Are you self medicating because of no GP appointments?

I think we are extremely lucky to have a fantastic GP surgery. I don’t need to go very often (fortunately) and I am over 70, however my DH needs a lot of care, we have instructions to just get in the car and go there if he is unwell but able to travel, he will be seen. If ours can do it why can’t others?

Nannapat, My GP is not in regular contact, in fact I am chasing him today. It is my consultant, who arranges the tests. As for being lucky, I certainly am not. 😡

Whist sheilding for two years, due to being immunocompromised, with multiple comorbidities, I never once heard from my GP, despite having life threatening illnesses and being informed I had a DNR note on my file, if I caught Covid.
The only person, who contacted me was my RA consultant, who came out of retirement to keep an eye on his patients.
It was only because I ended up in hospital with two heart attacks, during the pandemic, that I got the treatment I desperately needed.

I shall try and explain again. If increased pain relief is required, surely that is a sign that the condition is deteriorating and intervention may be needed.
I stand by what I said, self medication for minor illnesses is fine, but not for more serious ones on a long term basis.

My husband had type 2 diabetes argymargy and when he was diagnosed his doctor told him that he must not take ibuprofen. He was extremely clear about it.

What kind of intervention are you thinking of, Marydoll?Surely the point of this thread is that some 'self medicate' as they simply cannot get through to their GPs! If you are having your liver function tested regularly tested on the NHS, then lucky you that your GP is in regular contact.

It was a great shame you couldn't be at the last RCH meet up, md. You were missed! Here's to the next one! ☕️

Baggs, I would never laugh or be shocked at you. We all have our anxieties, which we hide. So not silly at allMine was being near maskless people, because I was immunocompromised. My consultant literally put the fear of death in me! .💐

I hope your wrist is on the mend and we can all meet up again soon.

Germanshepherdsmum

Indeed. For instance if you have type 2 diabetes you should not take ibuprofen. How many have that and don’t know because they haven’t seen a doctor? And that’s just one contra-indication. I fear Nanatoone’s final sentence is inaccurate. It is never wise to self-medicate beyond the recommended dose of paracetamol. If that is insufficient medical advice is needed.

Where did you get that from? It’s not about the disease you have, it’s other drugs you might be taking. Sure, caution with mixing ibuprofen with SUs (not used much nowadays) and some antihypertensives (often a co-morbidity) but stating type 2 diabetes is a contraindication is wrong and potentially could cause anxiety. Are you a doctor/pharmacist?

Marydoll

What I said was needing to take larger, not taking large quantities. That is a sign that intervention is required.
Surely anyone taking paracetamol on a long term basis, in conjunction with other pain relief, should have their amounts and liver function monitored, mine certainly is.
Nothing wrong with taking it on a short term basis, its a very effective painkiller.

Interesting about liver function checks, md. I've been taking paracetamol pretty much daily (in combination now with codeine and, previously, with dextropropoxyphene before co-proxamol was withdrawn from use) for forty years. Which reminds me to make an appointment for a blood test that I have now no reason to put off as mask-wearing is no longer a requirement (from today) at our surgery. Mask-wearing absolutely did my head in. Don't laugh or be shocked. The intense anxiety it induced in me surprised me too after having a pretty breezy attitude to hospitals and health-care settings before. GP surgery understands this and has been marvellously supportive.

I know exactly where you are coming from. Since I registered at gp practice I have never seen a doctor and completely unable to get an appointment, by 8.02 on the morning all are taken. The econsult form has been out of action as a nurse told me they were inundated with requests and felt it unfair to give appointments to some and not others. I am in pain and self medicating too and hate it every time a tv presenter or advert suggests you see your gp “before starting a diet or exercise “ etc. I agree with Philippa111, I haven’t need much care until now and now it’s not available. Don’t understand why it is suddenly so hard, we used to get appointments even if they were a couple of weeks in advance and would often joke we would be well again or dead before we were seen, but we did get seen. I do see a lot of doctors work part time now, so, is that the problem. I feel abandoned.

Another thing to consider is antibiotic resistance, due to antibiotics being overused.
If people are self medicating with antibiotics purchased abroad, how do they know that they are the appropriate ones for their illness?

I always thought antibiotics had a use by date and should be used fairly promptly but I may be wrong. I know I am allergic to some of them but not others and I was wondering how you would know if you buy them illegally.

