How to get GP to listen........

[Adreiene]

Here's my story, any advice appreciated; I have Psoriatic Arthritis (PA) and have now been off work for 4 months, as the GP says I'm having a flare up. My blood's come back as normal but I am still in a lot of pain. I also experience; poor memory, shaky legs I have problems walking down the stairs and feel like my legs are going to collapse. When I climb the stairs I feel like I have just run 20 miles, as my legs ache so much. I can't sleep, I suffer with severe depression/anxiety and tender spots all over my body. I have been doing my own research and I think that I may have Fibro. I have a GP appointment on Friday and know he will say "it's just your PA" but I have never felt this ill before and surely it would show up in my blood tests. Can anyone give me advice on what to say to my GP without sounding like a hypochondriac. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks for reading.

[FluppyPuffy]

You may need to change the way you approach your appt to get your GP to listen, maybe take a more leading approach with things. You could go armed with some info about FM, such as from this linky http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Fibromyalgia/Pages/Introduction.aspx as well as details of your symptoms, and explain why you feel that FM may be the reason for what you're feeling and experiencing. From there, hopefully your GP will acknowledge that it could be a possibility and start something off to find out what is causing you the problems, be it more tests and things they feel may be appropriate, referring you onto someone who specialises in FM, such as a Rheumatologist, or even being prepared to give you a diagnosis themselves.

Hope you can start getting some answers soon

[Ldyalb]

I think it's always worth mentioning it to your GP, explain the symptoms you're experiencing and why you think it could be Fibro. Some Drs don't like it when patients research their symptoms online. If you think your GP may be one of them you could always say that you have a friend who has similar problems to you and has recently been diagnosed with Fibro; could it be possible that you have it too?

It's very common for Fibro to occur with other chronic pain conditions such as the many arthritis conditions, Lupus, CFS and ME etc.

If you're really feeling the pains in your muscles then emphasise that to your GP - arthritis affects the joints. Hopefully your GP can do the tender point test on you and that will give a good indication as to whether your symptoms can be explained by Fibro, or not.

http://www.fibroaction.org/Articles/The ... onals.aspx

[denys]

You've been given some good advice and I cant think of anything to add just wanted to say with it all and you can get the help you need

[shazq]

with your GP, hope you get some answers soon. Keep us updated.

[Adreiene]

Thanks for all the support and advice, I will keep you updated. Thanks

[Adreiene]

My manager made an appointment to see Occupational Health and I was seen by a Gp this morning. I spoke to him about FB and was told not to go down that route, as FB is something that is diagnosed if they can't find anything wrong with someone. I can't believe this when it obviously causing so much distress for people. I'm going to get a second opinion on Friday so will update you all then.

[denys]

Unfortuantely Adreiene that is sometimes the case and it is known as the bucket syndrome, throw a load of symptoms in and come up with FM. We know what effect it has on our lives and that is what makes it so difficult as some people are diagnosed with FM and then make a complete recovery making us wonder if they ever had it in the first place

[Betfred101]

seems to be the pain problem with GP's they can be quick to offer you a pain killer but not so keen to look into it further. Make sure your GP knows as other members have said you have such similar symptoms to FM.
Also the problem can be with FM being a difficult thing to diagnose everything else is tested for first which can of course take a long time.
GP's always will listen but sometimes they need the extra push first.
Good luck :)

[Roseofsharon]

I can't really add much to what the others have said, except to point out that you need to push for the extra tests as well as the FM tender points test. It's so easy to 'diagnose' our selves and come up with the wrong answer.

[swbadcock]

Hi ,i know this maybe a little late but i to have PsA which was diagnosed last year told my reuhmy that i also had pain in the muscles as well as joints, late last year seen another rhuemy and he concluded that i have fibro as a secondary condition , have read that this is quite common if you have not been treated for a pain related illness for a long time .

[tentimes]

I think quite a few of us will have felt like a hypochondriac at times, even though we are being quite rational. It's in the nature of these illnesses that they are not as visible. People (including doctors) are used to associating illness with the visible and the prove-able. GP's are also used to spending about 50% of their time on about 1% of their patients, a lot of whom get put in the "problem patient" category, in some cases valid and in others not-warranted. This is especially true of unseen or "hidden" illnesses.

Your GP won't want to be risking a new diagnosis that might be contradicted by a consultant later on - he would have to be really really sure of it. I would say get yourself to the consultant. If the consultant makes the decision it's no risk to the GP and he/she will just accept it. It may well be your GP could be 100% in agreement but not want to risk contradicting the current diagnosis. Also, Gp's generally refer, not diagnose, unless it's in the realm of primary care - anything that belongs in a specialization they prefer is diagnosed by someone qualified to diagnose it. It took a lot of work to get depression and some other mental illnesses in to the GP surgery - they now have a simple check-list that is a national standard that they tick boxes on to decide whether they treat you or refer you on. Fibromyalgia is a complicated syndrome and I still suspect many GP's believe it's all in patients heads just like they do chronic fatigue syndrome (which it isn't - it's just as real as Fibro).

[migrembe]

I only got the diagnosis with FM after seeing two different consultants one for osteoarthritis in my knees and the other for Rheumatoid arthritis. The first consultant informed my GP that they had to refer me to rheumatoid because i was unwell or i don't think she would have done. The RA Consultant sat and talked to me, did a few checks and said 'i know exactly what you have got'. When i went back to see my GP after seeing the RA consultant with the diagnosis of FM she just looked at me like she was a fish or maybe i was speaking a language she didn't understand. It took 8 yrs. The FM affects me everywhere, this morning i couldn't walk back upstairs. The things is, if you are unwell don't give up.

[Betfred101]

I only got the diagnosis with FM after seeing two different consultants one for osteoarthritis in my knees and the other for Rheumatoid arthritis. The first consultant informed my GP that they had to refer me to rheumatoid because i was unwell or i don't think she would have done. The RA Consultant sat and talked to me, did a few checks and said 'i know exactly what you have got'. When i went back to see my GP after seeing the RA consultant with the diagnosis of FM she just looked at me like she was a fish or maybe i was speaking a language she didn't understand. It took 8 yrs. The FM affects me everywhere, this morning i couldn't walk back upstairs. The things is, if you are unwell don't give up.

This is very similar to what happened when i got my diagnosis from rheumy a couple weeks ago when i saw 1 of the GP's. I told him i had been diagnosed with FM and was recommended to try 2 different medications unfortunately they didn't have the letter from Rheumy.
He point blank refused the existence of FM and said some things just have no name....
Strange given that he was the one to refer me, however needless to say i will not be seeing that GP again any time soon.
I still got the meds tho!!

[carries]

Hi,
Sorry ro hear of your struggle to be heard. I understand totally with what you are saying. I had to call my GP out last week because could not walk due to severe pain and spasms in my back where i am unable to weight bare. The gp was very rude and said he had never been called out for back pain before. What came to me later was that if i had another illness perhaps one which is not viewed as negative or in the mind he would not have reacted in the same way. Ans guess what I recieved a letter days later saying i had been removed from the practice for being extremely aggressive. My 24 year old daughter was with me the whole time,, i was not aggressive in any shape or form but in agony and upset.

Maybe you could ask to be referred to a specialist who deals with fibro but try and keep strong and focussed on what your problems are.

Keep in touch and good luck.
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