GP not taking me seriously because my blood tests have all come back "normal"

[incrediblesunshine]

hi guys had my gp appointment Friday to get blood results and apparently everything is "normal"

My GP asked why I had come to the doctors and I said "to get my blood results" he then replied "yeah what about them" which I found quite rude. I also pointed out that if I have endometriosis it cannot be properly diagnosed with blood tests or even a scan he didnt seem to like the fact that I had knew about condition and sat their shaking his head he has agreed to refer me for an ultrasound however I just feel like he isn't taking me seriously whatsoever also I dont see what difference another scan will make as I already had one just under a week ago in A&E but for some reason he had no knowledge of it

any advice would be much appreciated thank you

X X X X

[Chrysta123]

Hey,

Sorry to hear this I had doctors not take me seriously for years and it made me feel lime I was mad/it was all in my head for years so I totally sympathise, I even got reffered to the hospital only to get tested for cancer/stds/etc. to be then discharged back to my gp for painkillers as it was probably endo but apparently I was too young to get a diganostic lap (I was 19/20 at the time) 🙄 after another 3 years of taking a whole bunch of different painkillers and transenemic acid to try and make my periods light which my body did not agree with at all I finially had to pull out the mental health card to get reffered back again (I wasn’t actually lying though by this point it really was affecting my mental health and my relationships) I finally got reffered back again and luckily got to see a consultant who almost had a heart attack when I explained everything I had been through up until this point! Even after I saw her she was off on the day of the appointment to get my internal scan results I saw some useless guy who at first told me I had 5/6 cysts on wach overy as if I alreay knew that and wouldn’t say anything except ‘it’s normal’ then tried to convince me to loose weight (I had already lost a stone in the past it did not help and while I could do with loosing a bit of weight I am not exactly huge) and then even tried to talk me out of by saying I would end up with a scar, it is tiny and worth having it to finally be diagnosed! The only thing I can suggest is do not give up, we all deserve to be taken seriously about this as it really is a horrible thing to have to live with so if you think you need a lap then just keep pushing to get reffered to gyne and then push for the lap. Can you see a different doctor at your gp surgery? I saw I don’t know how many different ones in the hope someone would stop telling me to take damn paracetamol like I would be there if that happed at all 😔

Sorry for such a long reply 😅 but I hope you can find a doctor to reffer you to gyne and then a consultant who will take you seriously and help you x

[incrediblesunshine in reply to Chrysta123]

Hey thanks for replying that's kinda how I feel right now like I'm going mad I've had recurring endo symptoms since I was 16/17 I could never understand why I was in so much pain all the time it's only recently I found out about endometriosis and I'm now almost 24 your right about it affecting your life etc I'm so moody and snappy all the time because of the pain and I dont know if my friends and family really understand sometimes it seems like these doctors answers to everything is to lose weight they said exactly the same thing to me when I was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries they also told me that I was probably struggling to get pregnant because I was overweight I can see a different doc but just seems to me their all the same a lap is what I'm hoping for eventually at last that way I'll know what im dealing with and hopefully be able to manage it somehow

Thanks again for your reply it means alot

Take care x X x

[Chrysta123 in reply to incrediblesunshine]

I totaly sympathise I’m 23 now and been battling since I was 15 and I think a load of us are having the same struggle sadly

I think it is really hard for friends and family members to understand as they aren’t going through it, I actually find the women are worse as they don’t understand how it isn’t just more than ‘bad period pains’ but have you tried to explain what endo actually is? I found once I explained it to people the best I could they were a bit more understanding about it

Wishing you the best of luck with it, I hope you get someone to give you the lap!xx

[incrediblesunshine in reply to Chrysta123]

I know its horrible that theirs so many women out their going through this

I know what you mean about other women alot of my friends dont seem to understand even after I've explained it my partners terrible he just thinks "I'm having womens problems" my mum is really understanding though but I think that's because shes suffered badly with PCOS all her life I dont know if people really get it unless their going through it if you know what I mean

Thank you hun I hope so too X x X

[Vickysponge357]

That is really horrible, I’m sorry to hear you have had such an experience!

The first GP that I saw when I went in to discuss endometriosis was very dismissive, he rushed through questions and I misunderstood one so gave the wrong answer and it was that wrong answer that he used to say well it can’t be endometriosis if you don’t have any pain! I was too embarrassed to back track what I had said when I was sitting there in pain at that time!

His solution was to then stick me on the pill on top of the implant that I had saying “well this would be what they’d give you for endo any way”

I was so embarrassed that I didn’t go back to the GP for nearly a year to bring it up again but luckily by then I had a really lovely, sympathetic doctor that listened to me when I brought it up!

Some times it really is the luck of the draw on getting a good GP to get you started off!

