Doctor in the House - BBC 1

Now watched it.shame it don't say how many meds she's still taking.

If only it was that easy to not live in pain!

X

I have a feeling how this is going to turn out. Pain gone, off meds, and now we are all going to be told by our gps to follow the same pathway. Grrrrr.

GP. ☹️☹️☹️☹️

Hi Daddysgirl113 ,

I agree, they should do a follow up.

What worries me about programs like that, is that it justs shows the improvement, and how it comes about, i.e. Practicing Mindfullness, and being kind to ourselves, and that leads to reducing meds, with a view to coming off them. If only it were that simple.

For some people that will work, and we must never overlook anything that might help us get out of the misery of Fibro. Sadly though, what happens to the people that it doesn't work for? I think that the program is only going to add fuel to the fire to the belief amongst certain Medical Professionals, that Fibro is all in our heads.

I must also add that I've been following all of these programmes, and every one of them ends up with the patient improving, and usually coming of their medication. I think that the patients who are on the show, are there because of this, and therefore in my opinion the program is not indicative of all the other people who suffer with the choosen condition aired on the programs.

GP. ☹️☹️

Very unsure what I learnt from that. I too would have liked to have known exactly what meds she was on, dosage etc and exactly what she is on now. That she could even do a full hours walk each evening in the first place I am sure astounded many doesn't sound like any form of ME I have heard of. It all seems a bit wishy washy to me wasn't impressed.

I can understand that forms of mindfulness/mediation works miracles for some just did the opposite for me. I can remember many years back have a supposed sleep take all about letting go of hot air balloons. It was before the time of personal MP3 players so hubby had to listen to. Within 5 minutes he would be snoring and his boss actually asked him what he had been doing as he seemed so much more relaxed, perversely the tape just irritated me and made it even more difficult to relax, horses for courses as it says. Mindfulness just doesn't do it for me. I can understand the but of holding fast to emotions and perhaps not acknowledging them as a method of coping but it is very difficult to change someone's basic nature especially if like me you were brought up from being a small child to just get on with things.

If you already eat a healthy diet, exercise as much as possible, take meds as prescribed by your GP etc and the pain and fatigue is still there I don't really know what further we can do.x

I agree with everything thats been said...I tried hard and managed to get back to full time work with ME then I developed Fibro and am now unable to work again.....perhaps I should practice mindfulness everyday and then I will be able to walk much further and resume work again!!

Maybe Dr Sarah Myhill has a point, and nutrition and supplements play a large part in improvement of the condition.

Thanks Emma, I have it recorded and will watch it tomorrow x

I was left quite angry and confused. I felt it made a mockery of us and forced the point it's all in our heads.

I've just watched it and first thing that came to me as program started her bending down into the cupboard then her walking for a hour I think in some ways this program will cause upset to a few people as we can't get a GP 24/7 we get 5-10 mins if we're lucky also at the end her walking PAIN FREE making it look like it is all in our head it's a confusing outlook on fibromyalgia this was just my opinion watching it at 4am after bad day yesterday

Hugs bam xx

Remember it's the BBC!!!!! Government run so just like the news they hide the truth and try getting in people's heads.

#boycottthebbc

Have just a few words to say,Total Mockery .

I haven't seen it yet. I will watch it later and come back with my opinion. By what you all are saying it sounds interesting., for want of a better word .

🤗 hugs

Jane x

Hi

Watched this morning

I don't have Fibro but have PMR

Agree with what others are saying as for lady who had two jobs how did she manage to do all the other things Gym Yoga not enough hours in day.

Most of us don't even get all test for bloods and Cortisol due to cost

I do know with my Autoimmune illnesses that some foods do make me feel worse .

I try to avoid these mainly bread but on a day when I am so fatigued its a effort to do anything unless I eat bread I would not eat at all .

The answer is going back to the old system when you saw the same GP they had time to talk to you knew your history and cared about their patients .

Not saying it would solve any problems but would make us feel if we where being listened too.

That all that happened in the programme GP cared and he had resources and time to do tests .

