Disappointment about level of healthcare from GP surgery

[Alex520]

I have just been diagnosed with high blood pressure which was discovered incidentally following a fall.

Prior to the fall I had booked a GP appointment as I felt ‘out of sorts’ (breathlessness, dizziness mainly) 30 day wait for routine appointments.

Since the hypertensive diagnosis, meds have been prescribed, dose doubled, meds changed but I have had no face-to-face appointments, no explanation, no blood tests, no support and feel very isolated.

I have previously had very little need for medical support so I’ve been lucky.

On the advice of a friend as I’m experiencing more symptoms, I phoned 111 who were very good and said I needed to see a medic within 2 hours. Local health access centre only has urgent appointments.

Feel like I’m walking blind in a minefield!!

Where do I go from here?

[peter999999999]

what was your bp before they put you on pills, if not to high might/will be other ways to lower bp and no side effects,

[Alex520 in reply to peter999999999]

I really would like to find alternative therapy. However prior to the meds my BP was 220/97 but that was after a fall where I sustained a head injury requiring an X-ray. So I’m not sure if a homeopath would take that on. Also it looks as if different treatments treat different causes for high BP

There seems to be no one looking for a cause for my high BP

[peter999999999 in reply to Alex520]

ive never known a doc to find the cause or even look for one, they say age,poor diet,clogged this/that, before you take pills relax and take bp pressure a few times the lowest is best, now what pills you taking

[Alex520 in reply to peter999999999]

I’ve just had a proper chat with a GP who says that the symptoms are due to my body readjusting after the BP being brought down so quickly by the drugs. He says I’ve reacted very well to the meds.

I’m on lowest doses of Ramipril and Amlodopine.

[Happyrosie]

Alex, I was horrified about the content of your original post but see that matters have changed since then. What docs are supposed to do when their patients present with raised blood pressure is to start you down the diet exercise and lifestyle route - but clearly your BP was so high that this wasn’t an option.

Generally there may be no specific cause for raised blood pressure but I’d recommend you go to the website of Blood Pressure UK, the specialist charity, where there really is a lot of helpful information to keep you on the right track.

It may well be possible to reduce or indeed come off your present therapy with better attention to exercise and diet, especially reducing salt.

Do come back to us here if you need further hints and tips.

[Alex520 in reply to Happyrosie]

thank you. Will do

[peter999999999]

so you feel ok on the pills

[Alex520 in reply to peter999999999]

yes thank you, I seem to have settled now on them. Perhaps I just needed a friendly voice 😊👍

[reedcolfax]

My own story is sadly the same as yours, Alex. Visits to see a nurse, then an appointment to see what they called a paramedic, who asked me a few questions - height, weight, do I smoke etc., - and then suggested maybe my BP monitor should be recalibrated! A couple of weeks later I received a call from my surgery asking me why I hadn't attended my latest appointment. I told them I didn't even know I HAD a new appointment! The paramedic had arranged it, allegedly ... but forgot to tell ME. More nurse visits, another week's worth of figures to be recorded and handed in. I duly did this, noted that for some reason the figures were still high ... but never received another word from the surgery, and certainly nothing from a doctor. All very irritating and frankly, unacceptable. Just try to do everything you yourself can to keep yourself healthy and pester your doctor like crazy until you get somewhere. It's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, remember!

[Alex520 in reply to reedcolfax]

Hi. Sounds like we’ve had a very similar experience 😏 but we’ll done for persisting

I won’t actually see anyone until 3 weeks after my condition was observed It would have been so reassuring to have an informal chat with a specialist nurse (at least) early on just to go through the few key points regarding the condition, the treatment regime and what I can do to improve the situation Even a leaflet would be better than nothing

But love your saying at the end … will throw away the oil can 😂😂🛺🛴

[MisterMan]

Lucky you're ok on Amlodopine, I had a bad recation to it swelling up my lower legs and feet making every-day life impossible. I couldn't seem to get an appointment passed the rude staff at our local GP surgery, so I chased an out of hours GP at the local hospital which was a bit of a wild goose chase as the chap was very busy as it turned out. I'm on indapamide now which is giving me pins and needles in my hands 24/7, it's a step up from swollen legs/feet I suppose but it's not pleasant.

[onadiet]

Had similar experience to you. Taken to Hosp.by Medics.Spent 5 days there and finally diagnosed with hypertension.This was Mid Covid in 2020. Difficult to get to see a Dr.and they only give 10min.you want lots of info.I found that Medics are more helpfulG.P just want to pump you full of meds. No finding out cause or much follow on like Kidney checks etc. No wonder we get health anxiety.!