GPs...strange people

[tgca]

I try to avoid my GPs advice it is always so conflicting so, needless to say, this forum says it all !! Nearly had a set-to with the surgerys pharmacist when she refused to repeat my prescription for 2mg tablets... I eventually went through the main surgery, obtained the prescription and then the pills from the chemist!! Strangely enough, this morning I had a call from the pharmacist ( she's actually very friendly) saying the gp wanted to know what dose I was on!!! As it happens, it's 4.5 mgs. Last time I visited him (in July), he never said a WORD about dosage, GCA or anything relating to it !!! Strange people GPS!!

[piglette]

My GP never seems to give any advice so I don’t have the problem. He just reads through blood test results and never asks how I am. Although another GP did panic recently when both my blood markers shot up over 100 and they thought I had cancer. Having had various tests they got bored and decided it was just normal me. I am certain it is not.

[HeronNS in reply to piglette]

Oh boy. Have your markers come down again?

[piglette in reply to HeronNS]

CRP is 88 at the moment. My GP shrugged and said that is normal for me. I am having another blood test in three months time.

[HeronNS in reply to piglette]

Sometimes it's better not to know, isn't it? It sounds like you've been investigated for everything. 😏

[Hidden]

That's the problem when after a few years you become invisible... Prescription foul up and you are visible again. Run for cover tgca!

[powerwalk in reply to Hidden]

Oh that's funny!! My GP just stares at the bloomin computer when I go down, my husband goes once a year for routine blood tests and blood pressure check and she's all over him!!!! Obviously he's not as boring a face to see as I am!!!! Ha

[Hidden in reply to powerwalk]

🤣😂🤣 They get very weird when they can't treat you to wellness and maybe a man's woman. 😉

[powerwalk in reply to Hidden]

Yes true!! To both.

[SheffieldJane]

I had a skinny young student GP today who just wanted to talk about diet and weight. It was clearly her own daily obsession. I’d gone about ECG results, and blood test / urine test results for kidney failure ,sudden hypertension blip, pill side effects and extreme fatigue, blood pressure coming down without more pills. She wanted to prescribe statins and break it to me that there was weight gain. I have been crawling from couch to bed for 3 weeks.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to SheffieldJane]

Did you ask her what she knew about PMR and its management and the side effects?

Ask jinasc about her experience with a junior doctor who put her knee pain solely down to her weight ...

[SheffieldJane in reply to PMRpro]

No I couldn’t find the energy. She has probably written overweight and depressed in her notes. It struck me that be as thin as she was, you would have to think about food every waking moment.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to SheffieldJane]

No, there are people who just don't put on weight. Or, at least, not until they get a bit older ...

[tgca in reply to PMRpro]

Oh dear, I am older and have lost weight on steroids. Gulp!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tgca]

There are a few of you here ...

[tangocharlie in reply to SheffieldJane]

I've been asked several times over the years whether I'm depressed or suffering from anxiety, and I'm sure I'm not. I'm sure the GPs think my illnesses are psychological because I'm a middle aged single woman. Maybe because I research my illnesses like PMR they think I must therefore be a hypochondriac to be so interested, but I'm interested because I'm trying to improve my health after 8 years of PMR. When my ESR/CRP levels rise they put 'abnormal but expected' in the notes. Well I want to know why, and what I can do about it!

[SheffieldJane in reply to tangocharlie]

It’s kind of medical gaslighting. I experienced it a lot prior to my PMR diagnosis. Even being told that my bloods had been tested for everything and were clear. Not inflammation apparently.

It is a rare doctor who will discuss your health on equal terms. My Rheumatologist is one thankfully.

[tangocharlie in reply to SheffieldJane]

Yes I've had that. 'Computer says no', bloods are fine. Or even bloods aren't fine, but that's all we know. So 'now what then? I think. You have to be your own detective really. Trouble is, unless there is a defined pathway on the NHS system you're on your own as it's designed as a transactional rather than holistic health system. If there isn't a medicine that can be prescribed then there is nothing else they can do. And if there is a medicine eg Pred, as we all know, the rules in the system eg doses don't work for everybody.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tangocharlie]

Er - if they are abnormal there must be a reason, especially with PMR as a diagnosis ...

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

Exactly, why is inflammation rising again after all these years? I'm trying to find out

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to tangocharlie]

Because currently you aren't on any/enough pred, to all intents and purposes at least ... Lots of people will tell you how quickly they flare if they forget their tablets.

[tangocharlie in reply to PMRpro]

That's what I'm trying to tell my rheumy, that I should be on im injections more frequently, but he won't listen. I'm sending him a letter enclosing various articles like the EULAR recommendations and asking if we can discuss it at my appointment in January.

[Yellowbluebell]

I am fortunate to have a great gp but its taken me time to work through a few others in our practice!! Luckily its s large one with about 10 doctors to choose from. There are do many stories on here of totally useless gp's. Is there dny chance of changing to another in the practice if you sre not happy? Dont get too stressed over it though. YBB

[Marijo1951]

My experience is that the practice nurses are far more approachable, knowledgeable and caring than the doctors.

[tangocharlie in reply to Marijo1951]

A friend of mine who is a GP always says to ask a nurse - they often know more than doctors!

[Marijo1951 in reply to tangocharlie]

The GP kept me on a particular antibiotic for 3 weeks recently with little result. The practice nurse suggested a different one which almost cleared up the problem within a week.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Marijo1951]

Why don't they put their brains in gear????

[Hidden]

🤣🤣🤣 Think I have been overexposed this year. Can't wait to go back to being invisible.

[tgca]

It's a biggish practice but as we're out in the sticks (haha, only 5 miles from there), we have the choice of one doctor and they won't let us go to the town one. As for changing doctors... better the devil???? Next check up I will be very assertive and make certain the fool goes through all results thoroughly!! Thanks to all for your replies but sad to see how many unhelpful GPs there are out there.