GPs have fads prescribed what is in fashion at the time and what is cheapest not what is needed ,

Hope I have not offended anyone I am just stating my opinion

Morning everyone I never even watched the programme and I predicted the outcome on a post somebody wrote about the programme coming on. This very busy Dr is on youtube, twitter, facebook, quite a few newspaper he has a a book deal I think with penquin and I predict he will probably have a dvd out for christmas 😜If it was that easy he alone could cure the country. I laugh at his mindfulness when he has just left many sufferers feeling bad and confused. Like all these programmes they are all for entertainment value and his goal is to become a household name getting his name into as many projects as possible his main aim is to have lots of this 💷. 🌻X

Watched the episode, I was hoping that their would be up to date info on fms and treatments etc. But it just came across that we all need to stop eating gluten, stop meds, walk for an hour a day, relax,and tell ourselves it's not how we feel.

I didn't hear of how the lady was diagnosed and apart from pain and fatigue no discussion of other symtoms such as stiffness, sleep deprivation,spasms,migraines,IBS, visual issues,urinary issues, mobility difficulties of walking and moving aroynd, clumsiness,rls,tremors,sweating, temp and weather impacts,viral infections, falls,impact of hypermobility,sexual dysfunction, respiratory impacts,swollen joints and yes the dreaded depression word.

Did the doctor see her on her worst day or in flare up; I only saw tiredness/fatigue. How is she months later? there was no discussion of what the pain felt like etc. Saying I have pain is a vague descriptor and meaning.

No mention of Fms being a central nervous condition or chemical P spinal dysfunction in US tbe Mayo clinic is very progressive brain scans that identify Fms. What's are all the clinical trials for.Why are there specialsist treatment centres in London and Manchester if it's just a case of vitamin deficiency and Infection of the gut and gluten issues.

I have had gluten intolerance testing it came back negative. it's not recommended by nhs to undertake a gluten free diet unless your gluten intolerant.

Concerned that it portrayed Fms and ME as mind over matter.

If my Gp watched and follows this ethos my relationship will become more difficult as he is already of the mind FMS doesn't really exist.

I couldn't watch it as I knew it would make me mad, you only ever see what they want you to see.

I think the program has set back fibromyalgia education by at least 10 years! Very sad. I for one have tried his ideas and yet I still have pain stiffness and all the other symptoms. It came across yet again as if it's all in our head and mind over matter will cure it. In my opinion he has done far far more bad than good for really helping. I just wish we could have a voice tell him what he's done ☹️

Obviously it's hard to determine exactly how Nicola was really feeling but I think the programme was presented in a way to give the impression she was practically cured. Near the end the narrator said that she was "free from the pain of fibromyalgia", however she was still taking some medication as it was said the doctor "reduced her dependency on medication" not took it away all together. I found an article from the Mail on line in which Nicola confirmed the meds she was initially taking “…eight co-codamol tablets, four naproxen and two 300mg pregabalin tablets, as well as pills for my thyroid”. Now she just takes “..co-codamol once a day and naproxen occasionally.”

I was on very similar medication at one time and also weened myself off most of it as I felt that it was doing me more harm than good. I was concerned that every time I went the doctors with another symptom he was just saying ok here's another tablet for it. As a result my medication intake gradually increased but I wasn’t feeling that much better.

You have to remember as well that she had other ailments, thyroid, sciatica, ME and it was also confirmed that she had SIBO, an overgrowth of bacteria in the small part of the bowel that can cause bloating and contributes to chronic fatigue. The changes she made may have had more effect on any one of these conditions and so she would feel an improvement.

Also anyone who changes their diet from eating crap to healthier alternatives will feel better there is no doubt. In addition if you are feeling low or whatever things like mindfulness can improve your mind set so will also contribute to your overall feeling of wellbeing. I am not minimising the effect these things can have as I have taken on similar changes myself and have seen some improvement however this will not work for everyone. The programme was one woman’s story that had the benefit of the complete attention and dedication of one GP (plus the resource of the BBC) whereas most of us have to settle for a succession of quick 10 minute appointments often with a different doctor.

