Went to GP this morn for blood results and to discuss my difficult christmas (depression) prob due to Pred. . . And I questioned a few things. . . Doc got up from chair opened the door and said I think you should go register somewhere else. . . .
I'm left feeling very guilty for upsetting her and of course the depression is no better as it never got discussed . . . I'm friendly with the practice manager and explained what had happened she is going to chat to doc and call me lunchtime . . .
Do I change docs or do I apologise for feeling like I do. . .
Has anyone else come up against this sort of reaction when we try to question or explain things we've learnt on our journey. . .?
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Lisa630
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I haven't had it with PMR but I took my older daughter who was obviously clinically depressed to our practice after being phoned from school to fetch her. She was in a total state! I asked for an early appointment, it was fairly urgent I felt and was beyond me to cope with. I was told 3 days wait - this was 20 years ago! So I said, OK, in that case, urgent - knowing the rule was a same day appointment. When I got in the room with my then 13 year old, the GP made a cursory assessment and informed me she didn't seem depressed to him and then shouted at me, in front of my daughter, that it was time I got out of his practice because all I was was a trouble maker. There was a history, he believed I had interfered in my husband's cancer treatment (he'd refused to prescribed drugs in liquid form saying they weren't available, they were and the hospital changed the prescription the following time). I went to the local paediatric mental health clinic where my daughter had already been a patient for an eating disorder - the clinician there agreed with me but could do nothing without a referral as she'd been discharged. She told me to change practice - I did and it was the best thing I have done. I told the new practice the story when I went - but was seen about 20 minutes after arriving at the practice. The old practice sent someone to talk to me "I gather you feel your treatment has been poor...". Not once in the 8 months to then that my husband had been facing possibly terminal cancer had they ever asked me how I was, how I was coping. On one occasion I did ask for advice as I felt so ill and was told "What do you expect, your husband is ill. He's the patient, not you." My MIL had died in the meantime and I had barely teenage daughters.
No, DON'T apologise for being ill and I would not see that doctor again - she obviously feels uncomfortable about what she has done poorly. If there is a competent partner you could try them - but you are probably better off with another practice if that is an option. Any doctor who is not willing to discuss our care and takes the "I know it all and you know nothing" attitude when it is obvious they are struggling needs some training. My usual GP didn't know about PMR - but another did. She was always willing to check on google for new info - and taught the one who didn't get it. That is how it should be and is what I work with now: both a GP who knows about PMR and asks for new info and a cardiology trained doc who is exactly the same, treating me as an equal in appointments.
I suspect what many doctors struggle with is the advent of intelligent beings who know how to do research! Gone are the days where they knew all and we knew little. Now we are well informed about symptoms and treatments and know how to find support groups who provide such information.
I don't expect my doctor to know all about every illness I have - I DO expect them to know when they are out of their depth, which is increasingly likely to happen: there is no way they can keep up-to-date with everything. I do have a great deal of sympathy for the job they are expected to do with very limited time on their hands and ever broadening horizons of treatment.
But above all it needs a radical change in their attitudes to people without medical qualifications - to see us as partners not opponents. Nothing would induce me to see a doctor again if they had been so rude as to throw me out without at least making an attempt to meet me halfway. But the sad reality is - there aren't enough GPs to go round. That is where the basic problem lies.
Sadly greed & health insurance in the US has changed the profession dramatically. It wasn't until six months prior to an actual diagnoses of PMR that I realized how many unknowing & uncaring professionals there were out there & I was going to make sure I had better & more compassionate care. I do now, but I went through quite a few doctors. I don't have a medical background, but by looking up things I knew what they did not know & relied on my instincts. This was unchartered territory for me with all the bells & whistles of fear, anxiety & depression. I certainly did not need an authoritarian figure without knowledge & compassion to compound it. This site has just been an excellent source of info & I am sure has kept many for needless anxiety & to always question authority.
Lisa, that GP is totally out of order and I'm so glad this has been reported to the Practice Manager. I certainly wouldn't apologise to someone who is being paid to treat you, not dismiss you. And if it was me I would definitely change GP - I wouldn't wish to see such a Dr again.
I've had a call from practice manager . . . My buddy. . . .
Dr says she might have been a little hot headed and think I will give her the benefit of the doubt . . For now anyway. . As its all too .. ." In the middle of things"
They are taking me off pred to see what happens and I don't feel I want the hassle of changing docs right now if I don't have to, I'm not totally innocent in all this I didn express my concerns on my treatment and I suppose any Dr would see that as "do you know what your doing"
I'm not thinking or talking clearly right now and maybe things came out. . Just how I felt! !
I think if I'm honest I wanted to tell them just how I felt, and I thought they should take it. . As they would be trained to deal with emotional patients like myself. . . ?
I will always blame myself . . That's the kind of person I am . . . I shout and say how it is. . Then feel guilty for it. . .
