Why wont my GP listen to me??

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Sorry for this long depressing post but I am so fed up, I am actually beginning to look forward to the "end" when I will finally be pain free.

I moved GP surgery because I wanted some help, previous GP left and the replacement was never there, was having to wait weeks for an appointment and even then it was only 10 mins. Not enough time to cover most things.

Anyway, I have a number of health problems, will name a few as I go along.

Fibromyalgia - diagnosed in 2011, confirmed by Rheumatologist in 2012

My fibro has never been managed, I was on a cocktail of medication at one point for 2 years, then I took control and tried to help myself. I was taking 4 x 300mg three times a day of Gabapentin. I went from 11 stone to 20 stone. I was a zombie. I was also taking tramadol & oramorph for the pain. I lowered my gabapentin myself to 1 x 300mg three times daily, now I am off it completely because I cant keep putting on weight, but... nothing is helping my pain.

I went to see GP today to find out what I can do with pain, "lose weight"  "exercise" "diet" bla bla bla. Why do they put everything down to someone's weight, I have had all of this longer than I have the weight but they just assume its a "lifestyle" change needed.

I cant jog, I cant run, I can hardly walk, not due to my weight, I have bilater plantar fasciitis, fallen arches, torn ligaments in my feet, clawing toes, bilateral posterior tenosynovitis... this along with my Grade IV osteoarthritis after 8 operations on my knees. I have sacroiliac joint disorder (something like that), I have cervical spondylosis in my neck...

This along with hiatus hernia and gastritis... oh yeah and duplex kidneys with scarring.

So see my point? I am crying every day just for someone to help me cope, nobody listens. I live on my own with my 18 yr old son and my family live 400 miles away. Far too many days now I dont want to wake up. I can hardly move without pain. I have a falls pendant alarm system in my house because I fall over due to my feet/leg problems.

I get swelling around my lower legs which irritates the cellulitis.

I am almost beat, I cant go on like this. I'm 47 and should be able to have a life that I can try to enjoy, but I need help. Never felt so alone in my life..

Is it too much to ask for a GP who would listen and not just assume its caused by my weight sad

Dunno what to do anymore sad Sorry

2

Hi hun, I am really sorry to hear about you troubles, I am lucky enough to have a very dear friend who understands my problems and wish more others like us did too. I hope I'm not out of line in suggesting you contact i-talk they may be able to help by giving you someone to talk too. Blessings to you hun

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Gentle hugs xxxxx fibro is hard to manage and yes the depression is b awful and to not wake up sounds great BUT, there is always a new day, would the gp give you a gym membership for warm swimming, a lot of places cater for people with disabilities with hoists etc. they are offering gym membership if overweight, and it may help. Be vareful with meds as they can cause so many side effects, is there a different gp you could see or move too? Take things a bit at a time, it's hard work and not in the best place myself at the min, maybe do something nice with your son xxx 

4

Jacqui, you sound like your at the end of your tether and rightly so.  Self medicating sounds dodgy perhaps changing GPS would be a better alternative?  I know my GP surgery runs a clinic to help with depression no matter what the case and they have access to other sources of help available.

you could also ask for a referral back to pain management.  There has to be a different medication that will help rather than endanger your health further?

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I know exactly how you feel I have fibro arthritis and brittle asthma.i had to come off gabapentin because of weight.i feel really isolated because always feel rubbish and everything such an effort.i live alone so bad days just want to cry.feel I can't enter into a relationship because I don't know who would put up with me not being able to do things.think it's ok if you have been with someone a long time and they have seen how it affects you.i don't live near anyone who has it because I think other sufferers would be great to talk to because they are the only ones who understand my nearest group is 16 miles away.hope I haven't depressed you just wanted you to know there are other people out there xx

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Hi jacqui don't despair hun ,I too am like you and on pregablin and have put loads of weight on and I'm basically wheel chair bound,finding a doctor who cares is hard work as if you can be referred back to your remotoligist the one who looks after you then ask if you can be referred to a pain clinic where they will device a plan just for you to help you but please don't give up hope hun their is a light at end of tunnel and I would also suggest changing doctors pratice I'm on a lot of meds but I control my pain by trying to think beyond the pain and sometimes it helps but we are all here for you love and best wishes cherl xxxx

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Hiya, thanks for replying. I wish more people knew about it. I had to get leaflets from Fibro companies to give to my GP surgery as some of the staff & doctors didnt know much about it when the good gp left. Thanks for the suggestion, I will definitely look into it. Nobody seems to understand so maybe this is all I can do now. Thanks x

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Hiya, So many days I just hate it, I sit & cry or throw things about, I shout at my son for not understanding or helping. I'm more frustrated at myself though, I keep wondering why me, why all this, why not just one thing then I can maybe cope with that. But its just a vicious circle, medication caused weight gain, cant exercise much due to pain, cant lose the weight. Yeah I asked about the gym, I went a few years ago but was assessed and not allowed on some things which I was annoyed at, I was paying £53 per month to do hardly anything. I asked to get a referral again so we will see. They also have a hydrotherapy pool here that I wasnt aware of so I am going to go see them. Had awful night last night with the headaches, usually I can cope and will sleep through them but this one was really bad. Thanks for taking the time to reply x