We all know fibro affects people in different ways and that treatments that work for one will have no benefit for another. I feel last night’s programme may have had good intentions and did offer some useful information on ways to improve your lifestyle. However it was a very simple approach to a complex and mysterious condition and my concern is that it has re-iterated the notion in a lot of people’s heads that all it takes is to change your diet, take a few supplements and do some breathing exercises and you will be cured.

Very Very disappointed.............we are not kind to ourselves...... Wow ! The Doctor kind of washed over it in the end, possibly made her syptoms slightly better, maybe her condition was improved, maybe it wasn't. The good thing, I will take from it, is that I shall ask my Doctor for a food intolerance test. if that's possible....maybe it will shed some light on it . Over all, I feel such a sense of ant-climax. Crazy I know but I was hoping for more.

I have recorded it to watch later today, it doesn't sound as though it really came up with anything to help us, just the lady on the program! As everyone says, if they do a follow up program a year later and she's still feeling well it would carry more weight.

Hi I watched the programme on iPlayer this morning. It was frustrating in its simplistic view. However I have had an under active thyroid as well as fibromyalgia for more than 20 years and I have recently found some relief from pain supplementing with B12, calcium with vit K, vit D with fish oils, selenium, and magnesium. This is advocated by many in the thyroid community on Health Unlocked. My sleep has improved wonderfully, apparently this is likely to be the vit D. I noticed that the doctor took this approach too.

He didn't elaborate on Nicola's under active thyroid either. Many believe that this is very strongly connected to fibromyalgia. The NHS fails many with this problem.

In the thyroid community many advocate a gluten free diet as it greatly reduces inflammation as the doctor stated. I think I shall try this next. NHS gluten testing is designed to spot celiac disease which is not the same as sensitivity to gluten. It's an autoimmune condition.

I was glad that there was an emotional discussion about whether "it was all in her mind". I've suffered from being referred to psychologists who were no help at all of course because as Nicola said it's not in her mind but in her body.

Do any of you follow the Health Rising blog from America? I find that fascinating and it is full of the progress being made in the scientific study of FM and ME. Seems there might be light at the end of the tunnel after all.

When was it on and which channel

Regards pippa19

Haven't watched it yet, but from the comments on here it is what I expected would happen, I can see a lot of shouting at the tv tonight once I get round to watching it (feel sorry for my OH & the cat) I will make sure i have no objects that are throw-able.

I think it was a very basic look at fibromyalgia. They can only do so much in the programme. It made the illness look less severe as it can be. I wish I could walk for an hour!

It's good to be getting off all the meds, but I'm sure the pharmaceutical industry must hate Dr Chattergee: they probably have a contract out on him!

Somehow I just knew it would be do this, that and the other and Hey Presto!

Mindfulness, for me, was awful. Our local pain clinic ran a seven week course of half-day sessions once a week and it really made me worse. All it did was break down the barrier that I've sent ages erecting between my brain and the pain. I can cope with the barrier there, without it I am reduced to screaming in pain.

I watched it last night and wasn't impressed, everyone is affected differently with fibro and some much more then others, this lady was lucky she could bend down to get bits out of bottom drawers and could walk an hour a day, I. Know a lot of us would really struggle with that, I certainly couldn't walk for an hour Or even half an hour, I'm glad changing her diet as made her pain free and just wish that was all I needed to do to be pain free, I've tried a lot of things and nothing has helped to be pain free xx

i was very angry after the programme they made it seem as though fibro has a magic cure but it is a very personal illness we are not all the same people struggle enough being believed at health assesments for pip and esa and also by family and friends the doctor will be loved by goverment but we have to suffer pain constantly and other symptoms and other health problems the doctor and programme makers have made things worse for us and this saddens me but we have to struggle on my gp is very good and takes time for you he does not just dish pills out as the doctor implied.

Well what can i say ,iv now watched the programme again on I player as was half asleep last night.

And guess what ,iv taken the doctors advice.Iv now had some gluten free bread and walked for a hour & guess what,I feel so good ,i'm binning my meds.lol.

If only it was that easy.

