Talking to GPs

Anniezzz99 - I really feel for you with your problems in getting a sensible response from your GP. I was diagnosed by various specialists as having a knee problem for nearly four years. Finally, when I was virtually housebound, and unable to work due to the pain, I was given an MRI which revealed I was in urgent need of a hip replacement. The pain in my knee was referred pain, the hip had not hurt at all.
Other than that, I would support the previous advice, get yourself a different GP.
I hope you get things sorted.

Ibuprofen won't touch serious arthritis pain imo. I take anti inflammatories prescribed by my GP when weeks of living with pain that leaves me so tired, begins to make me feel fed up. A week on proper anti inflammatories is a boon and helps me manage periods without them. I have inflammatory arthritis for which I take a cocktail of disease modifiers. RA leaves you at higher risk of osteo arthritis, so inevitably I have that as well.
We have a good (teaching) practice and for the past 30 years there's always been one GP in the practice with a special interest in RA and its accompanying problems. Annie - if your GP is part of a larger practice, I'd see one of the others.

Vitamin supplements are only of use if you are deficient in some vitamins - otherwise you are just paying out to produce vitamin-enriched sewage...

DH had some health problems. He was feeling under the weather and was constantly falling asleep, even at work, his GP was indifferent. It was his age (he was about 60 at the time), he commuted up to London to work (a 45 minute train journey) nothing to worry about.

Fortunately I worked for a charity for the elderly and one of my clients was singing the praise of one of the other GP's in our practice. I suggested that DH made an appointment to see him. This GP had a completely different attitude. DH's problems were not 'normal'. He picked up a small instrument, pricked DH's finger and within second's he had a diagnosis of diabetes. DH has been seeing this GP ever since.

The moral of the story? Change your GP.

My GP tried to put me off having knee replacements as I was only 59 and he thought it was a bit early. I eventually got him to ask for a referral and when the surgeon saw the latest X rays he had no hesitation in putting me on his list. You do need to keep getting them X rayed as they can deteriorate a lot over a year or so.

I would recommend rubbing in Voltarol as you don't get the problems you do with swallowing anti inflammatories.

North Essex gets a lot of criticism (Colchester Hospital) but they are very open about their policies. Personally I have never had a problem with Colchester hospital. Arrived for a walk in hip x-ray Tuesday, was called within 5 min of arrival to change, and was seen 10 min later.

Also..try the NIHCE website for their patient guidance notes. They might help too.

Yes. Definitely osteo rather than rheumatoid. Knew there was something wrong even as I posted that link. (Cold affecting brain!)

right link

I didnt know policies like that existed either.
Just googled for my local one, and cant find one.
But even if there is not such a thing on the internet for my area, my guess is that it is still in existance.

If anniezzz09 lived in a different area, she might get more assistance?
Or could she get something done if she asked to be treated elsewhere??

annie I did suggest that you do need help by way of anti-inflammatories , its the only way I manage my arthritis pain and like you don't understand why your GP hasn't suggested them. They allow me to live my life my GP giving me the highest dose he can , I do know how exhausting pain is but the next step is opiates for the pain a route down which I do not want to go so I manage with the anti-inflammatories for now until my second hip is far enough gone for surgery which may be some time.. but you have to jump through a lot of hoops to get there as pompa's document shows..

I hope your GP is more sympathetic next time you see him/her.. and I hope your pain diminishes too.

Sounds more like osteo than rheumatoid. And most drugs have unpleasant side effects; even ibuprofen for the over 60's is dangerous.

Thanks again, pompa, had no idea such documents were available. Just found my local one and it makes it abundantly clear what the criteria are. In which case, the answer is easy, bash on, take the painkillers and if it gets really bad, hope the NHS will still be in existence and some treatment will be available. You have saved me having to think about it any further, good night.

There are drugs available. NHS about arthritis

Yes, I have considered not doing them jinglbellsfrocks but the loss of income, though not great, is important. I am one of those unlucky cohort of women who won't get my pension until I am 65 and a half.

pompa that is a very interesting document and it makes the criteria for joint replacements etc very clear. Well, well, I am amazed.

If you need to take ibuprofen to do the exercise classes, and have pain afterwards, have you considered not doing them? Perhaps it is time to recognise your limitations.

