Feeling angry and confused at the lack of care from NHS...

[xMillie]

I had to visit my gp yesterday for another pester about my shoulder pain that I've had for a year and a half now and they prescribed me a variety of painkillers. I'd only had one of them before but figured I'd have a google about them all while I was at it and it turns out the Naproxen I've been taking the last year and a half (as required, not everyday) actually reduces fertility, can stop you from ovulating and can cause miscarriage!!!

I was never once asked if I may be or was trying to get pregnant and I never questioned if they were safe to take as surely they would see on my notes from investigations and note of my miscarriage that I was ttc. In the past I've always been asked before being prescribed anything if I might be pregnant or want to become pregnant.. what changed!!!

Even the fertility clinic or ivf clinic failed to mention anything about it and I had to tell them both all medications I was taking before starting treatment or investigations.


I will have to wait until Monday to call the doctors again, though from googling I think most things are a risk and I might just have to live with the pain.

On the very small small small chance that there are is.. has someone here (or know of someone) got pregnant while on Naproxen or any kind of NSAIDs and gone on to have a sucessful pregnancy?

This crap old journey is a never ending bumpy road fall of hurdles and set backs, sick of it!!!!

 

[MoominGirl]

I'm not sure if this will be helpful or not but I will try.

My nephew was a happy accident and my sister has taken various painkillers for various things over the years, including naproxen and she had a straightforward pregnancy. Of course she may not have been taking them when she actually fell pregnant as it was just as and when.

The only medication I'm taking was prescribed by the endocrine doctors. They are fully aware that we're TTC. However, the medication is not licensed in pregnancy and the leaflet says not to take if TTC etc. The way it was put to me is that they don't believe it will cause me any problems and the only reason it's not licensed is because there isn't enough evidence. They feel that the benefit to my hormone levels as we're TTC outweighs the risk but I'm to stop it if and when I do conceive. I guess that's probably the reason a lot of things aren't licensed.

As good as the NHS can be, I think it's under so much pressure as resources are so limited. I'm a nurse in the NHS so I think I accept these flaws but I know it means I have to be on top of things an will have to repeat myself over and over to get things done. My OH definitely sees things a lot differently now. I've lost count how much chasing I've had to do for us and dread to think how little progress we would have made if I'd just sat back and waited for it to happen.

 

[xMillie]

Thank you xx

It just hit me in the face that the last year and a half might have been a total waste!!!

 

[LuckyLaura]

Thank you xx

It just hit me in the face that the last year and a half might have been a total waste!!!

I haven't a clue about these things but didn't want to read and run really hope that you get to the bottom of this xx

Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

 

[Sunflower1]

Oh no! That's awful. I would change your doctor - how utterly incompetant. You could formally complain too. But at least there is a possibility that your chances are better now.

 

[MoominGirl]

Thank you xx

It just hit me in the face that the last year and a half might have been a total waste!!!

It may make you feel better if you speak to them on Monday. Hope you get some answers. On the one hand, I think I must be really annoying but at the same time I know that departments don't talk to each other and GPs are under so much pressure to see a patient in 10 minutes including writing notes etc that they just don't have time to read up on your history properly. It also doesn't help that you often don't see the same doctor twice. So I just chase them. I don't care what they think. I'm not there to make friends haha!

 

[Alexis2017]

I was taking naproxen for joint pain and my herniated disc in my back until ttc then i knew it was risky when ttc. Thats awful they didn't ask you or tell you about this. If you havent been taking it regularly maybe it hasn't effected anything?

 

[xMillie]

Yes I hope for some answers on Monday, either they'll say it's okay to casually take (before ovulating) or maybe they can offer me something else. I really hate how much I have to pester them about stuff!


Hopefully it hasn't effected anything!
I'm so angry that just maybe it could have caused the miscarriage, I'll never know of course and have to let it go


Our GP is always so rushed, you can't make appointments just telephone appointments and they get you in the same day if they need to physically see you. When I called yesterday she got me to go in right away because they were about to close, so she did want me out the door asap. So it might have been forgotten but then Ive been prescribed it multiple times now

 

[candymycandy]

I had been taking naproxen frequently for shoulder/back pain. I had a mmc in November but a successful pg this year. I think with MC risk it’s only if you take nsaids in early pg (I had not so don’t think it’s connected). I know they can reduce ovulation though. Hope you get some answers x

 

[lillith112]

Ibuprofen is another NSAID that can actually stop ovulation, I used to take it every month for menstrual migraine. Aspirin is also an NSAID but is sometimes given during conception and pregnancy but in a low dose. I find the NHS completely useless so totally sympathize with you Millie. xx

 

[tinselcat]

Oh Millie - there are no words.

