I have no idea where to turn now…Ihad a g.p appt yesterday because ive been having constant headaches/migraine with pressure and numbness on the left side of my head.I have lots of other symptoms also but the symptom worrying me more than anything is the brain fog and confusion. I cant read letters properly, keep getting letters the wrong way round, i sometimes can’t understand people, as if theyre speaking a different language. the physical stuff i can deal with but the mental stuff is really frightening as im only 46
My gp has been really good and organised a neuro appt and mri and ncs. head and cervical mri showed partial brain atrophy due to lack of blood flow, spondylosis with 2 bulging cervical discs, a small cervical lesion and a lump on my thyroid.
The gp was totally dismissive of me yesterday, when i said about confusion he just replied with “well, theres nothing wrong with your eyes is there and weve done these tests and it hasnt really showed up anything”.
because of how the other gp in the practice treated me 12 years ago and put everything down to depression i ve made a point of always being fine when ive seen this gp, smiling and positive.
As i was trying to explain things, which is diffficult because i keep forgetting what im saying, he said he thinks im depressed and should see a psychiatrist. I was a bit shocked by this and replied, I don’t fell depressed but its ok, ill get on with it and not bother you and he said, "its just difficult because we didnt find anything with the tests weve done. The other gp owns the practice and i wonder if ive been discussed because his attitude was a complete turn around. I asked him if the brain atrophy could cause the poor memory and brain fog/confusion and he said no.
This morning i had the ultrasound for the lump in my neck and was told i need to go back nxt week for a biopsy and when i gt home there was a letter waiting for me from the neuro saying as the ncs test and mri was ok she didn’t need to see me again! So the numbness, stiffness and pain in my feet have been disregarded along with all the other stuff.
So thats it for me…i feel humiliated because i was made to feel i was wasting their time and will not go up there again unless its a see it/ feel it complaint and feel like im dying and even then id rather go to blo*dy A & E.
What part of “head and cervical mri showed partial brain atrophy due to lack of blood flow, spondylosis with 2 bulging cervical discs, a small cervical lesion and a lump on my thyroid” is nothing showing up?!
I think, if I were you, I would ask for a referral to a neuropsychologist (or similar) to get a proper cognitive evaluation. Your GPs can hardly argue there’s nothing wrong if a neuropsych confirms that you are having problems with your thinking, e.g. getting things muddled, not understanding language, getting confused, etc. It might be a good route into seeing someone who can help you with all of your symptoms too.
I recommend taking someone with you to the GP’s. Best to practise together before you go too - so the other person can take over if need be. And they can help you to be firm - to make sure you get the referral before you leave!
I’m sorry I can’t help you with your diagnosis but I read your post and really feel for you. I’m having similar symptoms, I’m 43 and was, not too long ago I might add, quite intelligent, in a responsible job and now I’m a stammering idiot much of the time. It’s very scary and demoralizing. I see the neuro tomorrow and I’m terrified he’ll do the same to me as my last visit to the GP was very much like what you have just described. I was also told that I was very depressed. He was very cruel and made me feel as if I was wasting his time. I haven’t been back and feel that I won’t ever go again.
I just wanted you to know that you aren’t on your own, some of these so called medical professionals should go back to school to be taught some inter personal skills. I’m trying to put a brave face on, but it’s very difficult. My thoughts are with you. I think we should all get together and write a “People’s Skills 101” course for all of these arrogant souls who need it.
What i don’t understand is when i saw the gp with the mri results he was very kind and concerned and read the results from the radiologists report. When i saw him the other day he was reading from the neuro’s letter. As the gp had written to her with investigations regarding suspected ms and the neuro replied with…
no brain demylination so no ms, brain scan unremarkable etc. The letter from neuro made no mention of the above findings from mri as it was investigation for ms so its as if the gp is now disregarding the mri findings and that theres nothing wrong because of the way the neuro worded the letter!
He seemed exasperated with me when i was explaining pressure and numbness in r side of head and ear etc and blocked any question i tried to ask, saying test results show theres nothing going on.
I couldn’t sleep last night as i am back to work on tuesday after having 4 weeks off after my leg gave way and i fell outside.
I live in a very small community [i am not originally from this part of the country] with a small gp practice and cannot face pursuing this from my previous experience with them.
I wasn’t depressed before but now my symptoms are so much worse and knowing i’m not going to get any help from them i don’t know how to deal with this now. Even if i became depressed i couldn’t go there for help
Also, my 12yr old daughter has been having neurological symtoms for several years which were initially fobbed off by the gp’s. Also hair loss and since xmas unable to eat without r sided stomach pain, nausea, dizziness. She has also had a accident at school where she wet herself and is mortified about. A couple of years ago my eldest daughter who was 23 and living in London collappsed, unable to move her arms and legs. She was given mri and dx viral meningitis, previously and afterwards she has complained of constant weak legs which feel at times they will give way.
But there is nothing wrong with us and we are hypochondriacs, i must love worrying about my 2 girls and feeling ill myself!
Sorry to hear about your problems, a lot of the time i believe theywant to palm things off to a phycatrist as their is a thing called conversion disorder where the stress and depression can relate to real symptoms however, if they found all of the things you mentioned I am mythed as to why they are fobbing you off, I would do what RIzzo says because she is a genious and her advice is always good.