Are all GP's this useless?

[practicallyperfectornot]

Hello, I have had joint pain all my life (now 35). I was always told by my parents it was because of skinny wrists and ankles, poor circulation, and growing pains. So I pretty much carried on regardless. Fast forward to DS accidentally (at an appointment for something entirely different) being diagnosed with HMS, which after having a look into explains a lot about me, so not feeling as strange anymore .

Since having my DS 9 years ago my own aches and pains seem of of changed for the worst and I know it's down to no longer doing things in 'my own time'.

Well I thought it was time to visit the GP, after all we know our own bodies and we know when something isn't as it should be.

First appointment consisted of GP staring at the computer screen while I worked from the top to the bottom of my joint pain. Which is pretty much all off them but worst are toes, fingers, knees (they constantly burn, seem to move when standing still, get worse the more I do even when I'm sitting), back, left hip.

Anyways she didn't ask any questions just told me to put my hands on the desk looked at them very briefly and said well there's no signs of arthritis . My fingers are actually twisting, I have bumps on some of my joints I am unable to straighten my little fingers on both hands because of them. Reluctantly she sent me for various blood tests, prescribed me 500ml Naproxen twice a day and asked me to come back in 2 weeks.

Naproxen was neither use nor ornament. Bloods came back as elevated WBC, the elevated WBC indicated a bacterial infection so she asked if I had a cold etc when I had the tests done which I hadn't. When I said the Naproxen was no help she said oh well all's that is left to try is Glucosomine. Again reluctantly referred me for FBC and said if the tests show the WBC are the same or higher she MAY send me for a chest xray.....give me a ring...goodbye.

WTAF?! Joint pain seems to of been brushed under the carpet as though it is nothing! I am like a 70 year old woman every bloody morning, I can't do the basic of things around the house, walk, sit with out being crippled with pain. She looked at my hands and sent me for bloods.....no examination of anything else. I'm not a wuss who curls up at the slightest bit of pain, for me to approach the GP in the first place was a sign that enough was enough.

Are all GP's like this?

Am I just being over sensitive and in her own way she really is trying to help??

See a different gp.

I'm just writing my GP surgery practice manager a thank you letter ans including a stonking box of chocolates for all the staff. My family and I have been very poorly for the last two weeks and they have been nothing but amazing, two home visits, several phonecalls, many prescriptions, and always informed and genuine.

That said. There was a GP there last year who I am now extremely grateful has gone. He was a waste of space.

I have had horrendous joint pain for a few years and only last week, after taking DH with me and insisting I am referred am I going to a Rheumatologist.

I have severe SPD and Sacro-illiac joint dysfunction from when I had DS2 17 years ago. My pelvis has been operated on 5 times and I walk with sticks. In the Summer I was diagnosed, by a physio, with HMS.

I have been getting really painful hands and swollen fingers for ages. I had to have rings cut off in A&E and everytime I saw my GP I was told it was because I walk with sticks. Then my knees and ankles got painful, hot, red and swollen. I went back, was told I had loose kneecaps because I walk with sticks! I was fed up so saw a different GP, he asked if I thought my joints swell and are painful because I am fed up!

It has got to the point where I can't hold a book for longer than 5 minutes, cooking a meal is hard because chopping veg etc hurts my hands. When I am lying in bed I can feel my knees swelling. When I saw the GP last week she said my joints swell because I use them too much, but would refer me anyway. On Friday I was in hospital having treatment. I spent all day in bed, my knees were huge by the end of the day, so I guess she is wrong!

I would go back and ask them either do some tests or refer you to someone who will. It is really annoying when they don't take you seriously and don't listen, but you sometimes have to keep going on at them before they do anything, which isn't right at all.

Good luck.

Thanks for the replies.

I will see what happens with the blood test, if it comes back fine I'm guessing an appointment with another GP is the way to go.

Well I think the main problem is that to most I don't look swollen, but I can see that I am, I'm sure it's because my joints are so skinny. My DP has rheumatoid arthritis in his hands and you can see when he has a flare up because his fingers are red and look like sausages even he has looked at my fingers and because they don't look like his doesn't see a problem.

If the GP actually bothered to examine me closely she would of seen that my wrists, fingers, knees (more so on the left than the other), ankles, and toes are swollen.

I have badly twisted my ankle falling of a step in the past and it didn't noticeably swell or bruise but I couldn't put weight on it for weeks. Same has happened with my wrists and I swear I had done more than soft tissue damage. Left wrist doesn't have as much movement in it and a small lump (which sends electric shocks down my fingers and up my arm if it gets knocked) since I fell on that one.