Daily Mail Tuesday May 10th

[margmitch]

In the daily mail good health section John Naish wrote there is a long list of illnesses including ADHD, ALZHEIMERS ,PARKINSONS, DIABETES ,PREMATURE MENOPAUSE ,MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, ANAEMIA , UNDERACTIVE THYROID and  SLEEP APNOEA are commonly mis-diagnosed by Drs as depression. And as a  consequence misdiagnosis can be serious .Patients may also be given Antidepressants which They dont need .Thus missing out on any real treatment thats needed.

[Butterfly65]

And it's not just those mentioned. Hundreds if not thousands of people are being misdiagnosed each year & given the wrong medication be it anti depressants or something else, you only have to  Google 'misdiagnosed uk' to read some shocking reports. 

[Marz]

... and how many times do we read the same here on the forum ....  Big Pharma Rules.

  I also believe the Full Blood Count that is so routinely done - at great expense no doubt - should also include B12 - Ferritin - Folate - Iron - VitD - and not forgetting FT3   Then train the GP's to read and understand the results and drop the word 'normal' from their vocabulary - enabling patients to find wellness without powerful medications ......

[mistydog in reply to Marz]

That would be nice, wouldn't it? Oh, look,  a flying pig!

[budd_james]

I wonder how many have taken their Dr to task, or even gone as far as taking them to court for a misdiagnosis......??

[Marz in reply to budd_james]

...from what I have read it is a complete waste of time - doors quickly close.  Perhaps my ileo-caecal TB that was diagnosed as an allergy to cabbage - could have earned me enough damages to retire to the Bahamas in my 30's ...... still happily working at 70

[MissFG in reply to budd_james]

Something I've thought about since diagnosis as my thyroid will never recover and I've been explaining my symptoms for years. One simple test by my gp's could have saved my thyroid and I wouldn't be as sick now. Surely many ppl out there like me could have a legal claim!

[Marz in reply to MissFG]

.... it would drain you of all your remaining energy I'm afraid.  Hang in there and celebrate the things you can do

[Ruby1 in reply to budd_james]

My GP told me he thought he had depression and it turned out to be his thyroid There are good GPs and bad GPs, some have strengths in one area and are weaker in others. They are human.

I'm getting a bit cheesed off with the way that everything goes towards legislation. Everyone suing everyone. I know some things are that serious that they should go to court, but it seems no-one can do anything anymore for fear of legislation. ( I'm considering going self employed at the moment and have discovered I have to take out all sorts of insurance  )

I also could have sued many years ago, but I didn't. We wrote a letter of complaint asking that the doctor concerned was made aware of their mistake and properly trained for future patients. 

[budd_james in reply to Ruby1]

I do agree Ruby1 that it is not great the way everything is turning to litigation as a solution. I do feel though that Dr's should be made to realise that their actions can & do ruin lives, as at the moment IMHO they seem to be "untouchable" & pretty much a law unto themselves

[Hidden in reply to budd_james]

Doctors will stop at nothing to cover up their mistakes, Practice Managers will defend them then will stop communicating with you.  Not easy to take legal action either.  Health Service Ombudsman is a joke, my complaint has been with them for over 2 years and they still haven't replied.

[Glynisrose]

Any anti - depressant will negate your thyroxine. 

[marigold22 in reply to Glynisrose]

Oh wow - didn't know any anti depressant will negate thyroxine.  Will it negate T3 med only as well?

[linlow in reply to marigold22]

a quick search on google suggests that T3 enhances the effect of anti-depressants, no results showed for the other way around.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to linlow]

Or was it the T3 doing all the work, not the anti-Ds at all? The study can't tell you.

[Glynisrose in reply to marigold22]

Don't know, never taken T3 alone. 

[DumbBlonde]

I agree with comments made here and can attest (as I have written before) to what seems to be ignorance at best and verges on negligent at worst on the part of most of the health professionals that I have seen (not even limited to approx. 10 of the GPs at my only Surgery).  Culminating most recently in a long-"awaited" appointment with an actual Psychiatrist.

I am sure that I will have told the tale here of my "plan" to raise a (second) complaint with the Practice - both directly, via Healthwatch and also through NHS England (yes, for what it's worth.....).  There is also a separate matter that was made impossible by at least one particular GP - and I intend also to raise that (having done so in part with the CCG).  These are all on hold at the moment as 1) I do find it exhausting as Marz rightly says - 2) there are some other things that need my focus for a few weeks.  (And of course, I do know that it is pretty futile anyway.)

