Hi I’m new and so annoyed with my GP!

[Tillymint]

Hi, I’ve just found this forum after listening to an absolutely amazing and informative podcast by Dr David Unwin. I am so annoyed because I’ve suddenly realised that I’ve been dismissed by my GP over the last few years and am now pretty sure that I’m displaying symptoms of diabetes or definitely Pre diabetes. Five years ago I had an uktrasound scan which showed fatty liver. My GP said at the time it was something they don’t treat and sent me away. I’m not a drinker. Then my blood pressure was raised 140/90 on average but did spike much higher & I tried meds but they made me feel ill so I stopped them but did inform my GP I was stopping. My blood sugar was always just borderline so no diagnosis of diabetes was ever made. My eyesight in the past three years has deteriorated shockingly and I struggle to do close work and even reading is a strain despite glasses. I feel like falling asleep by 2pm every day and am lethargic with no energy all the time. I thought maybe I was a bit low because of the mental effects of the pandemic but after listening to Dr Unwin describing how diabetes works, I’m pretty sure it’s related to that. My GP hasn’t seen me over the fatty liver/high BP for about three years now. He just dismissed me and told me to go buy a BP machine and check it myself from time to time! Sorry to be moaning on my first ever post but it’s been a bit of a revelation and I’m quite annoyed that I wasn’t followed up properly or any of this explained the way Dr Unwin explained it. Does anyone have any advice for me? I’m in the northwest of England, is there perhaps a list of sympathetic doctors who will consider helping me but not with meds and with diet/lifestyle changes instead? I could go back to my GP but I’ve lost confidence now. Any help/advice would be most appreciated. Many thanks in advance and sorry for the moaning message again, I’m usually quite an upbeat positive person but this has been quite an eye opener X

 

[Drummer]

Why not just eat a low carb diet? - you don't need a doctor to do that - except perhaps a copy of Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution if yo u want to read about it.

 

[Vonny]

Hi @Tillymint and welcome to the forum. I have to say you could do a lot worse than @Drummer suggests, especially if you are pre-diabetic. Cutting down on, or out altogether, spuds, bread, pasta and rice, besides the more obvious things like cake and biscuits could easily reverse your increased blood sugar.

However, I'd suggest you make an appointment with your doctor, armed with a list of questions you have now you have more knowledge about diabetes. Or maybe your surgery has a diabetic nurse who you could speak to, that may be the best course of action. They specialise in diabetes, and I'm sure could arrange for more blood tests to check your sugar levels.

Best of luck 🙂

 

[Tillymint]

Drummer and Vonny, thanks so much. I’ve calmed down a bit now and thought things over (& have been googling the low carb effect) 🙂 It’s really in my hands isn’t it? I’ll still contact the surgery & try get an up to date test but it’s up to me to do the right things to sort myself out now. I’m learning alot (podcasts are the way forward! Lol) Thanks again guys! 🙂 X

 

[Drummer]

Hopefully eating a low carb diet will take the strain off trying to cope with the high glucose levels and you should see a general improvement in your health and wellbeing.

 

[Tillymint]

Hopefully eating a low carb diet will take the strain off trying to cope with the high glucose levels and you should see a general improvement in your health and wellbeing.

Thank you I hope so. Thanks again 🙂

 

[Lucyr]

Why not just eat a low carb diet? - you don't need a doctor to do that - except perhaps a copy of Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution if yo u want to read about it.

I think it is important to get a proper test and diagnosis if it is diabetes. Just eating a low carb diet at home without doctor input doesn’t get you any of the annual checks and complications may develop without realising it. Eating a low carb diet before the tests depending on how the GP checks for it (if fasting or random glucose rather than A1c) could also give a false negative result.

 

[Drummer]

The checks seem to have been done - but advising a wait until things get worse seems to make no sense - if a new GP was being organised then that could be OK, but with the one not doing anything for years - just how bad do things have to get?

 

[grovesy]

Well it read to me as well as though they have not had the tests.

 

[Drummer]

I was working with 'My blood sugar was always just borderline' in the OP.

 

[Lucyr]

Yes, the poster said they’ll try and get an up to date test. So it would be good to get that done as soon as possible so they can get clarity on a diagnosis and then afterwards focus on making changes to feel better.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Tillymint

You don’t mention your weight (and you don’t need to share about that if you don’t want to), but the lethargy you mention, along with the changes to your eyesight could be consistent with elevated blood glucose.

Increased weight (especially around the middle with visceral fat), raised BG, elevated blood pressure and raised cholesterol often all combine together as part of the ‘metabolic syndrome’ so it sounds prudent to get your BG checked again to see how things are going and determine the best way forward for you.

Keep asking questions here. We have lots of friendly members all muddling through and discovering their own way through the diabetes maze 🙂

 

[prc62]

Hi, I’ve just found this forum after listening to an absolutely amazing and informative podcast by Dr David Unwin. I am so annoyed because I’ve suddenly realised that I’ve been dismissed by my GP over the last few years and am now pretty sure that I’m displaying symptoms of diabetes or definitely Pre diabetes. Five years ago I had an uktrasound scan which showed fatty liver. My GP said at the time it was something they don’t treat and sent me away. I’m not a drinker. Then my blood pressure was raised 140/90 on average but did spike much higher & I tried meds but they made me feel ill so I stopped them but did inform my GP I was stopping. My blood sugar was always just borderline so no diagnosis of diabetes was ever made. My eyesight in the past three years has deteriorated shockingly and I struggle to do close work and even reading is a strain despite glasses. I feel like falling asleep by 2pm every day and am lethargic with no energy all the time. I thought maybe I was a bit low because of the mental effects of the pandemic but after listening to Dr Unwin describing how diabetes works, I’m pretty sure it’s related to that. My GP hasn’t seen me over the fatty liver/high BP for about three years now. He just dismissed me and told me to go buy a BP machine and check it myself from time to time! Sorry to be moaning on my first ever post but it’s been a bit of a revelation and I’m quite annoyed that I wasn’t followed up properly or any of this explained the way Dr Unwin explained it. Does anyone have any advice for me? I’m in the northwest of England, is there perhaps a list of sympathetic doctors who will consider helping me but not with meds and with diet/lifestyle changes instead? I could go back to my GP but I’ve lost confidence now. Any help/advice would be most appreciated. Many thanks in advance and sorry for the moaning message again, I’m usually quite an upbeat positive person but this has been quite an eye opener X

Take regular readings and record them and take them to your GP. I think all diabetics should be dong this every day. Once every six months is not enough for me.