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?

I am in the overweight zone bmi 27 but when my weight was higher bmi 30 plus I found it really painful to walk especially first thing in the morning. Since I’ve lost weight it’s much better. I mean this kindly but your joints can’t handle your weight, there’s very little your GP can do unless you lose weight.

I'd be pushing for an ultrasound to rule out gallstones and trying a stomach protector meanwhile to see if that helps.

Agree if you can afford it to have some private physio but be selective about who you see and go on recommendation if possible. If that doesn't help I'd push for an orthopaedics referral but they aren't easy to get so you might need to go privately.

I have lost 15kg recently which is some of what I have gained due to medication. My mobility has worsened significantly since the loss but that is because it turns out I have congenital hip dysplasia (wouldn't have taken up running if I has known) and an autoimmune inflammatory arthritis which I have had undiagnosed on and off for 20 years which became really active after taking HRT - ironic as only tried it in desperation to help joint pain .

No one should just be left with possible gallbladder pain, it's awful and if there is inflammation or infection it needs treatment. A scan can show anything, if that's not possible then blood tests. Would some sort of knee support help for your knee pain.

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

I'm no expert on Orlistat but don't think you have to eat no fat but low-fat - a quick Googles advises 30% of daily calories from fat.

Maybe it's the 'no fat' that causing you the pain?

My bmi is 19. I went to the Drs a few weeks ago with knee pain and he said 'I don't see anything wrong take ibuprofen'. A few days later it was so bad I couldn't bend my knee at all and I realised I have a big cyst behind my knee. I haven't gone back because it's not the first time I've been fobbed off and the kicker is I'm in Ireland and pay €60 for the pleasure. Some Drs are just shit. I've diagnosed myself and am taking action based off that.

No of course it doesn’t but we don’t know why the dr hasn’t prescribed medication for the pain in the meantime. It may be that OP needs to be aware of any pain (like the gallbladderish pain she is describing) while settling on her weight loss meds and the dr doesn’t want that masked. Who knows? I think if it’s unbearable go back, but I’d want the new meds to settle first.

I recognise your stomach pain OP. I used to have the same issue until I had my gallbladder out. All the doctors insisted they knew my body better than me, that it would be caused by fatty food or excessively large meals.

Nope. I kept a diary for nearly 2 years and it was always triggered by things the doctors said had nothing to do with it. Weight loss, fizzy drinks and a food additive known as inulin /chicory fibre / vegetable fibre.

Had the gallbladder out and it resolved completely. I was a good patient, I lost weight and complied with their rules but it didn't help me. Doctors still have a moral obligation to help ease a patients suffering regardless of the patients compliance.

It's a slippery slope. If they deny care to people for being overweight then what level of fitness is required before treatment will be resumed? Are we to say that nobody with a BMI of 27 can be taken seriously? And then will this mindset progress to the so called 'skinny fats' which means people with a normal BMI who don't exercise and carry hidden fat around their organs? At what point to doctors stop playing god and actually deem someone 'worthy' of care.

Nobody is expecting doctors to fix a knee that is bearing too much load. However there is are options for physical therapy and pain relief that should be given if the person is not an ideal weight. Most doctors don't even bother to order scans or investigations so deeper problems go undiagnosed for years while the patient is berated for their weight.

Is the stomach pain only when you try to diet and eat “healthy” food?

I really detest the answers these type of posts get. I had (for 10 years) very severe knee pain with bone on bone arthritis in both knees. I was told to lose weight to have both knees replaced. I lost 17 stone, went on the waiting list for a year and that year of waiting was the worst pain I have had. Completely uncontrollable and much worse despite being 17 stone lighter.

I have since had the replacement of one and back on the waiting list for the other but I simply hate it when people with no idea say lose weight and the pain will get better, I absolutely guarantee it won't.

To be fair, both of the issues do sound weight related. So the GP isn't being unreasonable. Excess weight will not help knee pain.

@Frequency how old are you, how overweight and any other health conditions?

I'm not overweight but suffered knee pain which caused lack of sleep so understand how difficult it is. However the solution often is to reduce weight and strengthen muscles around the knee and hip to support the knee better. There isn't a quick fix. Have you tried pain relief gels for your knee?

Agree about stomach pain, sounds like gallstones. Have you had a recent, in the last year, blood tests?

Ask them what treatment options would be available to a thinner person and then ask why those options are not being offered to you.

Then ask if they are denying treatment and ask for it to be documented on your records that you were denied treatment.

They do not like this especially being made to write they denied you treatment.

@Icecrown well done on the weightloss.
I agree. My knee pain is bone on bone . If I lost the 4 stone my bones would still be rubbing together.
I have to explain that one quite a lot.

you can provide no such guarantee. People here have said they lost the weight and joint pain improved. It depends on the underlying cause.

which in your case was arthritis. You were told to lose weight for the surgery, not to make the pain go away. Anaesthetics in obese patients are very dangerous, so understandably they are reluctant to operate.

i detest answers where someone negates everyone else’s advice and experience because of their own personal situation.

I think you ought to go back. You really ought to have an ultrasound scan to see if something is wrong with your gallbladder. If it is then treatment is low fat diet / removal. Though if it's bad enough only removal will do.

That said to be fit enough for any kind of operation on your knee or gallbladder you might have to lose weight.

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.

Have you actually been back to the GP and explained that you get terrible abdominal pain when you are dieting or are you just making an assumption that they won't take you seriously? They can't help you if they don't know!

If you can't afford private physio - I'd keep a food diary - with pics - and flare up info time/ intensity and go back to GP try and get a different one - say look stomach pain can't see any patterns - can we refer to rule out gall stones - because trying to follow advice for knee to lose wight but intense pain is making dieting impossible - I'm being left with pick my pain and that's not acceptable.

@Misthios well this happened to me and I went private and my spine surgeon has confirmed that losing weight will not that away my back problems. If I had been left any longer with the nhs saying lose weight I would be in a wheelchair for life. So you want fat people to have a full disability that weight loss will not take away on the basis that losing weight fixes all health problem?

A relative was a little overweight and had knee pain, just put it down to age and got on with it
Then had a bad gall bladder attack....
Has recently had it out, while waiting she was on a VERY low fat diet, lost about a stone and a half.

She feels so much better (the gall bladder had probably been causing issues for a long time)
Having lost the weight the old knees are much happier!!

My local orthopaedic depsrtment won't even see anyone with a BMI over 40. I've had acute back pain for weeks and yesterday when I got this letter I was busy doing my BMI and thank God it was 35 because I'm in agony.
I was shocked. How can they not even do an xray or a scan if I was a bit fatter?

Yep came on to suggest a food diary.

A doctor can’t really give you anything to stop the pain of losing weight.

Nobody is debating that. The issue is they won't provide any other help in the meantime. Are overweight people not entitled to pain relief, physio and any further investigations to see what their issues are?

Sadly @Frequency you have made the mistake of being overweight and female. The way many doctor’s fob women off is appalling.

I have to say the pain sounds like gallstones to me. It can be triggered by weight loss.

Stomach pain sounds like your gallbladder. These weight loss drugs can affect your gallbladder. I'd be careful there.

OP, I've not RTFT so apologies if this has been mentioned already. I am under investigation for gallstones at the moment. One of my biggest triggers is eggs. Maybe try something else instead of the omelette for dinner? Seriously, I got set off last week by a bit of mayonnaise.