Saw an advert tonight for a contraceptive pill that you can just buy from a pharmacy. What happened to having to have a BP check every so often if you were on the pill?

What I said was needing to take larger, not taking large quantities. That is a sign that intervention is required.
Surely anyone taking paracetamol on a long term basis, in conjunction with other pain relief, should have their amounts and liver function monitored, mine certainly is.
Nothing wrong with taking it on a short term basis, its a very effective painkiller.

Marydoll I never said that I take it in large quantities! I am able to read the dosage instructions on the packet and follow them, should I find additional pain relief necessary.
The nurse practioner at my GP practice was the one who suggested paracetamol with the Naproxen when pain levels required.
As an ingredient it is of course present in a variety of OTC medicines and the warnings against overdosing are clear.
As for a call from my GP: I managed to see an orthopaedic consultant and a physiotherapist and eventually have a hip replacement in 2021 without receiving a single communication from my GP surgery.

*Nannapat1 , if you need paracetamol in larger quantities, your GP should to be aware of this and monitor.
I am prescribed eight a day along with a class A drug and my paracetamol usage is monitored.
For a while I managed on a reduced dose, so didn't stockpile. As soon as I increased the dose again, I got a call from the surgery, asking if my pain levels were higher again.
That is now on my record, which my RA consultant can also see and look at alternative ways of managing my pain.

loopyloo

Some surgeries use econsult and find that helpful. You say what you think you need and with luck the Dr prescribes it. May text you or ring you.
Bit tedious working through the screens but it usually brings results.

Yes eConsult works very well in our surgery, I always use that as a first resort. But I, like Marydoll am allergic to several antibiotics so would never take any that weren’t prescribed by my GP.

No GermanShepherdsMum, I am not 'stockpiling'drugs inappropriately. I do now take more than I did, due to increased pain levels, much closer to what I am actually prescribed, although, having tried in the past to manage on less tablets there was a period when I seemed to have a lot of medication as opposed to finding it a difficult and tedious process to obtain it.
I am sensitive to other painkillers such as tramadol, codeine etc, which I discussed years ago with my GP surgery, so the only choices I have are prescribed Naproxen and OTC paracetamol.

I ought to add he does care about patients and people,.
But is a bit of a, swallowed the book, GP.

Saggi

Yes Marydoll…. I realised very early on in this rotten system that 111 is just a ‘triage’ system to see if you’re ill enough to persevere to jump through the hoops to get a doctors app. Now the Covid pandemic is officially over can we expect the system to revert back to normal ….I don’t think so!!! Every doctor at our surgery is part-time ….which smacks of being so well paid , that they have no need for full time work anymore! Young docs, as well as those winding down to retirement!!!
They’ve stopped giving a damn about patients.

I have a relative who is a young GP.
Very handy for our family. Not that we have needed to ask him much. He does not work for a surgery that any of us are with.
He is a partner at this surgery.
My point really is, he seems to think that a GP working from home is the norm.
I do hope he comes to realise that a. it is not, and b. it is not acceptable going forward for many reasons and many patients.
He is a product of his age[by this I mean the times we live in and have done recently, and his biological age].

What was once prescribed may no longer be the best option. It sounds as though Nannapat is stockpiling drugs which may be inappropriate ‘just in case’. I have multiple items on repeat prescription and stick to what is prescribed, ordering only what I need each month.

Fleurpeper
'Why don't you stop getting more from chemist's if you have too much?'
As I have advanced osteoarthritis, I might well need to start taking Naproxen as prescribed, which I can do if I have the tablets.
My comment was also to show that from the pandemic onwards the previous 'strict' monitoring by my GP surgery stopped.

www.healthline.com/health/pain-relief/ibuprofen-advil-side-effects

ibuprofen has its uses, but it can have serious side-effects, especially if taken long-term with heart attacks and strokes.

Antibiotics resistance IS A MASSIVE and hugely dangerous PROBLEM - and one we may not win against.

Bea65

PamelaJ1 am curious that the GP took a swab before prescribing a particular antibiotic...are you in the UK? Have not heard of this...but hope it works for you!

Yes, I had an infection in my nose. Definitely in the U.K.

Indeed. For instance if you have type 2 diabetes you should not take ibuprofen. How many have that and don’t know because they haven’t seen a doctor? And that’s just one contra-indication. I fear Nanatoone’s final sentence is inaccurate. It is never wise to self-medicate beyond the recommended dose of paracetamol. If that is insufficient medical advice is needed.