Did your GP fail to diagnose diabetes?

[Charlotte.S]

Did your GP fail to diagnose diabetes or did you choose to ignore the symptoms?

Our forum has been proven as providing invaluable support to the diabetes community not just in the UK, but across the globe, and we are working with trusted health journalists to help spread the word.

One of our contacts is writing an article for the national press about Silent Killer Diseases of which diabetes is one. Can you spare 5 minutes on the phone to tell us your story? We don’t need to identify your GP but just want to illustrate what happened and the frustration it caused you or your loved one. You'll be helping others affected by diabetes get the support you are experiencing. Thank you.

Please contact [email protected]

 

[Avocado Sevenfold]

No. Thought I had D on the Sunday, saw doc on the Tuesday and she was inclined to agree with me and did tests. No complaints.

 

[Totto]

Yes. It took over a year from the first high bg until I was diagnosed, and half a year from my first HbA1c until I was allowed OGTT. I felt I wasn't taken seriously. Both parents diabetic so high risk. Maybe because my major complaint was tiredness and honestly, how many GPs will take middle aged women seriously when they complain of tiredness? Or maybe because I am of normal weight.

Anyway, I should have been diagnosed in January 2013 at the latest, but it didn't happen until February 2014.

 

[south711]

My doctors diagnosed me. when returning from holiday and I told him I had a very dry mouth, nothing seemed to relieve it. he said that I would need tests. but said that I was a diabetic.
I was surprised as no one in my family had suffered with this. But when admitted to hospital they said I was diabetic 2. Bit of a shock. but something you have to accept. My doctor said that my age was against me. as you get older then this can occur.
So my diagnosis is DONT GET OLD. wish that could be true.would be lovely to turn the clock back.
hope this helps.

 

[Spiker]

Yes. My GP missed it for over a year. She nearly did a blood glucose test but then changed her mind. Then cursed herself a year later when I was in a really bad way, under 8 stone and clothes hanging off me.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[Bluetit1802]

No. We over 60's can have annual MOT's and CV risk assessments in my area, which includes a fasting glucose and lipids test amongst other things. My diabetes was picked up on that and came as a total shock as no symptoms and no family history.

 

[annelise]

I was diagnozed at the hospital. I had been admitted with a severe foot infection (probably diabetes-related) and had IVs around the hour for three days.

When I afterwards went to visit my doctor (new in the practice) he looked at my records and then - to my amazement - said: but I can see you have had diabetic numbers for a couple of years! My previous doctor had plain forgot to tell me!

annelise

 

[jackois]

I went to my doctor, thinking I had a kidney bug, and an hour and a half later was at the local Acute Medical Unit, who did all the tests, pronounced me to be type 1, explained how everything worked and had me home the same day, after I proved I could be trusted to medicate myself. Between them, the doctor and the local Diabetes Unit everything progressed like clockwork and it's caused very little upheaval in my life so far... top job all round in my opinion!

 

[DonnaC-T]

They missed my brother, who ended up weighing less than six stone and going into a coma. So, fast forward 8 months, I've gone to the docs with what I thought was a throat infection (I know duh), and within ten minutes there was a bed booked at the hospital and I'd been diagnosed. Don't think they wanted to miss another member of my family!

 

[Marandha]

Yes, My doctor overlooked it for years,I had blood tests every year,the policy was if the practise nurse phone it was a positive result.I was
presenting symptoms of neuropathy in My fingers and toes which I was told was 'just circulation'.It was actually 7 years before.I was
told I had type 2 diabetes, and my diabteic information consisted of, "dont eat sugar,eats fruit and veg"Even now 10 years later I still feel anger and have trouble accepting my diabetes

 

[zand]

No complaints at all re diagnosis. It was picked up while my fasting BG's were still only around 8.3 and my Hb1Ac was around 59.

