Very annoyed with my doctor

[mj12]

Hi everyone
I saw my GI last week for a follow up visit. I am on Pentasa 3 grams a day which only helps a little, although i have been juicing and that has helped reduce the number of bms. I told him that i was having issues with my hands and feet falling asleep easily, also i have been waking up in the middle of the night almost every night with a limb asleep and recently i am starting to lose my balance when i am tired. He told me to go to my general physician to get my vitamin levels checked, especially B12.
Today i saw my general physician and i brought the pathology reports from the scopes i had in Dec in case he had not seen them yet. My GI told me he had communicated with him but i wanted to be sure. I explained him my issues i was currently having and that my GI wanted blood tests. Also told him about the joint pain i am experiencing more so now with the weather in Chicago changing so rapidly. I got the blood tests, then he also wanted a neck x-ray, i thought it was unnecessary but just to amuse him i got it done. My neck is perfectly fine so he gives me a shot of cortisone, a prescription for Daypro and tells me to come back in a week. Before going to the pharmacy i go home to google what Daypro is. It is a NSAID! did my doctor NOT read the pathology report where it says i have Crohn's, stomach ulcers and ulcers due to excessive NSAID use!!! I am waiting for my blood test results and finding a new doctor.

 

[Cassy]

I don't understand why your gi didn't just do the bloodwork? He should b taking care of all aspects of the crohns. I'm not an md, but couldn't the limb numbness be b-12 deficiency?

 

[mj12]

Thank you! I want my GI to take care of all aspects of the crohn's. I am not very fond of my general physician because he has been telling me i have/had ibs the past 4 years. I think it is B 12 deficiency, will see when the blood tests come back.

 

[tots]

It's sad (and a good thing) we get our info here and not though our Drs.

Why don't they treat ALL our symptoms? I am likely to ask next time. Nicely.


Lauren

 

[LisaL]

I have to agree with Cassy...Why doesn't your doctor order the blood work. It is easy and can give them a lot of information. I don't know enough about B12 to say that it does or doesn't affect limb numbness. I can understand your doctors thought that maybe there is an issue with your neck that is causing a pinched nerve which is then causing numbness. I would say that at least once a week I wake with terrible pain from numbness in one of my hands. I have spoken with my doctors and everyone has told me to try to adjust how I sleep, to keep my elbows open and not bent. I do find that if I sleep with my arms around a big pillow (not really so comfortable to me) that my elbows stay opened and my hands do hurt less. No one has said anything to me about B12.
-Lisa

 

[tots]

It seems to me drawing blood to check your vitamin levels
is less invasive than a shot in your neck!


Lauren

 

[Cassy]

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-artic...als/9-symptoms-of-vitamin-b12-deficiency.html

This will give you an idea.

 

[lukefarrell]

Get a new general doctor (or GP as we call them in the UK). Just keep trying until you find one you like and who you feel is suitably receptive to your needs.

Although I agree with the above posts, your GI should have just had your bloods taken - demand this next time

 

[Ihurt]

I am sorry, I do feel for ya. Unfortunately your gastro is probably thinking that your limbs falling asleep are not related to your crohns so he is pushing it off on your Primary care doc. That is terrible though. I think it would be simple to just have your Vit levels checked and go from there. Also, your doctor could give you a Vit B shot as well to see if it will help.

As far as the numbness in your limbs, welll if it persists I would seek out the help of a neurologist. They can find out what is going on if it is not due to a Vitamin deficiency. If you are not happy with your Primary care doc, I would search for another. It took me forever to find mine primary care doc. She is absolutely wonderful. I mean I went to like 5 docs before I found her and she is great. Funny thing is I went all over Chicago tyring to find a good primary care doc and when I found this one I have now, it turns out she is like 10 minutes away from where I live!!! So yeah, if your not happy, keep looking.

 

[Sybil Vane]

I was in the same boat. My GI would not follow my vitamin levels and kept referring me to my general practitioner. I've since found another GI because I felt like everything he encountered that was new was pawned off onto another doctor until I had five million specialists.

 

[Jim (POPS)]

If your GI didn't do the blood work I don't think he is doing his job. Asking you to ask your GP to do it is not right I don't think.

 

[StaceyQ]

mine is the opposite my GP is amasing but m consultant is awful, she does not lister to me full stop, its like she has what she is going to do before even listening to me x
hope you get is sorted soon x

 

[723crossroads]

Me too! It's frustrating when they don't even listen.Some think they are God and hand you a script and gone!

 

[mj12]

It seems many have been unhappy with their doctors. Thank you all for your responses! My B12 levels were normal and vitamin D was low which i expected. I am on the search for a new GP .. it would be a lot easier if i had insurance but that is not an option at the moment.

 

[723crossroads]

That sucks MJ! I wish you had insurance too! How do you manage? I have it thru the state because I am working disabled. You have to work 40 hrs. amonth. That is all I work now. So it is hard to even do that when I am in so much pain from joints and arthritis and tummy sometimes.But I do what I have to do to keep it. Or we wouldn't be able to eat!

 

[monirob]

I understand what you are going through. I have similar problems with my GI. All he wants to do is throw medicines at me without properly diagnosing what the problem is. It's like every since he found out I have Crohn's that's all he cares about treating. I told him I had a burning feeling in my chest whenever I ate chocolate and he said "Oh that's just acid reflux. Let me prescribe you some blah blah blah." I was like really. I'm not taking that. I'm already on enough medication. Then I told him that my Crohn's acts up when I eat certain foods. His response was you should be able to eat pretty much anything you want. I'm like idiot, I just told you I can't. Ugh. I didn't even tell him I was starting the SCD diet cause I'm sure he would be against it. He'd probably be afraid I wouldn't need his prescriptions anymore. Doctors and their prescriptions can be so frustrating at times!

 

[723crossroads]

You hit the nail on the head!!!

 

[Niks]

Pins and Needles and numbness can definitely be caused by low B12 levels. There are very different views on B12 levels and what is normal!! Do you know what yours were? Most Doctors work with under 200 being low, but anything upto 400 can still be deficient.

My daughter had horrible pins and needles, numb tongue, shooting pains, dead leg/arm. After the loading dose of B12 jabs all this has disappeared!

Good luck

 

[723crossroads]

That's great news Niks! Glad it really works!