Doctors not listening

Yes, I had this when a young doctor with a medical fellowship on a research project kept diagnosing me as having minor strokes, regardless of the fact that none of my symptoms were stroke symptoms, just that they affected my left arm (then right arm) when every other doctor I saw politely but firmly said not.

After 18 months I got treatment for the real problem I had, and the specialist who finally treated me put it own in writing that I had been misdiagnosed.

The problem is after six months of scans and test that revealed other dormant medical problems, I have been left, not with PTSD, my trauma, is far too minor for that, but I have become over sensitised to every little twinge and pain, and I catatstrophise about trivial medical problems in a way I never did before, and, despite my best endeavours not to, it occupies too much time in my mind as I constantly think and rethink it.

Same issue at my GP surgery re never getting the same doctor and it seems to be worse since it amalgamated with a few other practices.

Another thing that bugs me is that we are encouraged to use the NHS app or the Patient knows best app. I have had medication handed to me there (dermatology dept) and when I’ve run out and requested a new prescription my surgery knows nothing about it. It’s not an issue getting the prescription but I have to explain why and where etc I thought apps etc would have all our info there. Obviously not.

Sorry that should read at hospital appointments.

In some ways this isn’t a new problem here in the SE we have always had problems making ourselves and our symptoms understood. Like you Monica I developed a state of anxiety ,which hasnt gone away, after a simple diagnosis didn’t happen for months
It isn’t you sadgrandma there are lots of us about I am afraid.

Do you have a Pharmacist in your GP Practice? They are great at sorting out issues like this (I appreciate the GP should get this right), explain the Hospital letter and what the GP has prescribed. When I have had a drug query I just get through to the Pharmacist they can and do sort it out.
Good luck.

It harder and harder to get a Doctor's appointment When you call in though the waiting room at the doctors has either one or at most two patients waiting Just a few years ago the waiting room would have maybe ten and about four doctors available Why it's not making sence

You can't get seen if you manage to getatn answ
er on thephone at8am All you get is a phone call from a doctor you've never seen Where are the doctors

My partner is on a blood thinner for life ( or anti coagulant, not sure which). He hasn’t seen a doctor about it since his initial diagnosis several years ago. What I don’t understand is that when he picks up his monthly prescription the dispenser takes it off the shelf and gives it to him without getting it double checked. When I worked in a pharmacy I would have been sacked for doing that. Maybe the rules have changed but, even with double checking mistakes were made occasionally and had to be reported.

MayBee70 presumably he's having blood checks re the anticoagulants?
If not I'd definitely ask if he should be.

MayBee70

My partner is on a blood thinner for life ( or anti coagulant, not sure which). He hasn’t seen a doctor about it since his initial diagnosis several years ago. What I don’t understand is that when he picks up his monthly prescription the dispenser takes it off the shelf and gives it to him without getting it double checked. When I worked in a pharmacy I would have been sacked for doing that. Maybe the rules have changed but, even with double checking mistakes were made occasionally and had to be reported.

My mother is also on anti coagulants plus other medications and she has an annual review of her tablets .

Sadgrandma I now ask only to speak to one particular doctor.
I say "I don't care if it's in 3 weeks time" I tend to get a phone call from him first before I go in. Sometimes I don't need to go in.

I feel that it works pretty well for me.
I think you do need to be quite insistent about who you will see though.

NotSpaghetti

MayBee70 presumably he's having blood checks re the anticoagulants?
If not I'd definitely ask if he should be.

It’s only warfarin when you have to have regular blood checks and the regularity depends on your inr levels .
My mums on Rivaroxaban and has yearly checks.

You are incorrect I think.
I take edoxaban and have checks - not to see my levels - as you do on warfarin but (in my case) 3 monthly.

Edoxaban and other Direct Oral Anticoagulants don't need the routine INR tests.
Regular blood tests monitor for any potential side effects and kidney and liver function.
I have a full blood count.
My GP says every 3-12 months and I prefer 3 months to keep an eye on my kidneys!

Rivaroxaban is like Edoxaban of course.
If she is happy with yearly that is still more than the MayBee's husband.

M0nica, the trouble with investigations is that the more you look, the more you'll find.
I suspect that all of us octogenarians have "morbidities" of one sort or another, many of which we're unaware of and aren't bothering us. But medics don't always focus on what is bothering us; they all have their favourite isms and ologies but they don't spend enough time talking to each other.

Romula I couldn't agree more.

Don't forget the "shrug and accept" attitude about doctors according to the agegroup we're in. "Oh....to be expected at your age....nowt can be done.....#shrug shrug".

The first time I got "normal at your age" about an issue was when I was in my 30's!!!!!!! The last sentence he ever heard from me was "What!!!!!! Early 30's!!!" as I walked out the door and swopped doctor practice and they confirmed it was what I thought (ie nowt to do with my age).

I agree with your pharmacist advice Visgirl.
As an aside, MrJ is ill with gastroenteritis, I submitted an econsult on Monday, he had a call from a GP within 30 minutes.

Never again will I trust a Pharmacist.I asked what the spot was under my lower lip, he said it was an ingrowing hair. Two weeks later I saw the GP Two days later I had an appointment at the Max Fx department of the local hospital to have a cancerous growth removed, so much or pharmacists.

Try ringing the consultant’s secretary to ask them to check the dosage with the consultant.

And the irony is that we don't even know if we're seeing a REAL doctor; I'm pretty sure that my Surgery do not tell patients if the person seeing them is not a qualified doctor.
And at one of my visits to the hospital, for a liver scan I'm pretty sure that it wasn't a doctor that I saw. I didn't get the scan and he was unable to explain why!

There are some really good GPs out there but also a number of arrogant sh*ts who make assumptions without bothering to hear what we are saying and think they are god. Remember the one who made our lives unbelievably harder than necessary by refusing prescriptions for a very ill and disabled 9 year old child despite it being treatment that was routine for their condition and prescribed by a top class specialist hospital. Didn't care that it meant a 4+hour round trip to get the prescription fulfilled, when they were duty doctor they just didn't write the prescription or bother to inform us that they hadn't prescribed. All the other GPs were fine about prescribing. The receptionist didn't help as they wouldn't let me make an appointment with the other GPs in the practice as they weren't the 'duty doctor' who had refused the prescription. To some extent it was possible to guess who's turn it was to be duty doctor and avoid the awkward one but not always, it was so stressful. In the end we all left the surgery.

Please don`t complain about seeing a different doc, each time.. at our Surgery, I can`t even get an appt.

MOnica it sounds to me like you DO have mild PTSD, and this is all too often brought on by this sort of treatment at the hands of 'medics' - look after yourself