On the actual medical side of things, I did have some blood tests a few weeks ago and some of the results show a pretty depressing picture - esp. re. anemia (for which I shown signs and symptoms) and of course thyroid, although only TSH (2.8) was done.  I am at the moment in possession of a Blue Horizon test (thyroid plus ?10, I think) and have to get myself off to the hospital to get the blood drawn there as my Surgery again would not assist. (As an aside, the Surgery of my friend - over the county line - would draw blood for a reg. patient with no issue whatsoever.....*sigh*)

Anyway, back to the Psychiatrist ------ (this only happened after a full year of group "therapy", my own lack of willingness to see the Psychologists who had moderated the Group Therapy and a many-month wait..... and even so I only went because they already class me as "reluctant to seek help for [her] many mental health issues" - which actually equate to two issues 1) Mother - 2) Father *sigh*).

He had not been clued in at all, so an hour long appointment was just me really droning on about my "Past" which, when I have to talk about it all at once, depresses the heck out of me.  After that he said he would be writing to "my" GP to see of all tests had been done to "rule things out" but he actually said that he felt inclined to think along the route of - wait for it ----- hypochondria.   Not sure of that is a forward or backwards step from the mention on my notes last year of having a personality disorder, when I shed a single tear over the death of my beloved horse to a GP who actually asked about him and who I had only visited (as instructed) for some blood test results.....

So anyway, the Psych's first instinct was to question why I wasn't continuing the Sertraline that I was prescribed a couple of years ago - and then suggest another anti-depressant, which I politely declined.  I know that I am a perfect candidate to be  diagnosed with almost any mental health disorder - but I also seem to be  regarded as a superhuman physical specimen as I simply could NOT have any kind of physical ailment. No, not at all (even when blood test indicate it, let alone the ghastly specimen that appears before them)!  When I told him that I had virtually stopped eating (c. 700 calories per day....), he looked me up and down and almost sneered, asking me why I have not lost weight on that kind of "diet".

So, rambling aside - and without looking at the article (the DM is on my blocked list) - I feel that I am (along with many others) a poster child for the lack of attention and the misdirection that we seem to be victims of  - and an example of how conditions that are relatively clear and simple to treat and diagnose and treat are being deliberately(?) misunderstood,leaving us with nowhere "official" to turn and without any kind of recourse or the actual strength to pursue it were such a thing to exist.

(Hmm - I must be having a "good" day; I cannot usually string a verbal or written sentence together.  Excuse the rambling and possible incoherence though...)

Love to all

xx

[humanbean in reply to DumbBlonde]

I know that I am a perfect candidate to be  diagnosed with almost any mental health disorder - but I also seem to be  regarded as a superhuman physical specimen as I simply could NOT have any kind of physical ailment.

I've often thought this about myself - that the doctors had decided that under no circumstances must I ever be found to be physically ill. And if they couldn't avoid finding a physical problem then it must be fixed, then brushed under the carpet and denied as quickly as possible. Clearly I was just an attention-seeking hypochondriac and those physical problems were just a blip which could be forgotten.

[DumbBlonde in reply to humanbean]

Well, I am certainly not happy to hear that it's only me...... (there's no correct way to say what I mean) It's horrifying really, isn't it?

Because, just WHAT are we meant to do - I have been reprimanded for so much as requesting copies of test results, having had it pointed out to me that "they" have had "12 years' training to be able to understand such matters" and in the course of the last few years, am sure that I have earned a reputation for myself that utterly overshadows the need for adequate, professional treatment. (I have also become somewhat paranoid, so there is that.....)

I now have an absolute anxiety attack (and I used to be so brave) at even the thought of needing to attend the Surgery - meanwhile, "languishing" in my present condition which in truth, feels like a slow descent into the grave.

I just do not know what we are (all) meant to do.

x

[humanbean in reply to DumbBlonde]

Make a "subject access request" and ask for a copy of your entire GP record, making it clear you want copies of everything, both on paper and stored on computer. It will cost £50 but you might find it worth it. I certainly did when I bought my own.

nhs.uk/chq/pages/1309.aspx?...

Rather than talk to anyone about it do the whole thing in writing and deliver the letter by hand, or alternatively post it by recorded or registered mail.

I know what you mean about the paranoia. I had/have that problem too.

[DumbBlonde in reply to humanbean]

Oh humanbean - I have already done that (it probably is connected with my "reputation" at the Surgery....).  The notes made (and continue to make) interesting reading -and prompted my initial complaint.

I did that if my own accord but involved Healthwatch after it turned out that the original letter of complaint had been opened by the Practice secretary and then "filed".  I established this by following up several months later.  I shan't go on at length about the whole complaint saga - but, as I said, it has been dragged out, in part by me because they asked that I go through my notes and highlight the comments (and "mistakes"), presenting them back to them in a list so that they could speak to each Dr in turn (as I said, probably 10 --- or more), who MIGHT then review it, or add a comment - but that I must bear in mind that the notes are a legal document that cannot be changed.  

