UK doctors make me so mad!

[Snapdragon]

Here's a rant! All over the UK news they talk constantly about the rising drink binge culture and how so many more individuals are dying of liver disease and other associated alcohol related illnesses. They talk about changing regulations and increasing tax on alcohol in supermarkets - and yet here's the rant - when people go to their doctor asking for help to stop drinking they get pushed from pillar to post and brushed under the carpet.

Last year a dear friend who lives in the North of England told me that she had been to her doctor to say that she had a drink problem and was told that she needed to be referred to an addiction councellor. She waited for several months and didn't get an appointment, chased up her doctor and was told there is a big waiting list so she will just have to wait. It's now a year and she still hasn't got an appointment.

I thought that maybe she is just unlucky and after years of struggling with my own drink problem FINALLY plucked up the courage to go to my doctor to ask for help. I asked my husband to come with me for moral support as I was a bag of nerves at having to come clean about my problem - but was really looking forward to getting constructive help at last.

The first thing the doctor said to me was: 'I'm sorry, I can't help you - we only deal with primary care, but I can give you the number of an addiction clinic.' I asked her if she could prescribe me Antabuse, because I believed it would help me, but she said 'No' sorry I can't help you. I told her that I could buy Antabuse on the internet, but was scared to take it without medical supervision and she just said that she would strongly advise me not to take Antabuse on my own! Helloooo??!!!

I rang the addiction clinic as soon as I got home - broke down in tears and told them how desperate I was to get help. They took my details and said that someone would call me back to discuss making an appointment. That was a week ago!!:stomper:

So - here I am on my own (and with all of you lovely MWO folk - hopefully ).

I'm so angry - not just for myself, but all of the other people who have tried to get help and simply can't get heard! I'm not going to let the b***ards get me down though.

Today is Day 5 AF for me.

Thanks for listening!! :thanks:

Snap x

[Struggles 106]

UK doctors make me so mad!

Sorry to hear this

What a nightmare! This is unacceptable. It can be very frustrating here in the States as well.
I was hesitant to take the Antabuse w/o dr help, but ordered it from Canada and I am taking it. The pills are 250 mg and I am now cutting them in half and taking 125/day.
After extensive reading on this subject I believe that I can maintain a therapeutic level at this dose. Therapeutic being enough to avoid side effects, cause no harm, and make it impossible for me to drink alcohol.

I thought the situation was better there, and I'm really sorry to hear it. When you want help you should be able to get it!

Let us know what you decide. I can get Antabuse for you if you can't get it and if yhou decide to go that route. Stay strong snap!

[pingu1997]

UK doctors make me so mad!

You can rant all you like about uk doctors. I think the whole system sucks

My doctor told me I had a drink problem, and to cut down. A month later I went back and said I've worked really hard a d given up, but sometimes I find it hard. To which she asked I don't get it, if you've given up wh do you still find it hard???

You will get little support from the uk medical profession unless you are lucky enough to find one of those doctors who get it....

Wishing you all the best.

[spacebebe01]

UK doctors make me so mad!

I am in UK and told my doc about my drinking about 7 years ago, I was then referred to an alcohol treatment unit and after waiting around 3 months I got an inpatient detox then was sent home to wait until they had a meeting a decided what help they could offer me next.. I drank and was refused the help because I had drank after detox, I was apperntly just supposed to stay sober on my own for a few weeks while they decided if I needed any more help, they just did not get that I needed more help there and then and couldnt wait. I went back to my gp and after lots of talking I looked up Campral and told my gp about it and he told me to go back the next week while he looked into it. Since then I could always get campral on script but when that didnt stop me I have not got any meds off my doc. I think doctors in UK are mostly against prescribing Antabuse because of the potential for it not to work and peeps drink on it and it be dangerous, I did tell my psychiatrist I was taking it at one time and thought I would drink without it but was advised to have psychotherapy instead.

I dont just think this is in UK, although the fact that most of us use the NHS is a big factor, I know for a fact that if I had medical insurance and could see a doctor privately I would be treated a lot differently, so I have to take responsibility for my own meds (baclofen) which is scarey and I dont like it but is a whole lot better than drinking like I did.

Good luck xxx

[anon]

UK doctors make me so mad!

I do have to say I love the NHS but we do abuse it and hope for miraculous cures. BUT I wish thet knew more about alcohol abuse

[YouKayBee]

UK doctors make me so mad!

I went private after getting nowhere with the NHS, I spent and wasted a whole heap of money doing so.

Only thing that worked was me deciding to do something and paying ?200 to the private consultant who did put me on the right path re medication. Best ?200 I ever spent, beat the thousands I and well meaning friends spent on other private methods (medical or otherwise). Unfortunately there is no way to tell what will work for whom, and meds need to be understood if not controlled. I've come across enough drinkers who've tried to stockpile, misuse drugs and it means it is more difficult for genuine patients.

There are many ways, not just waiting for the NHS - and I tried allsorts of counselling, advisors etc on the NHS too.

[Snapdragon]

UK doctors make me so mad!

Thanks everyone - and Anon - I do appreciate the NHS and have been lucky in the past to receive great and prompt attention for other ailments. It is just so frustrating that alcoholism doesn't appear to be recognised as an 'illness' and something that deserves attention. If an alcoholic finally stands up and admits he has a problem, asks for help and is given it - perhaps with medication such as Antabuse or councelling - then in the long run it will save the NHS as hopefully he won't go on to get liver disease, cancer and all of the other awful conditions associated with alcoholism.

Library Girl - I hadn't thought of going private, but will certainly consider going down this route if needs be. ?200 is nothing to what I must have been spending in wine!

Anyway - at the moment I seem to have finally summed up the willpower to make headway on my own. Am now on day six AF and with the help of L-Glutamine (which is absolutely amazing for beating cravings) hope to do this on my own.

Happy May Day everyone!

Snap x

[GingerDust]

UK doctors make me so mad!

Congrats on six days, Snap! Sorry to hear of your ordeal trying to get treatment.

Something people might want to be wary of - my medical record has "alcoholic" on it. Lately, I suffered a back injury, which has been incredibly painful. The problem is that two docs (in the same practice) that treated me seemed not to believe how much pain I was in. I think because of that red-flag label on my record they were reluctant to offer adequate pain killers (I have never abused prescription meds and rarely go to the doctor at all). One doc that I saw on Friday, finally prescribed Vicodin - he prescribed 5 pills, and that is all. For some reason, the pharmacy gave me 20. I don't know if the doc changed his mind after watching me walk away (I could barely walk, hunched over and in a lot of PAIN) or if the pharmacy had a minimum amount they would fill. Anyway, I suspect having the AL label on medical records has affected the quality of care I received. I'm still waiting for a referral to a physical therapist. PT is supposed to the be the most important part of healing this, and I've been waiting quite a while now.

I take antabuse without a doctor advising. I got it from River Pharmacy. They advertise on MWO (maybe just in the meds section). The pharmacy is located in Canada but the medication came from India.

Happy May Day.