinologist or an endocrinologist.

Can a reproductive endocrinologist find problems in my body that do not deal with my reproductive system? Or is he/she restricted to finding problems solely with my reproductive system?

Should I gather up all my records from past gyn's and physicians and see another gyn before visiting and endocrinologist?

Should I take my MRI scans and past medical records to the endocrinologist and then proceed to a gyn?

Answer 1

first, gather all your old medical records and past imaging studies. you should have all of these anyway. Second, a second opinion from another Ob/Gyn couldn't hurt, but if you have PCO disease, going to a reproductive endocrinologist is a good idea. they can find other endocrine problems, and a good one will know when to refer you to a regular endocrinologist if necessary. good luck!

Answer 2

I believe the first you should do is to find a good physician that you can trust instead of making yourself responsible for taking care of your health. That doesn't mean that you must trust blindly on anybody, but that you would be able to talk openly about your doubts and receive an honest answer.
A qualified clever doctor must be able to search for another opinion when is not sure about a diagnosis without making weaker her/his image or authority. Medicine is so deep and specialized that is extremely difficult to know everything and keep updated. Usually if you change doctors too frequently, you will have to deal with many different opinions, sometimes contradictory. That is real medicine, not an exact science but the best of different opinions.
In the meantime you can truly trust a physician - more or less difficult according to your personality - just gather all the documents you've already obtained, since they will make you win time once a diagnosis must be made, or simply to put all the information together for your own good.
Being myself a doctor does not make the choice of a physician any easier: at the end, I choose somebody that I can trust, able to express doubts and share opinions with me. Honesty and common sense is something that nobody can acquire with books.
If I would be in your place, I would first try to know deeper what means “a cervical tumor in an MRI “. A mere image is usually not enough to choose a diagnosis, but one starting point to confirm or rule out some possibilities.
As in any human relation, for trusting you need to feel it and test it once in a while. Why don't you go back to your primary care physician with all your questions and see his/her reaction?
I understand your problem and doubts, is a consequence of the hyper specialized medicine from nowadays.
A good endocrinologist should know enough as to decide if you really do need a more specialized doctor or at least to coordinate all the necessary consultancies.
I insist is from capital importance that you trust a good doctor to handle your medical dossier, too heavy to be managed for yourself. In case you on doubt - and every time you can afford it - get different opinions and try to choose the best option for your case, with the help of a smart general practitioner or an endocrinologist.