But I doubted very much that their treatment (and perception of me) would change much - which is the whole blinkin' point....

Alongside this (and probably affected by it) I was requesting a procedure for which funding has to be gained though the Individual Funding Panel process.  The first GP (locum/trainee - or the other way around) handed it over to another "actual" GP, who certainly did NOT support my application and probably sabotaged it with lack of interest or full information and delays and procrastination/missing deadlines.  This has to be "complained about" separately and I have already had advice from the CCG about it - but am losing heart with it all..... as I said, today is very unusual in that I am actually interacting with the forum - something I have not felt  able to do for months.

I thought I had the support of Healthwatch again but even the woman I met with (not the original) had her head in her hands when I tried to go through it with her (exasperation with me rather than the situation, I fear), telling me that I should give up on it.  (And I do believe in choosing my battles wisely  - but there are certain things that we should NOT take lying down, even if that is all that we have the strength to do.....) Her colleague said that he might be able to help me, certainly with the procedure that requires funding - but then promptly went on sick leave  for what has seemed like forever.... [He did tell me that he had had/health problems.....so I understand, but it seems that wherever I (we) turn, there are more obstacles to get over.]

Another ramble - sorry.

x

[humanbean in reply to DumbBlonde]

Wow, you've really been put through the mill! And I think you are brave to make a complaint. They are all covering their own and other doctors' arses so much that we have little or no chances of getting anywhere, as far as I can tell.

I was lucky to find evidence in my GP notes that what I'd been telling them for years was actually true. They'd assumed I was exaggerating or just lying. I didn't complain, I decided it would do no good and would be too stressful for me to cope with. I copied the relevant letters and wrote a covering letter pointing out, ever so politely, that the information in my summary record didn't reflect what was in the letters, and in some cases was missed out altogether.

[DumbBlonde in reply to humanbean]

Hmm - just wrote a reply and lost it

(and I do have the Lazarus add-on, which usually works very well.....).

I am not as brave as I must seem; once upon a time maybe.  I really do wish it could be much MUCH simpler - or even, gollygoshgeewillikins, that there was no need to complain in the first place - how about that :o)   

I also really really hate that such "mistakes" (or whatever they might be termed) are made -  and that we are required to find them out or question them - and that our health is (professionally at least) in their hands.   After I saw the psychiatrist and he  - warily, it must be said - used the word "hypochondriac", I wanted to have a bit of a tantrum and say - "AM I NOT SUPPOSED TO CARE ABOUT MY OWN HEALTH?"

:o(

[Iphoenix in reply to humanbean]

Humanbean you must be my universal twin, everytime I have had an illness it was brushed under the carpet with no explanation! However, many times during my life I was put on anti-depressants to help me get over the feelings of frustration that the NHS have given me! I was once sent to see a psychiatrist so he could find a mental problem with me but bless his heart he did say nothing was wrong with my mind. Back to Square One but with the knowledge that my symptoms were real even though they could not be diagnosed and would not be treated.

[Glynisrose]

Doctors are paid to prescribe anti -depressants do not be intimidated by them.  They are there to ADVISE only , they cannot force you to do as they say.

[shaws Administrator]

I wish the Royal College of Physicians and the British Thyroid Foundation and the British Thyroid Association would have a Conference where the only invitees were people who aren't getting well on levothyroxine: are misdiagnosed:are Undiagnosed/underdosed due only to the TSH results.

Patients prescribed any other medications for the clinical symptoms but refused a trial of T3 to their levothyroxine and if they don't recover on that should be prescribed T3 only or NDT. 

It's no skin off their noses but most of the members on this forum remain unwell, discarded and thought of as psychotic.

I think the only people who really know what's going on (we are just not continuous moaners) are the patients: and their families: 

The one most important Criteria for selecting Senior Consultants is that they, or their family members, have to have a dysfunction of their Thyroid Gland and remain unwell on the standard levothyroxine.

(wishful thinking I know - but they definitely discard patients as troublemakers when patient is very frustrated that the person who they are relying on to solve their illhealth does not - but are able to recover by by-passing the NHS and join our forum and sourcing their own hormones. Something is very wrong - don't you think!)

[debbymcc60]

My mum was misdiagnosed with CJD we were told to put her in a hospice. 12 weeks later we were told it was Cerebral Vasculitis that would have been treatable. She had sudden onset dementia and rapid physical collapse. Needless to say getting any help 3 months later was too late to reverse it

[humanbean]

The link for the article mentioned in the original post is :

dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...

[margmitch in reply to humanbean]

Thankyou for uploading the article I wouldnt have known how to do that.

Its certainly got people talking . marg x