A lot of problems do go back to weight. My back pain subsided some with a great deal of weight loss. It also removed most of my acid reflux, my sleep apnea, and I was able to stop taking meds for high blood pressure as it went back to normal. Also? Blood sugar improved greatly.
Ask for Metformin if weight comes up. I finally got a scrip for it and it got me past my plateau. Dropping lbs again. Love it.
I was given pantoprazole for the bad reflux (I’d wake up with food in my lungs and cough until I vomited). It’s a proton pump inhibitor and the problem disappeared overnight. Haven’t needed antacids in over two years. I barely need to take this med now.
Yeah, drs tend to be really nasty to people with mental illness. I’ve been bringing my husband to appointments so he can defend me if I get mistreated. It’s working so far luckily. Is there anyone you trust to go with you?
I’m happy for you that you’re good at advocating for yourself. I hope the dr is kind and you can feel comfortable. I finally, after decades of trying, found some nice drs. Hopefully you’ll have good drs too
Mental issues? Obviously, you must be both mentally incompetent and crazy. Strike one.
Weight issues? Oh, you’re lazy and unhygienic and undisciplined and you basically offend my senses. Strike two.
Cannabis user? Again, you’re lazy and unmotivated in life, and drugs are bad m’kay. Strike three.
Like, whatever happened to that one oath that all doctors take before starting to practice? It basically says that they swear to ultimately do no harm to another human.
And yet, all this stigma and these preconceived notions from their side is seriously a roadblock to getting the best care possible.
Dare I say, harmful, even.
I have pretty much the same worries you do— except my GP is already known to me, and I believe I’ve experienced judgement and stigma from her during previous appointments— so much so, that I have been too anxious to switch or do anything, just to get my annual physical done.
This shiit has been going on since 2019.
I wish you luck in your appointment, and hopefully this doctor is chill, understanding, and competent.
My MH team know about my THC use. But I get everything from the state run shops so it’s lab tested.
I use 5-1 cbd-thc gummies. I’ve completely given up vaping it. My team is cool with it, or atleast never told me no, or that it’s bad, they just said to watch it.
My MH-PharmD said it’s no problem, and she’s the one I get my meds from, she’s cool.
I will admit though that my THC use has gone down to a few times a week since being put on gabapentin.
It depends what kind of chronic illnesses he’s talking about. All of my chronic illnesses are managed by specialists. General practitioners like doing that. Basically they are there for acute illnesses and that’s it.
He wants you as a patient. He’s just explaining his limitations. My primary is also my rheumatologist. She constantly refers me to other doctors. She has a limited scope of practice.
We are working on the symptoms but not the cause.