I’m in so much pain I feel sick but my GP won’t see me

[SweetSilverLark]

I injured myself five months ago. I’m seeing physio but it’s a two month wait for a face to face appointment and every night doing the exercises the video physio set me is leaving me in agony.

It’s to the point I feel sick and can’t concentrate on my work, I’m taking the highest dose of ibuprofen and paracetamol I can but they’re not doing a thing. The GP keeps pushing me back and saying it’s a physio issue and because of that, they can’t prescribe me anything.

I have been in this pain for five months now and I just can’t keep doing it. WIBU to sit in my GP’s reception on Monday until they’ll sit me in front of a doctor and let me explain the impact it’s having on my life?

The thread on Sunday was really helpful I thought, gave the OP clear instructions for getting a scan, NHS complaints procedures, helpful comments from people who’ve had the same injury, supportive bandages / braces, painkillers all sorts. I’m really unclear what the OP is after.

Peridotiage As a brilliant doctor said to me "pain serves no purpose other than to tell you something's wrong." OF COURSE a patient has to be prescribed appropriate pain relief. It's the doctor's duty to manage the dosing of those meds.

No, but if you won't do any of the things suggested, what do you think will change? Nobody here can drive you to the walk in centre. We can't force you to go and wait for however long it takes in the a&e where you work. We can't ring your physio for you and tell them that the exercises are making the pain worse.
I'm really sorry that your parents aren't supporting you. But they aren't, so you've got to do this for yourself.
Call the physio back and tell them how much pain you are in.
Wangle yourself a face to face GP appointment. Go and sit in a&e. Do SOMETHING!
Because, and this is important, it's not just the pain. You might be causing all sorts of damage to your knee because you don't even know what's wrong with it!

Oh bless you, you sound like you are having a rough time. I just read your other thread about having surgery and having to find a new job. You’ve had a lot going on. I think it’s time to be selfish and go to a&e. I was fobbed off on my mid 20’s too after hobbling about and ended up having spinal surgery. You shouldn’t be in this kind of pain. Things will get better ❤️‍🩹 I think your parents don’t sound too supportive.

And the poster which said it sounds like the OP is after painkillers, I never took any pain relief and that was listed as a reason my spinal issue was dismissed. You can be in severe pain and not like the feeling of medication. Everyone is different and you are not being listened to OP. The GP being so dismissive is affecting your mental health aswell as physical.

You need to demand an orthopedic referral and MRI and tell them if they refuse to refer yous like them to put in their notes you've asked and they are refusing and why.

Think I'd put up with the a&e wait personally.

I can't fathom why at the very least you haven't bought a knee brace and strapped it up. It needs supporting, not physio exercises for now.

I don't think people are reading the full thread. Or the other threads.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/general_health/5439694-i-feel-like-im-nagging-my-gp-but-im-in-so-much-pain?page=1

I was in constant agony when I slipped a disc in my back and the thing that made the most difference to me until I had surgery was acupuncture - it was amazingly effective and I was able to walk short distances straight away after being completely immobile for three months.

Sorry if I have misread or missed any replies, but you say that they 'think there is a chance' that you have torn ligaments?
Do you know what caused the initial injury / pain?
I am in no way trying to scaremonger, but 'thinking' isn't an actual diagnosis surely? I wouldn't try to sit & wait at the GP surgery (not mine, anyway), but would go to a walk in / A & E, even if there isn't one close by, with all the info you have given here (use a credit card for a taxi / uber??), but be prepared to wait.... covering pain with painkillers isn't the way to go in case (hopefully not) something else is going on. Call 111 if the pain is unbearable to the extent that you can't function properly. (Do you have any other symptoms?). Good luck, please update? X

PS to my previous message - You know you can view your medical records online nowadays? Have you had a look to see what has been recorded?
x

Would the doctor not see you to prescribe some pain medication whilst you're waiting for physio?
I'd be tempted to head to A&E if I was in a lot of pain and being refused to be seen to.
Listen to your body and stop those exercises until you can review it with your physio.

OP.

You need to get yourself a knee brace, and you need to get yourself to A&E

and ffs, stop doing the exercises, if they're hurting you, then they're not FOR you. Trust me, i'm currently undergoing physio under the actual hospital for issues with my hips and knees, and they're VERY strict on not doing something that hurts me.

Has anyone even physically seen this injury? Or assessed it in any way?

If not, A&E is where you need to be, and yes, you're going to have to deal with the bloody wait, like everyone else has to.

Sitting at home, complaining the GP won't see you (GP isn't an expert and will just tell you to see a physio or go to hospital), and refusing to help yourself by getting a supportive bandage is stupid.

Find a local private physio, i'm disabled and skint, and i managed to scrape the £75 it cost me for a private PT assessment on my spine when the GP was fucking me off over it.

