To think I still deserve medical attention despite being overweight

[Frequency]

Every time I have a medical issue and seek help for it I get told to lose weight, which is fair enough, I understand that, but that is all the support I get.

For example, I went to the GP recently about crippling pain in my left knee. I can't walk far, I can't sleep, and it often escalates into shooting pains up and down my leg or stabbing pains in the side of my knee which make it really hard to concentrate on anything but the pain.

I was prescribed 3 months of Orlistat. Nothing for the pain in my knee, just three months of weight loss drugs and told to come back after I had lost 5% of my body weight to discuss my knee.

I've been on it for a week now. I still cannot walk or sleep and last night another condition I have had previously flared up which I think is related to the Orlistat/weight loss/diet.

It's something I have had previously, only ever when trying to lose weight. It's like a really sharp, unbearable pain across the top of my stomach. The pain is so bad it causes vomiting and shortness of breath. I would honestly rather spend the rest of my life in labour than to experience that pain again and now it's back. I've only had it once up to now but I know the pattern, it will become more and more frequent until I'm having daily attacks that last hours. If I seek help during an attack, then I know a Dr will take one look at my weight, tell me it is because of all the fatty food I eat, and send me away in tears to buy myself some Gaviscon and lose weight.

It never happens when I eat fatty food it happens when I try to lose weight but they never believe me.

So now I am stuck, I can either be fat and never walk without pain again or I can continue losing weight and have hours of childbirth-like pain every day.

AIBU to think it shouldn't be like this?

Btw this makes me want to scream 2 out 3 of our gps are overweight, both nurses are overweight, & 2 out 3 receptionists are overweight- so they better never give the hard word!

To be honest when I was overweight/obese any back pain and knee pain was directly linked to my weight. Two years ago I also had excruciating knee pain, it would literally feel like it was on fire. Went to my GP, checked my knee but did say it was my weight. At the time I was in denial about how heavy I had got. He referred me to the other GP in the surgery who was dealing with weight loss patients. She sent me blood tests, came back as very high cholesterol. My BMI was 38 too. Prescribed ozempic. I have lost over six stone, cholesterol now in the healthy range and I've no knee, back or joint pain. High cholesterol and joint pain was a direct result of my weight and the only way to treat them was to actually lose weight.

Op it does seem that you have something like a gall bladder or acid indigestion type issue. I would probably try to limit the fruit you eat as it's acidic and would make things worse. I'm allergic to cucumber, melons and pineapples and they are common allergies. I'd recommend chicken or fish or steak, and lots of cooked vegetables (carrots, broccoli etc). Rice and potatoes should be safe too. But get the pain checked out of properly by a doctor.

Good luck!!

How did you get Ozempic for weight loss from the GP?

I am so sorry.

But reading through all the OP's messages.

Denial. Excuses.

Denial. It has to be something other than the fact I am obese. I'm interested in all other medical conditions suggested.

Excuses. I didn't walk the dog because I have an appointment.

I honestly don't believe the dog is walked on average 2-5 miles every day.

She's been anorexic and an over-eater. Clearly food issues - which are closely linked to a mental imbalance.

You can't help all people.

Whatever OP is suffering from - until she addresses the BIG ONE - she can't stop eating. Until she stops the denial and excuses. Until she tells her GP that she is a food addict and needs help.

She'll just be an early death statistic.

You went to the Drs for advice about pain in your knee. The Dr advised you that weight loss will help. You're not happy! Why would the Dr dish out pain killer medicine when you can help yourself in a more healthy way & not be pill popping? If you don't want to take their advice then don't go asking for help.
Some people just want a quick fix & a lot of the time there isn't one & to get well you have to put in the effort.

Hey @Frequency it must be overwhelming and distressing to get so much and such a variety of advice. Please be kind to yourself and try to ignore people who rant about your weight, and don't make major changes to what you're doing without medical advice. (Ignore the person who said to stop the meds without asking your doc.)

My advice is not about diet, exercise, or medication, but rather I think you need to have a clear plan for your next appointment, whether it's routine or whether you get in now.

First, can you contact the practice and ask to have an online or phone consult with the GP who saw you soon, to report these problems immediately? Or send an email query?

Second, you need to form a clear plan for how you approach discussions about this complex situation with your doc at your monthly check-in. If your next appointment is already scheduled you might ask the practice if you can have a double-length appointment, since you have a complex situation with a lot to go over.

Start by assembling your evidence - keep a diary of what you eat and when (don't write down amounts or calories as you've had disordered eating, just what it was generally) and when you have pain and as much specifics about it as you can (stabbing? high abdomen?). Review it the night before the appointment and see what the trends are.

Then write out what you need to cover in the appointment, in a bullet point list. This can be helpful so you can make sure everything you're worried about gets covered so you don't forget in the hurry and stress of the appt. For instance:

• What the doc said the problem likely was, and what the doc said to do about it.

• What you've done about it (prescriptions followed? exercise or rest? diet? any other actions you've taken - OTC painkillers? knee brace?)

• What you've seen as a result - (trends from your pain/food diary - when/where pain and what it seems to be related to, that the pain means you can't exercise or work, difficulty with particular foods)

• What you are concerned about, and other issues the doc needs to know - (Especially previous eating disorders that shape this whole situation and what you can do about it - you have to tell the doc about this, even if it's in your history.) Do you need better pain control, or more investigation, or dietary support and advice for your special circumstances? Might it be gall bladder?

When the doc comes up with a plan, ask what you should be on the look out for, and how long it will take to start getting better, and for any advice or resources in managing things until it does. Review your list and make sure you've talked about at least your major concerns.

