when to see the dr.

shandyclover

Am I the only one that gets a bit confused with conflicting medical advice?

2 weeks ago I had a nasty cold that dragged on a bit - most symptoms cleared up but the pain in my throat that felt like I had million razors lodged there and huge swollen glands, it also felt like my tongue was swollen. I haven't been able to eat for over a week, only drink (albeit very painfully), had pounding headaches, couldn't sleep and when I would drift off I would wake suddenly feeling like I was choking. Then my neck and ears started to hurt. Finally I did the NHS direct online questionaire and was instructed to see a dr asap., checked my symptoms with webdr. too and there it said see a dr if sore throat does not start to clear up within 3-4 days. I manage to get an appointment, I'm new to our surgery but it always seems incredibly busy - you have about 20 mins in the morning to get an appointment and if you miss it - they are gone. Anyways dr confirms viral infection of the throat yadda yadda, could be bacterial, no way of knowing. Then tells me off 'why did you bother to come, we don't worry about any sore throat thats under 3 weeks'. I left feeling vaugely guilty for taking up dr's time, so many times I've been told off for not coming in sooner - it's pretty hard to get it right.

tinktinktinkerbell

wow what a shocking GP for saying that :eek:

does he not realise he wouldnt have a job if it werent for sick people going to see him and the point of is job IS people going to see him when they are sick!

dont feel guilty for going to see a GP when you are ill, that is the point of them

choille

I would try & change Drs as if you are at all worried you should go.

The Drs are paid to diagnose what is wrong - they are highly paid, so if you are worried you should go & get it checked out.

Sorry you're having a bad time of it, but I would have gone too. Please don't feel guilty at all. I would try and see another Dr the next time as I think his attitude is terrible.
Try gargling with warm salty water which is slightly unpleasant but can clear up an infection. 'Throatie' pastels are really quite good too, but if you have a bad throat you'll feel pretty rubbish for a while.
Take care & please don't feel guilty - your Dr is in the wrong.

jenniewb

I would have said "NHS direct told me to come here" and if they take issue with that then they need to reread their own medical understanding!

I do quite often before getting an appointment phone NHS direct (probably not so easy with a sore throat) I normally call because I imagine NHS direct can suggest something to do or when I should see my GP and quite often am advised to see one anyway but they don't do this (advise to see a GP) without explaining exactly why I should which could be why they can't help or why they feel its important to see someone. Its another version on seeing a pharmacist or a walk in center which I would also use to blame on my appointment if my GP did react like yours has!

I think that I would make a note of this to the manager as its a bit uncalled for. I don't think your attendance was at all unreasonable and that unless your the type that show up to the surgery every week with a new issue which turns out to be nothing (doesn't sound like you from what you write!) the GP really had no reason to say what he did and needs to know its not a good thing to say this, Imagine if he put someone off the advice NHS direct had given them and they had something deadly serious, he need to be spoken to at the very least because his targets and understanding of what needs to be checked out needs to shift somewhat.

j.e.j.

You use your own judgement. The GP certainly should not have been telling you off for going, - for all you knew it could have been something serious. That's why we go to a doctor, - to find out.

I can understand a doctor getting a bit assertive with a patient if they feel they're a time-waster, but in this case I think I'd be looking for another GP if I were you.

pmduk

If you were in a position to know when something is serious you'd be sitting in the Doctor's chair, not him! If it's a practice that you're not yet familiar with then consider he may be having an off day, but if that is his normal behaviour then change Doctors fast

Nicki

jenniewb wrote: »

your the type that show up to the surgery every week with a new issue which turns out to be nothing (doesn't sound like you from what you write!) the GP really had no reason to say what he did and needs to know its not a good thing to say this, .

There is no way of knowing that from the OP! OP is a new patient to the surgery, but their notes could be stuffed full of trivial visits for all you know. Or their notes could have not yet reached the doctor so he doesn't know what kind of patient they are.

There are loads of people who take up doctors appointments several times a year for things they shouldn't. I personally know (and have employed) people who will go to the doctor for a head cold (often on the first or second day) despite being told repeatedly that there is nothing the doctor can do to treat this, and having no underlying health issues. I also would not personally see a doctor for a sore throat resulting from a cold, unless it had dragged on for an unusually long time (most sore throats in my experience last a lot longer than 2 weeks) though I might speak to a pharmacist for some OTC pain relief. I don't see a huge problem with a doctor examining a patient, giving a diagnosis and advice about the problem but then going on to say that in future that patient should not come back with a similar problem unless certain preconditions are met.

There are only so many appointments available in any surgery, and next time OP has an issue where they need to be seen more urgently, eg a lump or bleeding mole, they may not appreciate having to wait a few days for an appointment because the doctor is busy seeing patients who don't need to be there.

shandyclover

Thanks, it's good to know it's not just me that thought drs manner was a bit off. She also never looked at me when talking, looking instead at her pc, did not greet me as I came in and seemed bored and distracted. It's a lady GP and to be fair she is not English, nor do I think her first language is English. She is not the GP we are registered with, just the first one available with an appointment so I think I will try to avoid seeing her if I can.

