Referral to a rhuematologist
Posted , 14 users are following.
i have never been referred to see a rhuematologisti in the four years that I have suffered with PMR I am just under my doctor. Is anyone else in same position?
1 like, 48 replies
Posted , 14 users are following.
i have never been referred to see a rhuematologisti in the four years that I have suffered with PMR I am just under my doctor. Is anyone else in same position?
1 like, 48 replies
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tavidu susan32767
Posted
gillian_25383 susan32767
Posted
ptolemy susan32767
Posted
steve_1 susan32767
Posted
A couple of months later I went back and this time I saw another doctor who listened to my symptoms and said PMR, and he was spot on, Correct diagnosis in about a minute.
I thought..."he knows what's what so I'll stick with this one.
Rhuematologist has never been mentioned but I have complete faith the doctor and am managing my PMR to his instructions.
The one time I thought I knew better (when I tried reducing below 5mg pred) I was proved horribly wrong and him right.
constance.de steve_1
Posted
susan32767 constance.de
Posted
i can't get below 5mg either. I'm on 6mg at mom and at the moment I am having a bit of a flare up again.
pauline36422 susan32767
Posted
bob73443 susan32767
Posted
Early on I was referred to a rhematologist who listened to my symptoms and ran a few blood tests and told me he saw nothing out of the ordinary. I was referred to another specialist who prescibred a weeks course of prednisone which TOTALLY remedied my pain! Eureka I said!! But he would give me another presciption for prednisone. Go figure.
So I did my own research which took me to this forum, and when back to my GP armed with all this information and now my GP is allowing me to do what I want to do with the prednisone. I'm at 8 mg after a year and a half and will start going down again in a few weeks.
My experience is that "we're on our own."
julian. susan32767
Posted
EileenH susan32767
Posted
So really it depends on the GP - if they recognie the possibility it is easy enough to manage if they are sensible. If you stick with a GP you are very unlikely to ever be faced with the thought of trying methotrexate or another so-called steroid-sparing drug - they can only be prescribed by a specialist.
If you have a good rheumy then it can be brilliant - but if you get one with fixed ideas about PMR and how it works you can end up with problems. Ppossible GCA really should always be referred to a rheumy - GPs see it very rarely - but they aren't always perfect with that either. It's a bit luck of the draw unfortunately.
faye______00403 susan32767
Posted
he wanted me to go to a Rheumy for a second opinion. I did and
he was very young.....agreed that with a 92 sed rate it was PMR and
gave me a prescription for l0mg pred with directions to take one a
day. Now don't we all know now that l0mg is not enough to start.
. I went back to GP and he promptly gave me a new script for
20mg which is more in line with a starting point....Now....which one
would you want? Just cause they are supposed to be a specialist
doesn't mean they actually are one. I've been a patient with my
GP for almost l7 years and while he's not perfect I'd prefer him
anyday.
steve_1 susan32767
Posted
At 4mg I ached and at 3 mg I was in agony, I couldn't get out of bed without falling out and climbing the door. I admitted defeat and my GP put me straight up to 10mg ready to start a reduction to 5 some time in the future.
Bless him he didn't say "I told you so"
I think 5mg is probably the least most of us who are still suffering can get down to.
linda17563 susan32767
Posted
This forum has been the most useful of all to me, especially Eileen...and to many others....Good Luck
gillian_25383 linda17563
Posted
linda17563 gillian_25383
Posted
Having said that, we can ring up and see her very quickly.....but we don`t want to!! Good luck...
EileenH linda17563
Posted
We had a brilliant man who was a partner in our GP practice - spoke umpteen languages etc etc. Probably knew his medicine perfectly - just couldn't apply it to people. He should have been a pathologist. But he had his uses - once he knew we both worked in the hospital he thawed a bit, even more when he found we had a flat down the valley from where he spent his summer holidays climbing mountains - and provided the prescriptions we needed so you didn't have to wait for a repeat prescription to be done as there was ALWAYS an appointment same day.
linda17563 EileenH
Posted
EileenH linda17563
Posted
Where do you live? Do you have a choice of hospitals? Different Trusts? Discuss it with your GP. If you are willing to travel a bit further you are supposed to be able to have some choice - unless they have changed THAT again too. Or ak your GP nicely to manage you - you know how to manage your problems so you needn't necessarily go to the hospital for routine appointments.
linda17563 EileenH
Posted
Talking about choice...my sister has RA, and wants to change, as many do at her surgery to another practise....this govermant said we could choose...but you can`t. She is alweays being told, that you have to be in the "catchment" area....no choice at all.....
EileenH linda17563
Posted
Yes - now I remember. Not a lot of options around N&N without going a long way.
EileenH
Posted
"From January 5 2015, all GP practices in England are free to register new patients who live outside their practice boundary area.
This means that you are able to register with practices in more convenient locations, such as a practice near your work or closer to your children’s schools. This will provide you with greater choice and aims to improve the quality of access to GP services."