Worried about GP's couldn't care less attitude

[Qualipop]

Started having problems last weekend feeling almost comatose at night, couldn't even wake up to go to loo or take painkilller. Wet the bed and was screaming in pain in my sleep. Spoke to the lovely BHF nurse today who said I should see GP urgently as several things cold be causing it, maybe dropping my BP or heart rate too much at night and they needed checking. They haven't been checked since I came out of hospital 3 weeks ago after Heart attack and 2 stents and a shed load of tablets. Response from GP was no appointment, just a phone call and assumption that it must be my painkiller ( an opiate) so I should reduce the dose. ( regardless of how much pain I have.) How can she assume without checking? There are no documented reactions between my meds and this painkilller. She also tried to tell me it wasn't necessary to get the blood tests specified on my discharge letter- I could save myself a journey and just have one done. Also said the cardiac rehab nurses had NOT been in touch when the receptionist had just told me the opposite.

[Prada47]

Hi Qualipop,

How long have you been with your GP Practice and your current GP ???

I do believe that when a Pharmacist issues more than one prescription drug it automatically flags up any contra indication ( my understanding ) of the system.

I know that anyone who is having difficulty coping with a medical condition can have access to a counsellor. I would think because you appear not to be receiving any help from your practice, I would suggest you contact the Hospital that admitted you after your recent Heart Episode and ask them for someone who you can contact.

Best Regards

Frank W

[Qualipop in reply to Prada47]

Gosh I'm not sure, I must have been with them now over 20 years. I got more sense from the nurse today who did my "unnecessary" blood test than from anyone else. I would be coping just fine even with the shock of the heart attack coming right out of the blue IF I'd been given information and had it explained but I got nothing from the hospital or from the GPs. If you get one woman on the phone you immediately get a lecture on smoking and two others have a bee in their bonnet to get people off opiate painkillers at all costs. Sorry but if my pain consultant is content with it, that's good enough for me and until they can find something else that works I'm not changing- something they've failed to do in 18 years. No drug reactions are flagged up which makes me think it's either the specific statin or something else.I can't imagine what good reducing painkiller will do except create more pain and stress. I just got told to make an appointment today ( earliest was mid September) to be certain I could speak face to face with someone and not just get shoved on triage and a phone call from a nurse. I see the cardiac rehab nurse tomorrow so I hope she can sort out some information and counselling. Even that's taken 3 weeks. 5 minutes with a cardiac doctor is all that was needed.

[Heather1957]

Firstly let me say very clearly I TOTALLY understand why you feel frustrated/annoyed/worried.

However medication is a matter of trial and error and I am not sure what tests can be done without first trying to manage the medication.

Obviously if things continue to worry you then you need to go and see the cardiologist so back to the hospital as a GP is just that a general practitioner.

It sounds like what you are going through is a nightmare and I do hope things start to improve for you soon.

[Qualipop in reply to Heather1957]

The cardac rehab nurse couldn't help today although she did have some ideas on how certain drugs work and why they may be causing problems but my GP just doesn't want to know. I agree I need to speak to someone in cardiology but I've no idea who. I have the consultant's name but that's all and it's much too far to go to the hospital on the off chance. It can take anything from 45 minutes to an hour. I could try to speak to he consultant's secretary and see if she can get advice for me. I am desperately upset and stressed by this. I don't want to NOT take the statin but I'm truly too scared to go through that experience again or to put up with the amount of pain I have having reduced my painkilller. I'm really scared that if it happens again I wwon't be able to wake up at all. For my own peace of mind I just need to explain to a cardiac doctor who has more experience of these drugs just what's happening and let him work out how or why. I'm sure it would be better to take a slightly less effective tablet at full dose than one that makes me so bad at half dose.

[anniec11 in reply to Qualipop]

I am new to this Group but can completely sympathise with your utter frustration with your GP. I am currently going through the same thing. As far as Statins are concerned, forgive me if you know this already, they ALL have different effects and if one doesn't suit you, you should be offered another one to try. They all work slightly differently. May I ask which Opiate you are on? You may also report your side effects on the Yellow Card scheme yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/, the official site where side effects are logged, and see what you get back? I do feel for you having to deal with the brick wall that is often (though not always) called your GP!

[Qualipop in reply to anniec11]

I finally got the statin changed but not for two weeks after the consultant asked the GP to change it. Meantime I had to have a blood test to see if the statin I had NOT been taking had affected my liver! It was a worry not being able to take it so soon after HA and stents because they are supposed to help the stents bed in and not form clots. GP wasn't concerned and seemed to think the only use was to reduce cholesterol long term. I'm now on simvastatin, low dose but am already getting some mild side effects. Hope they don't get worse.

[anniec11 in reply to Qualipop]

I hope you don't get such severe side effects, although they will say that you should give them time!! Though NOT if the side effects are severe!! There are a number of Statins to try. I wish you all the best.

[Kristicats]

Sorry thought you post was new and didn’t read your latest.

[Pippa1234]

Change doctor, they get complacent

[Qualipop in reply to Pippa1234]

I did!

[Qualipop]

Since someone just found this old post and tried to reply, I'll update. The cause of the problem was bisopralol dropping my BP far too low and atorvastatin causing unbearable pain. Bisopralol was stopped as unnecessary and simvastatin worked out just fine. I ended up having every tablet changed or stopped except the new statin and aspirin. Ticagrelor gave me attacks like asthma; changed to clopidogrel; another gave me hallucinations and I never needed the angina tablets. Lesson- not all tablets suit everyone. Some people, especially with auto immune diseases react badly to medication. People with fibromyalgia often have bad reactions to medications, scents and food. There are alternatives so ask.