Hi, when I was a child my mother would take me to the doctor for every little thing; she was a worrier. I was taught that the doctor's word was law and we must listen and do what he said. I grew up with a fear of being taken to the doctor. Some of you know about the unfortunate debacle I am having with steroids after being put on Prednisolone unnecessarily last year by a GP registrar. Having now been transferred to the care of my endocrinologist I have come to realise that GPs do their best, but they know a little bit about a lot and don't always get things right. We trust them to make us better but do we expect too much of them? We have been with our GP surgery for 45 years, since I was expecting our eldest son, and things have definitely deteriorated with the service available over the years. They are not gods, nor magicians, and their workload is a heavy one. It's a sad indictment of the current situation that I no longer feel I can fully trust or rely on the GPs nowadays 😒
Doctors are not gods: Hi, when I was a child my... - PMRGCAuk
Doctors are not gods
You seem to have the same fear of doctors that my father had. The only difference was that he was a doctor!! He failed to diagnose a broken arm once, the only thing was it was his arm!!
Sorry to hear you feel like that. Certainly, we have an excellent Practice where we live, and the care and attention has been, and still is, as good as ever.
With such a large number of doctors, you are bound to get some less good ones.
Very true. My historic encounters with doctors still give me the chills and did a lot of damage medically but I think that was more about them as people rather than their lack of knowledge. A fragile ego is less likely to be humble, listen and admit to their own gaps in knowledge. The system in which they work may also be intolerant of this.
Just to wave the flag for your GP here, it does sound like the prescribing of Pred was the correct approach in that your pains were resolved. What wasn’t so good was the breakneck speed of reduction that did indeed cause breakthrough pain which may have made the Pred look ineffective. So something inflammatory is/was going on. You may need more Pred yet. Your likely adrenal gland suppression symptoms are sadly, part of the process to recovery at lower doses for many. The Endocrinologist will be focused on that so it may be up to you to be vigilant for your condition possibly making itself known if it is still active. This will be the case especially if they put you on Hydrocortisone which is a weaker steroid aimed at challenging your adrenal axis a bit more. There are no definites in this game which makes it all the harder for doctors and patients alike 🙂. A nice human on the other side of the desk makes all the difference!
I've said before - it wasn't really the diagnosis or the pred that has been the problem. Even the rheumy thinks there is an element of PMR there. The problem was the mess made afterwards.
I know, but I have Prof Saravanan on the case now 🙂 after three days on his reducing plan I already feel a bit more stable in spite of a stressful day yesterday.
How is he going about it? I just had a meeting that included an endocrinologist - we are looking at what can be optimised and one is the overlap between disciplines and how many doctors have a tunnel view about their side of the problem so hearing approaches that work is valuable to us,
interesting ..... but just wondering, if you still think you probably do have pmr, why was the pred unneccessary? I'm sorry you have had such a hard time, I started very like you, same reduction plan I think, but been so much easier for me ....so far.... could all go pear shaped any minute i know 🙂 what do you think the GP should have done and didn't? Was it mainly poor communication?
Hello, no, the problem for me was three different GPs all with different ideas of how to approach it. Once I found this forum things made more sense but I was still being reviewed by a different GP each time.
Hello I have the same problem with my surgery, but I make sure if I can that I get the same doctor all the time, my doctor has been with me from day one of my PMR journey .
annoying, me too, different doctor every time .... but they've been ok so far and from this forum I do feel condident to question them if not happy ... another new one next week ....
We have a brilliant GP in Clare, Suffolk
Gone were the good old days of the GP, where they actually examined you and touched our bodies, this is why we have to be our own doctors in a way, that’s why it’s important to listen to our bodies knowing what there telling us . I reckon as well will all get lazy Covid where we can’t be bothered to hep our self’s at times .Anyway the sun is shining down in Somerset everyone go out and grab some for our health 👣👣👣👣
So true! Doctors are human and, like any other professionals, they can make mistakes. I’ve had my fair share of experiences with doctors, dentists, solicitors, and other so-called professionals.
When I was five, my mother took me to the doctor because I’d had a headache for days, only to be told that children don’t get headaches. Over 60 years later, I can assure you that children do get headaches— and even migraines! Strangely enough, my migraines stopped when my PMR started. 🤦♀️
At 11, I went to the dentist with toothache. He removed the wrong tooth, and when told it was actually the one next to it, he proceeded to remove another—again, the wrong one! 🤦♀️
Then there’s my youngest sister. She went to A&E feeling absolutely awful for weeks (her second visit in months), only to be told she was just dehydrated and sent home. Eight months later, we had to lay her to rest. I won’t even get started on the incompetence of my solicitor!
Having had these experiences from such a young age, I’ve never been able to fully trust professionals and have always felt the need to do my own research. That wasn’t easy when I was younger, as I’m dyslexic and couldn’t read until my mid-20s. So yes, you’re absolutely right—doctors aren’t gods, and they shouldn’t be relied on blindly.”
