Doctor brushing me off because of anxiety?

[Ronin82]

Its taken me years to find a decent doctor. Most of them never listen to me. I agree, find a new doctor if possible!

When it comes to the period issues, you might have PMDD, which is kind of like a severe form of PMS. I had that, and after YEARS of complaining that I was suicidal for 1-2 weeks out of every month, I finally found someone who could do something about it. this is a real condition, with first-line treatments being anti-depressants, and last-line treatment being hysterectomy. I went with an unconventional therapy since I'm transgender, and just switched hormones (on transitional doses of testosterone). Basically, PMDD is a severe sensitivity to your own hormones. If you can find a new doc, bring that possibility to them, and KEEP AT IT if they won't listen.

 

[Bellacat]

When it comes to the period issues, you might have PMDD, which is kind of like a severe form of PMS.

That's what this recent appointment was actually for, to get a referral to investigate PMDD on the advice of my psychologist. The GP did give me the referral in the end (grudgingly), it was just a miserable experience to see him. Luckily I got a formal diagnostic report from my psychologist today with a written recommendation to look into this, so that'll save me having to try and describe my symptoms to the gynaecologist

 

[Streetwise]

That's what this recent appointment was actually for, to get a referral to investigate PMDD on the advice of my psychologist. He did give me the referral in the end (grudgingly), it was just a miserable experience to see him. Luckily I got a formal diagnostic report from my psychologist today with a written recommendation to look into this, so that'll save me having to try and describe my symptoms to the gynaecologist

Could you find another psychologist

 

[Bellacat]

Could you find another psychologist

That might have been unclear, sorry.. I meant that my experience with the physician was miserable. My psychologist is great

 

[Streetwise]

That might have been unclear, sorry.. I meant that my experience with the physician was miserable. My psychologist is great

it's alright you wouldn't believe how much I confuse people they can't even find my house

 

[Rasputin]

I tried to make this concise but, well... you know how it goes.

I find doctor visits highly stressful. The uncomfortable environment (bright lights, loud clock, weird smells), the doctor pounding on the keyboard while I talk. The pressure to explain myself clearly and concisely in a short time is intimidating and I think the way it affects me might be having an impact on the way my doctor interprets what I tell him.

On my first visit with him I described the experiences that had me suspecting ASD, and after listening to me for five minutes or so, he said I had general anxiety. It's true that I'm anxious about certain things (like doctor visits) but I don't actually come close to meeting the criteria for GAD. Thankfully that visit was only to get a referral and I did eventually get the diagnosis of Asperger's. Now I've gone back because during one of my psych visits we realized that my monthly cycle is far more controlling over my life than is typical for most people, and we want to determine if possible whether it's an underlying medical thing or if I'm just highly sensitive to the monthly shifts.

A few minutes into my appointment the doctor said it's all in my head and I need to manage stress better. Great, that's what I came in to find out. The problem is he only based this conclusion on general blood work results from my first appointment and one single question about how much I bleed during menstruation. He actually said "You look fine". I also "look fine" when I have debilitating cramps, headaches, and ovulation pain. Can he measure explosive mood swings, relentless fatigue and thoughts that brush up against suicidal thinking every single month? I don't believe those show up on a blood test. How can he possibly make this conclusion and dismiss me with so little information? I asked if it was normal to feel like garbage for more than 80% of the month and he shrugged and said "we're all different".

His conclusion is that I'm very sensitive to what's going on in my body (true) and that when anything is unusual I become "obsessed" with finding out what's going on (probably more true than I want to admit). But here's the thing. I may be very aware of what's going on in my body and I am aware of that as well. I know my perception of internal sensations is exaggerated. That means I do realize that I'm actually fine even on days when I feel like I'm on the verge of death. I hate visiting the doctor and I would never go there on a whim just in case. My point is, I didn't just come to the doctor on a whim because I felt weird. I went there because it came up in a psych appointment that something is not right. I didn't even bring it up myself, it came up in differential diagnosis and was actually a surprise to me (I thought it just sucked to be a woman and that's that, but apparently it's not this bad for everyone). The question is, is this an aspie sensitivity type thing, or is it a medical thing.