Can someone please tell that bloody doctor he ain't Jesus!!!

Don't he realize how much crap we get off people already ,with people not believing us!!!

Sorry rant over.

X

The usual suspects, don't eat processed foods, reduce medication, more exercise etc etc, it all sounds so easy doesn't it, if only it worked. One question why were all Nicolas family, husband and three boys put on a diet when it was she was the one who was ill, and no wonder the other lady was exhausted the amount of things she was doing daily including boxing sessions and working in a nightclub five nights a week!!! I didn't learn anything I didn't really know before, same old same old 😟 Unfortunately there's no miracle cure,

All very depressing. Having recently been moved from a diagnosis of RA to fibro the difference is telling. People couldn't do enough for me and treated me with sympathy when I had RA that has now evaporated. It must be my fault I'm just lazy and neurotic and have been playing people along. I just enjoy being ill and if I just changed my diet and exercised more it would go away because it's in my head. I have been trying to show my family the research and my rheumatologist said it was a neurological condition but this programme has undermined everything again.

Obviously it was quite condensed and filmed over several weeks. I don't think the doctor was implying it was all in her head or it was just diet. As for medication, the poor woman needed a review!

Like BertWills said there is a difference between known foods the cause inflammation and food intolerance testing. You can get certain foods that are anti-inflammatory! We are what we eat after all, body inflammation has been said to cause a lot of health issues. Anything you can do to help your body & brain along is a step in the right direction, not a cure as such, which is what I took from the doctor in this programme.

Usually I'm quite a negative person but

I thought it useful! I would love to see follow ups by the doctor though...maybe online.

After the mindfulness class when the teacher asked her how she would treat her children if they were ill she broke down and said she realised that it was all her fault and she'd been thinking the wrong way I take that as its all in her head. We all know a good diet , gently exercise and relaxation helps with many problems but they're not a cure

Hi I watched it and wasn't impressed it made out we all lazy and it in our heads couldn't walk for 5 min

s let a lone a hour didn't tell true story of fibro in my opinion x

X

Took a very simple approach to a very complex condition, feel it misled and ignored many symptoms. Badly educated people yet again. Big disappointment

I don't have fibromyalgia but I do have post concussion syndrome, my main symptoms being chronic fatigue, chronic headaches and neck pain. I've been watching this series in the hope of finding answers or strategies to help me recover. One thing that is missing is information on how on earth WE can access the same level of medical care and intervention! 10mins with. GP who shrugs and sends you on your way just isn't adequate.

I will catch up with it tomorrow thanks for sharing

We fibromites have a hard enough time explaining how we are or what we have or that we are not depressed without programmes like this making our situation worse. 2 steps forward and 4 back. Now I feel anyone who doesn't have fibro will think this is the answer and we should get better and get back to work and stop being lazy!!!. Walking for an hour a day? I wish! Also I noticed how clean her house was Mine used to look like that but now I struggle just to do the basics and Im ashamed and sad that my life has changed so much. I do wonder if she was misdiagnosed or maybe her fatigue was down to thyroid issues or vitamin deficiencies. Wouldn't it be a perfect world if all doctors treated us like that doing tests and listening to symptoms instead of shrugging shoulders and "here have some anti depressants".

I think this programme has done more harm than good Im sorry to say.

It's interesting that they mentioned she had a thyroid problem. Generally doctors know very little about treating thyroid disease adequately and guidelines are incorrect stressing dosing based on TSH testing which is wrong and can leave sufferers horribly undermedicated. I wonder if her thyroid medication was increased or if she was switched to natural dedicated thyroid or even had T3 added some of her fibro and ME symptoms would improve.

I also think the B12 issue was underplayed. Low B12 can cause all sorts of awful symptoms which can mimic fibro and ME. Her B12 was low and she was given injections - this will have made a huge difference in improving symptoms as long as she was given enough loading doses and not just the 1 injection.

I watched this programme and was so angry. Fibromyalgia is a neurological condition with no known cure. What the lady on the programme seemed to be suffering from was Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which has been known to go away sometimes. I think this has set back Fibromyalgia patients no end. After fighting for years to get believed this programme has suggested that it can be cured. I wish they would get their facts right before showing these types of programmes. I hope the BBC was put right about this.

