Zero Pred Zone update

[Queenie1901]

I posted a few days ago and ended with saying I had already sent an eConsult request to my GP. No reply within the 48 hours so as the weekend was upon me I added 5mg for 3 days. That eliminated all, as expected I guess. Then today dropped to 3mg, aiming to do this for 3 days then drop back to 1 or 1.5 and stay there for a very slow taper. Just had a text from my surgery. They can't see me for a review for over 3 weeks unless I ring in for an urgent "on the day" appointment at either 8 a.m. or 1.30 p.m. Never intended to "do my own thing" on this.........🤔

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hope your system works … unlike the surgery 😳

[Queenie1901 in reply to DorsetLady]

You have to keep positive don't you!

[piglette]

Sounds like my surgery. They now actually ‘shut off’ e-consult if the surgery is not open, and sometimes when it is open!! The GPs are all working at private GP practises, I just give up.

[Queenie1901 in reply to piglette]

Yes, same here, shut off when surgery closed.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to piglette]

I think we’ll all need to if they vote to go on strike - or maybe we won’t notice any difference 😳

[Queenie1901 in reply to DorsetLady]

😄 Now there's a thought!

[piglette in reply to DorsetLady]

I was about to say the same thing. I don’t understand why GPs want to go on strile. They all run their own private businesses, they are not part of the NHS anyway. What are they asking for?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to piglette]

The new contracts that come into being shortly if not already… 😳

[piglette in reply to DorsetLady]

I thought the 2023/24 contract had gone through. Perhaps it didn’t. The BMA have produced their 2024/25 wants for GP practises.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to piglette]

See this, if you haven’t already -,

bma.org.uk/bma-media-centre...

independent.co.uk/news/heal...

[piglette in reply to DorsetLady]

What gets me is less than 50% of GPs are members of the BMA. A lot of my hospital doctor friends too refuse to be members because they have become so militant.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

ED daughter was just holding forth on GPs expecting the ED to do their work for them. Their pay award should be dependent on them actually doing some work ...

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

My GP does lots of work - at a private GP practise a few miles away.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

I was thinking more of us mere plebs ...

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

Exactly. It has gone down like a lead balloon in my village. One GP is now running a team of six people at a local private hospital for general medical needs. In fact the highest number of hours any of our GPs work for us plebs is now 23 hours a week.

[Barry2007 in reply to piglette]

Article recently how many gp’s working privately as locus to other practices on £150 an hour and many many on £100k +

[MamaBeagle in reply to DorsetLady]

😅 👍

[Stills in reply to piglette]

My surgery frequently sends texts saying we are closed today for training purposes please call 111…… TRAINING, it’s laughable really as they can’t even work the printer

[piglette in reply to Stills]

Yes I have had that one several times. They have never mentioned what they are training to do though!! They don’t have the training at the surgery, so perhaps they have all gone home to watch it on Zoom!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Fat lot of use that is!!!

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

They will probably get an over inflation wage rate rise and still complain.

[Gimme]

If GPs are going to strike, does that mean that we need to have a little pred in hand, in case we can't get a prescription?

[Gimme in reply to Gimme]

Thinking about it, if I couldn't get a prescription and was about to run out of pred, I think I would call 111.

[Polygolfer]

Dear Queenie, in my surgery if you are on steroids you get priority access, like an emergency, but I realise it can be different in other locations… a private consultation or an online Livi or even a telecom are other options, perhaps?

[Doraflora]

sounds typical of surgeries these days - unfortunately.

I’ve been doing my “own thing” with the Pred all along (apart from the initial first few weeks).

[seamaid in reply to Doraflora]

Thanks to PMR pro, Dorset Lady and everyone on here, I have also been doing my own thing ,apart from dealing with a flare at the moment, I am at 1.5 mg daily.

[Doraflora in reply to seamaid]

I agree, seamaid. This site is a godsend to me. I can always rely on PMRpro and Dorset Lady popping up with advice, plus all the other lovely folk on here.

[Elmadon]

I went on with the same carry on with my go. Felt I was doing medicating on my own. Eventually by chance I had a call from our health practitioner Anna. She has taken me into her group of PMR patients and has sorted me out. Gp had given me wrong instructions and I was coming down too quickly. I’m now on 7mg of Pred coming down 1mg every 6 weeks. Anna phones me when I’m due to drop which is wonderful. All worry and anxiety about reducing has been taken away. It seems GPS have no clue about how to treat PMR I have had this since 2022 and I’m sure if I’d had the correct regime I’d have got rid of it by now .’

Good luck with your GP when you finally get to see him

Valerie

[AlamedaCounty]

Hi Queenie

I have an excellent GP and her advice is to do this by trial and error. Don't reduce too quickly but if there are problems increase slightly. I think one of the probs with GCA is that people, including some doctors know relatively little about it. Trust your instincts till you can get an appointment - and good luck!