Doctor misdiagnosing me

[whatthecat]

So I've had asthma since I was a child get chest infections mostly once a year and a few weeks ago I went to the drs with all the symptoms of chest infection that had been going on for over a month and said it wasn't getting better and was affecting my asthma now. Dr listened to my chest for about 5 seconds said it sounded clear and said it was probably acid reflux casing my cough!? Never had this before so don't know why he just suddenly thought it would be this rather than my history of asthma/chest infections. He prescribed some tablets for acid reflux. I have since been to private docs who listened to my chest much more thoroughly and said I had decreased air intake in one lung and he could hear all the gunk in the bottom of the same lung and prescribed antibiotics and steroids to help with the asthma. AIBU to complain to my doctors surgery about them missing this? I know they get things wrong etc but I just think it's dangerous to miss things like this surely? Or maybe just leaving and finding another practice is easier than complaining 🤷🏻‍♀️

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

I wouldn't complain. Like you, I have really bad chest infections and occasionally I'll see a GP who will sa my chest sounds clear and there's no antibiotics.

I point out that the last time somebody said this I spent 8 days on hospital. They usually give me the antibiotics and if they don't, I just see a different GP the bed day, by which point I'm usually going a bit blue

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

*next day

[RedLemonade]

I’d ask to speak to the original doc. Reflux can cause a harsh dry cough and the chest will usually be clear when examined. It’s a differential that’s worth treating if you’ve got a cough, clear chest, and a history of asthma-type cough that hasn’t responded to inhalers/steroids etc.

Also not trying to just blindly defend the first doc, but chest findings can come on quite rapidly sometimes. I’ve listened to a clear chest one day and then found definite signs of infection just a day or two later.

But you’re right, clearly you didn’t feel you were properly examined or treated the first time so you need to give feedback. I’d much rather hear from a patient they were unhappy and maybe get the chance to apologise/explain/learn from it, than have them leave without explanation.

Hope you feel better soon!

[Cornettoninja]

Acid reflux and coughing is a reasonable diagnosis and most definitely a ‘thing’.

I think we’re all guilty of forgetting that despite living in a world full of advanced technology medical diagnosis is more often than not an unexact science and doctors can only work with the facts they have in front of them. Imho it’s no bad thing that the GP didn’t automatically jump to a conclusion based on previous problems if what they were seeing didn’t fit. Jamming square pegs into round holes is laziness and that’s not what this doctor did.

As a previous poster said, symptoms develop/change. You’ve no evidence to say the original GP wouldn’t have picked up what the private one did if you’d gone back and seen them at the same point. I think you would be unreasonable to complain personally.

[tadpole39]

Why are we assuming the second doctor is correct? Clearly this is what the op wanted to hear, and private doctors like to please their patients. Unnecessary antibiotics are also a thing.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Why are we assuming the second doctor is correct? I did assume and possibly incorrectly. I assumed the OP had taken the medication for the acid reflux and it hadn't worked.

[hazell42]

Why didnt you say, I'm not sure that's correct. Given my previous history, I think it is...
You are allowed to contribute to the discussion you know