Thank you all for your input. I got my paperwork out from the consultant when I was diagnosed with ME/CFS in 2004. The report outlined more or less what I went to the GP with last August! I do not believe it was PMR but a flare of CFS, but the inexperienced GP registrar did not read back through my notes and pick up the CFS or consult with her supervising GP, and here I am on steroids that I probably didn't need 😒Anyway my Endocrinologist is now on the case and it will be put right. One positive thing to come if it has been the unconditional support that I have been shown on this forum and will continue to gain strength from. G.
I had ME/CFS in my late 20s which resolved in about 6 months - it was pretty textbook and I was lucky, it did improve though it took about 4 years to be really better. There are a few on the forum who had it and then, like me, developed PMR. So it is quite possible. And the symptoms initially for me were very similar though then I think the fatigue was a bit worse.
In my own experience distrust of doctors can be unhelpful and disadvantageous, albeit understandable. Thirty years ago I fought a medical negligence case against the MOD, my husbands employer, which was proven and settled out of court. But the damage to my family and marriage was fatal and the damage to my mental health is permanent. I often wonder whether my PMR developed from the anger and stress left in me.
Luckily I have a fabulous GP now and recent engagement with medics has been good at all levels. My doctor admits to not having the same level of knowledge about complex issues like effects of low cortisol and high cholesterol, but he knows the people that do.
I have had to learn to trust doctors again and have found my informed approach and respectful but questioning attitude has led to a better outcome for ME. I know that the doctors don’t know it all and even specialists only know what they have specialised in. WE know our bodies and our minds and must advocate for ourselves when it comes to choices about treatment. We certainly know more about our own health history than any doctor can possibly know within the short window of a consultation. And correct diagnosis and treatment of conditions like PMR are notorious, leading to collaboration between wonderful passionate clever people in finding solutions. And the PMRGCAUk charity and forum. 👏
A thought occurred to me that the duration of training to become a Dr, probably hasn’t changed much in decades yet the number of new conditions recognised and older ones becoming treatable has grown hugely. The amount of knowledgeable required must therefore have grown beyond the time spent studying. I think this is one of the reason why older established conditions are being tested less seriously perhaps. My own surgery is in permanent lockdown, telephone appointments are rare, f2f appointments rarer still, the GPs are a stream of locums and the reception staff rude, uncaring and incompetent. The other staff; clinical practitioners et al are amazing but sadly wasted as patients can’t reach them for help.
This is very sad to hear. Our practice receptionists are really lovely, friendly, compassionate and helpful. I took a tin of biscuits in for them in appreciation. The 'old school' GPs are good, helpful and attentive, but the newer ones less so. I think they have too many patients. We have been with the practice for 45 years and seen a lot of change
That’s good to know and lovely that you showed your appreciation as I bet they don’t get much of that. I live in town with a diverse and much expanded population whilst the GPs have been slowly diminishing. 25 years ago there were 7 GPs at my doctors and minor surgeries such as mole removal etc could be done. Last time I needed a blood test I had to go to the walk in centre where I was seen early and out before the actual appointed time! A great service but sadly a week later a locum GP from my surgery telephoned to say cancer was suspected and I should do another blood test. No empathy or concern or even another appointment. A year of tests later no cancer had been found thankfully and a year from there brings me to now and I’m still here so they got that right at least. In that two year period of scopes and tests I saw a GP once but I suppose once you’re in specialist hands the GPs job is done.
It's sad to hear that you had that scare with no support or real input. I hope you are all right now.
When I had bad service from an elderly locum many years ago in Germany I told my GP when he got back from holiday - and the locum was never hired again! He told me there was nothing wrong with my small daughter - despite her being decidedly blue around her lips and breathing hard. I passed a paediatrician's practice on the way home and, not being happy, decided to ask them. The doctor was busy so I returned half an hour later, which was fine by me. However - the doctor took one look at her and called all her staff in while taking medication out of the cupboard and gave them a teaching moment: "If any child comes in here looking like this - interrupt me even if I am with a patient. THIS is a medical emergency!" She was fine - but had I been the average patient, she might not have been. Even now, 40 years later, she is occasionally in need of pretty serious treatment in her own ED! Once she was fetched with blue lights from the GP - her colleagues kept the monitor turned away from her in the ambo because the oxygen levels were so dire.
Thank goodness you are a pro active mum and not afraid to question the medics.
I had a terrible experience once when a decision making error in hospital could have had a drastic outcome for one of my children. Ever since, I have been careful to make sure I ask questions and am listened to. And I realise that however expert people are, and however much they mean well, they can still get things wrong. But also, they know a lot more than I do and I would trust most doctors to be at least trying to do the right thing.
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