I feel like I’m nagging my GP, but I’m in so much pain

[WeCouldBeNiceToEachOther]

I have a knee issue - suspected torn meniscus. I’ve contacted them and been told to book physio, so I have. It’s two and a half weeks away.

im in so much pain right now. Even sitting at my desk is painful. My knee is catching, I can’t straighten it properly and it’s feeling swollen and “full” inside. Walking is becoming more and more painful.

i want to put another form in to the gp because it’s getting worse, but I also think they’ll be annoyed at me because I have the physio in two weeks

No, they won’t prescribe anything. Thankfully I’m in with physio on Tuesday so I will try and get some answers then

Phone 111. They will likely advise you to a walk in centre or whatever they’re called these days. Don’t go to a physio without a diagnosis - I wasted over £1000 on having my DD working with a physio to repair a torn ACL. When we eventually went private to see an orthopaedic surgeon he sent her for an MRI and it turned out the ACL had snapped and no amount of physio would repair it. I’m still angry about it now!

My advice? Shop around the private sector and pay for an MRI. Ask your gp what kind of MRI you need. Present the results of that MRI to your GP who will book the specialist. You've just saved yourself a year of wait for about 250 quid. Not cheap but better than waiting forever in pain.

Or even better, ak the physio what MRI you need and they can advise.

Physio in two weeks isnt going tp solve your current pain issue. Why do we brits worry about ‘annoying’ doctors who are there to help us? You need some pain relief and possibly a second opinion.

I really don’t have the money spare to pay for a scan, unless I borrow it and I don’t think my parents would help me out unless I’d gone down the NHS route.

OTC painkillers just aren’t touching it, but I don’t know what else could be used? Co-codamol and I don’t mix well together unfortunately. I’m hoping physio on Tuesday will be helpful. I’m going to make a note of all of my symptoms and everything that’s gone on because I tend to get a bit flustered during appointments and let them brush me off.

I tore mine. Physio had no idea. He treated me but nothing worked... because it was torn. I had a scrape out but not repaired. They can only repair if no arthritis... and I have some - which i going out due to the tear. I Had a cortisone injection which help for a bit but it needs them regularly to manage it better. The pain can ve really bad at times and other times its manageable. I take good quality turmeric supplements to manage it. British supplements ones.

My son tore his ACL and meniscus when he was young. The g.p was also totally useless. He ended up needing an MRI scan and eventually surgery too. An MRI is the only way to see the ligaments. He had physio and it did really help. But you need to insist on a referral to an orthopedic surgeon. Sometimes a way around this is to see an orthopedic surgeon privately therefore by passing the g.p. once you see the surgeon ask him or her to refer you for an MRI on the NHS. I am not sure how much a private consultation would be though.

If it's too bad to walk on, emergency department might look at it for you.
Especially if it's making you fall over..

Having recently tried to get help for a back spasm which rendered me in 24-7 pain and unable to walk, sit or sleep the nhs care was woeful. One GP totally dismissed me saying I was anxious (!!) one prescribed painkillers and referred me to the practice physio who was sympathetic but basically gave no hands on treatment or advice other than keep moving. They refused to refer me for an MRI. If you aren’t immediately dying there’s basically no care path for pain other than pain relief. I’ve used private services - chiro, acupuncture, massage , physio - for the last three months just to be able to function.

it’s shit and I’m so sorry

111 also says GP, which is no good.

im hoping that the physio listens to me on Tuesday and takes me seriously. What’s baffling to me is they’d rather leave it as a problem for 50 years then treat the arthritis with a knee replacement at age 75, than treat the underlying issue now.

If it helps one thing that seems to get GPs doing anything is saying the pain is affecting your sleep. Might be worth a try.

If you get back spasms it's worth telling your GP that you need an x-ray. Or seeing a private GP who'll refer you.

OP - have you thought of trying a TENS machine- you can get them specifically for the knee.

They don’t care. I told them everything, it’s affecting my mood, my day to day life, I’m struggling to walk. They dismissed me

I had a torn meniscus years ago - it was so painful. Was diagnosed by MRI and I had an arthroscopy - they shaved some of it off. No issues since and it has been 21 years pain free so get that ball rolling.

Have you told your parents how much pain you are in?

If they can then they might help you.

Your current meds are not touching the pain insist on different ones very firmly pain is what you say it is! And RICE rest, ice, compression and elevation

Are you icing it regularly? I ruptured my ACL and almost the MCL (so not the meniscus) and found ice was the best pain relief. And a good compression brace.

OP says the original injury was 4 months ago.

Why is it so intolerable now but not so intolerable during the months OP didn't seek help for it ... or did she?

I have a hip / SI joint issue at the moment and they hand out painkillers to me like
smarties.

dyhydrocodiene, amitryptiline, naproxen….

more recent ones were prescribed over the phone when I called up to say I was still in pain. Anything to make me shut up and go away!

I don’t think you’re nagging to ask for more than ibuprofen and IME they’ll happily dose you up!

Btw some private MRI companies allow you to spread the cost

I'm sorry-things were much better when you could just ring or walk in and see the doctor. Just had the same sort of issue myself with trying to get in-submitted a form and got appointment for a muscular clinic in 2 months-except as I put clearly on the form, I am not sure my hip pain is muscular-I think it might be related to a post-childbirth/pelvic issue, so that's why I wanted to see a doctor, plus, like you, I wanted to ask about pain treatment. And I know I'm lucky, as many people are struggling to fill out these forms and some are actually not going to get appointments (I helped a relative who would have gone without otherwise, and I hear lots of other people have too).
All I could suggest is resubmit a form, making it clear you're requesting pain management, if that's what you need them to do for you now.

With meniscus tears they can ok for a while but something minor can cause a piece of the tear to move into a joint space and cause pain, instability etc. Its pretty common.

Hi OP, if gp refuses to do anything, ask to see someone else at the surgery. If they refuse then go through the complaints procedure and mention a director level complaint.
physio will do naff all if it’s meniscus. I had the same. You need an MRI, that will tell you where the issue is (if it is a meniscus tear) and you’ll need surgery to repair it. the pathway is:

GP refers for MRI
MRI refer the results back to GP
If you need surgery etc they then refer to Orthopaedics
You’ll then see a consultant (and prepare for them also to try fob you off with some scare stories and say physio- you stay strong say no I’ve tried physio I want surgery and I have a right to it)
you’ll then be added to the list for surgery

all in all the above process for me took just under a year start to the finish of the surgery. It was worse than they first thought once they went in and the repair was extensive. It saved me sanity and I’m not several years down the line with no issues. No regrests whatsoever but yes unfortunately the NHS at the moment is a ‘who shouts the loudest’ situation. Physio is a fob off- do NOT engage with it.