Plan going forwards: do I speak to GP?

[ByLimeAnt]

I have a GP appointment book for the week after next with my excellent GP who knows me very well.

I'm undecided about whether to cancel or not. This is why:

Overwhelming fatigue since last summer. I'm now (temporarily, but very anxious about going back FT) working mornings only. As soon as I finish work I sleep until the boys are back from school.

Colonoscopy showed multiple polyps but nothing else.

Low ferritin (12) diagnosed, this has improved with ferrous fumarate.

Thyroid panel fine.

Collapsed in March in public place, unconscious for 15 minutes. CPR (no shocks) given, in hospital for 9 hours and was advised by ED Dr that he thought my heart stopped for a few beats. 2 week later showed nothing untoward (interestingly, I have a restng pulse of around 100 as standard all my life since I was a teenager, but read consistently late 50s/ early 60s in hospital. BP also low 90/70, when I'm hypertensive on medication.

Check my BP twice a day and now running as normal at about 140/85.

Okay, this is the crux of the matter. I have bipolar and have had multiple incidents where physical symptoms have been put down to this (and later proved incorrect).

I'm very concerned that pursuing help for this will push me firmly into "She's difficult, symptoms are due to MH). And I know already that makes things 100 times worse when trying to access health care for physical problems.

My question is- is asking for more help worth the real risk of this? Honestly, I'm leaning towards cancelling and just trying to cope, but have no idea how I can when I'm crashing for four hours after a morning's (desk bound) work.

I did not want your post to go unanswered and although I am not bi-polar, I can relate to your quandary. I have CP and all my ailments are always labelled as CP whether they are or not. When I broke my leg I felt I was being seen as an awkward patient when saying that the pain was different to the usual CP issues - but I did eventually get an x-ray and a leg plaster!

I would go to the appointment if you have an excellent GP as the doctor may say adjusting your meds for bi-polar may be the next step to see if that reduces your fatigue or have other ideas as what you have described sounds very stressful and that can't help with managing the BiPolar.

I would go. You deserve high quality physical healthcare.

If you have a good relationship with your GP you could say that you are concerned that diagnostic overshadowing has compromised your physical health and you would like these issues investigated properly.

Having a serious mental illness doesn't mean you can't also have physical illness - and untreated physical illness won't help your mental state.

I think your blood pressure is slightly high for a home reading (not medical but I was told over 135 at home consistently would warrant investigation)

Re your last paragraph, oh gosh I know!!! Would be great if clinicians knew this too.

@lissetteattheRitz , you are right, just picking my battles at the moment. Had it happen again whilst working at my desk and paramedics kept trying to convince me that my antihypertensives needed to be reduced as that was the cause because BP low at that time. I knew they were wrong so have been checking BP twice daily so can refute if needed.

Thanks to everyone who replied, hopeful bump.

Bump