dr called me a fatty !!!!!!

uolypool

I was diagnosed as having an underactive thyroid a few months ago,have been taking thyroxine since, well I think this may have been undiagnosed for a fair while as felt lousy had symptoms for ages before hand, anyway my weight over the last year has crept up by nearly four stone, and its definately nothing to do with overeating as follow a weightwatchers plan and have done so for last 3 and a half years.When i went to see my gp this morning where he diagnosed carpal tunnel i mentioned my weight gain explained i follow a weight watchers plan and that the lady doctor i had seen previously had said that i could get help with my weight if I continued to struggle he said that I was obviously eating to much as that was the only reason for being a fatty,and there was no helpavailible but advice to stop overeating. now i was so shocked i left the surgery in tears and now don't know what to do

cattie

Poor you & what an insensitive & useless doctor. I too suffer with an underactive thryoid & was in quite a bad condition when it was finally diagnosed. Only diagnosed after being admitted to hospital for a cancer test.

Anyway I too had somehow put on a lot of weight, going from a generally slim person into a fatty, which was put down to long term medication I was on before getting the hypothyroid diagnosis. I had no appetite & was eating a lot less than I had previously.

Once I was put on thyroxine I was told I should gradually lose the excess weight I'd gained & lose all other symptoms, eventually returning to normal. I was on a very high dose of thyroxine to begin with & within 6 weeks or so had lost almost all of the excess weight & felt so much better in myself generally. I began to feel like me again.

What level of thyroxine are you on, only if you've not started to lose at least a bit of weight then perhaps the amount isn't quite enough for you? You may need to try get your dose increased if your symptoms are not going after a few months.

I've been on 150grms daily for years now & have to say that the weight problem has never reoccured. If I do gain a few pounds at times I know it's because I've been pigging out.

Is there another dr you could see at the surgery? If not, could you print off some info from the web or copy from a book where it states that one of the common side effects of hypothyroidism is a significant weight gain, but a decrease in appetite & take this into the surgery for the dr to read. He obviously needs a refresher course in the symptoms & side effects of thyroid disease.

I actually feel quite angry at the way he has fobbed you off.

shopaholic.lady

I would personally change doctors immediately....thats not what i call a good doctor or a doctor for that matter....either change surgerys or change doctor and explain to the new doctor what the other one said how you felt and your worries....its important that you find out if you have an underactive thyroid, inwhich the doctor can advise on the what to do for the best.... Exercise is also a good way to start feeling better about yourself...i find having a cycle on a bike or a good walk or even goin to the gym really makes me personally feel better mood wise and how i look....if you dont feel comfy going to the gym, home exercise Dvds are great....my partners mum has got mr motivator and the lady off corrie....Mr motivator is great if you love music and more of a dancing exercise...and the lady off corrie hers is a good work out apperenty it really makes you feel like you done a good work out...she loves them as she does them when ever she wants and where she wants.... Exercise balls from Tesco and Asda are amazing for exercising as you used them to best suit you....you make the exercises as hard or as easy as you would like....they are actually quite fun....they are quite cheap to buy... also .monitor what you eat by writing it down is good so you can personally see for yourself what you eat more of that maybe you shouldnt or that your eating fine....i used to snack throughout the day on sausage rolls, chocolate, cake u name it but ive substituted that for nothing or fruit...apples, rasberrys, strewberrys, watermelons, blackberrys and i feel so much happyier eating them then rubbish!! all this will help if you have an underactive thyroid along with any advice the doctor will give you.... good luck and please let me know how you get on....stuff that doctor...

dmg24

I have a problem at my surgery with the nurse.

I am a size 18, have always hovered around this size, but since taking Lithium and being diagnosed with an Underactive Thyroid my weight has ballooned and will not shift. My GP is very sympathetic, and acknowledges that the chances of losing weight are very low (mainly because of the Lithium). I went to the nurse for my pill check up and she tried to take my blood pressure. I have always had problems with this, even when I was down to a small 16 (feels like a long time ago!). She eventually tried the wrist device, which worked, and said that the other one had not worked because I have 'such fat arms'. :rolleyes:

I spoke to my GP and he acknowledged that the (skinny, and heavily wrinkled ) nurse can be very insensitive. Ever since then I refuse to wear sleeveless tops, despite reassurances from friends that my arms are really not that bad.

