Sick of Dismissive Medics

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GtrGrl
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Joined: Tue May 04, 2021 4:43 am

Sick of Dismissive Medics

Postby GtrGrl » Tue May 31, 2022 5:06 am

I do need to vent. When I had C Diff I also suffered disabling neurological symptoms including tremor and non-epileptic seizures. At the time they were telling me the infection had cleared and that I was just anxious - but it hadn’t cleared (hence multiple relapses) and when it was finally treated properly, all the neuro symptoms went away as well. I’ve since learned that when the brain is affected by organic illness it’s called encephalopathy.

Now it’s happening again. I picked up an infection last summer which so far no one has been able to identify, I’m now systematically unwell and all the neurological symptoms have come back too. This morning a very bullish consultant stood over my hospital bed and told me the seizures are due to anxiety. NOT TRUE.

Twitter is full of people with M.E., Long Covid etc who are being told the same thing. Symptoms unexplained by tests? Blame anxiety. It’s a real problem among doctors.

I’m not saying anxiety isn’t present but they’ve got the cause and effect the wrong way round and if you try to argue you play straight into their hands. It makes you feel totally powerless.
Contracted C Diff from a round of Flucloxacillin, November 2020.

Metronidazole - Metronidazole - Dificid - Dificid - Vancomycin - Upper GI FMT - Vancomycin - Vancomycin - Lower GI FMT

beth22
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Re: Sick of Dismissive Medics

Postby beth22 » Tue May 31, 2022 1:21 pm

I hope that a neurologist has seen you at the hospital. If not, ask for one. When I had all kinds of neurological symptoms my doctor ran MRIs, but also did blood tests for lyme disease, epstein barr, etc. It's your body and I would insist that they check you for everything that it could possibly be before they say anxiety. Anxiety is such an easy diagnosis to pin on someone when they don't know what it is. Just like IBS for GI problems. It seems to me to be like a catch-all. It may turn out to be that, but I would insist that they check you for whatever else it could be.

NanciT
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Re: Sick of Dismissive Medics

Postby NanciT » Tue May 31, 2022 3:11 pm

Sorry you are going through all of this. I find it TERRIBLE when medical staff have NO compassion for patients. It is unacceptable but sadly since the Pandemic I have seen it far too much. I can honestly say until they become a "patient" they will not understand.
I agree with Beth, insist on a neurological evaluation. While in the hospital it should be simple to call a consult in especially if you have had seizures.

Hopefully you can push for this, get some testing done and find out what is going on.

Anxiety and stress is used often as reasons....... and I find that very frustrating

I hope things improve for you soon

NanciT

GtrGrl
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Re: Sick of Dismissive Medics

Postby GtrGrl » Wed Jun 01, 2022 7:41 am

They discharged me and said I could only see a neurologist as an outpatient. Trying to reason with them did not help. However my science-minded brother came to pick me up and when he spoke to the consultant, very much on his sort of level, his attitude changed. He was open to discussion, listened to some suggestions and even prescribed some extra meds. Fascinating. When *I* tried to have a similar conversation he scoffed, and accused me of 'doing too much Googling'! (Maybe it's my tone?!) Anyway, sadly not everyone has relatives who can do this for them (not that they should have to) and it was just luck that my bro was down this way for the weekend. I'm still left to struggle with the symptoms though; I think maybe I need a neuroimmunologist as I'm sure this has an infectious/inflammatory cause.

Agree with everything you've both said. And, re: the IBS, Beth: yes! A gastroenterologist told me IBS is what docs tell you when they don't know the cause; in his opinion it's not a meaningful diagnosis.

Thanks for your support, both.

beth22
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Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 2:23 pm

Re: Sick of Dismissive Medics

Postby beth22 » Thu Jun 02, 2022 1:01 am

Good thing your brother spoke to the doctor. I hope you get to see someone soon and that they take what you have seriously. Let us know what happens.

Ironman
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Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2023 7:09 pm

Re: Sick of Dismissive Medics

Postby Ironman » Thu Feb 23, 2023 7:16 pm

When I was being admitted with uncontrollable diarrhoea one of the nurses said to me “I don’t think that you are trying to stop this”. I found this comment very hurtful

GtrGrl
Regular Contributor
Posts: 204
Joined: Tue May 04, 2021 4:43 am

Re: Sick of Dismissive Medics

Postby GtrGrl » Tue Feb 28, 2023 2:52 pm

Ironman wrote:
> When I was being admitted with uncontrollable diarrhoea one of the nurses
> said to me “I don’t think that you are trying to stop this”. I found this
> comment very hurtful

I mean, that's a remark that makes me think they shouldn't even be in the job.


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