Refused access to medical specialist without painkillers

[Cyclone]

Perhaps consider it a test of how much you actually need help?

 

NHS funding is being cut, there isn't the resources to give every tom dick and harry access to the care we would all like.

So, in order to ration care to those who need it most, use a simple test:

If your leg hurts as much as you say it does, take the painkillers.

If the pain goes away, problem solved.

Yes, because if the pain is masked then the underlying problem has gone away

Painkillers are much cheaper than specialist time, so it makes sense to use the cheapest option to solve the problem.

But won't generally do much to help a chronic condition.

[Cyclone]

This is a right pitchfork thread

 

Mr Strix was similarly angered by the same suggestion from our GP wrt back pain

The GP was right, and the pain killers cured him.

I already knew this from managing a hound with a spinal injury. The muscles try to protect the injury and develop a problem of their own. The knack is to take enough pain killers to take the edge off so to speak, but not cause a complete numbness to the protective stabs of pain

 

You're describing treatment for an acute injury, not a chronic condition.

[onewheeldave]

I don't think it's a case of refusing you access, but more a case of trying alternative treatments before they make the referral.

 

If you believe you have been hard done by, or are not happy with the diagnosis, you have the right to see your medical notes. Contact the practice manager who, I am sure, will be happy to help. Failing that, register with another GP. I suspect, you will still have to jump through hoops before you get anywhere near a specialist.

 

As someone going through the mill with a dodgy knee, I sympathise with you. I feel your pain (quite literally) and frustration of the current system. Hope you get it sorted soon

 

I'd prefer to have some kind of diagnosis before they start the treatments

 

Besides, IMO painkillers don't constitute a treatment- they mask pain leaving the person to use a leg that perhaps should not be being used.

[onewheeldave]

Perhaps consider it a test of how much you actually need help?

 

NHS funding is being cut, there isn't the resources to give every tom dick and harry access to the care we would all like.

So, in order to ration care to those who need it most, use a simple test:

If your leg hurts as much as you say it does, take the painkillers.

If the pain goes away, problem solved. if it doesn't, then you need a specialist to look at other options, perhaps some physiotherapy.

But if you can't commit to something as simple as taking a course of painkillers how do you expect to stick to an intensive physiotherapy course?

 

Painkillers are much cheaper than specialist time, so it makes sense to use the cheapest option to solve the problem.

 

If the pain goes away, the problem is far from solved: unless you're suggesting that taking painkillers for the rest of my life constitutes a 'solution'

 

As it is, the pain does go away- cutting down walking and the healing nature of time means it does go away- then returns some time later.

 

I suspect a big part of why it does go, is because, when it's painfull, I go out of my way to cut down walking and try to not make it worse: which is precisely a part of the reason I don't want to be dosed up on painkillers, because then I won't know to rest it, and that will probably make it worse.

[onewheeldave]

This is a right pitchfork thread

 

Mr Strix was similarly angered by the same suggestion from our GP wrt back pain

The GP was right, and the pain killers cured him.

I already knew this from managing a hound with a spinal injury. The muscles try to protect the injury and develop a problem of their own. The knack is to take enough pain killers to take the edge off so to speak, but not cause a complete numbness to the protective stabs of pain

 

If a specialist having looked at any scans/x-rays they thought necessary, used their expert knowledge and, concluded that taking a course of painkillers was the best option, then I would be a lot more inclined to take the advice.

 

When it comes from a GP who's got no idea what the underlying problem is, who doesn't want to take the steps necessary to investigate that condition, and whose main concern is to fob of patients with cheap painkillers cos it saves the surgery money, then no, I won't be taking their advice, thank you.

 

I'm glad your dog benefitted from their painkillers, similarly with Mr strix- however, it sounds like they had one of those conditions which benefit from painkillers? If they'd happened to have one of those condtions that didn't benefit from painkillers, they'd probably have been made worse, wouldn't they? Hence the value of a diagnosis made by an expert in their field.

