Do you think it's significant if your 'alternative' therapy practitioner tells you to go & see your GP?

[KatyMac]

Or am I being silly?

Diabetes - more times than I care to remember from when I was very young; my family GP was insistent something was wrong but it wasn't diabetes. A GP in London agreed some years later but we kind of concentrated on the CS at that time.

My brother has osteo-arthritis (diagnosed about 22 years ago) & rheumatoid arthritis (diagnosed about 2 yrs ago) he is on a fair bit of medication

But the last 8 or 9 times I have been to the GP I have been told

It's a virus
It's your CFS
It's stress
It's depression

So I am reluctant to go again to be told the same (or some variation of) again

But I guess I have to

think of the therapist as complementary rather than alternative. get them working together.

i'm virtually doctor phobic (despite working with loads of nice human ones) and have to be seriously worried before i actually go.

i agree with writing the list and handing it over, along with what you'v been treatd with for each and its affects (effects?).

Can you see a different GP, one who isn't biased from your previous visits?

FWIW, a friend of mine has just finally had a sane diagnosis of her symptoms - after 20+ years of being told she was "imagining it", "a hypochondriac", "making too much fuss"; and been referred to a pain clinic and suggested she had counselling - she has just had a total abdominal hysterectomy and both ovaries removed because of severe pervasive endometriosis. Apparently no one previously had thought to actually check for this; and when they did have a look, they had it all out within a week.

Soo - worth finding someone new to talk to, I would say, who can look at your symptoms with fresh eyes.

TBH - they can rule out inflammatory conditions and diabetes quite quickly with simple blood tests - it wouldn't hurt to have them done again, so you could insist on them for peace of mind.

think of your therapist as memeber of public with fancy job title you pay a lot of money to for consultation and placebo

Stop banging on about the reflexologist Scottishmummy. What exactly has the reflexologist done wrong here? Suggest she go to the GP?

OP - I have a HCP phobia and I actually explain this to them right from the start. I don't necessarily go into the full reasons why, but I think making sure they are aware of this helps as they often change the way they converse with you.

Could be a thyroid issue. My mum had undiagnosed underactive thyroid for years & had joint problems, depression, weight issues etc.

tell your gp - how do you know please can you test my blood to see if you are correct as it doesn't fell like any of the things you have mentioned.

I had a lot of different, daft, diagnoses before having the RA diagnosis (with many of your symptoms). I am a better patient now and get much more out of visits to the GP, so here is my advice (this is all things I did, not things I think you necessarily do, but it took me a while to realise):

Do not be apologetic and play down your symptoms out of a misguided attempt not to bother them. Do not think they can just magic you better if they categorise you as "ill" as if it is your job to play that part.

Focus on the specifics, in your case the thirst, joint pain and problems in your hands and feet and the fact you are prone to other joints being sore without reason, do not just say you hurt all the time, as it is too general and can be said be people with non specific problems - you have specifics, focus on them. Don't think GPs are there for giving sympathy but for solutions, so give them a tractable problem. Be assertive about how it is ruining your quality of life.

Say you have tried the obvious: "joints sore without any injury or lifestyle change," "tried diet for regulating blood sugar, but it isn't working as I'd expect," Do not try and explain away the symptoms by saying "I'm thirsty but it might just be that I'm wearing bigger pyjamas so hotter..." or any other such musings. They just complicate things and place your symptoms back into unspecific.

Good luck, it is not a life sentence but the beginning of a better, pain free, version of your current life!

you could try looking at lupus (SLE) - the only thing on your list it doesn't really explain is the frequent urination and thirst - but might be worth a look and being tested for (easy enough, again).

advising seeking advice from professionally qualified hcp isnt banging on

it is prudent to see a clinician who has range,depth of skills and access to other services and specialists

and it is a statement of fact that alternative whatever you want to call them therapists, are not accountable,or trained the same way as gp or other nhs staff

scottishmummy - I would normally agree & I have excellent clinicians for DH & his health problems; however for myself I have not found the GP system to be remarkably effective. They continually home in one one symptom & try & treat that or clump them together under CFS/Depression/Stress.

I accept that some of my symptoms are indicative of these issues, & indeed I have taken steps to control or eliminate stress triggers & I almost completely control my CFS by diet, lifestyle, and alternative therapies as there is no conventional treatment; but I do think there is something else going on as well

I think you can get your blood sugar tested at pharmacies can't you? You could try that first.

I'm sure it's something autoimmune

I guess I could write down/tell the GP how little trust I have in them.....but I can't see it helping me at all, maybe I should just say I have 'issues' with HCP

I don't think that would address my problems pippop, but thanks for the info

you seem reluctant/resistant to addressing underlying anxieties you have with gp.if you arent happy with gp a consultation- write stuff down prior, chose another gp in surgery

oohhh and ahhhhing on mn and costly private consultations with unregulated therapists,may initially allay your anxieties.but essentially cannot and will not provide you with the answers,and diagnostics you seek

no one can compel you to see a gp.but no one on-line can substitute for a face to face assessment and consultation either.all of this is guess work in absence of gp consultation

best wishes - hope this resolves satisfactorily

I am addressing them, both by talking about them and also my attending counselling to help me deal with them. But neither of these will make it magically go away.

My Reflexology has kept my IBS & CFS under control for many years, whether by a placebo effect (which is valid in it's own right) or by having an hour a week where I lie down & relax.