Hi Lisa. What a terrible and rude way to be treated by a member of the so-called 'caring profession'. Find another surgery regardless of what the practice manager says. You don't need this sort of treatment and all the upset and hurt on top of your illness. Sending my best wishes, Angela
Hello Lisa630.. I am sorry you have had this awful experience with your GP.. In nearly 11 years with PMR I have had a topsy turvy Roller Coaster ride with GPs and Consultants.. They seem to think that you take steroids for the sake of it and unfortunately my body struggles to accept reduction of steroid ..in the past I have tried every steroid sparing agent Orally that they have given me ..I got down to 5mg of steroid a couple of times but always had to go back up due to some sort of Flare or other. I had to come off of Oral Methotrexate because it affected my liver .. I am now with a very kind and caring Rheumatologist who hasn't given up on me and I am now on 15mg Methotrexate injections every week ..They are affecting me causing Giddiness and before Christmas I got a Bug/ infection and managed to have a lovely fall but apart from having some blood tests done I stayed away from my GP.. They haven't got time to hear how you feel and what the PMR is doing to you as a human being .I try to cope with every day life but get no- where!! I hate myself , my body , my fat face but since October I have only got down 1 mg on the steroids.. I see my Rheumy on the 22nd January and I hope to be down a little bit more on the steroid .. I hate feeling drugged up most of the time .. We have to just keep fighting ..I will watch your posts with interest .. Good Luck and All Best Wishes For THE NEW YEAR .. let's hope that the medics keep researching PMR/GCA and we sufferers will get relief from it .. trish 29
Hi Trish 29. I found that 15mg of oral meths had the same effect as your injected sort – had sea sickness when trying to turn over in bed and couldn’t move quickly if upright because I’d lose balance and feel very sick – and this lasted for days after taking the drug. My nutritionist found a study saying that some people don’t metabolise folic acid as a supplement (your body will deal with FA from food), but that folate (metfolin) is more like natural folic acid and thus is metabolised better. I tried it and it cleared the side effects – including the addled and vague brain!
Metfolin is not expensive and I wonder if it is worth you trying it? Your doctor will not have an opinion on metfolin, as it is not a drug. You don’t need to drop the folic acid you already take until you know whether it works. Metfolin should be available online or in a good natural health food shop. You take it with food.
The alternative would be to increase the amount of folic acid you take. The only thing I don’t know about is how you take folic acid if on jabs? I took the metfolin each day, apart from the day I took the meths…but how do you take your FA when you are on jabs? I’d possibly follow the same pattern you have for FA, though I’m hesitant on that, as I was given a one tab a week FA by the Dr (which was much lower dose than the one I actually took with the nutritionist and I took every day bar the day took the drug, which worked roughly OK until I was asked to take a bigger dose of meths – goodness knows how bad it would have been from the beginning if I had stuck to the low FA tab given by the Dr!!).
Please note that you also need to ramp up your intake of foods rich in natural folate – beans and pulses, dark green leafy veg, rocket/watercress, wholegrains, eggs, liver, nuts. Supplements are not a substitute for a good diet. A good diet is always best. Good luck!
Thank you Green girl for all your information .. I take 5 mg of Folic Acid the day after my Methotrexate injection and because of the giddiness which I have this morning maybe I need to be prescribed more Folic Acid. I see my Rheumatologist next week and I will check with him. Thank you for telling me about metfolin and I will look into that .It would be wonderful to get rid of the brain fog .My partner and family are so fed up with me because I can't get up and running and I am fed up with myself because I feel so useless but it is winter and I hate being shut in ..The support on this Forum is so informative and all the people that post on the Forum feel like friends .. Thanks trish29
Thank you Green girl for all your information .. I take 5 mg of Folic Acid the day after my Methotrexate injection and because of the giddiness which I have this morning maybe I need to be prescribed more Folic Acid. I see my Rheumatologist next week and I will check with him. Thank you for telling me about metfolin and I will look into that .It would be wonderful to get rid of the brain fog .My partner and family are so fed up with me because I can't get up and running and I am fed up with myself because I feel so useless but it is winter and I hate being shut in ..The support on this Forum is so informative and all the people that post on the Forum feel like friends .. Thanks trish29
Thank you Green girl for all your information .. I take 5 mg of Folic Acid the day after my Methotrexate injection and because of the giddiness which I have this morning maybe I need to be prescribed more Folic Acid. I see my Rheumatologist next week and I will check with him. Thank you for telling me about metfolin and I will look into that .It would be wonderful to get rid of the brain fog .My partner and family are so fed up with me because I can't get up and running and I am fed up with myself because I feel so useless but it is winter and I hate being shut in ..The support on this Forum is so informative and all the people that post on the Forum feel like friends .. Thanks trish29
If I read your comments right I think this was grossly insensitive of your Dr. I suggest you move on and make enquiries amongst your trusted friends as to a recommendation for a Dr who is willing and prepared to help you on your health journey - this is what they are there for.
I would be offended if my Dr said that and would move on - life is too short when we are struggling with the pesky side effects of medications, let alone wondering if we said the wrong thing to our Dr?? Good luck.
I've only seen her once since, it was very strained, and I have to say I'm still feeling great anger towards her. But to move Drs now would be a struggle. So I keep smiling, but ask no questions just smile. I should have made a complaint there and then. . But I didn't so it's best I keep quiet I guess.
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