Hi, I’m new to this group and am hoping for some advice. I went to the GP 11 months ago with skin numbness and twitching in my legs. She examined me and said I needed to see a neurologist urgently and mentioned MS. Got my “urgent” appointment date after 11 months!Since visiting the GP other symptoms have cropped up.I went to the hospital yesterday with my list of symptoms, numbness, tingling, night sweats, visual disturbances, weakness in legs, extreme fatigue, swallowing difficulty and speech problems.I don’t want to bash the NHS ( I worked in the NHS for 20 years) but I feel so let down. The consultant said there’s nothing wrong, could be anxiety! I got my list of symptoms out to show him and he told me to put it away. He said he’d get me a nerve test but that he knows it’ll be fine. I felt like he wasn’t listening to me. I’m really fed up, disappointed and don’t know what to do next. Any advice please!
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I’m so sorry you have been through this experience. Sometimes I can not fathom their thought processes because even though your issues may not be MS or even neuro related they warrant more investigation. As your GP was sympathetic I would get another appointment and consider a second opinion or ask them to consider at least blood tests and poss MRI.
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Thankyou, I was considering going back to the GP.
Hi,
You must have felt so let down, thinking you were going to get some answers after all those months of waiting.
I also think you might go back to your GP - the one you referred you - and describe how you weren’t taken seriously. Ask for a second opinion. Perhaps see if they can refer you to another area, if that’s possible? Ideally you’d want to be referred to a neurologist specialising in MS, but frankly anyone a bit diligent would help.
If your GP were prepared to refer you directly for a brain MRI that might also save a bit of time and help to clarify things.
If you are really concerned and have the cash, you could go private. It’s not cheap though - you need to be prepared for several appointments at whatever fee you are quoted.
The NHS is a great idea with some amazing people working for it… but it’s broken at the moment.
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Hi Craftysquirell. Really sorry to hear all this ( in my experience of ‘Consultants’ in the NHS they do tend to have something in common i.e in need of a bit of training in ‘bedside’ manner ).
Do you have any idea when the ‘nerve test’ might be. I’ve never had on but they are used in the diagnosis of MS - particularly in early stages i think.
I would most definitely go back to your GP to discuss what next. I expect she might say ‘OK let’s wait for the results of the nerve test’ but she could well start testing for possible causes other than MS.
I sympathise with you but you are going to have a frustrating ‘waiting time’ which many MS patients have experienced at one point or another
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Thanks for your advice. It’s just so frustrating. I don’t know when the nerve test will be, but don’t expect it any time soon. I think I’ll go back to my GP.
Thanks for your advice. I was all ready with my list if symptoms as they tell you to do, but he wouldn’t even look at it. My husband has said to go private but I’m thinking I might be better waiting for the nerve test. I had a brain scan last year as I was getting headaches, something which I don’t suffer from usually. The neurologist said because that was ok he wouldn’t do another scan. Could it be possible that things may have changed over the last year though?
Just feel like I’m in limbo at the moment