To just want to cry after seeing doctor

[Soubriquet]

I’ve been in constant pain since August. I’ve been to A&E 3 times last year to try and get a handle on it.

I have symptoms 3 pages long. I’ve had numerous blood and urine tests. I’ve had an ultrasound, I’ve had a CT scan, I’ve had an MRI and it’s all clear.

I’ve been waiting since September for an endoscopy. I was supposed to be on the urgent list..heads nothing yet. He’s told me to ring them and push for it to be done quicker. Not sure what my word will do but fine I’ll do it.

I went to the doctors today (first time this year) because the pain had increased noticeably and the medications I have weren’t working.

He did his mumble bumble, gave me more blood tests to do, more urine tests to do, and then prescribed me….sunshine.

He even asked me if the wheelchair I was in, which I have a blue badge for, was necessary!

Im just so frustrated. I can’t walk properly. Literally stumble to the toilet and that’s it. I can’t do stairs. I can’t stand and cook. I have to rely on my husband as a carer.

I can’t be a mum to my kids because I’m having to be stuck in bed as it’s the only place where I get some form of comfort

I’m just stuck.

He asked me what I think it could be, and I mentioned MS and fibromyalgia.

Got told it’s extremely unlikely to be MS as no one else in my family has it, and there’s no point diagnosing fibro as the it’s a waste of my time and doesn’t benefit me.

I just want to cry now

Fibromyalgia is absolutely a valid diagnosis and your GP shouldn't dismiss it. It's a diagnosis of exclusion but there are medications that can help. What have you tried?

Is there another GP you could ask to see?

Or swap surgeries perhaps?

Prescribed “sunshine”??? Do you have low vitamin D?

What pain do you have?

No he just believes it would help

My main painkiller at the moment is pregablin. Not even the maximum dose yet. I get 100mg in the morning and 100mg in the evening

I take paracetamol to help. I was originally taking ibuprofen and co-codomol too, but since been told to stop those as they will stop the pregablin from working properly

Sunshine, particularly in the morning will help support your sleep. Have you been having trouble with that?

But what is the pain? In your arm, your leg, your stomach?

Where do I start?

The main pain is my upper abdomen. It’s constant. Sometimes it gets worse with severe cramps that radiates down to my pubic bone but the main pain is there.

I can’t eat properly because it puts pressure on my stomach and makes it hurt more.

I get deep muscular pains in my feet which means I can’t walk on them. They come and go. Completely random. One day it’s ok, the next it’s debilitating.

I have a deep pressure at the base of my skull that causes a painful headache.

My skin…is extremely sensitive. A light touch can feel bruising at times.

I can’t stand for longer than 5 mins as it causes my abdomen become a lot worse. I can’t sit either. Basically all I can do is be reclined in bed.

Yeah I’m a chronic insomniac but the pain certainly doesn’t help

Oh, Soubriquet, that sucks. Can you see another GP. Is there one you know is more sympathetic?

Might it be worth asking for a referral to a pain management clinic?

YANBU to cry though. Chronic pain is miserable and he should at least have been sympathetic even if there’s not much they can do.

Has anyone mentioned or looked in to lupus? It causes all manner of symptoms so can be hard to diagnose. But can be very debilitating.

He honestly was as sympathetic as he could be..and he was the first doctor to send me to A&E the first time.

I guess all I can do right now, is push for this endoscopy

Can you get a private GP appointment? I’d try that route if you can afford it.

Definitely can’t afford it but thanks for the advice

I would push for a referral to rheumatology it sounds auto immune to me (I have Lupus and some of your symptoms are similar).
💐

This is the bloods he has ordered. So gotta go get them booked

I’ll make a note of that in my ever expanding book, and suggest it next time I talk to a medical professional

Is it possible it's more than one thing? I have MALS and the abdominal pain seems similar, I can't eat very much as the pain is too bad. I also have a rare form of vasculitis which causes deep routed pain, headaches, can't walk, I sleep downstairs because I can't get up or downstairs, muscle aches, painful sensitive skin etc. I'd push for a referral to rheum at the very least and possibly also endocrine.

Another one saying you need a rhuematology. Your symptoms smack of a auto immune disease. For your bloods you really need your ANA, rhuematoid and inflammitory markers checked too. Tell the doctor you want those added.

Can I just ask that? I will request a referral to rheumatology, but I didn’t know I could request certain bloods doing

I didn’t know anyone else with MS, no family history of it. Didn’t stop me being diagnosed with it. Utter nonsense.

I also wonder if it could be more than one thing. My friend had dreadful referred Gall Bladder pain - it presented as gynae/bowel issues. Had so many tests then after a couple of years they released it was actually her Gall Bladder and the symptoms were presenting in the typical way.

I feel for you. Another one to say rheumatology. I’ve Antiphospholipid & RA & it took 20+ years to get a diagnosis. The day I did I just cried & cried with relief. Low vitamin D is part & parcel of my life so I see his point about sunshine.

Good luck.

My dh wants to ring and complain that sunshine is not an acceptable prescription, especially when I’m in as much as pain as I am, and he has to care for me and watch me suffer.

Im surprised he isn't requesting a n inflammation markers blood test, surel y thst would be one of the first things he should do if you're in pain?
As an aside I was on pregablin and hated it, I had endless stomach problems and it actually increased my pain 🤷