I do have a bad relationship with HCP, I was fairly badly treated by them last year during an issue with my daughter and I was hoping through support on here to gain the courage to try again with the symptoms I have presented many times before on an individual basis as I think the answer may be different if they were presented together.

I get a tremendous amount of support from MN esp when dealing with things I am a little irrational about

SM - "oohhh and ahhhhing on mn and costly private consultations with unregulated therapists,may initially allay your anxieties.but essentially cannot and will not provide you with the answers,and diagnostics you seek"

you seem to be rather missing the point of the OP, which is that her "unregulated therapist" has suggested she see her GP.

OK I have typed up something; does this look OK?

"I have a certain amount of anxiety about talking about this as individually each of the symptoms have been ?brushed off?.

Sore hands & feet
Pins & needles in my hands & feet
Cold hands & feet

Pain in my large bones
Low back pain
Sore swollen thumb joint
Lots of joint pain (hips, knees, wrists, ankles)

Blood sugar is very erratic - need to eat very regularly; lots of weeing, very thirsty waking up at night to drink

Slow healing for cuts/bruises

Weight never changes whether I over or under eat

Possible food intolerance to almonds

Good things;
IBS is much better
CFS is generally OK"

"I have a certain amount of anxiety about talking about this as individually each of the symptoms have in the past been ?brushed off?.

Sore hands & feet all the time? Or when?
Pins & needles in my hands & feet again, all the time? or when?
Cold hands & feet is this just when the ambient temp is cold, or all the time? Do you get blue fingertips/lips when the weather is cold?

Pain in my large bones
Low back pain
Sore swollen thumb joint
Lots of joint pain (hips, knees, wrists, ankles)
with this lot, be more specific - is the pain continuous, intermittent, worse in cold or hot weather, is it bilateral (i.e. both sides at the same time)

Blood sugar is very erratic - need to eat very regularly; lots of weeing, very thirsty waking up at night to drink
mention that you have previously been tested for diabetes, you believe, say when and what the results were - and also whether or not these particular symptoms have worsened since your last negative test

Slow healing for cuts/bruises

Weight never changes whether I over or under eat
you mean your weight has been absolutely static for years? How many years? Are you sure there are no fluctuations at all? Be very specific about this

Possible food intolerance to almonds
how was this tested for - they're not going to like any "woo" answers, but 'almonds make me throw up/bring out a rash/half kill me' will do as a reason

Good things;
IBS is much better since what - dietary change, medication, stress relief?
CFS is generally OK"

HTH :)
If you're going to write it out for them, it's better to give as much detail as possible rather than generalisations.

Sore hands & feet generally more when I am sitting or resting but more recently it has been most of the time even when standing & walking
Pins & needles in my hands & feet again, as above
Cold hands & feet - usually when they are sore or pins & needley but again this is becoming much more frequent

Pain in my large bones (used to be while restiing but more recently it happens more & more during the day)
Low back pain
Sore swollen thumb joint
Lots of joint pain (hips (left more than right), knees (used to be left more than right, but my right is getting worse), wrists when using my hands - holding books, ankles when walking especially on stairs or slopes)

Blood sugar is very erratic - need to eat very regularly; lots of weeing, very thirsty waking up at night to drink. I have had several tests for diabetes both urine & blood tests which have always been negative

Slow healing for cuts/bruises

Weight never changes whether I over or under eat - it has been static (within 3 or 4 lbs) for nearly 6 years?

Possible food intolerance to almonds - this was tested by excluded; I tend to get sore lips & mouth ulcers

Good things;
IBS is much better probably due to controlling diet and reducing stress
CFS is generally OK

There, that's much better, I think - more useful relevant detail.

When was your last diabetes test done? Do include a rough estimate (e.g. in the last year/2years/5years)

How did you get alerted to the possibility of intolerance to almonds to make you go for exclusion? Did you try excluding other things as well, but it only stopped the mouth ulcers/sore lips when you stopped eating almonds?

To be fair, these are questions that the doc might ask you anyway, but it's better to have them down on paper in case you get flustered.

No it was the other way

Tesco stopped selling chocolate covered marzipan, so I stopped eating it. I have a very controlled diet so when I had a mouthful of ulcers after nibbling bits left after covering my daughters birthday cake I connected it. I excluded for 6 weeks, then reintroduced with the same result. So for me Almonds=mouth ulcers

perfect - seems pretty reasonable assumption then! am :( for you, though - almonds are fab! (My local supermarket in Australia has just re-introduced G&B Milk & Almond chocolate after bringing it in and then discontinuing it, much to my horror and outrage! I Complained, twice, and it's back )

I know & I have always been somewhat intolerant of toiletries (bubblebath, lotion etc) & on checking lots of these have almond oil in them (or groundnut oil which I think may be a problem too but I have no evidence)

& so many cakes/biscuits etc have ground almonds in them

But really I'm not even sure I should include it in my list but I guess at some point it should go on my notes or be tested for properly (I do have quite a few recorded contact allergies)

I just wish I could get some 'trust' & 'confidence' back

I wouldn't say 'brushed off' as that is inflammatory language and you are trying to be factual here aren't you. Just a suggestion, not trying to be horrible, we've just swapped to a lovely GP from an awful one so I can understand your problem!

it's definitely worth leaving in the list, Katymac. Any sort of inappropriate immune response is worth leaving in the list.

I was trying to think of a more subtle way of phrasing "brushed off" and couldn't, which is why I added "in the past", as it indicated that you had put it behind you. BUt I suspect another phrase might be better.