I've given this program some thought and overall this is my opinion.

My main condition is ME and I also have fibro (amongst other things). Like many I objected strongly to him whittling down both conditions to just pain and fatigue. Certainly ME has way more symptoms than that and I believe fibro does too. What about all the gastric and neurological issues that accompany ME.

And most particularly what about the PEM (post exertional malaise). That is a cardinal symptom of ME so if you don't have PEM then you don't have ME. How on earth could she do all that walking every day without PEM kicking in. If she has ME she should be bedridden on a regular basis if she keeps pushing herself like that. PEM always has a delay of 24-48 hours and it means any or all of your symptoms worsen not just fatigue. In fact it may not even make fatigue worse, just other things.

I know I have seen comments from her on some of the ME Facebook forums insisting that she does still have ME, but I'm not convinced. I'm sure she has a diagnosis of it, but in my opinion, I would say it is a misdiagnosis.

Certainly the poor lady is unwell and I can sort of see how fibro and ME were part of the list of possibilities but to me it looks more like her GP simply hasn't done enough tests to rule out all other possibilities because she doesn't fit any illness pattern that I recognise. I really didn't see any evidence of PEM.

And as with fibro there is loads of great research going on into ME around the world at the minute. Ron Davis, Fluge and Mella in Norway, Griffiths University in Australia, Will de Vega in Canada, Robert Naviaux - just a few of them. Barely a mention of them. Just a quick mention of mitochondrial issues. Yet that research into the mitochondria for ME has been around for at least a decade. Dr Sarah Myhill has been talking about it for about that long that I know of. It's hardly new, even in research terms.

All in all I think there were huge bits of much more important information missing from the programme. And fair enough they only had an hour but to put across a simple fix and all's well with the world solution for such complex issues like that gives completely the wrong impression.

To me about the only good thing that the program highlighted is that GPs are not given the proper resources to diagnose us properly in the first place.

Gentle hugs to all, Margaret. xxx

I think the doctor in this programme has "God like syndrome".... Basically he thinks (of course, misguided) that he can "heal" everyone!

I watched the programme with great interest and was looking for any positives. I'm happy for the lady that she is experiencing a reduction in symptoms, however, the point I wish to make is that we are not all 'text book' fibromyalgia and many of us DO have other diagnoses alongside fibro. Overall, Irrespective of tests, theories, or outcomes based on someone else's experience, I only wish to be treated as an individual and not have my symptoms overlooked or discredited. For me personally, mindfulness makes me worse, I cannot tolerate it though I accept that for many it may help. I've tried lots of things and my experience is that fibro is pretty darn resistant to treatment.

I only watched the programme last night as I recorded it. I didn't like the point when he was going down the 'all in your head route'. I didn't agree with much of it to be honest. I've been diagnosed with ME & Fibromyalgia for 17 years now. Over the years I've been unemployed, employed & self employed to try & keep my head above water & have a life that didn't consist of staring at 4 walls. Even now I can't work for an employer, I suffer terribly for days - weeks after I do something one day. I tried self employment but just couldn't cope with that & ended up having to employ someone to do all my work. I certainly couldn't walk for an hour per day. But everyone has it to a differing level so you can't really compare that either.

Regards meds, I've tried everything from Morphine & Fentanyl (although they were prescribed for other health problems) to taking nothing. Taking nothing just didn't work at all but having tried it, I feel I can comment on the fact that just stopping someones meds is ridiculous. I've finally found a good GP who has prescribed B12 injections for fatigue, even they have made no difference whatsoever though.

The only thing I was interested in was the bowel bacteria. Will they test for that on the NHS?

I thought he seemed to blame her and her lifestyle for the condition. I worry people will come away and think that it's curable / in our heads.

If I change my routine and go somewhere for a few hours like an event etc the next few days it take me ages to recover and it doesn't matter how much sleep etc I get .

No, I'm busy looking at women on Flickr!

