How do you get gp or hospital consultants to take you seriously?

Aztariyel

Hi, I'm Aztariyel and just wondering if anyone else has had trouble with getting medical professionals to listen?

Over the years my family have had bad luck with nhs as I'm sure many have. For me I got diagnosed with ME when I was 16 (32 now) which seems to be a get out clause for anything else. I was diagnosed with epilepsy after a very bad seizure 5 years ago, my gp and neurologist looked back on my medical history and have said they suspect I've had epilepsy since early childhood. They also found a previous Dr had labelled me a hypochondriac and have removed that from my record since most of the times I went to gp was related to epilepsy.

So this brings me to 3 years ago when an optician referred me to the hospital because they think I have something called "visual snow syndrome". There's no info on this condition on the nhs but I have found some info on it on a gov website for rare diseases and it does seem to fit me and how I see. So after waiting 3 years I got an appointment at the hospital. They did several tests and very patronisingly told me my eyesight is normal. At the end of the appointment they took my blood pressure which showed as high and then told me that this is what is causing my sight problems (despite my telling then I first noticed issues when I was a teenager). They led me to believe I was dangerously close to a stroke or heart attack so I got booked in to see a nurse at my drs who monitored me for 2 weeks and found my BP is very good and not high.

Now I'm not saying I definitely have this eye condition, although it seems like I might but I know my body better than they do and I know that my eyesight isn't normal. So has anyone else had any experience like this or any ideas how I can be taken seriously? The optician who referred me isn't there any longer and my new 1 doesn't know what it is so won't help.

Sorry this is so long, it's something that's been bothering me for a while and I'm meant to have a follow up appointment with the hospital in a few weeks and I'm worried I'll be brushed off again.

Cress

Sorry to read of your struggles, I think many can share similar experiences.

I had a particular issue with a school doctor never paying attention to any problem I raised about my son.
I went to the next visit telling him no there is no problem at all.
He couldn't help himself...he immediately took on the stance of 'I'll be the judge of that'
This shouldn't happen but unfortunately sometimes it's an uphill struggle.