@sunbird24 I think I have hypoparathyroidism which a few relatives were diagnosed with late in life yet although I have symptoms - backed up by blood test results - can’t get anyone to take me seriously!
no investigations, just handed a pack of pills and told to crack on.
This is the experience of so many of us with gynae issues. I was the same, after around 2 years whatever pill I was on would stop being effective and whichever gp I had at the time would just put me on a different brand! Some switched brands on me without telling me purely out of THEIR personal preference this usually happened when I had a new gp due to moving house (army dependent).
still waiting to see a psychologist- presumably due to Covid restrictions. not necessarily covid, waiting lists for mh support were very long before covid
Perhaps though it's a case of if you have/close to someone who has a rare condition its seems obvious but actually it's not sorry but I think that’s excusing poor behaviour by so many primary care hcps
If a patient has a fairly good idea of what’s wrong - even if that’s from googling symptoms - then that should at least be considered.
I had a pretty good idea I had endo before dx from having come across some magazine articles where the symptoms matched almost perfectly and then from my OWN training as a nurse...and I was STILL ridiculed and dismissed and my symptoms put down to other causes. One gp even made a comment along the lines of all hcps should be banned from “bothering” their gps in their initial training phase.
Primary care hcps need to stop being dismissive of patients and actually listen.
I’d “self diagnosed” but couldn’t access suitable treatment around 10 years before I finally got official diagnosis. If I’d been listened to I’d have avoided:
Tons of time off work
2 mc
2 ovarian torsions
Countless gp appointments - not only trying to GET a dx but getting access to meds for symptoms which they refused to do by phone or on repeat prescription
Average 2-3 a&e admissions per year - I wonder how much THAT cost??
Injuries caused by fainting/dizziness
why aren't GPs referring to appropriate specialists. they’re “discouraged” from doing so in a variety of ways, financial disincentives, disciplinary consequences for “over referring” it’s a disgrace!!
@brownbreadicecream - that thread I started that I linked earlier I was shocked how many of those responding it was related to gall bladder disease! My own mum has that experience and I discussed with her after they cropped up on that thread. I didn’t know at the time (she hadn’t mentioned anything to me for ages of symptoms etc if she had I could possibly have pointed her in right direction) but she too had a hellish time getting a dx and then even after dx treatment. A big problem is women’s pain is minimised and dismissed, another is that gall bladder pain/symptoms often present differently (aka “atypically” but “typically” means “in a man’s body”) in women.
Our bodies aren’t only different in terms of gynae/hormones, because of our different reproductive systems and sizes organs, nerves etc aren’t in the same place/don’t work in the same way as in men’s bodies - common bloody sense you would THINK but apparently not:
I read somewhere (apologies if it was on here and I'm just regurgitating other people's words) that men are usually described as 'suffering' from something, while women are described as 'complaining' of something by doctors. wouldn’t surprise me at all
Iirc going back to that thread and the reading I did at that time and at times since it takes a female patient WITH THE SAME CONDITION 3-4 times as long to get a dx.
Again iirc I think there was at least one post on that thread where a woman and her husband had the same condition, same symptoms...and same dr and the husband was given meds to help with the symptoms and the woman expected to just cope.
I believe men are prescribed painkillers more easily and stronger ones too.
And medical misogyny is certainly not just Male drs, a lot of female drs are just as bad
Gps constantly say they don't have enough time/resources for patients, well if patients with chronic conditions weren't going undx and therefore having to repeatedly go BACK to gp surgeries to get help with symptoms/TRY to get a dx and instead got a correct dx and treatment plan that helped if not completely eliminated their symptoms then there'd be more appointments and resources available!
It's short sighted both in terms of patient suffering and in terms of finances/resources to continually mask conditions without achieving a dx.
Since getting a dx of endo I've only had one related a&e admission (medication for it I took a bad reaction to) and I barely need to bother gp about it now because I finally have one that listens, has some common sense about her and took the time to read the history including consultants recommendations.
That also bugs me - gps that "disagree" with and/or worse go against specialists advice!
They're the specialists! By definition they know better!
I've had to fight with gps to get certain treatments recommended by specialists because they think they know better!
