GP accusing me of health anxiety

[veniceorna]

I went to see my Gp today - lump in breast. I've had a lump before but that was 2 years ago and a blocked milk duct. This one hasn't gone and it's been around for a few weeks. I thought the sensible thing was to get checked out

He agrees there's a hard lump as has referred me to breast clinic. Then, he said to me 'do you think you worry about your health? And probably look for things a lot that probably aren't really there?'

I said no... but I do get anything that needs looking at, looked at. As that's the general advice. He said 'yes but you have had a lot going on, are you sure you aren't looking for things?'

I wasn't sure how to reply so jusr said 'I don't think so'

In the last year I've had my gallbladder removed because of gallstones, (medically proven as seen), and investigations of my cervix due to heavy and irregular bleeding (again, proven as GP saw himself)

I also had a prolapse of the bowel sorted by surgery 18 months ago.

AIBU to think it's a bit unfair to ask me if I'm looking for things? they aren't in my head. Hence the bloody surgeries and medical evidence

There’s no way anyone can say what this GP said by mistake. OP - complain.

So you're creating breast lumps and prolapses and gallstones by looking for them? You clearly have a very powerful mind

People like him are why serious illness and cancer goes undetected and ends up terminal, because people are too embarrassed to get things checked quickly. Might be worth a chat/complaint with the practice manager.

If I were a more confident person I’d be tempted to say “oh yes, anxiety, I hadn’t realised it could cause gallstones and breast lumps - so if I take some anti anxiety medication will that sort the lump out?”

I think I'd be requesting a copy of my medical records to try to understand where he's getting this from?

cancer

Hate women being dismissed. Watching London news last week, their own journalist with head cancer, dismissed by 3 Gp's. Bad!!

Please complain. To the Practice Manger. It needs to go on his record, as a GP. And yours.

If I were a more confident person I’d be tempted to say “oh yes, anxiety, I hadn’t realised it could cause gallstones and breast lumps - so if I take some anti anxiety medication will that sort the lump out?”

I'd be wanting to say "So doctor, for which of my recent diagnosed physical ailments should I have not sought medical advice? Do you have a certain threshold for the number of medical appointments you can have before a diagnosis of health anxiety is automatically triggered? And should a medical professional allow that to override their medical training, their common sense and the evidence of their own eyes? Oh well - if I break my leg next week, I guess I'd better just grit my teeth and try not to be so anxious, eh?"

But maybe that's just me...

GP was being very unreasonable. My GP always reminds me to check my breasts for lumps!

Perfectly said!

We had to change GP surgeries four times due to this sort of attitude.

Absolutely change your GP.

@SteveHarringtonsChestHair same here, if I need action on something I always pass to my DH as he is treated more seriously. I am invariably asked multiple questions and stalled, he sails straight through. I am not proud of this but it’s the truth.

Mine, a woman no less, told me 'You need to work on your anxiety' and 'I would not risk my register sending you away if I thought there was anything wrong with you' when I was in their office doubled over with abdominal pain. Two months later, in a private scan, a gallbladder stuffed with rocks, which upon removal was deemed by the surgeon to have been semi-necrotic.

I didn't go after her register but I was furious.

“Are you sure you aren’t looking for things?”

Ermmm, isn’t this exactly what we are supposed to be doing on a regular basis? Or does the NHS not suggest checking breasts regularly anymore?

OP,

Given that he was a locus, I would definitely report this to the Practice Manager or partners, in a factual manner. My only question for you first is whether there is a back story of other concerns that did not lead onwards that you've not mentioned? Just trying to help you think everything through ahead of time.

But the main point is that, absent loads of other concerns that were, justifiably, not progressed, this guy is raising the possibility of health anxiety based on the fact that you've been raising serious, objectively validated concerns. That is wrong of him and people need to know.

OP, Given that he was a locus

Brilliant typo

I swear I have health anxiety written in large letters on my notes since gp couldn't find anything when I felt loads of pressure and thought incorrectly I had had a prolapse - they could not find anything because it was a huge fibroid that wasn't pressing once I lay down. A monster according to the consultant who did my hysterectomy when it was correctly diagnosed. Yanbu OP, and I treat health anxiety.

It isn’t only male gps. A few months ago, I had very bad earache - it was so bad that l could only keep my head upright. I felt a lump behind my ear and was worried that it might be acute mastoiditis as l have had mastoid problems and operations several times over my lifetime on my other ear. I am having a procedure done on this one tomorrow. I saw a female gp that I had never seen before. She was extremely dismissive,, pooh-poohing my concerns and spoke in a very patronising manner. I am not a doctor myself and know very little about most ailments and their symptoms but I would guess that I knew rather more about my ears because of a lifetime’s experience than she did as it is a specialised area that is not generally treated by a gp. Gps, by the title, are general practitioners and know a certain amount about a lot of conditions without a great amount of depth about most of them, which is why the specialists are there. My normal gp, whom I normally see, defers to this and says that he will leave it to the experts but prescribe antibiotics/ear drops to tackle the immediate problem. To be fair, she did grudgingly prescribe me these but left me feeling far worse than when l arrived. There are some brilliant gps around but a growing number need to attend to and improve their bedside manner.

He sounds like an asshole, aren't we supposed to be looking for breast lumps ffs.

Sounds like a typical arsehole GP.

I have had this my entire life. They couldn't find anything wrong.... until I was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in my 30s by a GP who actually took the time to read my entire NHS medical record.
Suddenly everything made sense and the GP apologised to me for me being treated so damn badly over the years.

Don't let it put you off. Some GPs are just there to be paid, they don't care about their actual job.

women are routinely patronised and have their conditions down-played by HCP’s. It’s ridiculous.

I had a similar situation last year when I had a run of ill health (gallstones, chest infection that wouldn’t shift, then ended up with appendicitis). When I ended up with an infection post having my appendix out the Dr said that I “couldn’t have antibiotics every five minutes, or a constant stream of appointments as other patients need seen”.

Unfortunately for him I was in the kind of mood to take no shit so asked which of the recent things I should have ignored exactly.

i ended up with a written apology and I don’t get appointments with him any more. If he puts people off seeking help when they’re ill he’ll cause someone to end up in hospital, or worse.

Change GP, and let the practice manager know exactly why you are changing. Ones like that do not take women’s health seriously. My Mum’s best friend had secondary breast cancer in her bones, and was told it was ‘stress, because her husband was depressed’. The fact she couldn’t lie down and could barely sit because of the pain was all in head according to him. Some GP’s are misogynistic twats.

I would flag this up with the Practice Manager.

If this Dr is a locum, they need to know he isn't doing their practice's reputation any favours!

He sounds patronising and misogynistic.

I hope your lump turns out to be nothing
.

Well I am going to diagnose him with pantronisingtwatitis.

YANBU op.

My male GP is also like this. I requested to change GPs and they turned me down. He's an absolute asswit who is well known locally for dismissing actual issues as "just a virus" - including symptoms of MS which he failed to spot.

100% this. I wonder how many men they accuse of anxiety

’Health anxiety is a real thing … None of those symptoms manifest themselves as fucking hard breast lumps, gallstones, prolapses or random gushing blood. What a twat.’

^ That