What do you do when...

aggie That is awful! Doctors shouldn't be like that.

Post-Viral Syndrome? I had a period of this that lasted about 10 years when every bug I caught left me in its 'shadow' for anything between six weeks and three months. Then I had a very bad one that lasted six months and left me too tired to even think and then one morning I woke up and it had gone and I haven't had one since.

I've decided I'll just mention there is something else and see whether he says make another appointment , it does seem rediculous not to mention it.
And while I'm at it , why is it that I manage to stick to my 10mins and often its shorter and everyone else seems to spend half an hour in with the doctor?

I have heard this 'one ailment per visit' rule, a friend's surgery has it.

What puzzles me is how the patient is meant to know whether a particular set of symptoms is one ailment or two separate ailments.

For example a friend went to the doctor about stomach pain and also complained about a weak arm. Two different ailments? No, she had lung cancer in a part of her lung where the tumour pressed on a nerve to her arm and it had spread to her liver, the stomach area pain.

Our surgery allows for one ailment per appointment. I have more or less given up except in an emergency because it takes about three weeks to get an appointment anyway. Notice on the wall this week " we apologise if you have to wait for an appointment, there is a national shortage of Doctors " we use to have about six or seven and now there are two and some nurse practitioners.

FlicketyB 10 years? don't say things like that, we can't take it!

In my old GP Practice you could always get an appointment the same day or at least the next day.

The new practice where I live will only give you a same day appointment if you are an Emergency or a doctor will speak to you which means you have to sit by the phone for ages.

It's OKish for me because I'm retired but it must be a nightmare if you're working.

Our apointments are always well in advance especially if you want to see a specific doctor.
The nurse practitioner can be a good bet for an earlier appointment depending on the complaint.

Best of all, our health centre has now got a Walk In Clinic on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning, just arrive before 10.30 and you will be seen by a doctor.
I did it a few weeks ago, arriving at 9.30am. It was 11.10 when I saw the doctor. Yes, it's a long wait, but I went prepared with a bottle of water and my Kindle - decided in advance that I'd use the waiting time as 'me time', enjoy a good long read without wondering what needed to be done.

Our surgery doesn't have the 'one ailment per appointment' rule, thank heavens. I know people whose surgeries do and I find it worrying. Exactly as you say, FlicketyB, how can we be expected to know whether our apparently disparate ailments are related? That is why we go to our GP. I would never have connected a stomach pain with a weak arm and thank heavens your friend was able to mention both to her GP.

It's ok if two problems are related; it's when people book an appointment for one thing and then go on to ask about something completely unrelated that it causes problems. An appointment only had a certain amount of time allocated to it and a doctor can't deal with two unrelated problems in that time; at least, not properly and, if they do there's a knock on effect on the following patients.

It5 wasn't a 10 year PVS but 10 years during which I got it after each bug, but it did eventually go and I haven't suffered from it now for about 10 years

But Tegan how can one know whether two ailments are related or not? In the example I gave most people, and doctors, would assume the ailments were entirely unrelated, but they weren't.

Tanith you've made a good point there. I always seem to be on and out in less than five minutes. There should be a system whereby we can 'save' our unused minutes!

I hadn't thought of Post Viral Syndrome. I will look that up. Thanks Flickety.

Weighed this morning and I have lost 6 lbs since this started! Silver lining or what?!

Thought I had posted this already - oh well give it another go

Even the Dr doesn't connect symptoms at times. I suppose that you could always make as many appointments as symptoms. Which just shows what a lot of nonsense it all is.

Jings that would be good if we could 'save' them. I think I've solved the 'coughing' mystery, I got a 'lightbulb' moment this morning and yes when I checked online its a well known side affect of Ramipril my new BP medication. So as I shall see my GP to check my liver function tomorrow I can mention the cough as its all related to the same meds.. and he can blooming well prescribe something else I'm not putting up with this cough for ever.

I had continuous virus and colds, sinus etc since December. Antibiotic sorted the sinus and gradually thing improved, except the continuing cough. This cough really worried me so made appt with Dr. Made sure my appt was with the doctor that I trust and respect. He asked about my tummy, any acid?
Yep, now and again. I told him I took Lanzoprazol, prescribed two per day but try to only take one.
Dr explained how a continuing cough can often be the result of reflux from the stomach, even minimal reflux that we aren't always aware of. I upped the Lanzoprazole to two daily and within two weeks, no cough

I was told that I must not mention another ailment when discussing another. I had to make a separate appointment which was 5 weeks later.

btw my friend has had this virus and she was really ill, I couldn't help her as I cant drive and she lives in the country, she was ill from February till recently, she is 76 and normally quite fit.

Coolgran he wanted to Double up my omeprazole but I said no. I'm not usually poorly like this. He gave me a bottle of gaviscon advance stuff instead. It's horrible. I'm going to wait it out. DD2 been here today. She cooked a dinner mostly chicken and veg so that was nice.

As I mentioned on another thread, adult silent reflux can cause symptoms such as a sore, dry throat, persistent cough, phlegm and feelings of a lump in the throat. Gaviscon Advance is often prescribed.

I don't think the sort of virus type symptoms being described on this thread can be attributed to that, though.

I'm hoping my silent/non-silent reflux will go when the virus buggers off departs, and I eventually get a bit of strength back.

I want to be able to eat cake food again without it tasting like poison.

At my practice we are definitely not allowed to broach another health query. You should have booked a double appointment they say, when the five minute appointment is up. Going back to the virus we had a similar thread a couple of months ago. I remember saying then that I kept getting the bug back and was left with an overwhelming lethargy. Sadly,the *** thing does keep returning and as someone earlier said, you can be okay for a bit and then the hacking, dry cough comes back. I haven't been on the Internet because I might find something to really worry about so I just keep taking the prescribed steroid inhaler, the antihistamines and the lozenges. As someone mentioned, I am sure a spell of summer weather would be helpful. The tiredness is just as bad as the symptoms, too.
I hope everyone gets over it soon!

I used more asterisks than that. Ipad has a mind of its own

So many people seem to have had this sore throat/cough/exhausted/no appetite bug, that drags on for weeks. One of our GP's advised me to take vitamin C and zinc, in combination form. She said the research is clear, it helps support the immune system. I bought one from Boots, it wasn't expensive and I took it for over a year, remaining bug free. Inevitably I forgot to replace it and got the horror bug I moaned about on another thread.
It may be worth a try Jing - hope you're soon feeling more the thing. As for that weight loss, when I began to recover all my clothes were lose, not any more they aren't

Thanks Iam. Will definitely send off for some of those tablets. I don't want to be getting this too often.

I am determined to keep the lost weight off. something good's gotta come out of it! Had a boiled egg for brekker, so won't get fat on that!

Well my GP changed the meds as he agreed the cough was probably down to the Ramipril so now he's trying me with Losartan. This the 4th BP med I've tried fingers crossed. He did say all meds may have side affects hmmmm!! Doesn't mean I have to put up with them!