 

[jojo7]

I had gestational diabetes with both my sons who are now 21 and 17. I was told it would disappear after i had them and no further follow ups were necessary. Naively I didnt question the medics and carried on obliviously. During the next few year I went to the doctors with bad headaches, very slow to heal wounds, countless chest infections, cystitis, tiredness etc and not one GP suggested testing my glucose - despite my having had gestational diabetes and it being on the screen each time I went to see them.. It was only when I went to see the GP about a cough that wouldnt go and a rapid weight loss, that he decided to do some tests. My reading was very high and I was sent home and told to manage it with diet and exercise. A week later I went to the walkin centre at the local hospital as I was drinking so much water and feeling ill. The doctor there told me there was no way I would control with diet alone and immediately put me on medication.I have no confidence in my GP surgery especially they push me to see the dietitian who insists I eat plenty of carbs!!!! I now have some retinal damage and neuropathy in my toes.I am in good control now however - helped enormously by this site

 

[ne0h]

My GP was downright negligent and failed to diagnose me. I had a 'routine' blood test and when I asked the nurse if my blood test results were ok she told me 'everything is fine'. I did not feel fine and a week later I asked my GP to test me for diabetes. The result of that was positive. So how come everything was fine a week before? This just shows that you got to look after your own health as the so called professionals could not give a monkeys.

 

[Dogbutler]

I know this sounds unbelievable, but this is my introduction to diabetes.

In 2004 I was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor and referred to an endocrinologist at my local hospital. Over the next 8 years more and more of my hormones went haywire and I eventually ended up with hypothyroidism and growth hormone deficiency as well as the tumour.

My endo was useless. I had to really badger him for the growth hormone test, and when the results came in, I was told that the test couldn't detect any of the hormone at all.

At the same appointment, the doc mentioned my diabetes. Complete shock to me as I'd never been told I was diabetic. When I asked him what he meant, he mumbled something about my notes and said he'd see me in 3 months.
So I started growth hormone injections and they made no difference, if anything I felt worse. Did some research and found that growth hormone can lower thyroxine levels.

At the next appointment, I bought this up and the doc dismissed it as rubbish.I again asked whether I had diabetes and got no response.

Really fed up by now, I asked my gp to refer me for a second opinion. He refused and told me to find an endocrinologist myself!

Being a stubborn ******, I did just that. I found a consultant who specialised in less usual hormonal conditions, e-mailed him and to my amazement, he agreed to see me, as long as my gp referred me.

Back to the gp, who asked why this particular consultant? I explained my choice, and he then said that before he'd refer, I was to print off my research and give it to him, so that he could decide whether he was willing to make the referral.

I did what he asked and finally got my referral.

At the first appointment with the new endo he read my notes (I'd paid £30 for copies of my medical records) and said that I was diabetic and had been for at least 5 years. He started me on meds and I haven't looked back.

What makes me really angry is that I was lucky enough to have some medical knowledge and the confidence (cheek?!) to sort things myself. How many other people just submit to arrogant doctors and put up with 2nd rate or even dangerous care?

Sorry this went war and peace, but it's such an appalling story, I thought it needed telling.

 

[norman.stanbury]

Did your GP fail to diagnose diabetes or did you choose to ignore the symptoms?

Our forum has been proven as providing invaluable support to the diabetes community not just in the UK, but across the globe, and we are working with trusted health journalists to help spread the word.

One of our contacts is writing an article for the national press about Silent Killer Diseases of which diabetes is one. Can you spare 5 minutes on the phone to tell us your story? We don’t need to identify your GP but just want to illustrate what happened and the frustration it caused you or your loved one. You'll be helping others affected by diabetes get the support you are experiencing. Thank you.

Please contact [email protected]

 

[norman.stanbury]

my gp failed me completely he gave me a blood test for diabetes and a few other things in feb 2012 the blood test showed high blood sugar but they did not follow it up and bring me back to double check, i then had another blood test in march 2013 in which they found i had type 2 and it was the diabetes nurse looking through my medical notes that spotted that i should of been told to come back in feb 2012 to follow it up because my blood sugar was high, i dont know if the gp just ignored the results or even looked at them, so i went over a year with type 2 without being told i had it, i think i probably had it alot longer because i felt ill for 3 or 4 years now i have angina been stented i am obese (gave up smoking november 2010 my weight just went berzerk,i was promised help with that if i gave up that never happened either) i really am ****** off with my gp's and dont know what to do about it

 

[brdavies]

No, and sort of. I had been to a GP previously for shingles (kinda young for that, don't you think?) and then earlier this year a sebaceous cyst that I had got infected, wasn't responding to antibiotics, and had to be surgically removed. Because it was fairly large and on my abdomen, I needed a general anaesthetic. Because I was getting a general, they put a heart monitor on me. Because they put a heart monitor on me, they found an abnormal heart pattern. Then they did an ECG and blood tests, and the blood tests clearly showed I was diabetic.

