At a loss with getting help from my doctors and pain clinic :(

[christymoon13]

Hi all,

This is my first post so hope this go's okay.(22,chronic back pain for 3/4 years getting by at the moment with zapain and pregablin. Still working but struggling and trying to do light excersice and stretches everyday)

I am having problems with my treatment and it seems to have come to a halt. I feel like I'm not being treated seriously enough trying to be really greatful with the time they have spent on me but the last few months have been a disaster!

I've been with a pain team for about a year now and in September they decided to halt my appointments with an occupational therapist as i am not improving (in fact my pain is getting worse!) and they want me to see a physiologist but I have recently been told I have to wait a further four months.

My doctor decided when they stopped treatment to send me to a rhumatologist to investigate more into my pain. He was unhappy they didn't provide the treatment he thinks I need.

I waited another 3 months to only receive a letter from the pain clinic saying rhumatology won't help and they cancelled the referal.

I now cannot for the life of me get hold of the pain clinic go discuss the decision every time I phone them it goes to voicemail and I have not heard anything Back!

My doctor has been away for four weeks and the receptionist at my surgery have been rude and refuse to book any appointments till he's back.

I'm at wits end being told different things and I really don't know what to do from here. I'm thinking of making a formal complaint as I feel like they are not listening to the help I need. I have looked into PALS but they wont see me till I get revered to by a doctor!

Sorry for the long post,I'm usually not one to complain but I am stuck.

If anyone can help or share similar experiences I would be so greatful!

[Hidden]

Oh wow your having a hard time.

It’s so frustrating when you feel like you keep hitting a road block at every turn.

I was the same last year only had 2 appointments with actual specialists , my doctor messed around with my painkillers, didn’t want to refer me or was never in I just had so many problems . So I changed my GP within the nursery and that helped a little bit I also went into an appointment with my doctor and told him I wasn’t leaving until he made a referral to the right person to find out what was going on with me and they finally did.

You just need to be persistent and get second opinions , it’s in your right to get the proper care you need. I would either change your GP or doctors surgery altogether and then go from there, and also ask for more pain relief as your not actually on that much x

[christymoon13 in reply to Hidden]

Hey Bexamy. Thanks for the message. Sounds like you've been though loads too! Hope your in a good place with your care now. Yes I feel very lost. I have considered changing to another gp. I've been fighting for specialist treatment and stronger medication in the evenings but because of my age they don't want to put me on them🙄🙄. I got a second opinion from another gp at same surgery and he made me feel so rubbish and that I'm stuck living like this 😭 all I have had is negativity. I will definitely look into changing doctors now!. Thank you for your advise I really appreciate it.

[Hidden in reply to christymoon13]

Yeah doctors are he same with me, I’ve had my current problem 2 years and before that had another on going problem for about 4-5 years I’m only 27 so they use that as to why they wouldn’t give me different pain meds but because I won’t let them treat me like a child and I go in with as much knowledge as I can they can’t say no (it does help that my mum is a nurse at the hospital) but just don’t give up and don’t let them patronise you. You know your body you know your pain. I hate doctors receptionists I swear they all think they are doctors and gods gift lol

I would definitely recommed moving doctors , read some reviews about different ones first if possible and try and write down all your problems/pains/medication if you do change as all your notes could take a while to transfer. If your really stuck you could try out of hours doctors and just tell them you can’t cope anymore and you don’t feel like your being listened to

X

[Hidden]

Also not sure if it’s the same where you live but around me I’ve got about 3 different pain clinics so maybe ask to be referred to a different one xx

[christymoon13 in reply to Hidden]

Oh good for you! I need to stick up for myself for sure. It's really refreshing to hear someone feels the same way No one I know seems to understand my true frustration😣. Apparently where I live there is also a pain management clinic completely different to pain clinic and offer more actual treatment like steroid injections etc but when i asked the doctor they tried to tell me they were the same! I've been looking at nearby doctors reviews and so far bad reviews so I'm hoping to find one further afield to go to. Fingers crossed!

[Coastwalker]

Long shot, but my lower back pain and other symptoms were down to a vitamin D deficiency.