Finally, your job as a patient is not to be a 'good' girl, or to prove that you will be 'sensible', or try to please the doctor and agree with her. The encounter will go best if you clearly express your questions, alert the doc to what's going on and any important backstory, and make sure the doc is clear what is most important to you (sounds like pain that means you can't work is the biggest issue). In an ideal world the doc would have more time to draw all this out from you but this isn't an ideal world, so you have to be prepared. And she can't help unless she has a full picture.

GP prescribed because of high bmi, high cholesterol and pcos. I'm on Ozempic two years now. Don't live in the UK.

You may need orthopedic surgery which simply isn't going to be safe or effective unless you lose some weight. The orlistat sounds awful though. Please don't take that anymore.
Could you try injections? Even if you have to pay it might be worth it so you can get your knee fixed. I've got really bad knee issues and it's partly due to my weight being too low, so you can damage your bones by being too big or too skinny. I have heard hypnosis helps some people lose weight? I know you don't want weight loss advice, but they probably can't operate otherwise.

Oh I see. I have all those things too but as it’s UK it needs a hospital referral.

Was hoping you had a magic solution!

So glad the Ozempic has worked so well for you (obviously with diet and exercise).

Sadly this is the basic truth of the matter, and the "denial" part is especially valid given that OP's made it clear that she doesn't even wish to know how much she weighs
It's also why a "magic pill" won't work unless OP addresses the underlying issue and accepts the part she herself will need to play

For all the talk about medication there's also the point that these are metabolised very differently in the obese - something the GP will certainly know and which will inform what action they consider appropriate

It's a bit odd, though, to read the suggestions that OP demand the GP records what they are or aren't prepared to do as if that will somehow "force" them to offer whatever she wants. Don't some realise that's exactly what they do anyway as part of their clinical assessment, and that somehow trying to force them into a corner is hardly going to help matters?

This post is just cruel. She finds walking painful because she has a knee injury. We all need to eat and it’s hard to get the balance right - struggling with that doesn’t mean you have a mental health problem! It means you are human.

i completely understand why the OP doesn’t want to see what her weight is. It’s not because she doesn’t care, it’s because it’s demoralising.

Maybe - but it could also be a trigger for her eating disorders.

I know a friend with anorexia and* *Orthorexia nervosa was weighed as routine in GP practise despite her saying it wasn't a good idea and her history being in her notes - she was a normal weight but mentally saw big number and bam got very close to being hospitalized again and had to have specialise treatment and support for a couple of years afterwards. Was not fun for anyone.

I think OP should keep food diary but go back to GP try and get a different one mention the new stomach pain and how bad it is - ask if gall stones and stomach ulcers can be ruled out - and emphasises the existing knee injury flare up saying can no longer do 5 mile walk barely hobble round house and while you will lose weight you need some help now for it.

Can you get Wegovy prescribed? I know in my country they are prescribing it once BMI is over 30.

Yes, I make better food choices now. I can't eat as much so prioritise healthy, nutritional food instead of eating rubbish. I've actually lost my taste for fast food and alcohol so that helps. I'm walking a lot more now, basically because it's easier with the weight loss.

Good luck with your weight loss journey.

Well said, I agree.
There are many reasons why some people really struggle to lose weight and these people need help and constructive advice not unhelpful criticism.

I'm speechless.

Firstly the painkillers my consultant prescribed allowed me to see a physiotherapist and follow an exercise plan. Without pain blockers in the short term I couldn't have proceeded.

Secondly your ignorance is baffling in this day and age.

I'll advise everyone who has the funds to get private GP appointment, you may run into your own GP that you couldn't get to see on the NHS it happens 🤷‍♂️

If you can afford it take out private insurance as well.

This advice came from a GP friend.

Ignorance is not accepting you're to blame for a lot of your own health problems & why the NHS is on it's knees. Being over weight isn't usually a medical problem it's a personal problem for those that over eat & can't control it! Your knee pain will probably ease once you slim down & you're not carrying so much weight. Yes giving you pain relief may help but it's not solving the problem is it?

So to say I'm ignorant is very silly indeed. I seem to understand things better than you seem to.

There are two possibilities here. Either you've never experienced severe ongoing pain so don't know what it can do to a person, or you have and you're seriously lacking empathy/compassion.

People in pain are entitled to treatment for pain, regardless of causes or other health issues.

Having been under a consultant for scoliosis for a number of years I beg to differ. Nerve pain blockers made a huge difference in my ability locomotion wise.

You said that the GP shouldn't prescribe pill poppers. Which is what I took issue with.

I didn't say you were a 'pill popper' what I said was 'Why would the Dr dish out pain killer medicine when you can help yourself in a more healthy way & not be pill popping?'
I have lived years with spinal problems after surgery when I was young so I know what it's like to be in constant pain. However, I take advice from the Consultant & try & do everything I can to ease the pain myself. I have every sympathy for you being in pain. My Post was in response to your OP where you said the Dr had suggested you lose weight before they can suggest anything for your knee pain. What they probably want to see is if you lose weight will the pain stop, therefore saving you taking painkilling medication. Life style changes can help with pain management which is what it sounds like the Dr is suggesting before giving out medication.

Fine you do things your way sans painkillers but don't have a poke at people who obviously do need a helping hand in the way of pain killers. There's many folks in all walks of life that invisibly aid your comfort because they're one prescription drugs.

Thank you.

I could go on weighting list but it’s two years.

I’ve just started Mounjaro privately. Fingers crossed!