So the cardiologist in telling me the results: "The big surprise is the diabetes."

Note that the care I got after that for the diabetes was abysmal. No conversation on diet or exercise, no referral to a dietician, just "Here's some tablets. Cya later." I eventually "fired" one of my doctors and got a referral to a proper endocrinologist, but mostly took charge myself and am very proactively managing my own health now. Diabetes is pretty much the ultimate do-it-yourself disease.

 

[badcat]

Failed to diagnose diabetes and then failed to diagnose gangrene!
I went to gp surgery as a new patient with a blister on my foot that wasn't healing, they prescribed antibiotics and asked me if I was diabetic - I said not as far as I knew but thought it might be worth testing as I'd got what I thought were some symptoms ( thirst, weight loss etc) To which the reply was they'd test when the blister was healed
Blister then went really bad and the district nurses had to come and dress it daily - they kept asking if I was diabetic, I kept saying I'd asked to be tested, they kept telling me that they could do a finger prick test but needed the doctors agreement first
Foot then went black and gp told me that was probably bruising and a sign things were getting better
Then my temp hit 103 degrees and the gp finally did a finger prick test - Bs was 28 by this time
I was then rushed to hospital (now with both gangrene and diabetes ), where I stayed for the next 5 months following surgery to save me from an amputation
Suffice to say I am no longer with the same gp (although I was horrified to learn he's a prominent figure in the local clinical commissioning group!) - even the hospital wouldn't discharge me until I'd changed to a different practice.
Don't even get me started on the nhs complaints process - I gave up when their demand was for proof that the same thing wouldn't have happened even if the gp hadn't screwed up

 

[Dogbutler]

Failed to diagnose diabetes and then failed to diagnose gangrene!
I went to gp surgery as a new patient with a blister on my foot that wasn't healing, they prescribed antibiotics and asked me if I was diabetic - I said not as far as I knew but thought it might be worth testing as I'd got what I thought were some symptoms ( thirst, weight loss etc) To which the reply was they'd test when the blister was healed
Blister then went really bad and the district nurses had to come and dress it daily - they kept asking if I was diabetic, I kept saying I'd asked to be tested, they kept telling me that they could do a finger prick test but needed the doctors agreement first
Foot then went black and gp told me that was probably bruising and a sign things were getting better
Then my temp hit 103 degrees and the gp finally did a finger prick test - Bs was 28 by this time
I was then rushed to hospital (now with both gangrene and diabetes ), where I stayed for the next 5 months following surgery to save me from an amputation
Suffice to say I am no longer with the same gp (although I was horrified to learn he's a prominent figure in the local clinical commissioning group!) - even the hospital wouldn't discharge me until I'd changed to a different practice.
Don't even get me started on the nhs complaints process - I gave up when their demand was for proof that the same thing wouldn't have happened even if the gp hadn't screwed up

Bloody hell Badcat!

That's the worst gp story I think I've ever heard. I'm amazed by the callous attiitude of your local nhs board, I'm not naive enough to dismiss the power of the old boy attitude in the health service, but this is ridiculous.

How are you now? Have you considered going to the press?

 

[sunday1980]

Yes they did fail obismally. I had obvious symptoms for over a year, also history of gestational diabetes, was tired, weeing/drinking alot, asked 6 months in for a test, they only did urine, which as I'm young and "hopefully" with healthy kidneys sugar probably wasn't spilling over til my levels were very high, I think he's and nurses should be more aware this is not the best test and use a finger prick AT LEAST.

I had repeated urine infection s, it got so I was so unwell I was almost unconscious, my partner called an ambulance and they finger pricked me as routine, finding very high bg.

Saw consultant who diagnosed me and referred back to gp.

My gp then tried to tell me I DIDN't have diabetes, but had hba 1c done hospital and he had to eat his words!