Some people get further with a GP than others?

[Grubsmummy]

Everytime I go to the gp I get sent away with nothing, no medication or referalls. I am not a hypochondriac, I do not visit the gp very often.

Few examples, my mil went to gp with achilles pain, she got physio and injections in it. Fixed.
I suffer the same so visited the same gp who said it'll go on its own. It hadn't this was nearly 12 months ago. I'm in agony some days and can't walk.

My periods have become irregular and heavy, so visited gp to ask for blood tests, thinking possible hormonal imbalance. Sent away with nothing. It's age related (I'm 34?)
My friend had exact same symptoms as me and has just had a hysterectomy.

Ive also been with breast pain, again sent away, no referral. My SIL went with breast pain and was referred to breast clinic where they found a cyst that couldn't be felt growing around nerves causing the pain.

My son age 7 had digestive problems. Took him to doctors, sent away! Going back today to demand further investigation.

Now please believe me Im happy that I hopefully have nothing wrong and I sound abit silly posting this but why do some people get referred for the smallest of things and others have to beg? Is it how I come across? Not pushy enough? My mil is an absolute hypochondriac who's in better health than all of us put together yet is at hospital appointments every few days.

You have to be assertive and tell them what you want. They normally take me seriously because I make sure they do.

But I'm polite with it. I just won't be fobbed off.

Trying to even get an appointment is proving difficult. I rang yesterday to be told I'd have to wait until March, my partner also rang yesterday and got an appointment tomorrow night

Same here. Just had a CT scan for a swollen collarbone. But I've had to go in four times before it was offered. Having had the pain now since July I will definitely be a lot more forceful when treatment is offered.

I ask for what I want (e.g. “please refer me to a urogynaecologist even though you don’t think I have a bladder prolapse. I’m happy for you to say in your referral that you don’t think I’ve got one and I just need reassurance for my mental health, but I do want the referral. I’d like to see [name] who the midwife recommended and who does a clinic here.”)

DH is really good at this. He's male, white, upper middle class and educated (which all means he's much more likely to get his concerns listened to, unfair but true), is completely unthreatening and non-emotional (talks calmly, quietly and slowly, pauses to considers what the 'expert' says before asking the next question) but like a terrier when he wants something done (keep saying 'could you explain that again', 'is there anything else it could be', 'what would the next steps be', 'what would be the trigger for that', 'is it possible to get a second opinion', 'when can I next get an appointment'). The other good trick is to stay silent after asking a question and give people time to answer, most people hate a silence and will fill it.

Polite but firm. Research in advance what it could be. Have an idea of least and most likely cause and the treatment plan you ideally want to walk out with. Present relevant family history (your mum having a similar condition shows a possible hereditary weakness for example.) Question the decision. Insist on booking a follow-up appointment if you are not convinced.

GPs have such a short amount of time for each patient that they usually don't have time to read patient histories or do tests for various things it could be, they just present the most likely cause. If you don't disagree or present something more likely, that's what they will go with.

I have to get someone to come in with me or I just get fobbed off.

Unless I'm there for someone else (eg. The kids) in which case they listen to every word

In my experience, bringing someone else is the gold standard if you're not very good at sticking up for yourself.

If nothing else, you get an external opinion about how it went, which for me can be completely different to my internal experience.

Change GP??

I completely agree with @BeanTownNancy

I always was sent away too, I’m pregnant at the moment and suffering with a lot of pregnancy related symptoms. It wasn’t until the GP was abit funny with me it slightly got my back up and I explained my history along with my families and insisted she looked on my record - she changed her tune read up on my file, provided me with two prescriptions and gave me loads of useful advice. If I didn’t challenge her, I’d of had to accept that she can’t do anything as I’m pregnant! I’m 100% fine now. It really is about being polite, firm & prepared - you’ll be taken much more seriously.

I think it's possible that in the first instance it is usually a fob off.
We got badly fobbed off over dd with ear infections she was seriously ill for weeks on end with a high fever and neither gp or even hospital would do anything and the paracetamol and ibuprofen didnt really affect it. Finally a different gp looked and found the burst ear drums and swelling gave AB and bam fine again.
I would say it's given me a lot of anxiety about the kids health. And it's hard to not get put off seeking help as it is very stressful especially when you disagree with them.
I dont know why gps listen to men more after all they get man flu!