[Agent Orange]

I'd prefer to have some kind of diagnosis before they start the treatments

 

Besides, IMO painkillers don't constitute a treatment- they mask pain leaving the person to use a leg that perhaps should not be being used.

 

Has the doctor not given you an idea of what's causing it?

 

What are the pills prescribed?

[onewheeldave]

Has the doctor not given you an idea of what's causing it?

 

What are the pills prescribed?

 

The doctors got no idea of what's causing it- given the lack of things like swelling and the general nature of the symptons, there's no way they could know- hence why some form of scan/x-ray might be a good idea.

 

They wanted me to take paracetemol/ibuprofen on a daily basis- there's been no prescription because I'm not going to take daily painkillers when I'm getting some potentially useful pain signals that could prevent me making the leg worse than it is.

[Agent Orange]

The doctors got no idea of what's causing it- given the lack of things like swelling and the general nature of the symptons, there's no way they could know- hence why some form of scan/x-ray might be a good idea.

 

They wanted me to take paracetemol/ibuprofen on a daily basis- there's been no prescription because I'm not going to take daily painkillers when I'm getting some potentially useful pain signals that could prevent me making the leg worse than it is.

 

You mentioned that this has been going on about a year. Is that the symptoms or the seeing the doctors about the problem?

[margarete]

Hi onewheeldave

 

"They wanted me to take paracetemol/ibuprofen on a daily basis- there's been no prescription because I'm not going to take daily painkillers when I'm getting some potentially useful pain signals that could prevent me making the leg worse than it is. "

 

I sympathise with your situation and completely agree with you about taking painkillers being inadvisable. I personally won't take painkillers and adamantly refused morphine and similar painkillers (despite the attempts of various health professionals to bully me into taking them) even after 2 major operations. I would rather not have the additional problems and harm from the body having to cope with metabolising dangerous drugs as well as trying to recover from major physical trauma.

 

You are supposed to have the right to refuse medication and other treatment if you wish. Painkillers are not curative. - Pain is not caused by a shortage of paracetamol in the body. Whereas regular doses of paracetamol or other painkillers can do an appreciable amount of damage to your liver. - See http://www.backtothebasicsclinic.com/1/post/2012/2/february-2012-newsletter-acetaminophen-the-killer-painkiller.html for instance.

 

Good luck.

 

Have you considered going to see an osteopath? - It's not as expensive as seeing a consultant specialist but it might possibly prove useful to you.

[Cyclone]

If a specialist having looked at any scans/x-rays they thought necessary, used their expert knowledge and, concluded that taking a course of painkillers was the best option, then I would be a lot more inclined to take the advice.

 

When it comes from a GP who's got no idea what the underlying problem is, who doesn't want to take the steps necessary to investigate that condition, and whose main concern is to fob of patients with cheap painkillers cos it saves the surgery money, then no, I won't be taking their advice, thank you.

 

I'm glad your dog benefitted from their painkillers, similarly with Mr strix- however, it sounds like they had one of those conditions which benefit from painkillers? If they'd happened to have one of those condtions that didn't benefit from painkillers, they'd probably have been made worse, wouldn't they? Hence the value of a diagnosis made by an expert in their field.

 

I'm not sure you're necessarily qualified to determine that the GP hasn't made an accurate diagnosis though.

 

We can't all demand access to a specialist everytime there's something wrong, we (society) rely on GPs being the gate keepers of that access since they have more skill than a lay person (by a long way).

 

Ibuprofen is an NSAID, it controls inflamation more than it actually relieves pain, and to be honest they're so mild pain killers that they wouldn't allow you to use and damage the knee further, they'd just take the edge off it.

The NSAID though might reduce swelling and allow some healing to take place if it can.

 

A regular ongoing prescription for paracetamol would be very odd, you aren't supposed to take them for more than a fairly short length of time due to cumulative liver damage.