Aibu to expect to expect medical advice from my GP 2 weeks after giving birth

[Shellywelly1973]

I gave birth 3 weeks ago. Days before I got my bfp I was diagnosed as having an underactive thyroid.

I was treated by an endocrinologist during the pregnancy. She tripled my medication & the pregnancy was straight forward & thankfully uneventful.

Last week I started to feel unwell. Sweating. Heart racing. Palpitations. Anxious & intensely irritated. I called my GP to organise blood tests to see if the problems were related to my thyroid or the medication I'm prescribed.

I phoned every morning last week. There were no appointments available. The receptionist suggested I called at 6am! So i asked if a message could be passed to the gp & blood test forms could be left at reception. Each day i called to be told i couldn't have an appoointment& the gp hadn't Eventually responded to my message. By Friday I asked to speak to the practice manager & suddenly an appointment became available for tomorrow.

I've reduced my medicine as i felt so awful. Aibu in thinking any women requesting medical advice 2 weeks after giving birth shouldn't be ignored by her gp & especially if there are pre existing medical conditions.

Sorry that reads as the gp eventually responded...but actually the gp has not responded to 3 messages i left last week.

Did you tell them you had just given birth? If so the yanbu but if you were that concerned would a&e not be a better option?

Yes i told the receptionist i had just given birth.

As it's not a medical emergency it never occurred to me to go to A&E!

Given your comments about how you felt I would be going to a&e or at least contacting the out of hours doctors

YANBU complain

As a GP I'm sometimes embarrassed at the behaviour of other GPs. You would not be unreasonable to make a formal written complaint addressed the practice manager or senior partner.

That's awful. YANBU to have expected better treatment - they should have been on top of that. I'm a little surprised that the endocrinologist didn't follow up with you post-birth as well.

Do please do what divegirl said. It's worthy of a complaint.

The endocrinologist will be following the OP up, thumbwitch, at about six weeks as is perfectly appropriate.

It often annoys me that people around here just see A&E as some sort of second opinion when they can't see their GP, but in you case, 2 weeks post partum, sweating, palpitations, that is an emergency definitely to be seen that day. Please get seen by someone today even if your own GP won't see you.

Do you have a walk in centre nearby? Our local one is fantastic, but the wait can be long so make sure you have everything you need for LO and drink/snacks for yourself.

I'm underactive and pregnant too OP, and my endocrinologist told me it's possible to have a relapse after birth. I hope you get to have your bloods done soon. It's not really acceptable.

OK Dino, I wouldn't have known that. The only specialist I needed during my pg was the haematologist and I needed to see her straight after the birth to switch from clexane to warfarin.

A&E and out of hours GP would both be inappropriate, neither have your full records and would be very difficult for them to sort you out. This is something your GP should have seen you about promptly or at least followed your v sensible suggestion of arranging blood test. YANBU and putting in formal complaint would also NBU. hope you feel better soon.

as you are under a consultant surely it would make more sense to contact them for advice?

That is true OP. I phone the endo specialist nurses at my clinic who can speak directly to the consultant. You can do this, or phone their secretary. My GP just follows whatever my endocrinologist advises.

That was to Sirzy.

Actually my last results was in the next day.

I have an under active thyroid and was told to go back to pre pregnancy dose immediately after birth. The symptoms were because you were over medicated. Tbh I think the endocrinologist who tripled your dose was negligent not to tell you to reduce it post delivery, and you should have attempted to speak to them rather than GP. That being said you should have had emergency appointment the first time you called.

Agree with divegirl. Complain. Our practice manager was trying to get advice from her GP and spoke to the practice manager who she knows who said that their GPs quite frequently didn't reply back to patients. I was astounded. We reply that morning or afternoon.

foreveronadiet, as you are not an endocrinologist, can I suggest not offering dogmatic medical advice. Often the pregnancy thyroxine dose is continued for 3-6 weeks after birth before reducing it. It depends on the patient, their history, and the blood results. Their actions were not necessarily "negligent".

Thanks. I only seen an endocrinologist once, when I was pregnant. I only seen the endocrinologist because I was pregnant& it was through my obstetric consultant. I've been discharged from Maternity Services & they said I should go to my GP. I was not offered a post natel appointment.

I was told my GP would take over my care after I had given birth. I was told not to reduce me meds until I seen my GP...

I went to the surgery this morning & got a blood test form & I went straight to my local hospital to have blood tests.

I will be putting a formal complaint in & I am now looking for a new GP. I rarely go to see a GP. It's often been 4 or 5 years between visits! It's best if I find another practice that I feel more confident in.

Thank you for all your replies.

Goodness that's shocking! Have you seen a midwife or HV from the practise? Could be worth a phone call to them to help you by-pass the obviously terrible appointments system?

While I absolutely agree you need to find a new practice, that may take some time for you to sort out and I think you need to be seen by a GP (as well as having the bloods done) very soon.

I'm Hashimoto's, and was also told to go back to pre-pregnancy dose after my most recent pregnancy. It's disgraceful that you don't get a follow-up with the endo. Maybe things are different, but I'm in America and only see an endocrinologist for my thyroid check-ups.

You need to get a follow up from the endo team! They should not be discharging you!

I wouldn't have taken no as an answer and demanded an appt.
Maybe you didnt convey to the receptionist how urgent it was. they are not medically trained, they get lots of stick from people wanting to see a doctor.

Its your job to say, look, I am very unwell and I need to see a doctor. Go in, contact your MW.

Two weeks after birth maybe even go back to the hospital.

Our health care is in utter crisis, I think we all know this now from staffs, and failing trust after failing trust, its up to you to take care into your own hands.