All these things suggested on Dr in a The house can work short term The sibo thing my GP gave me a lecture about antibiotics so it was a no there even though I had liver disease for years before My transplant so was likely to have an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine! I have been referred to the integrated hospital in great ormond street and am having homeopathic treatment physio and graduated excercise It's early days but will inform of future outcome Herbalists will treat sibo but they are pricey No two fibromyalgia patients are the same so I wish Doctors would stop lumping us all together If you find one that's done any real research then hang on to them Most can't be bothered ! To everyone out there suffering Keep trying new things Be prepared for short bursts of relief Then go on to the next thing Diet some excercise some supplements help a bit Summer is better than winter See but f there is a hot tub spa at your local leisure centre save up for a massage Have hot baths with Himalayan sea salt Be careful if they offer you Gabapentin mine stopped working so the GP kept upping the dose the come down was horrendous and ultimately it's made my fibro worse! Don't be scared to tell it like it is and good luck 😉 in finding something that works a bit for you 👍😘🙏

I think her improvement came from giving up a lot of the meds she was rattling around with at the beginning. I'm amazed she could stand up, let alone walk.

Diet is important in every bodies life, but it's not a wonder solution with fibro as this programme seemed to suggest. As often it does online too. I hated how it seemed to suggest massive improvement in her with no real medical intervention, which if true I can only determine her case was mild in the first place.

What the doctor should of referred her onto to was a neurologist, but he didn't seemed to think of the obvious, or see that such a constellation of symptoms lead all the way back to the brain being at fault in some fundamental way. It was good he did the vitamin check & gut check. Never said how you go about getting your gut bacteria checked though?

I have Fibromyalgia & I'm under a Professor of neurology & finally I have the full picture of what's wrong with & I am starting on more accurate treatment. Which is what this woman needs, not diet or exercise advice.

I would say though, the mindfulness class looked like a good idea for anybody living with chronic pain or in a mentally difficult situation.

I like this doctor, (he's rare, an actual caring GP, where ever did they find him?).

But I didn't like how the programme portrayed Fibro as: just change your diet, take less pills, move a bit more & you'll get your life back. You can make yourself better easy attitude.

I did all these things over a year ago, lost 10 stone & now I'm 35, bedridden & my fibros never been so bad. So, some of us do everything in our power to desperately help ourselves before we resort to pills, but we can't manage or control our symptoms, pain or condition, even when we do resort to them & follow all the advice given.

These programmes are good only if they show a wider group of people & parts of me wonder whether an episode or even a series with more suffers in, like this new sleep programme series on Channel 4 would be a better way to go to educating viewers, than the life of one Fibro sufferer.

At the end she went in a noisy, brightly lit environment & got a hug from her husband. These are all things totally off bound to me to experience .

So, I felt angry & frustrated by her lack of will power to try the doctors suggestions but also, by how it portrayed simple life style changes as being the factor of determining who & who does not get better.

The illness is the driving force & not you, but this programme seemed to suggest the opposite & that upset me.

Is there a reply from the doctor?

Hi I've just got to say I'm watching Doctor in the house.

I've only watched 10 minutes of it so far.

I think the women are absolutely amazing the first lady is managing to take a walk every evening and yes she does feel like all of us, she feels like her battery pack has been removed from her but she's managing to walk for an entire hour every evening! that's a huge achievement. the other lady has taken the kids to school, gone to work, gone to the gym, gone shopping I just can't believe that she's actually managing to do that. So that's there baseline if you like.

the other thing I would like to say is this Dr is providing cortisol tests that she can take throughout the day when I did a cortisol test I was put in a hospital ward where people being treated for cancer and it was the most beautiful calm place I've ever been in and my results were normal I had been there for hours and I wasn't stressed at all so maybe we should all have these spit in a tube tests.

I'm about to watch some more but before I do, I am pro walking and coming off as many tablets as possible.

And that is my 2 pence worth.

We all walk different paths, but some help would be nice.

Lydiah xx

Oh dear 4 more minutes of the programme and I've found out the lady also works in a night club.

Erm of course she's tired.

Lydiah