2 problems in 1 appointment? Maybe TMI

[urgentgp]

I know this is usually frowned upon and GPs are busy enough as it is but I've been waiting weeks for an appointment I've now got tomorrow (I'm seriously struggling with my mental health and realise I need help). However, a couple of months ago I was really struggling with an anal fissure and serious pain going to the toilet. This has flared up again the past 2 days, to the point I was in tears earlier trying to have a BM and the thought of going to the toilet makes me feel nauseous and honestly terrified. My options are to either try fit both these into my appointment later this week or make another appointment for 2 weeks away and risk the pain/bleeding increasing. Really not sure what would be best to do in this situation. Anyone got advice?

As my appointment is now tomorrow I'm not able to call and ask to make it a double appointment which would be ideal, and the last time my fissure flares up and I got an emergency appointment to be seen that day, the doctor was very rude and told me that's not an urgent matter. Not sure what to do if I'm honest

Could you go to the UCC about the fissure? Perhaps you could even do that today, then you can book an appointment at the surgery tomorrow if they say that it will need follow up?

I always have more than one thing-I talk fast!

@bellainthemiddle
I've had a quick google for UCCs near me and they all close at 5 so I wouldn't have time to get me and DC ready to go or else that would be ideal actually.

I would fit both in because they're related in that it's making you anxious which isn't helping mental health
Sometimes you have to - if I hadn't mentioned my numb bits with my back pain then I wouldn't have had emergency surgery!

@Ollivander84 See I was thinking they probably are linked to some extent. My mental health isn't the best for a variety of reasons but think this is probably making it worse

I would just tell the GP all problems in one, I think these are related. As fellow fissure sufferer (getting better at last) it really does cause anguish and stress. You can’t help things happening at once.

@MissTulipan ok thanks. I'm glad you're getting better. Honestly feels like it'll never go away!

I'm a GP. the problem is that mental health usually takes more than ten minutes anyway. I'd ring in the morning, say you have an appt for a longstanding problem but that you have something urgent as well - can you have an emergency appt too, ideally near the time of your existing one but you don't mind going in twice if necessary. Dealing with both of those could easily be half an hour and it's not really fair on everyone else.

I always have more than one thing-I talk fast!

great. so you rush your GP. I'm sure they appreciate that. And of course your care isn't at all compromised by your insistence that they deal with more than is safe

@pretendingtowork1 ok thank you, I was hoping to get a GPs point of view as I know it can be annoying and appointments are already so rushed. Just in a panic as if I couldn't get another appointment for tomorrow I wasn't sure which issue I should prioritise tomorrow. I will explain to reception when I'm there.

I'd ring first thing rather than when you get there.