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The hardest thing about diabetes is dealing with the NHS

B

blankit

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6
I had a discussion with my doctor a few days ago and I still feel like crying about it. I asked for the amounts of insulin and needles to be increased so I didn't have to visit the pharmacist so often, they insisted they couldn't, launched into a review of what I was using and ended up reducing the amounts I receive.

Yet another example of how out of touch they are with what I actually need. I feel like it's all about meeting their targets with them and my needs and wishes don't matter. I haven't seen a specialist in years for this reason and only see the doctor when I absolutely have to. I know you're meant to have the doctors keep an eye on your condition but I feel beaten up and hopeless when I deal with them, I just avoid them as much as I can.

Does anyone else feel this way?
 
Hi blankit.
Welcome to the Forum. Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

What exactly have they stopped/reduced ? As a T1 you need to be able to test more often especially if you drive. You must also need a certain amount of supplies of Insulin and needless too.

There are guidelines which should be followed. Have these been broken by the GP/Practice ? You might need to complain to the Practice Manager and if no luck there, complain to the local PCT.
 
Hi, thanks for your reply. I just posted another thread with the details of the quantities of medication they will provide and how it affects me. Sorry I don't know how to link to it here else I would.

I'm asking two things at once here, which is why I just made the other thread for the practical side of it. I was also wondering if anyone else has these kinds of disempowering and degrading experiences with their doctors and how you cope with that. I keep leaving feeling that my needs are irrelevant in the face of their targets, agendas and whatever else they want to do. It doesn't seem like the NHS services are really there for me.
 
I was told I was using too much insulin (and so was at risk of type 2 diabetes etc) at my check up on Monday, instead of being angry at them I was pleased they had warned me of this as I hadn't considered it before. I would have been pi**ed off if they had reduced my prescription though!
 
HLW you were told you were at risk of developing type 2 diabetes and you are already type 1? Please explain, I'm confused, didn't realise type 1s could also develop type 2
 
Some healthCare Professionals are IDIOTS. Sorry Ally, but they are.
They make statements which MAY have a thread of truth, but are wrong.
You can beccome insulin resistant if you are T1. that doesn't make you T2. I believe the Americans call it T3. People with this tend to use massive insulin doses and gain huge amounts of weight.
HOWEVER.YOU MUST HAVE THE AMOUNT OF INSULIN IT TAKES TO CONTROL YOUR CONDITION.
Since they are often against low carbing[My GP isn't] How do they think you can cut your insulin use?
Hana
PS it's worth trying a philosophical arguement "Reductio ad absurdam" with them
It's where you extend their own logic against them to show how it doesn't work.
 
The doctor did say 'insulin resistance', it was me assuming that was the same as type 2 diabetes. Does it differ much from type 2?
The dr mentioned it to me because I am eating too much, therefore using too much insulin. And also have gained weight since starting insulin - I assume I would have been loosing weight quite quickly (instead of only loosing it slowly, which was what was happening) before starting insulin, if I had not been eating so much. So it was a helpful comment of the doctor to make, they are not all evil.
 
HLW
Type 1 Diabetes also includes an element of Insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is another risk factor for the development of macro-and microvascular complications of Type 1 Diabetes and it can also contribute to further complications of the disease.

One remedy is to cut down on food intake (carbohydrates) which should help to cut down on the amount of Insulin used. That in turn can help to improve weight loss.

Carbs = Glucose = Insulin = Fat. A simple linear equation...
© Ken.2010

Break the chain and things should improve.
 
HANA

There are idiots everywhere but making statements like that is not helpful to anyone.

There are plenty of idiot pts too but as a HCP I smile and put up with them.

As far as prescriptions are concerned we cannot just prescribe months in advance - there does need to be some control . So if you have to order prescriptions every month and visit the doctor then it has to be. Those of us who work in the NHS know that there is so much waste - people stock pile medicine, supplement drinks etc - there has to be some sort of review and control.

I saw your post hana on gary taubes - I have mailed him and asked him if he has ever actually seen or spoken to an overwt person ?
The man has no idea what is happeneing in the real world - but fair play he is making a ton of money out of it!

Allyx
 
Here's me thinking that Gary Taubes was a double glazing salesman! :lol:

Nigel
 
John Yudkin, who was a medical practitioner as well as researcher, wrote about the harmful effects of too much carbohydrate in the 1970s. Anyone who doesn't trust Gary Taubes[who is a journalist, specialising in medical matters and science] could try reading Yudkin.
Yudkin didn't make a fortune. His well researched evidence unfortunately got overwhelmed by Ancel Keys's highly suspect"7 countries study"[where evidence was cherry picked and corrupted from an original 22 country study]
Hana
 
Hana.
There is an awful lot of 'cherry picking' goes on from many places........

Those that pick out the bits they agree with for one reason or another, then conveniently ignore other relevant facts. A good example is where people quote things from a link that they agree with, but ignore any conclusions in that same link which are inconsistent with their own views.......
We try to give a balanced view here, it's not always popular....but what the hell.

We just have to use our own intelligence to sort the 'wheat from the chaff'......so to speak !
 
Hana - Taubes is only interested in one thing - himself. His book is completely one sided! Poor man is making a fortune!

Allyx
 

''A closed mind is like a closed book; just a block of wood''. (Chinese Proverb)

Nigel
 
I think I have dropped quite lucky with my treatment.
I made it my business to learn as much as I could about my treatment and other options. I also too the time to learn the medical terminology where I could.
Armed with this I then had a good chat with my GP and Practice Nurse and got them to understand that I am not an idiot and know what I am doing. My logs back this up further.

This approach seems to have allowed me a degree of freedom such that when I found I needed to adjust my prescription quantities they have been fairly flexible. Let me be clear I am not ordering up 3 months supply of anything but at least now I am not having to visit the pharmacy on a weekly basis.

My regular checkups at the hospital are a different matter completely. The DSN's are brilliant and I have built up quite a rapor with them such that they more or less leave me be to get on with things. The Dr's are a different matter and there is some inconsistency there but I think its because some are more cautious than others or don't seem to cotton on that I know what I am doing.

The lesson I think I am trying to get across is you, the patient, need to put the effort in to learn all you can so you can talk to your healthcare team on a level standing. This forum is a very valuable resource for that.

Of course if the Dr is that set in his/her way then it is time to move. I have refused to have dealings with some Drs in the past because I found I couldnt trust them.
 
My Cardiologist suggested I must take vitamins and minerals, which I was. But these were stopped by the GP despite of the fact that the NHS budget is said to be 'ring fenced'. Now I am spending £22.00 a quarter to continue with what I was taking. I did write to my local MP about the amount of money I have to spent myself as this is not the only item I have to buy.
 
Hi there,
I too had this problem when going through an extremely scary period. My GP questioned me like the Gestapo and then told me I was doing it all wrong!! Having had diabetes since I was 8 and keeping up to date with everything and always being well controlled I was horrified. I contacted my diabetic nurse at the hospital, they are the ones who set the amonts of everything you need. The consultant contacted the GP surgery and sorted it. Try this and it should work, in future always go to the diabetic nurses at your hospital. They know that you know what you need. Good Luck.
Elaine
 
I too have had issues with regards too getting what I need mainly being test strips, I had to get a letter from my diabetes team at the hospital to write to my gp. It was annoyong coz my gp at the time told me knowing I'm a type 1 diabetic I should only be testing my bs once a day and was refusing to prescribe me more than 50 strips a month I had to keep gettin them on repeat every ten days, so annoying, luckily now I'm with a good gp and get what I want when I need it lol
 
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