Talking to GPs

I am very happy with our GP. To see one of the senior partners on a routine matter can take 2 weeks as they are in demand, but you can always see a doctor quite quickly. They deal with a lot of minor surgery at the clinic, which is a great time saver.

I agree about the x-rays - consultant says he never looks at them very much but goes on his own examination and the way that the problem impinges on the individual patient's life.

I had an x ray on my knee that came back saying 'mild arthritic changes' For 9 months I struggled to walk [and had very little sympathy from my employers ,who happened to be the NHS] even though I didn't miss any work because of it. When I eventually had a scan done the reaction from the Dr who saw the result was 'crikey; whose knee is that'....x rays don't show up mch unless there's an actial break.My knee problem started with a wrong step one day; I could hardly put weight on it for months. Strangely enough I also suffer from broken nails [my nails used to be very strong] and dry eyes, but, as has been said it is probably part of the ageing process . I haven't really enjoyed walking since that accident, although I do go to a gym and do exercises at home to strengthen my knees. I always have it in the back of my mind that I may have another problem when I've walked so far and then can't get home. Do you use walking poles? They really take the strain off your joints.

My GP practice is pretty good and I don't have to see them too often. It did take a while to see a specialist for my knees after trying several different painkillers and the GP a number of times, I insisted politely that I needed to see a knee specialist. I have now had both knees done ( the latest, last Tuesday.) Obviously needed the ops' but not something to take lightly as the recovery period is fairly long and painful. If I was running and taking part in an exercise class rather than only able to walk for less than 5 minutes without severe pain I wouldn't have considered myself eligable for the ops.

annie if you are really unhappy with the service that your GP provides then maybe you should change to a different GP/practice.

You sound almost envious of those unfortunate members who've had to have knee replacements. You run exercise classes so I assume that you participate in the same ..... you hardly need a knee replacement!

Be thankful that, like me, you are in reasonable nick!

Sorry if that sounded harsh.

I doubt very much that there is anything lacking in your diet.

I think your doctor may have suggested the antidepressant more for anxiety than for depression. You do sound quite anxious about your health. It does sound as though your doctor has been very attentive - giving you all the tests necssary, and you already have an inhaler for your chest. What more do you want him to do?

You can get drops from the chemist for dry eyes. Do you wear rubber gloves for washing up to protect your fingernails? You run an exercise class which probably means you take exercise yourself. That means you will be tired. You are not getting any younger. Sorry, but I don't think there is a cure for ageing. You just have to work your life round it.

annie I'm not advocating alternative medicine.
A qualified nutritionist would prescribe on the basis of the results of tests, as Jeanette Winterson describes.

'talking to GPs'. Chance would be a fine thing. I have been unable to get an appointment. We have to start phoning at 8.00 a.m. You have to be fit enough to persevere to get an appointment.

Thanks charleygirl, it is useful to hear someone describe what led them to serious input from their GP.
You hear so many stories, not long ago, I bumped into someone I hadn't seen for a year or so and heard a terrible, terrible story of her husband who had been seeing the GP for 18 months or so getting fobbed off and ending up being given anti-depressants and advocated shock therapy and it turned out he had undiagnosed gall bladder cancer of which he died in the end.
It probably doesn't help that I appear fit and well but I do suffer a lot of pain from my leg and I take Ibuprofen quite a lot and I know that that has a downside too (kidney damage in the end).

janeainsworth thanks for that link. I have tried a few things, acupuncture, other alternative therapies but there is so much out there, most of it costs an absolute fortune and there is no way of knowing what works and what doesn't.

annie your knee problems maybe just general wear and tear with age. I do not advocate a knee replacement unless your symptoms are so severe that you can hardly cope. My knee was giving way, it was painful when I walked and the pain was waking me at night, to give you an idea of how I felt.

I have an excellent GP but she knows that I will not visit unless I am desperate because mainly of the knowledge that I have.

I have a 6 monthly review because some of the drugs need monitoring re blood tests. I think that you may need a change of GP. I can understand the reluctance to do tests if they are not warranted because each costs money and the budget is finite. They will pull out all of the stops when they deem it to be necessary.

Article by Jeanette Winterson in which she describes her despair at the failure of her GP to treat her problems, and how she had help from a nutritionist.
I think the NHS is still in the mindset of treating simply the big killers like cancer and heart disease, and sometimes is a little dismissive of chronic conditions that aren't life-threatening in the short term, but impact on the quality of life significantly.

When my children were little, they had medical stuff between them which meant I had to take them to the GPs quite often.
I learnt that 1 GP will do tests more than the others. I was good for lungs. 1 was very empathetic. 1 was good at women's stuff etc.

I myself dont go the the GPs very often , but when I do, I choose the GP for my consultation accordingly.

btw, my broken fingernails are much better if I eat an extra egg or two a week. Someone else I know says jelly works for her.

So do mine, bags. I have two whom I see interchangeably. On the whole, the practice is user-friendly, but these two GPs are very popular and sometimes I have to book my appointments well ahead.

My GP talks sense.

I think we have too much information available to us now and a GP must have a very hard time competing with us self diagnosing using the internet. Not to mention the cost of sending us for tests etc.

I get a lot of routine checks like blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure etc done at my local pharmacy.

My gp and I have an arrangement!
He doesn't bother me and I don't bother him.
If however I do bother him its serious so he will respond.

Like Mishap I have a kind, caring, thoughtful and very professional GP who takes an interest in me as a person and not just a patient.

Thanks mishap, actually having written the post I was thinking about it, as you do (!), and an instance of what I mean came to mind - that when I went to get the results of the tests that had been done, I asked about having my cholesterol levels checked and the response was 'oh, we checked them 2 years ago, I'm sure they're fine'.

Can that really be the right response, I thought cholesterol levels changed all the time?

I am very lucky that my GP (who is ex-professional partner of my OH) is wonderful - understanding, sympathetic, concerned and happy to talk things through. I was only saying yesterday that I do not know how I would have coped with all my recent problems without his patience.

I feel for you annie if you feel your concerns are not being heard. But I should also say that getting older does definitely bring a whole heap of stuff that is hard to treat, and we do finish up having to bite the bullet on some stuff. It is just about makng sure that you get as much better as is possible.

Thought of changing your GP? You could ask around for a word-of-mouth recommendation of someone who might suit you better.