This happens every time to me with Drs.

[chell]

Every single time l have been to a Dr. regarding health issues for example, bladder infection, herniated disc, back problems, severe pain from sciatica and the list can go on and on, the first thing the Dr. will ask is "Have you talked to your Psychiatrist and are you still following up with her?" l answer yes and they will send me home usually saying that l need to go and see her and talk about what l was in for.
l am not only insulted, but very hurt because for anyone else, they get treated for the symptoms they have and are not treated like some mental patient who is going in just for the hell of it wasting everyone's time or looking for pills, etc.
At my last two visits at the Clinic near me, with two different Dr.s regarding my back, one Dr. read my MRI and told me that l have degenerative back disease, and arthritis and should expect the back pain l am getting to be continous the rest of my life but refused to sign a disability form and to go see my Psychiatrist, the second Dr. read the MRI and said the scan showed nothing and my back was clear except maybe some arthritis and wrote me disability for 3 months and told me to follow up with my Psychiatrist about the pain l am having.
While he was writing l almost blurted out, "You think this is all in my head, don't you?" but l didn't. l had a very bad fall a few months ago and felt the injury to my back but ignored the symtoms as l had to move my belongings to a new home and had only a few kids helping me, but the pain was severe and l knew when it was running down the leg and in the buttock it was sciatica.
lt was only after l could not walk on it any longer that l sought out medical help. lt was a bonifide injury and l don't like Dr.s and don't go unless l really have to, so for me it is very hard when they always say to follow up with the Psychiatrist as though l am imagining everything.

MIchelle

 

[Mari]

Good luck with doctors. I have just the opposite problem. Whenever I go for help with my mental/emotional problems I end up being sent for various tests for physical problems. Maybe it would work if we switched doctors. Mari

 

[chell]

Well, Mari, here is a story, l went in the ER because l was having such a bad back spasm and l needed a wheelchair to get out of a van to get to the ER and when l was seen by the Dr. he asked me to walk around the room to see what the problem was. l had to lean on the bed and told him all hunched over that l could not stand straight and even trying to stand up, took the breath out of me the pain was so bad.
He then told me to get up on the gurney, proceeded to ask me to lower my jeans and underpants and left the room for a moment and came back in a few minutes later and did a rectal exam to check for my rectal reflexes.
Once he did that, he said everything looked fine!!!!!!!!!!! and that this was just a passing pain???????? and that l needed to follow up with my Phychiatrist because it was probably something stressful in my life. l was so upset and he said he was just reassuring me by doing the rectal exam.
Excuse me??????? Reassuring me by doing that??? Like that was not reassuring me, nothing was done for the pain, except he gave me two tylenol and told me to go back if l lost control of my bladder or bowels or if l had any numbness in the saddle area of my groin, (which is the groin and inner thigh area).
He read the Xrays from 2 yrs ago and told me that l had Arthritis and Degenerative Bone disease and there was nothing they could do and that l would have this the rest of my life and it would come and go, and l needed to find a family Dr. (which there are none in this area taking any new patients), so l had to get back in the wheelchair and go home in the same pain l went in with.
l went to the Clinic near me a few days later and the Dr. there was not only shocked, but sent me for an MRI and has been following me since and has presribed me Athrotec for my back pain, but also said to follow up with my Psychiatrist because he said my MRI did not show anything except Arthritis.

But for me, everyone including my Therapist seems to think that the pain is related to what is occuring in my life and stressful events make the pain worse and when l am having a hard time, my back gets worse. l find when l am doing too much housework or overdoing it exercising, my back sends out twinges and the next day l pay for it and that is not in my head.

So after reading this, l am not sure if you really want my Drs. as you might be getting rectal exams every so often, lol. just to have them say, "Follow up with the Psychiatrist"

Michelle