I am very limited as to what other medications I can take whilst on Lithium (to the point that I would happily throw it out the window), but would be happy to hear if you find anything (chemical or otherwise) that helps you!

myrnahaz

I don't think that this type of insensitive 'straight talking' is helpful at all.
My DD has PCOS and has struggled with her weight since she was 15, but she's recently started taking medication for epilepsy and has piled even more weight on, so she is particularly sensitive to other people's comments (including her Nan's unfortunately).
DD has a big appetite, and is feeling miserable at the injustice of having yet another disorder, so she IS eating more than she should, but having a doctor tell her that she's fat would be the last straw. It's hard enough to cope with another distressing diagnosis without being called a fatty.
It doesn't help if your doctor doesn't really know you, either. My DH has moderately high blood pressure (which is controlled by medication) and moderately high cholesterol and about 2 stones overweight. His GP (who he sees about once a year) told him he should be more active (he runs his own business and never sits still for a minute), she told him that if he was downstairs and realised his glasses were upstairs, that he shouldn't just leave it, he should go upstairs to fetch them. DH was speechless - she clearly thought he was a couch potato.

~*Plushroom*~

uolypool wrote: »

I was diagnosed as having an underactive thyroid a few months ago,have been taking thyroxine since, well I think this may have been undiagnosed for a fair while as felt lousy had symptoms for ages before hand, anyway my weight over the last year has crept up by nearly four stone, and its definately nothing to do with overeating as follow a weightwatchers plan and have done so for last 3 and a half years.When i went to see my gp this morning where he diagnosed carpal tunnel i mentioned my weight gain explained i follow a weight watchers plan and that the lady doctor i had seen previously had said that i could get help with my weight if I continued to struggle he said that I was obviously eating to much as that was the only reason for being a fatty,and there was no helpavailible but advice to stop overeating. now i was so shocked i left the surgery in tears and now don't know what to do

Make a complaint to another GP at your practice about this or contact your PCT if it really upset you, there's a difference between having a poor bedsit manner and just being a !!!!!!!.

And definitely change doctors.

uolypool

thank you for all your kind words The doctor was one i haven't seen for ages I don'tthink he really was interested and was more intrested in commenting about my weight. I spoke to the practise manager this morning and she is coming to see me tomorrow at home she suggested this ,Depending on this meeting I think I will be changing to a different surgery, but does anyone know if I have to give them a reason why I've decided to change and can they force my children to change as the dr they see is lovely but he only really sees children so no chance of me changing to him .

jw8725

I've had a lot of problems with GPs. I now don't trust them at all and always look for the "truth" on the net.

dizziblonde

I can sadly believe all of this - GP's reactions to overweight people (yes I'm overweight, no I don't sit at home shoving cream cakes into me gob 24-7... I go to the gym 6 times a week and am actively working to get the weight OFF) can be shocking sometimes and it's the reason I've spent the last 5 months not registered with a GP since I've moved house - I can't face the haranguing about something I'm fully aware is an issue and actively working to solve.

The way the NHS and govt is approaching the obesity issue - by stigmatizing and blaming people is only going to make things worse. If you're fat, you generally have zero self-confidence anyway, sending the message to society that it's OK to yell abuse at fat people in the street and snigger at them (and don't get me started on that Biggest Loser let's laugh at the fatties freakshow for the year 2009 stuff), then these people, who you want to have out and about moving around, going for walks etc... are going to retreat even more inside their houses and hide from the fact they're being made into the new politically correct scapegoats. I've been there, it's taken me a lot of guts to get out and go and join a gym - and it still takes me guts to go down there on a weekend and face the sniggering twenty somethings sometimes - not all overweight people are as strong-willed (or stubborn) as I am.

There's no understanding of how to broach the issue other than beating large people around the head with vegetables, or the minefield of issues people can have surrounding food. GPs by and large are useless where weight is concerned.

Kaz2904

cattie wrote: »

I've been on 150grms daily for years now

:eek::eek::eek: Surely you mean 150mg not grammes?

To the OP, please don't take it upon yourself to increase your thyroxine, ask to have your levels checked so that they can see if you're on enough. If you take too much it can cause life threatening arrythmias (to your heart).

Mrs_P_Pincher

Don't suppose he mentioned that your carpal tunnel syndrome is probably tied into the thyroid problem as well, did he? That might require joined up thinking and in depth knowledge beyond the average GP.

Sorry to be so cynical, but I have had so many problems with GPs over the years. Just be grateful he didn't tell you you'd had a stroke when you'd actually got toothache!

Mrs P P