[incrediblesunshine in reply to Vickysponge357]

Sounds just like my gp he was definitely In a rush I really hate the way these doctors are the end of the day they should be doing investigations to see what's going on instead of giving people short term solutions like painkillers or the pill I dont know whether I've just been unlucky but I've even thought about taking out health insurance after seeing him "he was that bad"

thank you for replying take care xxx

[Moonglo]

Hallo, I’m outraged on your behalf! Have you seen the information on the endometriosis UK site? In case my link doesn’t work, select Information then Getting diagnosed with endometriosis and take that to your doctor.

endometriosis-uk.org/gettin...

[incrediblesunshine in reply to Moonglo]

Hey hun I am aware of the website that actually sounds like a good idea I'll definitely print that of for my next appointment thank you xxx

[Moonglo in reply to incrediblesunshine]

He sounds clueless and clearly won’t be told unless it’s by an ‘expert’. Good luck!

[Peebles2sarah]

I would be very assertive and say that you know blood tests and ultrasounds cannot diagnose endometriosis, and that you are in severe pain that he needs to help you with. If he is not willing to help you, you are certainly entitled to a second opinion. I had to go through my family doctor for a lot of stuff because my gyno didn’t believe my but lucky my fam doctor did. It’s hard but you just have to be very forceful and not give in no matter what. Be extremely knowledgeable and informed. I spend like all my free time researching because of the bad experiences I have had. Best of luck! You’ve got this

[incrediblesunshine in reply to Peebles2sarah]

Hey I sure will I might actually put all of that in writing to him and post it recorded delivery I've really had enough of his attitude I will see how my next appointment goes and if he's still the same I'll definitely request another doctor thanks so much for support and comment take care xxx

[Ginge32]

Sorry to hear about your experience with your GP!

Most of us on here have had similar dismissive experiences.

Is there another GP at your surgery who you could get a second opinion from?

I was fortunate enough that I changed my GP surgery to a completely different trust when I moved house and they were on it straight away - granted I’d paid for a private GP appointment in the midst of my move and they obviously had no budget restrictions in the back of their mind as the NHS do so didn’t feel the need to refer me for time wasting elimination tests first (!!) and it also helped that I’d been to A&E in agony one weekend and the lovely lady doctor there had written me a letter of recommendation for further investigations.

We shouldn’t have to go to these lengths but defo recommend getting a second opinion if at all possible.

X

[incrediblesunshine in reply to Ginge32]

Yes their are other GPS and I will change him if his attitude doesn't change by next time

Sometimes I feel like it's all about money with the NHS I wonder if they just dont want to fund a laparoscopy so their dragging their feet instead with all these tests etc thanks for your reply hun take care xxx

[wanwood]

The blood tests and ultrasound wouldn’t be to diagnose endometriosis but to rule out other things, if you see what I mean.

Likewise, a scan in A&E is not necessarily the same as a scan by a gynaecology expert because A&E medicine is about whether something is about to burst, not diagnosing a long term condition, so it makes sense that they want you to be scanned again.

Still, your GP sounds really unhelpful and it’s rubbish that it you don’t feel listened too. You need to push for a referral to gynaecology. xx

[incrediblesunshine in reply to wanwood]

Thank you that makes a bit more sense now I thought he had booked me for another scan to deliberately waste more time it's horrible when your just waiting and all the while your pain gets worse it does make you wonder how bad things could be by the time they finally get to the bottom of it will definitely push for a gynae referral

Thanks for your reply take care xxx

[wanwood in reply to incrediblesunshine]

It's agony waiting, I hope you get seen soon and get to the bottom of it! xxx

[Thecraftyadder]

I would second changing the gp you see and if necessary the practice. My diagnosis took 18 years from the first time I saw a gp about my abdominal pain at 19 and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I didn't know anything about endometriosis so didn't match up the symptoms myself and didn't know how to fight for myself. At least you are armed with that knowledge. I hope you get somewhere soon

[incrediblesunshine in reply to Thecraftyadder]

Thank you sorry to hear you had to wait so long that's true I'm so glad I stumbled across it now X x X

[Hawkins2018]

Hi all. I was diagnosed at the age of 45 after having a range of issues my whole adult life. This only happened because a colleague who had been through it said ‘you don’t actually have to put up with this s*** you know’ and directed me to an online survey which I completed, printed out, took to GP and said very clearly ... this is not normal and you have to do something for me and refer me. Just over 12 months down the line I am firmly plugged in to the women’s centre in Oxford - have had a formal diagnosis of adenymyodis, has an oblation which has revolutionised my life, I’m not over egging it, it has completely changed things for me. I was told only 60 per cent possibility of success but it has fortunately been amazing. Had an MRI and off for results today. Simply being heard has made all the difference and being pushy and perceived to be do is worth it for the definite life benefits it’s brought. You can be insistent but polite! Do it! Don’t give up. Go armed with information and my response would be to the GP who was worried about ‘looking silly’.... ‘how silly do you think you’d feel if I have a condition that is harming my life and you have done nothing about it... that goes against the hypocritical oath... so please do something’.