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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Have we been cleverly fobbed off by Christian g.p g.p?

113 replies

Drinkwinewithme · 31/12/2021 20:29

Ran dd15 physical symptoms by G.p . She said bring in dd to have e.c.g and that she thought she could have p.o.ts syndrome.
ECG was fine, blood pressure low on standing but nothing to worry about..But she also said that we were to look up somatic. Is this the same then as hypochondria, if so why not just say! How do I cure the somatic ?

I asked if she had pots, should she have tilt test ? She said no as she was not passing out. So I'm confused. A.i.b.u being confused ?
Also above g.p's head, a framed Bible poster saying that those who believe in Jesus will see their health soar (like eagles wings). So belief will make her well? I'm sure there was some mention of once she has this diagnosis, she won't have to knock on medical doors (well what if she does need to consult, what is this about ?!) .

OP posts:
PermanentlyDizzy · 01/01/2022 12:26

@RockinHorseShit, so sorry you have been through the wringer with it all too. I was diagnosed in my 40s. I was under neurology for well over a decade and told I had every thing from MS, to Lupus, to epilepsy, before they finally said ‘it’s probably CFS and Fibro, but we don’t do those’ and then left to fend for myself. Shock [anger]. My GP at the time told me it was anxiety and I just needed to go for a walk in the fresh air! Angry

When I went to the GP and suggested I may have PoTS, first response was ‘what’s that’ then ‘oh, well you couldn’t possibly have that, it’s extremely rare’. I insisted on a stand test, which they did very badly, but thankfully still showed I clearly met the criteria. They then agreed to do a private referral for me and I was diagnosed first via a properly executed active stand, then a TTT.

I’m now having fun with the menopause badly affecting my PoTS. Incidentally, I was also told I would be miraculously cured by the menopause, whereas my new specialist admitted they don’t know what will happen, because no studies have been done on menopausal women who have PoTS and the earliest diagnosed cases from the 90s are only just starting to go through the menopause now. They also said they are seeing a few cases like mine, where the PoTS goes haywire throughout perimenopause though.

My son was seen twice by Community Paeds in infant and junior school, but left with no clear diagnosis. At 13, despite multiple atraumatic dislocations, the paediatric Rheumatologist wouldn’t even diagnose JHS’, but thankfully other doctors in the same hospital disagreed and diagnosed HSD under the new criteria. He was referred to adult Rheumatology by his PoTS specialist when he turned 16 and they easily diagnosed hEDS based on the 2017 criteria. I haven’t bothered getting a diagnosis for myself, as I doubt it will benefit me treatment wise. If my younger dc’s hypermobility gets bad enough for a diagnosis they already have ds as a first degree relative, although my dm was diagnosed when ds was first assessed, but they were not interested in a clear family history. My PoTs specialist is nagging me to accept a Rheumatology referral, but it would be a historic diagnosis at this point, as my joints are now painful and stiff and I can’t face another battle if it isn’t going to benefit me treatment wise.

Funnylittlefloozie · 01/01/2022 12:36

The poster is a red herring. What is the difference between a poster on the wall and a turban on the GP's own head? If the poster had a quotation from the Buddha, or from the Dalai Lama, would you worry equally?

Whatever is up with your daughter, I hope you and she get some answers soon.

Beautiful3 · 01/01/2022 12:50

She's told you her diagnosis. She cannot find a reason/cause for these symptoms. All Doctor's are allowed a faith. Her faith is not stopping her from performing her job.

saraclara · 01/01/2022 13:05

@Funnylittlefloozie

The poster is a red herring. What is the difference between a poster on the wall and a turban on the GP's own head? If the poster had a quotation from the Buddha, or from the Dalai Lama, would you worry equally?

Whatever is up with your daughter, I hope you and she get some answers soon.

The difference is that the poster exhorts the patient to look to Jesus. A turban simply signifies the doctor's own faith.
Drinkwinewithme · 02/01/2022 20:54

Thank you so much to those who clearly wanted to help me understand and have taken the time to do so. I still feel that my daughter was fobbed off , and i am not articulate enough (as a few posters seem to pick up on (fsad) ) . I respect anyone's faith but still do not find it appropriate when trying to focus on medical discussion ; i want to believe that the g.p will be able to help manage symptoms and refer to specialists or at least invite back after a reasonable time to discuss medication, not highlighting religious quotes.

