To think my GP was a bit presumptive?

[higamoushogamous]

I had an appointment with my GP this week to get a new HRT prescription.
Since I saw her last (no excuses, my entire fault) I?ve put on a bit of weight and not been going to the gym or running as much as I used to. I was pretty stressed out by the time I got to see her as the time of the appointment should have allowed enough leeway for me to get to work on time, but I was late being seen and I could not use my mobile in the surgery to contact work to let them know I would be a bit late.

My blood pressure is usually towards the top end of normal, but it was a bit above that. She said ?your blood pressure is a bit high? ? didn?t even give me the figure until I asked. And then said ?I?m going to have to give you a pill? WTF!!!

Fortunately I work in a healthcare related field so I began to ask her about losing some weight and resuming exercise. Would she really have put me on ?a pill? without any discussion about what it was, possible side effects and whether this was the best course of action? When I mentioned about losing weight she said ?do you know what to do, would you like to see the nurse about it??

The surgery has a basket of drug packets on the reception desk pointing out that they were unused prescriptions and cost the NHS over £700 AIBU to have fleetingly thought about taking the damned pills, shoving the packets in the basket and going elsewhere?

In GPs defence it's probably easier to get people to take a pill than to change their lifestyle. But totally understand why you feel frustrated.

I visited one last year and she asked me if I had a pain in my "tummy"

redexpat! Seriously? In my job, it'd be a lot easier to put the same mark on all my students' essays without reading them, but, you know, it's my job.

Can't believe anyone thinks it is reasonable to give someone medicine without actually advising them how they make changes themselves.

yy hidden I had urology registrar recently talk to me about 'number one' and 'number two' - for 2 seconds, I honestly had no idea what she meant

OP YANBU.

However I think redexpat has a point. My MIL is overweight and has high blood pressure. She was outraged a couple of years ago when a doctor said she was obese suggested that she lost weight and did some exercise to help lower her blood pressure because they are there to prescribe medicine, not lecture people on how they live their lives.

But as the OP has stated, her BP has been for a long time the top end of normal, she's put weight on, it's now high enough to warrant medication, what's the GP to do in the 6mins per patient they're allocated? Surely dealing with the here and now is better than waiting to see if she actually manages to lose the weight and in the meantime hope she doesnt have a stroke or heart attack.

The problem is that bp medication tends to be for life, and there are advantages and disadvantages to the different types available. I would have expected her to point out that I ought to consider medication, outline the alternatives, indicate what medication she had in mind. If she did not have sufficient time then she really should have asked me to make a longer appointment another day.

OP you're right - my mum was 'put on' bp meds at 62 and must now them till she dies. they are not side-effect free!

Hiddenhome - what's wrong with "tummy"? As long as you both know what it means.

FWIW, I've been on bp meds (ramipril) for the better part of a year. I've had high readings off and on for a decade (and doctors in the past who would just wave it off as "white coat syndrome," "pregnancy induced," etc etc) and was finally happy to start getting some treatment by my GP who made a decision to put me on medication.

I expect to be on the meds for life despite leading a fairly active lifestyle (am a couple stones overweight though) Being put on bp meds is not a death sentence---quite the opposite, actually.

And there's as many people on here furious becuase their GP has dared to mention their weight.

YABU

I think she should of at least explored you having a 24hr study .. I took part ina study last year to compare 24hr study as opposed to a 30 day study so I dont know which one is currently consider the 'standard'