Are you experiencing unusual symptoms that are worrying you? If you are involved in physique training, either as a bodybuilder, fitness, figure or bikini competitor or just training to look like one, ironically, you may be feeling differently as you are looking better. Some symptoms may include menstrual irregularities, hair loss, acne, mood swings, constipation or loose stools, bloating and abdominal distension, water retention – the list is lengthy. Some causes include dietary changes, body fat composition, drugs, supplements; again, a long list.
I am a medical doctor, specializing in Internal Medicine, as well as a current Nationally qualified competitive female bodybuilder. I am asked these types of questions regularly in my office. I feel that female physique competitors (or those training in their respective divisions) are having symptoms which may be serious but are afraid to go to their doctors to ask about them for many reasons. First, most doctors are not trained in what we do as athletes and are not trained in the supplements or drugs that are often used. Then there’s the worry about this information being made “public” – disclosure reaching your insurance company or employer or others. I have decided to try to help our growing and unfortunately, underserved population of female athletes.
I am starting a new “Ask Dr. Lajoie” column in Female Muscle. Questions can be submitted and I will try to assist you in either answering them directly, or suggesting ways we can find the answers you need. I appreciate the need for privacy and will answer general questions to a general audience. If you have a particular worry that you need more specific individualized help with, I do offer Telemedicine on my website. The site is www.LajoieMedicalGroup.com This is a means by which an athlete (or someone trying to become one) can specifically ask personal questions on a private site so as to not make their issues public. There is a low fee of $75 to ask the question and receive a response. The questions come only to me, not to any staff, and your privacy is ensured just as though I was seeing you in my office. All the same rules pertaining to your health record apply in Telemedicine as they do in the private office setting.
I have been asked to treat athletes outside of Florida, where I practice in Orlando. Due to state laws, I can recommend but not treat you unless I have physically examined you in my office. But that still allows me to order out of state labs or other tests as needed (covered by your INS if you have it). If uninsured, I have an account with Quest lab, a lab with thousands of sites across the country, to which I can fax a lab request and put the charges on my account. They provide me with a “Client Price List” which makes fees for labs very inexpensive. You pay me and they will not bill you. So you can get labs performed anywhere in the United States and we can discuss what the results mean. I can offer treatment recommendations without actually “prescribing”, so it falls within the state guidelines.
For athletes in Florida, I suggest trying to get to Orlando so I can examine you at least once. Then you are my patient and I can treat you “remotely” within all the regulatory guidelines, even if you live a distance from Orlando but in Florida.
Many issues can be answered just by asking the question, and Female Muscle is the forum to do it in. We are dedicated to supporting women in sports and this is a new service to bring more information to you, the athlete.
I look forward to helping in any way I can, and await your questions -> email questions here: glajoiemedical@cfl.rr.com
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