I'm not satisfied that my doctor gave my case fair consideration. It seems like his conclusion is heavily influenced by his perception of me as a generally anxious person. In the end I did get a referral to a gynaecologist, but he made it very clear that he only did it because he thinks my symptoms will magically go away when I'm told nothing is wrong. I mean I hope so, that would be great! But..they were there long before I thought anything was wrong too so I'm skeptical.

Anyway... I guess the first response will be "find a different doctor". So far all the doctors I've been to have been similarly difficult to communicate with so I suspect it's either something about the way doctors in general are, or it's something about me.

I guess this is mostly venting, but I do wonder if anyone else has experiences like this with medical professionals, and if so, do you have any advice to make it easier? I tried preparing with a list of my symptoms ahead of time, and that did help me feel a little calmer during the appointment but that didn't seem to affect the way the appointment went.

Also, maybe it would be better to put this in a new thread but.. do other aspie women relate to this cycle problem? Is it a common issue with ASD?

I apologize for intruding and commenting here. My recent experience with doctors is they are trained assuming that all humans are generically similar, when in fact we are genetically unique. One of my “special” interests is DNA testing, and through testing of my own DNA I was able to identify several homozygous gene mutations that caused most, if not all, of my health issues since I was 6 years old. I won’t bore you with specifics, but since 2017 I have reversed type 2 diabetes and polyneuropathy, and have brought a couple other chronic illnesses under control. These issues were associated with a gene C677T, which has also been cited in several research studies as being associated with autism. I have a couple other homozygous geneS (inherited from both parents) that are MTR and MTRR mutationS associated with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorders. Yet another COMT gene that I have is associated with Schizophrenia, which my mother developed as she got older. The way these genes affect me is I have severely reduced capacity for metabolizing common forms of certain B vitamins, and because of this I have to take supplements with methylated forms of these vitamins.

I have no idea if you have similar genetic profiles or if the supplements I take would be of benefit to you. However, I encourage you and others to consider medical genetic testing to identify problem genes and conditions you may be predisposed to. In my case I have resolved several chronic health conditions through adhering to a specialized diet and through daily vitamin and amino acid supplements.

I am not a medical doctor, but I did have a method to my madness, identifying specific problem genes, tracing them to associated Health conditions, modifying diet to maximize the nutrients I have trouble metabolizing, and by taking appropriate supplements. My doctor did not support nor did he understand what I was doing. After diabetes was under control in roughly three months I began losing weight steadily and have lost approximately 75 pounds. I took myself off Metformin as it tends to deplete the body of B12 which I was already deficient in, and began taking Methylcobalamin, a form Of B12 I can utilize. I now take approximately 12 supplements daily, am off all but two prescription drugs, have stopped seeing that doctor, and now see a new doctor who listens to me and supports my efforts.

Ultimately, your chief complaints are doctors not listening to you. This doesn’t surprise me, and you should be prepared for a lengthy process in finding doctors who will listen. I wish you the best of luck, sincerely.

 

[Streetwise]

Yep, that sounds exactly right. Thankfully my psych visits have been much, much better. My psychologist has a lot of experience with adult ASD and is very tuned into the nuances, masking, etc that can make this condition so challenging for other healthcare professionals.

It's just a problem when I have to go back to the GP for any reason. The first time he doubted that I could have Aspergers, and then I got the diagnosis despite him. Now that I have the diagnosis it almost seems like it made him even more prone to the dismissive attitude. And yes it may be all in my head, but as I said before it wasn't me that decided to investigate this other issue in the first place, it was another healthcare professional. Surely that would give it some credibility, wouldn't it? Apparently not.

I guess the challenge here is that I'm being told to ignore all the signals my body sends that something could be wrong. It sucks to live in constant discomfort but fine, I guess that's just how it is for me. But what happens when it really IS something? I can't tell the difference. I had a kidney infection once and since I'm used to my body "crying wolf" I didn't address it until it was so severe I had to be put on an IV in the emergency room and my fever was in the danger zone. They asked why I didn't come in sooner. If your body is complaining over nothing all the time and you just get used to ignoring it, real problems can easily go unaddressed. I asked the doctor about this and he said "You'll know. If it's actually something you just know". I disagree, based on past experience, but he's the doctor so.. I guess that's that.