You could try Voltarol gel and a knee brace - even a basic elasticated one may help. Unfortunately ligaments take time to heal.....

I can’t take it, I end up in bed feeling very sick.

What a shame about your gp, my gp sees me about anything and usually on the day or within a day or two. It shouldn’t be allowed to have such different care.

We need to stop Engaging with the OP. She actually works in a hospital that has an A and E department. I call attention seeking bullshit.

sorry haven’t RTFT but I would try ibuprofen gel or similar should target the area of pain better

I'm constantly looking for different types of pain relief. I've been suffering from chronic pain for about 15 years now. The various GP practices have never turned down pain management even though I ALWAYS have to do the physio/specialist route for each individual joint 🙄 Submit a patient triage form each day. Explain how it impacts your life. Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the most attention!

Oh for those who advised the OP to try and get an appointment saying it's affecting her MH...

....I'd think twice about that approach, as what will most likely happen, especially if they'd re already refusing to see her is telling it's probably stress anxiety related.

I first went to my GP well over a year ago with pain, fatigue and a catalogue of other worrying symptoms. Was very concerned it could be rehumatoid arthritis as that and other auto immune conditions run in the family. She refers me to physio then reluctantly for a blood test.

Except when I saw the physio she had to explain that actually whilst they were being allowed to see patients they weren't actually allowed to treat them(??!!) though she did give few some exercises and also told me that she definitely thought there was more going on that the tendonitis the doctor had diagnosed, and she was also the one the point out that the GP had (accidentally...) missed off the most relevent test for RA and to insist the nurse added it back on at my blood test..

My results came back normal then apparently one came back late, said it was b12 and prescribed folic acid to take for 3 months then repeat blood tests.

The blood test didn't get repeated and when I went back after developing some very nasty and painful skin lesions she barely listened to me, didn't have a proper look at any or the sores, prescribed me steroids and then helpfully told me that all of this was most likely just stress and that it can't be anything autoimmune cos the blood tests I had a year previous came back normal so no reason to do anymore blood tests.

As it happens the steroids ended up making the skin lesions/Infection so bad I ended up off sick from work for a week and had to go to the walk in centre to be prescribed antibiotic cream. Which helped a bit but 6 months on all have all the same symptoms and genuinely just feel like there is zero point going back cos I know she's going to tell me the exact same. 🤦🏼‍♀️

And I'd love to see another GP but a) I don't get to choose the doctor I see and b)even if I call for a same day appointment or book online they always give me her. 🫠

That's not acceptable OP.
I had similar issues getting a GP appointment for a knee problem a few months ago and like you, I was already seeing a physio who advised me to see a GP to refer my for an x-ray. This took three e-consult attempts over two weeks to get the GP appointment,and then another month for the x-ray, followed by a further 4 weeks for the x-ray results. Unfortunately physio are unable to help further so I've been referred back to my GP for a knee replacement referral. This whole saga has taken 6 months so far.
The waiting times for these appointments are ridiculous when you're in so much pain but I can recommend 10% ibuprofen gel if you're GP can prescribe it for you. 😫

Just go to A&E or minor injuries. At least they will figure out what's wrong and possibly get the pain under control.

Not what you asked but I’ve ruptured the acl on both knees (at different times) and Voltarol gel works better than anything else. Also as per pp you can get 8/500 cocodamol over the counter or nurofen plus is a bit stronger (base of ibuprofen instead of paracetamol) but seriously, try the voltarol!

But this is nonsense. I'm a GP, although not in the UK; in this scenario I would 100% be prescribing the OP appropriate prescription painkillers to manage her very real pain. There is no logic to undertreating pain in this scenario, and there are lots of options that can be used with the appropriate safeguards.

I'd be down there waiting for the GP a few minutes before they open and sit there until your GP sees you. You have every right to be properly examined. You can ask to be referred to the Orthopaedic clinic at the hospital, or to a Pain clinic.

Failing that, it's A&E and wait even longer until you can see a doctor. I went to A&E and they put my leg in plaster from thigh to ankle for 6 weeks. Then physio for 4 weeks.

I’d be asking my GP for a sick note in your position.

The only other non-prescription thing I can think of that might help is those Salonpas pain relief patches. I have a similar, prescribed patch and it really does numb the pain. I think Salonpas are about £7 on Amazon just now.

I feel so bad for you, OP. I know how horrible it is to be just sent away by a GP. I was single and had absolutely no spare money, so couldn’t afford any private appointments either. I still feel let down by the NHS more than a decade later, as I’ve been left with a lifelong disability. I hate to see similar happening to others.

You could request an occupational health assessment through your employer to look at any adjustments they could make, but I don’t think it’ll help with the pain, unfortunately.

Sending a hug, OP. You have my sympathy.