Gp not taking me seriously because I have anxiety

[Bobbyandme]

So upset right now. I've been suffering with on and off anemia for months. I've been weak and exhausted. My periods have been painful. I had a particularly bad one that made my eyes blurry and I've had four days in the house with a headache and weakness. Palpatations etc. Ofcourse it makes me worry. I'm a parent and when I'm down it affects my husband's work and my child needs to get to school etc.

So after my family expressed their worries when I cried yesterday I called the drs. I told her I do get anxious because I've had alot of worries about being able to function for my kids. I told her I'm worried because since February when my iron was down to 6 I've felt rubbish. I've tried the mini pill and bled and bled. I tried transexamic acid and it did nothing. I tried microgynon and it made me nauseous and low moods. She told me she would refer me but today she suddenly remember any of that. She ignored me telling her my ovary has been hurting for weeks. I told her I'm bed bound on period days.

Her only solution was join the waiting list for steps to change. Or have a hormonal coil put it that can cause bleeds for six months. No matter how hard i tried to tell her my anxiety is from my anemia and bad periods. She wouldn't believe me.

I am anxious because my periods ruin my life. I am always weak and in pain.

I'm really upset as now I feel there's no help for me. What do I do? I desperately need them to take me seriously. It's gotten to the point where we've discussed taking DD out of school until I'm better as oh job is 90 miles away. He works from home the best he can. But sometimes this isn't an option. On top of everything else I want a life again.

I’m unsure how much of this is an anxiety issue and how much a physical health one.
Have you sought and accepted help for the anxiety?
Are you still anaemic?
Trying one medication for a couple of weeks isn’t enough.
Of course they’re not going to offer surgery or blood transfusions unless you’ve tried less invasive things first.

I’m sorry you’re feeling so terrible but you can’t take your child out of school just because you’re struggling with your periods. It’s not fair on your child. All clinics were postponed whilst Covid was on so that’s probably why you’ve not heard anything. It sounds like you need to see a gynaecologist. Have you finished having your children. I found a hysterectomy really stopped all my issues around horrendously heavy periods, fibroids etc. Obviously it’s a serious and non reversible step but I felt like it gave me my quality of life back. Hope you get sorted.

You sound too young but another possibility could be early perimenopause. A few posts ago I mentioned my own issues around my period, when I have similar symptoms to you plus crushing anxiety.

Is your anxiety mainly at the time of your period? Or is it consistent across the month?

Did they rule out fibroids.,you said you had been for a scan?

I've been where you are with the heavy bleeding and in my experience they will not refer you to gynae until you have tried all the options your GP can offer you (having seen the waiting times at gynae I can understand this as for many women the pill or coil will solve their issues). Even going privately for treatment I needed a GP referral letter, although they might be more willing to do this if you're paying and not using the NHS. I do fear that the coil is seen as a miracle solution and for many people it won't be (didn't work for me at all) but you will find it very hard to get anywhere without trying it.
Did the ultrasound show up anything?

I have horrendous period pain and can be in bed for 3 days. I am also anemic due to heavy periods and am constantly tired. I have had a scan and have two fibroids. I am having a biopsy/womb thickness test and coil fitted this week. My gp listened and booked it straightaway. You need to change Drs as you need to be.listened to! I also have IBS (both kinds) but deal with it ony own after past gps didn't help me even though I would soil myself. I wish you luck OP x

There have been plenty of posts on here over the years from women who had a difficult time getting their coil removed, either no appointments or being told they needed to wait a few months before it would be considered. I would also never have a coil for this reason.

Why are women on this post not respecting the OP’s decision, based on her experience, not to use hormones?

Probably because she has no experience of the coil.

Probably because, for some of us, it has been truly life-changing. I've got four days each month of my life back - on day one I couldn't leave the house/loo for more than 40 minutes without flooding and 'liver lumps' falling out of me. I've got tons more energy, don't feel weak and shaky with a need to recover for a week and no longer need to keep up energy levels with caffeine and sugar. I've lost weight, I can plan days out, holiday when I want to and even go to a friends for coffee whenever I want to - lifechanging.

I'd read stuff too, but decided that the doctors had read more than me and had even done study and exams and worked for 30 years so probably knew more than me - so I listened and got the coil and my life back.

@ShastaBeast

Outright ask for a referral to a gynaecologist. If she refuses ask another GP to refer. It doesn’t matter if you have or haven’t got anxiety. You have blood tests and a lot of bleeding. It’s not like it’s pain she can see or test for (I suffer with chronic pain before anyone starts).

