Do GPs judge based on how often you attend?

[glovely]

Historically I haven't been to the GP much, but in the last year or so I have been multiple times. I have parasthesia on my right hand side which I'm under neurology for, also went in for blood tests because of this, once because my ankles were swollen (GP noted herself they were both hot and swollen - never got to the bottom of it!), once for a blood test (linked to swollen ankles), once for an ECG so I could be prescribed medication safely for an ongoing condition, once because I was having panic attacks every night (I had one and it was terrifying, which led to me having them all the time - it was awful) and was prescribed propranolol, and once for a smear test. Each of these things on its own I feel warrants a GP appointment, but put together seems like an awful lot and I'm concerned that I'm going to be seen as a regular!

I have had pain in my calf for three weeks, which is totally unexplained. It's tender and painful to walk on. I've booked a GP appointment today but just feel very anxious that I have attended far too regularly.

Does anyone else get this anxiety? Am I being daft?

I think you are being daft. It's ok. Go to your GP appointment. Best of luck.

🙏

You're being daft. My GP says she'd rather reassure me that whatever is fine than deal with something that's got much worse because I didn't want to bother her.

No, I don't get that anxiety. You go when you need to go. It's their job to see you. What they think in the privacy of their own head is not your concern.

Yes, there are definitely people who are "frequent flyers" and it's a widely acknowledged that most of these people attend for social reasons. This is why social prescribers were introduced to GP surgeries five years ago.

You are no going to your GP because you are lonely. You have physical symptoms that need to be investigated.

If its because your day 3 into a virus and sti have a temperature of 38.5 and feel shit and have asked for antibiotics despite being told the last 4 times there is no point then yes.
My neighbour does this all the time and then moans she wasn't given anything.

No, they don’t judge. Those appointments all sound necessary and some of them such as bloods and smear would be with the nursing team? I think the issue with frequent appointments is when people want to be seen for every ache and pain or cold/sore throat and minor skin rash. That said, do see them regarding your calf pain especially with the history of swollen ankles.

Ha! Yes this must be annoying for GPs! No, I have just had the flu and COVID at the same time (floored me!) but I didn't seek any medical help, I was just in bed for a very long time!

Well, I worry about DVT. I do a lot of long car journeys and I just can't explain the pain. It's a tender spot running down the side of my calf, hurts to walk on, and I haven't done anything strenuous that explains it. Very odd.

I have this fear, too. But honestly I think it’s groundless. I only saw my gp for the usual screening tests for thirty five years, then my kidneys failed and I’m now definitely a frequent flyer. But they are invariably kind and welcoming.

I've had at least 8 I can think of this year. When you have an ongoing condition, it is what it is. I'd be struggling to stay in FT work without the GP support I've had.

I think they get annoyed at the people who book and don't turn up.

How do you know you had flu and covid? Could you not just have had a bad dose of one or the other?

You do say you suffer panic attacks and now worried about a DVT! Do you suffer from health anxiety?

I had a more in depth blood tests when I went “because we don’t see you often”. I think they must have thought I was feeling really quite poorly to have attended for the first time in ten plus years (smear tests aside) but really I’d just done one of those home blood test things and had a weird result I wanted to check out!

I’m a doctor please say you’re worried about a dvt! Lots of long journeys and recent Covid. You have risk factors.

I tested for it as I work with vulnerable people. I tested positive for both on 3 tests over 6 days. It's our policy that we test as a lot of the people we work with are immunocompromised.

This is the fear I have. That people see panic attacks and automatically think real symptoms are due to anxiety. I've just had a lot of very real symptoms over the past few months. The panic attacks were completely random. I don't think linked to any kind of health anxiety, more to burnout from parenting a ND child as a lone parent and the complete exhaustion that came with it!

You test for flu? Honestly?

I work in ICU, we don't do regular tests.

I don't know anywhere that regularly tests for Covid??

Our workplace has a policy that they provide COVID tests during any major outbreaks and this year they have given us dual flu and COVID tests. Sorry I have no idea what you want me to say? That I should ignore my workplace policy? I didn't write it.

I get the impression my GP surgery hates all patients regardless of how often you attend.

Just wondering if covid would show up on a flu test and vice versa? They're both viruses.
Can't imagine a test you do at work is that accurate

I didn't know anywhere that did this.
Do they thrn pay you to stay off work if you test positive?

What do you think we were all testing for in Covid, if the tests couldn't distinguish between viruses?!

I've got a relative in hospital who we've just been told has got both flu and Covid, so there must be some tests to detect both viruses.

Testing for one virus, not two!

Jesus Christ @IwishIcouldconfess it's not even relevant to the thread, leave it

The op said she tested positive for two virus.

I didn't know the tests could do that.

In covid the tests were looking for one virus!

Surely that's not too difficult to understand?