Or you could go back to the doctor and ask specifically for tablets for arthritis.

hi tegan that sounds awful re your knee. Actually I do find Ibuprofen helps though it depends what I've been doing and sometimes I take more than at other times. What you said about soreness and being scared to do things makes sense to me. Last weekend I went off for a long walk (3-4 miles??) and by the end I was really tired and my knee and hip were aching and the knee was very sore the next day.
I also think that on the one hand we get bombarded with health information and all the things we should be doing to keep ourselves fit and healthy but GPs don't seem to support this by helping, they just fire fight when it gets really bad.

Thanks tanith, it is useful to hear these stories but a bit shocking to realise how far people go before they get real help. How on earth did you manage your life at all if you were in such constant pain? At the moment a couple of Ibuprofen knock my knee pain on the head for half a day, clearly I am far from needing any help from anyone at all!!

I have had anti-inflammatories in the past when I had an impinged nerve in my neck, that was excrutiating at the time and it is another ongoing little problem of mine as I have some cervical disc damage, Ibuprofen deals with that for the time being too!! Good thought though, perhaps I'll gird my loins and try again. Like others here, it is at least two weeks before you can get an appointment unless you class yourself as an emergency.

tanith; annie has said she takes ibuprofen and it doesn't help a great deal. Pain is tiring; it sort of takes over your life and your mind. I was so aware of my knee hurting [and scared as well] that my whole body was tense. Even now, when [and this is happening at the moment] I do get soreness in my knee I'm scared that it will get worse again. And that fear stops me from doing things that I'd like to do eg. as I said earlier, going on a long walk. I do think that GP's should be more helpful/understanding of people that are doing all they can to stay fit and healthy, rather than patch them up when things get worse.

Thanks for that pompa most interesting read..

If it helps, this is the policy document for our area which details the exact criteria for knee replacement (among other things)

www.northessex.nhs.uk/Downloads/A-Your-NHS/Clinical%20Priorities%20Policy/Clinical%20Priorities%20Policy%20-%20NHS%20North%20Essex%20-%202012.pdf

anniezzz09 has your GP not suggested anti-inflammatories? to help with the pain and inflammation.
For me the pain of my hip was very bad before my replacement , it affected my whole life I couldn't walk at all without pain, sitting still for more than a few minutes was painful and I would be woken by the pain in the night. No over the counter meds would even touch the pain and I certainly couldn't of managed any kind of exercise apart from a very slow limp around the garden to try and keep my muscles working, my x-rays showed a bone on bone joint with multiple cysts within what was left of the bone . I don't mean to minimize your pain but I think you may have a way to go yet till you are at the stage of needing a replacement.

Do go and discuss anti-imflammatories with your GP they really can help you to manage your difficulties.

Having so much pain daily is draining.
This is what I would do.
1. See a different doctor in your practice for a second opinion. If you dont get any joy from that, and you are not happy about your practice in generel, I would
2.consider using a different practice. or
3. Go private about your knee.

Oh and I'm not at all envious of those who have had knee replacements (god forbid!!) but I'm trying to find out what the likely situation before you do is. It would be nice to think that you might get some help before you get to the point of only being able to walk for 5 minutes. I'll go on taking the pain killers, sorry to have asked at all.

janeainsworth I don't know what you mean by qualified nutritionist but I guess I can Google it unless you can say more.

jinglbellsfrocks I think I have been healthy most of my life but I don't feel healthy now. You sound like my GP!!! I've always done lots of exercise but now I am in pain most of the time from my knee. I take pain killers daily and I can't kneel or crouch, going up the stairs is sometimes quite difficult. I manage the exercise classes partly with the help of Ibuprofen and partly because, having learnt how to move, I can move such that I minimise the strain on my knee. I usually wear a knee support. It may sound odd that I can run the classes at all, but the day after the classes my knee is always much more painful and I fear my days of doing this are numbered.

I haven't used walking poles Tegan but thanks for that and in fact, I just signed up for a Nordic Walking course. I'm a bit worried if I can manage actually, because of my knee, but I'll try it and see.

The other things, it's hard to know. Is it right to need 10 hours sleep a night which is what I now need just to feel ok? To feel utterly exhausted the day after I've run a couple of classes or done a bit more than usual in my daily life? I do put drops in my eyes but it's getting worse rather than better. I look out of my window and I see many older than me running, cycling, walking and all manner of things. It's hard to know what is normal. I've always had lots of energy, but no more.