If you can afford it and are desperate you can go private. Find a consultant who works in a hospital as they can transfer you back to the nhs for tests or treatment (I’ve done this a few times - the NHS is only as good as the individual HCPs are and some are rubbish sadly and often to women).

This.... I have been to GP and asked them after doing the research with private consultants to refer me. It is a ballache because I cannot go directly private need a referral letter from GP. My GP apologised, my friend a GP said it is so rationed in Wales and GPs get slapped financially for over referring. I have done this twice around £200 for a private consult, you can then with solid evidence get referred back to NHS who have to do something.

Of course your anxiety is caused by ill health.

@dreamingbohemian

There have been plenty of posts on here over the years from women who had a difficult time getting their coil removed, either no appointments or being told they needed to wait a few months before it would be considered. I would also never have a coil for this reason.

My DIL was on 6 months waiting list to get coil removed with covid coming along she is still waiting nearly a year later.

OP I think the problem is she’s making suggestions about what could help—things like the coil, that are not super intrusive and that are the first step—but you’re getting upset that she’s not talking blood transfusions and surgical options? No doctor will give you the extreme option until you have exhausted all the basic treatments. You have every right to reject them, but can’t then question why you are not a suitable candidate for something more extreme.

How long have you tried the treatments you listed for? The uncomfortable fact about anything hormonal, bloods etc like this is that often when you try a treament, you’ll go through a period of feeling worse before they feel better—e.g. the pill does exactly that (made huge positive changes for me over maybe 3 months, first 2 months were hell).

Also unfortunately in this area there aren’t any treatments that don’t have side effects, they all do and they all affect people differently you. Some people find the cool life changing, others don’t click with it at all.

I wish it was as simple as her just giving you the thing you need, it’s not. All the tests, etc often don’t do much good in the short or medium term, as often the treatments are the same anyway. And you’re already rejecting many do the treament options out of hand.

You mentioned the GP said your iron levels were low end of the normal range. Your symptoms won't be caused by anaemia if your levels are normal even if it's low end of normal. A haematoligist can't help you with an iron deficiency that you don't have. Blood transfusions carry large risks and will not be given to someone unless they actually really need it. Even people with lower than normal iron. They have to be off the chart low.

The GP isn't witholding a cure all treatment. Medicine isn't magic. We can only prescribe the drugs that are available, which it sounds like your GP has done.

Honestly if I sent a referral off to haematology with your situation and normal bloods I would get a rude letter back rejecting it.

I still recommend going to another GP if you feel like she really has missed something, but she doesn't sound like she hasn't taken you seriously.

In my area I can contact them direct.
Hopefully you'll get it sorted soon!♥️

@Bobbyandme

Are you blood related to anyone Greek/Mediterranean? Or black African? Just wondering if you might need a test for thallasaemia trait (Mediterranean folk - sickle cell for black African although i don’t know if there is a trait so to speak). I have it, it doesn’t affect me too badly but it does mean you’ll find it hard to top off your iron deposits. Your body won’t absorb it from tablets or liquid.

Having said that, you need to try the options given to you. Have the mirena, with a planned follow up appointment and the option to remove. Removal takes seconds, honestly. Have a blood test, because I don’t think you have since early in the year. I would also consider anti-anxiety medication because it seems like you’re completely overwrought.

It does sound like migraine, op. That is pretty grim (used to have them when I had periods); you really have to lie down in a darkened room if you can. Some painkillers are better than others - Solpadeine Max for example. There are prescription meds but personally I wouldn't touch them.

I see above that you had no luck with hormones so assume you are not on the pill; I had regular migraine when I was menstruated and always monthly on the pill; for the short while I took HRT, almost weekly! Best to do without artificial hormones if you can.

There are guided meditations for control of pain and other symptoms on youtube. They are not 'woo' and worth trying. I have found them helpful.

All the very best.

Should read 'when I menstruated' not 'when I was menstruated'.

sorry you’re going through this. It does sound as if your GP is offering good potential solutions to your problem, and going by the treatment which would cause the least amount of harm (no Dr in this country who wants to keep their license will just give you a blood transfusion as first line for anaemia - there are serious potential risks of receiving someone else’s blood, and as pp said you have to have quite significant anaemia before this is considered as an option).
The gynae team will also offer you a mirena in this situation (from the information you have given), so don’t feel that they will dive in and start doing unusual things that the GP can’t offer - it’s completely your choice to reject it, but in the context of wanting a blood transfusion/surgery(!) i would seriously consider how much you have thought about pros/cons of each treatment.
Sadly being a women is terrible sometimes, and hormones have a lot to answer for.
I hope you find something which helps you x

OP I have re-read and am still not sure: have you ever been diagnosed with anaemia, and have you ever been given prospection level treament for it?

