Horrendous GP Consult

[pooh]

Hi All!

I have been on citalopram for over a year now and recently my doctor admitted that it wasn't working ( I already knew that) and has referred me to psychiatry. During the past few months my anxiety has sky rocketed and with some reluctance from the doctor it was agreed that I could resume a previous dosage of 5 mgs of diazepam a day until I see the psychiatrist and they take over the medication side of things. I was previously on 20 per 28 days so it was an uppage of eight tablets between prescription requests. For some reason though in the past six weeks or so I kept getting issued with only ten tablets and would have to phone the surgery each week to allow for the 48 hour repeat prescription service. Anyhoo this was I believed resolved several weeks ago and I was told when I phone for my citalopram I was to request 28 diazepam tabs too. it didn't happen. Today I had to phone the emergency doctor to try to resolve the issue. Her response... You and your mum have been told repeatedly that you get ten tablets per month and these are for going out. I am not prepared to write you a prescription and if you aren't happy about it make an appointment with Doctor ... and discuss it with him. (I at this point tried to explain that my circumstances had changed and so had my prescription) she repeated again that she wouldn't be issuing it and that I would just have to learn to deal with the feelings, that she was an emergency doctor and didn't have time for this and hung up on me. by this point I was in hysterical tears. Thankfully I have an amazing health visitor who I phoned and she went and saw another doctor on my behalf and got it sorted out. I should explain that I suffer from acute panic and anxiety disorder, I am almost housebound with agoraphobia and I also suffer depression. My GP does not want to take me off the citalopram preferring to leave that to the decision of the psychiatrist due to the fact that when I started the drug I was having so many panic attacks my anxiety was terrible and I became extremely suicidal. he fears withdrawal will knock me back into that. Anyway, the point. What action would you take if you were spoken to in that manner by a GP. I really do feel that her behaviour towards me had it been during a heightened anxiety phase or really down one could have realistically landed me in hospital. To say I was shocked distressed and appalled would be an understatement. I have never ever had my mental health issues dismissed with such a lack of care from any medical professional. Should I complain? Will a complaint backfire on me? Thought please?

Thanks Pooh x

---------- Post added at 23:53 ---------- Previous post was at 23:47 ----------

Ps I was NEVER only on 10 tablets of diazepam a month so Gawd knows where that came from too.

[nomorepanic]

Hey Pooh - good to see you back.

When you say you called the emergency doc do you mean the out of hours one that takes over in the evenings and weekends?

Was this because you ran out today?

[pooh]

Hi Nic it was during the day at my local surgery that was the only doc they said I could speak to and with the surgeries closing over Christmas and new year I just wanted the prescriptions sorted. I have enough till Monday so it wasn't for an emergency prescription
The upping the meds had already been approved and despite being told by another doc just to ensure I requested the 28 when I was ordering my citalopram I still only got 10 which i couldn't understand. Where this doctor got about 10 a month and myself and mum (she always comes to my appointments with me) being told several times by the doc I usually see I do not know. That has never ever been said in any appointment. he had only said he wasn't too happy to up the dosage but due to the circumstances he would until I see the psychiatrist at which time my medication will come under their care. I think the reason my health visitor was able to sort it out so quickly is because she attended my last appointment with my mum and I so she knew everything that was happening and what had been agreed upon. What really sticks in my craw is that recently I lost my support worker and it was me who phoned for a care assessment from social work and organised new support with additional hours which starts at the beginning of January and had to do that meeting on my own. it was me who spoke frankly with my health visitor about the psych referral and she agreed I was right and to attend my appointment in support of that. I have never abused diazepam and the doc admitted that as it has consistently been me who has requested the dose be reduced since I had wee Ali. this citalopram has been absolutely awful for me and I've given it over a year to see if it would work. I completely altered my diet to stop all the sugar ups and downs and I use every technique I know of to manage my anxiety before I'll take a diazepam. All of this is acknowledged by my gp and health visitor so to then go on and be spoken to and basically told a load of crap by a gp on the phone kinda sort of tipped me over the edge lol and ya know what I didn't take a diazepam even though I was freaking out lol I have always had excellent care from my local practice and to encounter this well, I don't think I'll be forgetting what she said in her uncaring, dismissive tone for some time to come ;D

[Tero]

The citalopram is not working so best to see the psychiatrist.

For me it was the other way around. The diazepam like drug did nothing!

[pooh]

Funny how it works for each individual Tero isn't it. What works for some doesn't work for others.

[Tero]

Medicine:trial and error. We have to pay for each visit! 15 dollar co pay.

[Tufty]

You were treated disgustingly Pooh. I would talk to your usual GP about that Drs attitude and stress the point that she put the phone down on you - that is wholly unacceptable. Dr's surgeries often do not know the locums they get in to cover holidays etc and if they do not know there is a problem with her they could use her again. You wouldn't be able to take this complaint to the GMC, it wouldn't be considered serious enough to be taken any further, however if you write to the practice manager at your surgery they would have to record the complaint and respond to you.

Any complaint will not backfire on you, as you say you have been at that surgery for a long time and they know you are not a complainer, however sometimes I do think those that do complain actually get a better service than those who just put up with stuff. You may feel better for writing a letter of complaint, you can vent your feelings and then let it go.

Good luck
sam

[Cocomademoiselle]

Hi

I work at a GP surgery. I think you should write a letter of complaint to the Practice Manager who will have to look into this complaint it will be the practice policy. The main issue being the way you were spoken to and the fact she put the phone down on you, knowing that you are vulnerable because of the way your feeling could have lead you to feel even worse. With regards to the amount of Diazepam yes they have to be careful putting meds like this on repeat because they are highly addictive etc etc. But if your previous GP had already agreed to this then it should have been in your notes for the emergency GP to view what was discussed etc etc.