A few years ago I took my DD14 to A&E on the advice of a GP. She had what turned out to be a trapped nerve, her whole arm hung limply and was turning purple, she couldn't raise her arm without excruciating pain. The Irish dr. we saw in A&E diagnosed her and prescribed a shot to relax the muscles and a relaxant medication. While the nurse was preparing the shot, another dr walked in (the same nationality as this GP I saw for my sore throat) She was very agressive, told my DD "what are you doing here, there's nothing wrong with you!" grabbed her arm and forced it upwards causing her to tremble and tears to stream down her face, then said "there, now you are fine - you can go home" and moved on. It happened so suddenly the nurse just stood openmouthed with the syringe in her hand still, profusely apologising. I wanted to find out if what this dr. had done was acceptable, but DD was in alot of pain and quite humiliated being as she is the type that never cries in public so just wanted to leave as soon as possible. I think some of the drs from this ethnicity have seen real horrors in war, so when we come along with our sore throat or trapped nerve maybe they just get impatient which explains their brusque manner.

I'll admit I have also been very spoilt living 6 years in Ireland, registered with an old fashioned country GP. I only ever saw him about 5-6 times with my DD's various ear infections, childhood diseases etc., husband slipped disc accident and when I had a miscarriage. He was lovely, never rushed you, would turn away from his desk giving you his full attention, knew us all by name, would ask how everyone was and when I had my miscarriage got all teary eyed himself.

nickyhutch

Nicki wrote: »

There is no way of knowing that from the OP! OP is a new patient to the surgery, but their notes could be stuffed full of trivial visits for all you know. Or their notes could have not yet reached the doctor so he doesn't know what kind of patient they are.

There are loads of people who take up doctors appointments several times a year for things they shouldn't. I personally know (and have employed) people who will go to the doctor for a head cold (often on the first or second day) despite being told repeatedly that there is nothing the doctor can do to treat this, and having no underlying health issues. I also would not personally see a doctor for a sore throat resulting from a cold, unless it had dragged on for an unusually long time (most sore throats in my experience last a lot longer than 2 weeks) though I might speak to a pharmacist for some OTC pain relief. I don't see a huge problem with a doctor examining a patient, giving a diagnosis and advice about the problem but then going on to say that in future that patient should not come back with a similar problem unless certain preconditions are met.

There are only so many appointments available in any surgery, and next time OP has an issue where they need to be seen more urgently, eg a lump or bleeding mole, they may not appreciate having to wait a few days for an appointment because the doctor is busy seeing patients who don't need to be there.

What we do know from the OP, though, is that he/she didn't rush off there at the first sign of a sniffle, read up on the symptoms where he/she is supposed to, and followed the advice, only going to see the GP after 2 weeks.

Time-wasters and those who love seeing the GP for anything and everything don't tend to do all that.

shandyclover

Nicki wrote: »

There is no way of knowing that from the OP! OP is a new patient to the surgery, but their notes could be stuffed full of trivial visits for all you know. Or their notes could have not yet reached the doctor so he doesn't know what kind of patient they are.

There are loads of people who take up doctors appointments several times a year for things they shouldn't. I personally know (and have employed) people who will go to the doctor for a head cold (often on the first or second day) despite being told repeatedly that there is nothing the doctor can do to treat this, and having no underlying health issues. I also would not personally see a doctor for a sore throat resulting from a cold, unless it had dragged on for an unusually long time (most sore throats in my experience last a lot longer than 2 weeks) though I might speak to a pharmacist for some OTC pain relief. I don't see a huge problem with a doctor examining a patient, giving a diagnosis and advice about the problem but then going on to say that in future that patient should not come back with a similar problem unless certain preconditions are met.

There are only so many appointments available in any surgery, and next time OP has an issue where they need to be seen more urgently, eg a lump or bleeding mole, they may not appreciate having to wait a few days for an appointment because the doctor is busy seeing patients who don't need to be there.

Just to clarify I can count on one hand the times I have been to the Dr. in the last 10 years - for myself. Nine times out of ten I check with NHS direct first, as I did with this sore throat that had remained unchanged for 2 weeks, if you will read my original post you will see it was on this advice I went to see the Dr. I respect Drs have a hectic schedule and I do not impose on them unless I am convinced I do indeed need help. What bothered me was the conflict of information - sore throat not getting better after 4-5 days, see the dr vs. any sore throat under 3 weeks - nothing to worry about. Not being able to swallow without extreme pain and therefore living off tea for 2 weeks I did begin to worry, but now I've learnt something for the future.

Nicki

I did read the first post OP, and if the doctor had sent you away with a flea in your ear withou examining you, I'd think you have a point.

But what actually happened was she did examine you, gave you advice about what caused it, and when in future you should worry about this thing, and you took the hump about the last bit of the advice, as it now turns out because you regard the manner of doctors of this ethnicity as brusque. Reporting her for malpractice, either to the practice manager or wider would seem to a vast overreaction to what is really some bruised feelings. I still can't see based on what you have posted that the doctor did anything which could possibly adversely affect your health now or in the future, even if she didn't treat you with the charm and blarney you have become accustomed to in Ireland.