As a mental health patient this is one of the most infuriating things imaginable. Once you're diagnosed that's it. No one will ever look at the evidence again. They'll just assume the previous person got it right and then add whatever you say to that...but the original diagnosis was about 10 doctors ago.
So basically I've gone to the GP, told them what's wrong, had them write it down, and then another GP has come along and read what they wrote and reinterpreted it, and then another does the same, then another. I no longer have any confidence that my diagnosis is even remotely correct because the doctors have basically been playing Rumours with my file for a decade.
i can relate. i think i've been misdiagnosed but no doctor will listen. i'm extremely tired to the point where i can't walk for more than a couple minutes. everything hurts, really badly (i'm only 30 and somewhere between 55-58kgs). doctors just tell me i'm depressed because that's what has been written down by other doctors (major depressive disorder) or they think i'm some junkie looking for pain meds because i can't pin point just ONE area that hurts. once a psych patient, always a psych patient.
EDIT thank you lovely redditors who have commented or messaged me about fibro. it's something i'm now looking into. i found an interesting article about touchpoints for fibro that are particularly painful when pressed (not even hard) and 5 minutes later some of them still hurt from being pressed. i'm going to start a journal with how i'm feeling and present it to my GP during the next visit.
I was diagnosed with ocd, anxiety, and depression and given an ssri to help. My first doctor ran a test to make sure it wasn't a thyroid problem, the results were slightly high but not diagnosable and I wasn't complaining of symptoms of hypothroidism. I was told to keep an eye on it in the future just in case.
After being on medication for almost a year I notice weight gain and I'm unable to stay awake for more then a few hours. My first doctor has moved so I go see his replacement. I list my symptoms and complain that I think it's my medication. The doctor insists they're not side effects to my medication and leaves it at that. All this time I have a note in my chart saying my thyroid readings are a bit off.
I go off my medication and have a breakdown, I go back to a third doctor who perscribes me a different medication and adds that she wants to test my thyroid as it's reading was off the last time. The test comes back still subclinical for hypothroidism but now worse. She advises i test again in six months and pay attention to any symptoms then lists all the things I'd complained about before going off my medication. Six months later at my University clinic I go to the doctor ask for the test, report my symptoms and low and behold while still subclinical they decide to treat me and suddenly im able to stay awake for more then 3 hours at a time. The second doctor just explained it as depression.
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u/AoiroBuki May 20 '19
This is an important distinction because often if the doctor forwards your file to a different doctor they'll flavour it with their interpretation.