But if that's been a problem, hopefully now you know perhaps your chances of everything working will be better xxx

 

[MoominGirl]

Yes I hope for some answers on Monday, either they'll say it's okay to casually take (before ovulating) or maybe they can offer me something else. I really hate how much I have to pester them about stuff!


Hopefully it hasn't effected anything!
I'm so angry that just maybe it could have caused the miscarriage, I'll never know of course and have to let it go


Our GP is always so rushed, you can't make appointments just telephone appointments and they get you in the same day if they need to physically see you. When I called yesterday she got me to go in right away because they were about to close, so she did want me out the door asap. So it might have been forgotten but then Ive been prescribed it multiple times now

I think I always just assume it's going to be a hassle til proven otherwise haha!! I always expect it to take longer than it should as well!!

We decided around September that we wanted to be seen by fertility again hopefully around the new year. We knew we'd be starting again after our dire experience at the previous clinic. I'd discussed with the GP previously where we would like to be referred to instead and she said just to leave a message for her when we were ready which I did in October. I also asked if I needed bloods etc done again when I called as it had been a while. I got a call a few days later saying referral had been done and I could pick up the paperwork. Booked the appointment for January and thought that was it.

I then got a letter from the clinic saying the referral had been cancelled due to my bloods being out of date!! I phoned the GP saying that my bloods for the fertility were out of date and I needed new ones. I got a call back saying which bloods did I need? I actually phoned the clinic myself and asked what they needed!! I was told I needed swabs and he needed repeat sperm analysis which again no one had mentioned. Then I called the GP back and told them what needed to be done. When he went to collect the stuff for his sperm analysis, they didn't even give him the paperwork, just the pot. He'd have got to the lab with a time specific sample only to be told they couldn't accept it if I hadn't told him to call back and ask for it. When I went for the day 21 progesterone, they still hadn't requested the hormone levels. Yet another phone call to get them requested Our surgery has a drop in clinic for bloods so the phlebotomist probably would have refused to take them without a request.

All the results are finally back (which of course I had to chase) and I'm now chasing for a new referral so we can actually book an appointment that hopefully won't get cancelled this time. I think if we're seen by March we'll be doing well!!

The system is just frustrating in general and I just assume there's going to be a lot of action needed on my part but I'm ok with that. I also ask for copies of results and keep clinic letters etc so that I have my own records.

I must sound like a nightmare but at least I know that I'm keeping on top of things. GPs have such a massive workload and are under such pressure, it's no wonder things don't get done.

 

[xMillie]

Gosh!!
I hope you can be seen sooner than March


We had problems with the communication between fertility clinic and gp as well.
Hubbys SA results got 'lost'. Then even the repeat test the clinic couldn't find the results for! we had to get the gp to fax it to them in the end!

 

[MoominGirl]

It's awful how many problems people have on top of what they're already going through I'm hopefully over exaggerating about March but I find I get less stressed that way. Also, we both work in different towns and live halfway between each so really need to try and get first or last appointments in the day if we can so sometimes that means waiting a bit longer for a date instead of taking first available. It's usually the only way to avoid a day's leave from work which would mount up with the number of appointments we've had.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed we'll have a date soon. I think I'll feel better if we're back in the system again as then the GP isn't involved so the communication will hopefully be less of an issue.

 

[holli]

I was taking these for almost a year for my sciatica and I never knew they was bad for that, I still took them when I had a sciatica flare up and I got my bfp in August. I've only taken paracetamol since then though if needed, I hope you get your rainbow baby soon xx

 

[tara_46]

That is awful and so careless on their behalf!

 

[xMillie]

I'm being given a low dose of cocodamol now instead.
Didn't get to speak to the same doctor but the one I spoke to seemed to think Naproxen can only cause problems with ttc if taken long term. Since I have problems conceiving before I even started taking them it's best for me to stay away from them!

Thankfully the ones I've been given to take at night are safe and wow do they help me sleep!!!

 

[Sunflower1]

I'm being given a low dose of cocodamol now instead.
Didn't get to speak to the same doctor but the one I spoke to seemed to think Naproxen can only cause problems with ttc if taken long term. Since I have problems conceiving before I even started taking them it's best for me to stay away from them!

Thankfully the ones I've been given to take at night are safe and wow do they help me sleep!!!

Glad they've changed your meds and a good dose of sleep is great for hormone balance.

 

[MoominGirl]

I'm glad they've changed you to something different. It's annoying that you have to keep on at them though. My persistence seems to have paid off, I've got new referral paperwork to pick up

 

[Princess81]

Really shows how poor communication is still at the forefront of most clinical errors, I hope yhe change helps!x