Because you say your iron is at the lower level of normal, and therefore your doctor is not interested in working on it? If your iron level is within normal then she wouldn’t really consider there to be any medical need for you to change it surely?

It sounds like there are a couple of separate issues going on:
(A): bloods: as far as I can see never diagnosed anaemic, iron within normal. So no issue as far as duct is concerned
(B): periods/hormonal: OP has tried hormonal treatments for shortish periods, doctor is recommending new treatments and OP is refusing them
(C): anxiety: OP is discussing removing children from school due to her health issues, and is demanding invasive treatments while rejecting those offered by GP.

OP if you don’t trust your doctor do get a edicts opinion, but it sounds like you should be following medical advice on (b) and talking to doctor primarily about (c).

An osteopath will sort out your neck. I went 3 times and found it a great help. It wasn't overly expensive either.

Hi OP, I have a similar thread on here and am going through the same. A few weeks ago I was told to call the sexual health clinic to have a coil fitted (as I have tried everything else), the sexual health clinic tried to tell me I had PID and a sexually transmitted infection was possibly the cause, they pumped me full of antibiotics whilst I waited for swab results. I told them I can’t have a STI as I haven’t had sex for ages, tried telling them that my symptoms (heavy periods, prolonged bleeding) have been going in for several years. Of course my test results came back clear and despite the antibiotics I still have all the symptoms I had before so I am back to square one of not knowing what’s wrong and the GP refusing to refer me until I try the coil 😡.

I also suffer with anxiety and this has caused my anxiety to worsen, I hate feeling tired all the time as I’m usually quite a healthy energetic person. At the moment the anaemia is making me exhausted within a hour of getting up in the morning.

I hope you manage to get somewhere, keep pushing your GP and get them to investigate the cause.

It is a ballache because I cannot go directly private need a referral letter from GP . @justasking111 I'm a bit confused by your post because you said you needed a referral for a private appt yet got one anyway?

FWIW and for other women reading, there are many excellent consultants who do not need a referral letter. I contacted my gynaecologist directly via his PA and made an appt. This is now becoming the norm.

Op, sorry if i have this wrong but have you posted about this recently ? A poster had similar issues with periods and iron but also had also been extremely anxious and depressed during and since Feb/lockdown? The GP in that case recommended antidepressants . The OP felt on balance that they were struggling with their mental health but did not want to take the medication.

Do you think that maybe your GP may feel your issues could be more centred around your anxiety , following your earlier and i initial round of tests?

I agree with PP's, i don't think taking your daughter out of sch would be beneficial. What specifically about feeling ill on the sch run is making you anxious?

@MsEllany OP does not have abnormal blood results. Thalassaemia is a microcytic anaemia and would show a low MCV which the OP does not have. MCV is tested in the same blood test as iron, which the GP has tested, so the GP would pick up on an abnormal result.

I get it op.

I've got gyne issues and I'm finally on the waiting list for a consultant. I've got heavy bleeding and I have very short cycles which means I have lots of periods and I'm now anaemic. I was put on the mini pill 2 years ago but after bleeding constantly for 9months I gave up (in spite of being told several times to just let it settle - clearly it wasn't).

I've also refused the coil. It's the same hormone, no way and I willing to try it when I've had months of misery with the minipill. And like you say it's not like it can easily be removed. It seems to be very marmite- some people it can be a game changer and some people never get on with it and have major issues.

What I want is for someone to diagnose the actual cause of my issues and treat appropriately, not just trial and error with contraception. It's a miserable existence, it's no wonder you are anxious!

Or have a hormonal coil put it that can cause bleeds for six months

The way you have worded this @Bobbyandme suggests you either don't fully understand how it works or you misheard her?

The Mirena gradually releases progesterone which gradually thins the womb lining over several months, so that in time many women do not bleed at all each month.

It can take a few months for it to work fully but that is not the same as saying it causes bleeding for 6 months. If someone bleeds with it, that's their normal flow, it's not the Mirena causing it.