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Hiya, I am, I am so desperate for someone to listen to me and help me, but all they see is the weight, they have done nothing about the supposed follow up about my feet/legs and that was 3 years ago. I just want a gp to listen and help me. I'll look into that clinic as I cant go on feeling like this. I used to attend the pain clinic but they discharged me back into the care of the gp.. I will contact them again today though to see if I can go back. GP just wants me to manage all the pain with tramadol & naproxen, which didnt work when I was on the gabapentin so how is it going to work now but I've no choice. Thanks x

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Hiya, thanks for replying. You havent depressed me at all hun, its how things are now. Just feel like a number. Yeah my son is at college 4 days and works the other 3 so rarely see him but sometimes I get so mad with him leaving his stuff laying about. One day I hope he will understand. I bought him a book on fibro lol. Ditto, exactly how I feel about relationships. Nobody deserves to be lumbered with me. Its hard aint it, hard to think positive thoughts etc when all we live with is pain and negativity. Hope you can get some help too hun. We've nothing around here either, just needs to be more awareness about it. Hugs xx

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Hi jacqui:

You are really having a hard time. I know what you are feeling with pain as I have fibromyalgia and fatigue. I also have other varios problems like spinal stenosis, nerve damage, peripheral neuropathy ,edema, psiorisis and of course, chronic pain. In your case you have been having a hard time getting a good doctor who will take care of you. I also have the sme problem with certain doctors and PAs too. It seems when you have too many conditions, these doctors just want to throw up their hands and tell you that you are a complicated patient and I cant help you or don't want to. Your shrugged off as a useless case and they refer you to so many different doctors and they don't know where to begin. Only if there were a magic way bu that is not the case. You are crying for help and just ready to give up. You are so young compared to me. Hell, I am 76 years old and near useless to society but I plug on even when I feel so much pain. Please don't do the escape by taking your life as there are people such as myself trying to help others that feel down and out. You know what? Just by being here and talking to someone helps you deal with the pain and feeling miserable. I have only been here for 2 months and helped others such as yourself to be better able to cope. It keeps your mind busy and fingers getting sore for typing. I hink you sid you live in England and I living in the USA being far away and not how your medical system works. Ours also is quite complicated and not perfect either. The first thing to do is have hope. Your too young to give up. You need faith of whatever you believe in. You need resources to get the best help you can. If you talk o freins, relatives and even here, you will better understand your condition and get other resources. There is a wealth of information out there. You are not alone and many others have various diseases and conditions which complicate matters. On and on I could o bu it would be repetitive. Just tell me hat you are not giving up hope. I dont like to hear that. Be well my friend and do hings that wont mke you feel the pain as much. Keep busy with things you like to do like hobbies and just being here. Everyone is here to help.

mel

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Hiya, They just see the weight and assume its eating, get it all the time, "go for a job", "diet clinic" etc etc. I think thats why I feel like giving up, sick fed up with them judging upon looks and not even bothering to read hospital reports etc. I went a few months ago to ask what to do re my feet/ankle problems, he hadnt even read the letter from 2013 so what chance have I got of getting help... I emailed the rheumy last night asking if I can come back self-referred or if I have to go via the GP in the hope they let me come back myself as he wont give me the referral until I've been back to physio, I've been to physion 5 times in the last 3 years and they've said there is nothing they can do other than surgery, I had surgery Jan 2015 and still nothing. I will have to get a knee replacement done due to the osteoarthritis but the GP wont even refer me back to my specialist. I can usually cope with the pain, but I know its beyond my limits at times, those times are very dark times but I get by, I just wish I could get the help I think I deserve. Thanks for taking the time to reply to me. Hope you're doing ok xxx

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Aww thanks Mel, just so hard & frustrating. I try to see my grandkids as often as I can but I cant see them much and when I do, I cant run around with them or go for walks etc. I'd give anything to be able to be just normal for a day. I never know what a day is going to be like until I wake up, sleep is awful, which then irritate the headaches. I can cope with a lot but the headaches are the worst I've ever had, there 24/7, mild to severe, they decided that I didnt need any sleep last night so they kept waking me up from 2.25 to 6.30 I'm exhausted today. But, I will try to have a good day, put on a smile and just keep trying. I dont have any friends here, never get out much unless my son is here. Facebook is my rock really and now I've discovered this place I can come here too and talk to people who really do understand. Thanks for your lovely reply xx

 

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Where do you live have you looked for a group near you x

 

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Hi Jacqui:

Nice of you getting back to me at least we are not alone in this. We can share our sorrows, are hurt and most importantly of all how we are feeling today. I'm speaking now and writing. I am using Google voice to convert to text. Works pretty good! This is really crazy it is so clear and no errors. Maybe I will use this from now on. It's easier for me and it is the best way I think to put everything in a text form. Now I am writing again. When I have to Put in a period or comma, I say it and actually types it as . Or ,

Isn't that cool. Its getting late now and so will my goodbyes. Stay well.

mel