To complain about my G.P.?

[growinglavender]

Would I be unreasonable to put in a complaint?

I have gained five stone over the last two years, going from a healthy 10 stone to just over 15. I look shocking and it's had a hugely detrimental impact on me.

I went to the G.P. when I was at breaking point with everything and I made it clear my weight gain was very upsetting for me.

She prescribed medication (anti depressants) which is apparently also prescribed for people and animals to GAIN weight!

I am wondering if I should put a complaint in, but I don't know how and would I be the surgery equivalent of "that parent" at school?

Rather than complain I would just go back to the GP and ask them about the prescribed medication and explain your fear about them.

Which anti depressant did she prescribe , a lot can cause weight gain as a side effect ? I don't think I would go as far as to complain but you could request to speak to her again to clarify why she's prescribed it , in view of the fact it night not help your weight . Did she suggest anything else e.g. talking therapy , blood tests in case there's a reason (e.g. thyroid)?

Can you see a different GP?

I'd focus on getting it sorted out. Go back and say that's not what you were looking for. (Do you have an idea of what would be helpful?)

Have you actually talked to your GP yet?
What did they suggest? Have they offered any other help, besides the pills?
You would be very unreasonable if you don't give the GP a chance to fix it first.

They prescribe anti-depressants if you are depressed. Have you been googling and got confused and annoyed?
Who would you complain to? Saying what? "My GP prescribed me anti depressants when I said I was depressed?"
How do you think that is going to go?

You seem a bit trigger happy on the complaint front. 😐

I'd book another appointment to discuss my concerns first, either with her or another GP.

So much weight gain in such a short time does suggest an underlying cause if there has been no radical change in your diet or lifestyle. If that is the case, I would go back and push for investigations.

Do you have any other signs or symptoms?

This happened to me (three stone in two years) and the underlying cause for me was an underactive thyroid. As soon as that was sorted, the weight came off again.

Don’t allow yourself to be fobbed off.

FFS, just go and speak to your GP about it. Weight gain is a possibility with some anti-depressants, as is weight loss.

You're focusing on the wrong thing here - sounds like you're angry at yourself for the weight gain but are looking for someone else to be angry at instead

Go back to your GP and talk about your depression.

What are your plans to lose the weight ? Do you know why you have gained so much in a short time ?

You would be very unreasonable to put it in a complaint. Go back to your GP and discuss your concerns. Maybe consider joining SW or weightwatchers to help with diet?

Maybe ho back andsee a different GP. Ours all have very different attitudes. Newly qualified is generally good if you want things investigated as they will do everything by the book.

Thanks for your replies.

The weight gain is through binge eating (I know I should stop but I find it so hard) and she did ask if I wanted counselling but I said no as I have had it in the past and didn't find it very helpful.

She did refer me for blood tests. The primary reason I went was due to insomnia but this was all muddled in with depression and weight gain as when my mood is low I am more likely to binge.

So I understand why she prescribed them but at the same time I do think when someone is clearly saying that they gained weight and this has upset them to then prescribe medication that causes weight gain is a bit ridiculous and it suggests to me she wasn't listening which is consistent with how she was throughout the appointment (talking over me, interrupting me and so on.)

It may cause weight gain. It may cause weight loss. It may help you to stop binge eating and that will cause weight loss.

You're being silly.

No, I don't think I am being silly - I have been told elsewhere on here my prescribed medication is also prescribed to humans and animals needing to gain weight

But if depression is the cause of your weight gain then surely it is better to address that first? Weight gain is a symptom not the condition in itself. If you treat the depression then the binge eating stops and you are more likely to be physically active. This will help you lose weight in itself.

I'm not sure dc I don't know if I'm depressed because of weight gain or gained weight because I'm depressed and I think it's somewhere between the two. Those tablets certainly don't make me physically active - they knocked me out!

I wouldn't complain no. Many antidepressants have this side effect. Make another appointment and ask if they can change them.

I don't know if I'm depressed because of weight gain or gained weight because I'm depressed and I think it's somewhere between the two.

The binge eating would certainly suggest something is off kilter emotionally/psychologically.

They can cause weight gain - I was on anti-depressants for 18 months and my weight remained stable. You don't know that they will make you gain weight unless you try them.

I think it's worth trying the medication for six months and trying to get CBT. See how you feel and what your weight is like after that period and then re-consider. Don't dismiss a treatment just because it could cause problems - anti-depressants changed my life and they could do the same for you.

Not everyone suffers or has a side effect from the medication. The company has to list all possible side effects to cover themselves. If you find you are increasingly hungry when taking them, it is a side effect and as such you should revisit your gp to discuss changing that particular medication.

Antidepressants aren't prescribed to make people gain weight they're to assist with extremely low mood and in some cases anxieties.

Hope that helps.

You're not being silly if it's something like mirtazapine. That seems to be the GP drug of choice at the moment. My doctor prescribed it for insomnia and depression a couple of years ago without mentioning the well known side effect of craving carbs and I put on a stone before I researched it. The thing is, I have diabetes t2 and he knows this! I have to be very careful about what I eat and especially carbs... So had to stop it. Then he prescribed it for my son this year, who is already very overweight and had recently managed to lose quite a lot. So that's all back on now :(

I have been told elsewhere on here my prescribed medication is also prescribed to humans and animals needing to gain weight

Told by who? Because that sounds highly unlikely to be true. Don't believe anything everything you read on the internet.
What is the medication and we can tell you.

I've always done it tbh Very - since I was a teenager probably. But I didn't gain weight when I was younger partly because I was more active and partly because I used to do it on more of a cyclical routine almost - so binge Monday, eat very little Tuesday and Wednesday, binge Thursday - so I suppose it all evened out. Also, I used to purge which is a bit gross really.

Caffeine, I still think prescribing medication that specifically causes weight gain to somebody so clearly struggling with their weight is unwise and misguided at best.