Been given a face to face appointment at my GP… AIBU to call and push back?

[tulipsinbloomnow]

I have another ongoing issue which I am under the hospital for, but I’ve been told I need to approach my GP for pain relief at the moment.

I did this a couple of months ago and got a phone call and a prescription no problem. I’m running out and need some more. This time I filled out the new AI questionnaire and it’s given me an urgent appointment for tomorrow. I called up the surgery and they said it’s because the AI has flagged me as being at risk of arthritis (???) or a DVT!!! I asked the receptionist if this was right as a DVT is pretty serious and I’m sure I don’t have one, but apparently because I’ve ticked that I get swelling it’s a risk factor and I now need to come in.

I just think this is so silly and I’m taking up an appointment for something that’s really not that serious! I just feel like I’ll look such a knob tomorrow sat there. AIBU to call back and push back?

I’m glad you’ve had such a different experience to me, but as you can see from this thread, you get accused of drug seeking for so much less.

Yes I was going to say this. It is something that needs to be monitored due to its side effects. Its likely box ticking that you are reviewed in person but these processes are there for a reason. I can't see why a GP would judge you and deny you NSAIDs if you get emotional due to the pain you are experiencing. You have a diagnosed condition and need pain relief. It's what they are there for. Hope it goes well.

I think you thought I was calling you a knob there. I wasn’t. I meant that I thought it was a fuss over nothing but it turned out it wasn’t.

It would be completely irresponsible for a doctor to prescribe naproxen to a patient who has described swelling (in assume "in her legs" because that's what the form usually asks for) as a symptom without checking in person...

Im sorry you had that experience, but that is 100% the failure of the doctor/s, not you. It isn’t always the case that you have to present perfectly. I have some complex medical stuff that has taken a few years to resolve and it’s been with the help of excellent medics (and in spite of some shit ones). Try to leave the bad experiences behind you and see this as a good GP wanting to give you a face to face appointment for your benefit, and nothing more.

Are you waiting to see Rheumatology to possibly get an inflammatory arthritis diagnosis, and in the meantime have been told to see the GP for pain relief? Please don't feel like this, it's not minor, if you do have inflammatory arthritis it is incredibly painful! I have seen patients who are in a very bad way until they get a diagnosis and the right treatment. Go and see the GP, they will be able to help with pain relief and may be able to expedite your appointment with the hospital or at least ask for advice from Rheum.

I'm guessing if you have mentioned you have swelling in your joints this may have triggered the DVT idea!

apologies if I've got the wrong idea!

Nope, awaiting physio for scans and then probably surgery but the only advice I was given regarding pain relief was that the physio wouldn’t prescribe, which is why I went to my GP

Oh I'm sorry..I hope you get the help you need soon

Well I’ve come, let’s see how far behind they’re running.

Good luck OP. I am glad you have gone. I hope the Dr can help you control your pain one way or another.

I was seen before my appointment time which is practically unheard of at my surgery. I’ve been prescribed opiates and just been told all I can do is go to a&e if needed

What medication have they prescribed Op? I’ve tried a few but nothing works for my joint pain 😔

Codeine, but the goal is more to get me to sleep and eased overnight as I’m really at the end of my tether with it all now

Were you warned about constipation? I was given co codamol for shingles pain and also given movicol with it because its a swine for giving users constipation. If you don't want to use movicol, then massively upping your fibre intake might be enough but if you use bran to do this, then you also need to massively up your liquid intake because it can absorb a lot and sets like concrete if you don't drink enough. In my NHS days I used to work with people who had joint replacements and hip fractures. Its pretty essential to use pain relief in the early days otherwise you won't move enough to get a good mobility result. People would tell me that they couldn't take the pain relief because it gave them horrible constipation so I had to talk them through how to manage it.

I took it the night before last and didn’t poo yesterday, didn’t take it last night and I’m back to normal today, but that’s not outside the realms of normality for me anyway. I won’t be taking it again in a hurry as even though it did help me sleep and seemed to ease my pain for the last two days it left me feeling absolutely vile

my sympathy. The co codamol I was given was a low dose one and i wouldn't have used it if there had been a viable option.