OP posts:
ilssagain · 02/01/2022 21:50

@Drinkwinewithme

So are you able to see another GP for a second opinion?

PermanentlyDizzy · 02/01/2022 23:52

@Drinkwinewithme Professor Lesley Kavi, the chair of PoTS UK, has released a new article designed as guidance for GP’s to help them assess and diagnose PoTS.. I thought I’d post a link it here, as it might be useful to take it with you when you go back. It specifically mentions the possibility of low blood pressure/vasovagal syncope to happen as well as PoTS. It also explains how to the the active stand test properly, including lying down quietly for 5 minutes before starting the test.

blubberyboo · 03/01/2022 00:21

I understand what you are saying OP

You basically took your daughter for a medical opinion.
this poster implied to you that your GP has an opinion around using belief as a way to heal or have better health.
She then didn’t offer a diagnosis or treatment and sent you away to Google a word that led you to believe the GP thought it was a mind over matter issue.
Putting the two together it has made you think that she was encouraging you to use faith to make your daughter feel better. I don’t blame you for thinking this as many a person would have the same thoughts.

The GP should have explained the term to you and why she thought it was relevant to your daughter. It was very dismissive and unsatisfactory to leave you with more questions than answers. You should phone her for clarity and say you’ve googled it and don’t understand the relevance to your DD

blubberyboo · 03/01/2022 00:24

And if she does bring up religious quotes don’t be afraid to strongly stress that you haven’t come for a religious opinion, you want a medical explanation in layman’s terms

RockinHorseShit · 04/01/2022 09:55

@PermanentlyDizzy

My experience was that everything was blamed on menopause, even before menopause p.

In fact I had other things going on making symptoms seem worse, sorting those out made everything much easier.

Low B12 is the one that affected me the most & it causes POTs, so makes existing pots worse. This article might be useful, I've found supplements & my B12 injections to be a godsend...

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317864

RockinHorseShit · 04/01/2022 10:08

@Drinkwinewithme

Does your DD suffer with anxiety?, I'm guessing she does given it's a POTS symptom... our flight or fight response is out of whack so we physically overreact to stress

If so & you're struggling to understand or get through & advocate for your GP, you can get help from MIND MH charity. I had to do this as one doctor refused to believe I was speaking for DD & saying what she wanted to say. A lovely lady from mind advocated for her a few times instead & it shut up the shit doctor who thought I was making it up & it was my words, not DDs

I'd also ask the school for assessment for exam concessions. It doesn't matter if they are doing okay in school or not, it's about meeting their full potential, so don't be fobbed off. They did that to us as DD was doing okay despite missing a lot of school etc, so at first they wouldn't believe she struggled & I had to argue that the school was meant to help DD to meet her full potential, so she needed assessment. The assessor who initially refused rang me to apologise, when she assessed DD, DD was found to be slow in processing slowly & needed significant extra exam time to have a hope of achieving what she was capable of & a quiet room away from the distraction of other kids. Being able to get the grades DD thought she should be able to get, did DDs confidence the world of good

PermanentlyDizzy · 04/01/2022 23:20

[quote RockinHorseShit]@PermanentlyDizzy

My experience was that everything was blamed on menopause, even before menopause p.

In fact I had other things going on making symptoms seem worse, sorting those out made everything much easier.

Low B12 is the one that affected me the most & it causes POTs, so makes existing pots worse. This article might be useful, I've found supplements & my B12 injections to be a godsend...

www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317864

[/quote]
Same here - locum Neurologist told me two major blackouts, resulting in injuries and me being kept in after being taken to the AMU, were caused by the menopause - I was late 30s, had recently had a baby and only became peri at 50! He hadn’t even run any tests and I’d only been in there a couple of minutes. That was the one and only time my usually mild mannered dh lost his temper with a medical professional. He then managed to screw up arranging the tests he agreed to. I ended up giving up on Neurology at that point.

ScreamingMeMe · 04/01/2022 23:27

A.i.b.u being confused ?

You and me both, dearheart.

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