One appointment, one problem

[Archieforever]

I totally understand that GP surgeries need to keep to this ‘rule’ as they can’t have patients sitting there discussing issues for hours but what if you have more than one problem and believe all of your issues may be related?

My surgery won’t allow double appointments and even then it would be just to discuss two issues.

I have been back and forth to the doctors for several years now. I have a list of issues which are having a real negative impact on my physical and mental health.

But every time I show the list they say they can’t discuss it all and I need to pick the most bothersome issue and they will discuss that. So I do this, they usually prescribe something and book me in a 5/6 weeks later to discuss how I am doing etc.
Unfortunately, as things have been going, the meds haven’t helped so at the follow up this gets discussed and another med prescribed and back and forth I have been going.

The full list of symptoms gets forgotten or not mentioned again and I end up on this merry go round of appointments.
In the meantime I am feeling more and more dreadful every day and my list of issues are not getting any shorter no matter what I try to do to help.
I literally feel as though I am going crazy.

How do you get to discuss a list of symptoms which are most probably all connected and may be eased with the appropriate medications/interventions if only someone were to look at everything as a whole picture?

I understand your frustration. Do you have a suspicion about what all the related symptoms add up to? Or is there a quick way to describe what the symptoms have in common with each other? The you could book an appointment with your one issue being ‘suspected diabetes’ for example, or ‘problems with balance and coordination’. Then the doctor might say ‘why on earth do you think you have diabetes?’ And your answer would be ‘because of this long list of symptoms here- I’m worried it’s diabetes but do you think it could be something else?’

The word you need is holistic
they should be trying to provide holistic care
personally I would write to the practice manager with what you’ve said here state you need an appointment to look at your your problems holistically

MrsLilaAmes - it’s quite a long list tbh (sorry!)

I suffer daily from digestive issues, upper and lower. I have had tests and have a diagnosis of IBS via a gastroenterologist but it’s been so much worse since I hit the age of 45 (I’m now 50).
I am very depressed to the point of dark, suicidal thoughts (last GP said to call 111 if I feel that way, so I’ve kept that to myself as she made me feel like I was making that up - I really am not)
Anxiety at an all time high to the point I am having panic attacks every day and I cry most days as I can’t control my emotions.
Complete lack of confidence and not wanting to socialise (probably because of all the above)
So very tired that I could sleep all day yet as soon as I go to bed I am wired and wake throughout the night (especially 3am). I wake up exhausted with panic attacks which set off the gut issues!
Lower back and hip ache, right hip feels like it may pop out (was born with double hip dysplasia so that worries me a little)
Painful joints which are very flexible (I think I may have joint hyper mobility)
Sore and painful muscles even without exercise
Hair loss to the point I now wear a hair topper
Sore tongue
TMJ disorder and tinnitus which is driving me to insanity
Painful ovulation or that time during mid cycle (had recent scan and nothing abnormal showed up)

Had a full panel of bloods taken recently, all things such as thyroid, vitamin b12, vitamin d, folate, iron etc all within normal levels.

I had put a lot of this down to my ferritin levels going down to just 3 last year. This was because of flooding periods and recurring uterine polyps (had them removed endless times). I practically had to beg for an iron infusion and uterine ablation. Had those last April and ferritin has gone up but feel worse than I ever did tbh even though no longer bleeding.
I go to the GP and they ask which is my most bothersome issues. Thing is, they all are as most are daily but as the anxiety/depression and digestive issues are stopping living a normal life right now they concentrate on that. I have tried literally everything for the gut issues but nothing eases it and I have tried various antidepressants but they exacerbate the gut issues so I’m on this merry go round of trying different things, getting nowhere and not getting to discuss all the other issues.

Thanks Mingomang can you do that? I hate complaining and feeling like I am being an annoying patient but the truth is I’m wasting valuable appointments going back and forth, surely if they were to look at the whole picture it would save time and money in the long run as I’d have something to work on and probably won’t need anymore frequent appointments?

Quite a lot of those are perimenopause / menopause symptoms. Have a look online then, if you agree, ask to start HRT. Once those symptoms are sorted it'll be easier to identify any other health problems.

CardiffMam I do often think that it’s perimenopause but every time I mention it they say because I still have a cycle (currently no periods due to the ablation although before that I was flooding with 10 day periods) and no regular hot sweats then I’m not yet in perimenopause but I’ve been feeling like this since I was around 45 and it’s just all getting worse. I’ve literally spoken to around 5 different GPs and they all say I’m not in peri - I am banging my head against the wall not knowing what this all is.

How can they know you’re not in peri? Have they tested hormone levels? If you had stopped ovulating and having cycles altogether you wouldn’t be in peri either, you’d be fully menopausal.

Im sorry your GPs are being so useless. Is there anyone at your practice who specialises in women’s health?

Find a list on a reputable site such as NICE guidelines or the NHS and tick them off to show GP. I'm still having regular cycles (and flooding and very low ferratin levels) and I feel much better since starting HRT, the anxiety and mind fog have gone. Do you have night sweats? These usually start before hot flushes, if you do, it wouldn't be lying to tell GP you are having hot flushes.

Many of these symptoms are pointing towards peri menopause .
Do you have access to a menopause clinic near you?
If so, I would be inclined to start there as not all GPs are great at spotting the correlation of some of these symptoms.

I could tick off most of your list and starting HRT has transformed most of them. I still got hot flushes and sweating (lovely!) But the tiredness, aches and pains etc..... all gone away.

A lot of your symptoms match hyper mobile EDS.

I prioritised one condition over another. Got referred to physio who discovered on completing the survey with me, that problem 2 was actually the cause of problem one.
If I'd have opted for a steroid injection rather than asking for physio I might have been damaged by an inappropriate treatment.

We can now self-refer to physio.

Menopause i would say.
Ask for HRT.
No blood test will detect it, unless you are post meno, in which case oestrogen levels will be very low.

So I saw a different GP today and she was lovely. She thought that I was in most probably in peri and has given me a prescription for hrt patches, I’ll pop over to the Menopause section as I want to ask some questions about it.

Twilightstarbright this is something I have wondered for a few years. I be,wive that I have joint hyper mobility at best and maybe even EDS. When I’ve tried doing the Beighton assessment myself I do score highly. I truly believe this is what my mum has suffered from all her life and my late grandad. My son regularly dislocate his knee but the GP hasn’t taken me seriously over this.