Faith in your GP

Ok gardenman , I was a bit slow there, sorry! But it still seems odd to have to strip off!
To go back to the OP , why does she think the doactor is lying and that therefore doctors cant be trusted!? Seems and extraordinary reaction. I have found different GPs have different opinions sometimes, but I always assume they are doing their best and if necessary ask to see a specialist.

Gardenman has said he is male. I think it's odd too though - not even underpants? Does the doc think you'll somehow have got over-exposed to sunlight in that area?

I have never, ever, been asked to strip right down. Why did he ask that? Seems odd to me. I hope you were not alone together as that would be risky for both of you, if you are female. Are you male Gardenman99 because that might be ok but I think it is strange all the same.

Very, very happy with my doctor. Great practice and easy to get an appointment too. She treats the whole person and is very good, as are the other Doctors when she is not there. If I want an injection or I have a sore throat etc etc there are also 3 Sisters I can see. Cannot fault any of them. Sometimes a 'trainee Doctor' sits in with the appointment which is ok by me. They have to learn somewhere don't they.

Pollyperkins!! If I was a lady I would be gardenwoman99 instead of Gardenman99.

I think railman made a good point. One of my sisters worked in marketing for a drug company some years ago and was horrified at how some DRs were swayed by the pharmaceutical industry.

I don't think any doctor can be always 100% effective! And GPs have a hard task - expected to diagnose a whole range of illnesses. At the end of the day, we know our own bodies better than any DR and we need to find a solution that works for us!

It wouldn't make a difference if you are male or female, someone else should be in the room if you need to strip off completely.

I am still puzzled as to why you had to strip even to your socks.

I always assumed gardenman was male. What difference does it make?

My GPS diagnosed bursitis in my hip in spite of several symptoms , after years of tablets and being taken off them because of anaemia , my DD hauled me in to the surgery to see him , but it was a locum , who despatched me for an x Ray . Now I am waiting for a new hip , the worst hip the Surgeon has seen in while

There's a useful summary of treatment of PA and frequency of different types of B12 administration on NHS Choices. This might explain your GPs comments. I know it's all to easy to find yourself back outside the surgery door with questions on your mind, but try and be more direct in future and ask about things that don't make sense to you. Good luck!

Wait a minute, gardenman - are you a man? That would make a difference!

Usually if you have to strip off a female nurse is called in as well - as much to protect the doctor from accusations as anything else. I would be uncomfortable. about taking everything off with a young male doctor on his own!

Surely you don't garden in the nude? Doesn't he even let you keep your underpants on?

Anya. The doc told me that as i work out doors it is important to keep covered up if I am in hot sun in the middle of the day he looks at moles / weight /reflex / banging knees with his little hammer / cough / skin blemish. everything.

Anya. The doc told me that as i work out doors it is important to keep covered up if I am in hot sun in the middle of the day he looks at moles / weight /reflex / banging knees with his little hammer / cough / skin blemish. everything.

And you stripped off without querying this?

mumofmadboys. Yes all clothes including socks.

Every PA sufferer I have ever spoken too says that every 3 months is not enough for the B12 injection. I dont kmow why Drs wont listen to the patients. We really do know how we feel
SPF

Of course gp's are swayed by many things - exactly the same as everyone is - and what works for one may not be the same for all. Beliefs are strong and often unchanged despite what evidence may suggest.

I've just read that kefir contains more vitamin B the longer it is left before drinking - but is it true? who knows!

Interesting post.

There's an equally interesting book by Dr Ben Goldacre, who notes that when a GP starts, after all his or her taxpayer funded training and education in hospitals and medical schools - almost all updates and further training are funded by pharmaceutical companies.

So 'refresher' courses, lectures, conferences, etc. may well be funded by manufacturers with a particular product to sell.

I wonder if GPs in practice are ever influenced by marketing rather than scientific developments, which may inform their opinions.

Doing extensive research/investigation for yourself is a good thing, and as someone else has said, maybe then take your findings to discuss with the GP

Medicine is an art as well as a science. It deals in making you feel better as well as in 'curing' you. And it doesn't often deal with absolutes - this treatment is good, his one bad. I'm remembering some tablets that were to be taken before bedtime. I have a morning routine, bedtime varies. Would they be useless taken in the morning, particularly compared with being FORGOTTEN at night? Oh no, just maybe slightly less effective. I take them in the morning.

And you shouldn't be retested once you're diagnosed.

I'm not sure why not if the GP thinks there could have been a possible mis-diagnosis or that something else is happening related to or unrelated to the original diagnosis.

It must be very difficult for a GP to keep up with all the changes to medicine that happen - I know things that used to be prescribed are sometimes no longer recommended and/or have been replaced with a different treatment altogether. If you are doubtful then ask your GP why his opinion on the frequency seems to be at odds with current practice elsewhere - it could just be that he is basing his opinion on older data. I have had some quite lively discussions with my GP's over the years, most have been quite happy to explain the reasons for their choice of treatment but I have to say the time limit for appointments doesn't really give the chance to discuss anything these days.

Seems odd taking all your clothes off for back examination!don't think it's the norm when I go with asthma many doc's put stetoscope inside my top to save my dignity maybe because I'm of mature age 57!

pernicious-anaemia-society.org/treatment/
may be useful.

Also this statement:
Vitamin B12 is not fat-soluble; it’s water-soluble instead. So any excess B12 in your body is simply excreted out in urine.

www.methylcobalamininfo.com/b12-side-effects-overdose/