I agree, GRRR.

One thing I do ,to avoid the GP ,is to tell him anything that’s changed by letter, being a bureaucrat they like that ,I’ve never had an appointment at the surgery for years well that’s what it feels like to me ,or I try to see a Locum,I just don’t bother now it’s obvious they just don’t care I don’t like suffering but I don’t like suffering and suffering the GP as well.

 

[Aspychata]

I apologize for intruding and commenting here. My recent experience with doctors is they are trained assuming that all humans are generically similar, when in fact we are genetically unique. One of my “special” interests is DNA testing, and through testing of my own DNA I was able to identify several homozygous gene mutations that caused most, if not all, of my health issues since I was 6 years old. I won’t bore you with specifics, but since 2017 I have reversed type 2 diabetes and polyneuropathy, and have brought a couple other chronic illnesses under control. These issues were associated with a gene C677T, which has also been cited in several research studies as being associated with autism. I have a couple other homozygous geneS (inherited from both parents) that are MTR and MTRR mutationS associated with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorders. Yet another COMT gene that I have is associated with Schizophrenia, which my mother developed as she got older. The way these genes affect me is I have severely reduced capacity for metabolizing common forms of certain B vitamins, and because of this I have to take supplements with methylated forms of these vitamins.

I have no idea if you have similar genetic profiles or if the supplements I take would be of benefit to you. However, I encourage you and others to consider medical genetic testing to identify problem genes and conditions you may be predisposed to. In my case I have resolved several chronic health conditions through adhering to a specialized diet and through daily vitamin and amino acid supplements.

I am not a medical doctor, but I did have a method to my madness, identifying specific problem genes, tracing them to associated Health conditions, modifying diet to maximize the nutrients I have trouble metabolizing, and by taking appropriate supplements. My doctor did not support nor did he understand what I was doing. After diabetes was under control in roughly three months I began losing weight steadily and have lost approximately 75 pounds. I took myself off Metformin as it tends to deplete the body of B12 which I was already deficient in, and began taking Methylcobalamin, a form Of B12 I can utilize. I now take approximately 12 supplements daily, am off all but two prescription drugs, have stopped seeing that doctor, and now see a new doctor who listens to me and supports my efforts.

Ultimately, your chief complaints are doctors not listening to you. This doesn’t surprise me, and you should be prepared for a lengthy process in finding doctors who will listen. I wish you the best of luck, sincerely.

So curious, what sent you down that path of identifying problematic genes? Very interesting to read your post.

Tried to explain to my girlfriend, we are so depenent on our chemically important nutrients to function, without daily monitoring, you can severly be affected and feel not functional yet most docs are not trained and don't have the time to go down this path in treatment plan, nor does insurance recognize this modality, basically medical care is another *prison* that keeps afloat in America.

 

[Streetwise]

So curious, what sent you down that path of identifying problematic genes? Very interesting to read your post.

Tried to explain to my girlfriend, we are so depenent on our chemically important nutrients to function, without daily monitoring, you can severly be affected and feel not functional yet most docs are not trained and don't have the time to go down this path in treatment plan, nor does insurance recognize this modality, basically medical care is another *prison* that keeps afloat in America.

In the UK they seem to recognise if you are deficient in vitamins or minerals ,after I've had an infection, I received a phone call from my GP, telling me I had to up my potassium, he said the no common to me bananas and tomatoes,(you'll also learn if you study alternative medicines that they (synthetically produced vitamins and minerals)are not as potent as fresh fruits and vegetables which are oxygenated )he was also perplexed as to why I thought he wouldn't want to give me vitamin B, he gave me a prescription without even thinking about it, they gave my mother when she had Lou Gehrig's disease a specific prescription for multivitamins and minerals for weight loss sadly they didn't do enquire whether she could swallow them so it was a waste of time