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"Chronic pain and neurological issue"

About: General practices in Greater Glasgow & Clyde

(as the patient),

In March I had a sore back and tight calves. I went to the doctors and was told it was a pulled muscle. As the months went passed the pain got worse and spread. I kept going to the doctors and saw 6 doctors and was told it was a pulled muscle, slipped disc and trapped nerve.

I saw an osteopath who told me it was my pelvis. I got a CT scan and it showed a cyst on my adrenal gland. When I saw the doctor they told me it wasn't cancerous and bet their medical licence on it. They told me to go to physio. I did that for 2 months but it didn't help. The pain would spread to different parts of my body. My legs would go numb and so would my arms. My speech started to get slurred, stutter and forget what I was saying. I also suffer from chronic fatigue.

I went back to the same doctor and gave them a list of symptoms, most of which were neurological. I asked for an MRI to see if that would show anything. I was told by the doctor that they couldn't send me for one and that only the physiotherapist could do that after 6 months of physio. I asked how the physio would help my neurological issue especially my speech and if I could see a neurologist. They said that they could do that but the referral would just get sent back and my speech was fine.

When I was talking to the doctor I would struggle getting words out and forget what I was saying. During that appointment I could hardly walk because my legs were numb, left knee was sore, back was sore, I couldn't speak properly or think right and I got a prescription for ibruprofen gel.

The following week I went back to the physio and explained to them what happened and gave them a list of my symptoms. They said that my condition was neurological and they would write to the health centre. The following week I went to a different doctor and they went through my symptoms and agreed that I need to see a neurologist. They put urgent on the referral. It's now been nearly a month with no word of an appointment.

I've had to give up my job because of what is going on. I hardly leave the house due to the pain, fatigue and anxiety. The anxiety is partly due to my speech. When I'm in the house alone I don't do much speaking but when I go out my speech can get really bad and I can get frustrated. 

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Responses

Response from Paul Hayes, Patient Experience & Public Involvement Manager, Patient Experience Team, NHSGGC 6 days ago
Paul Hayes
Patient Experience & Public Involvement Manager, Patient Experience Team,
NHSGGC
Submitted on 10/11/2025 at 15:31
Published on Care Opinion at 15:31


picture of Paul Hayes

Dear Pat73,

Thank you for sharing such a detailed account of what you’ve been going through. I am very sorry to hear about the pain, fatigue, and anxiety you’ve experienced, and how this has affected your daily life and work.

Referrals to specialists, including neurologists, are managed by your GP practice, and urgent referrals should normally be prioritised. If you haven’t heard back after nearly a month, I would recommend contacting your GP practice directly to check the status of the referral. It may be helpful to ask;

* If the referral has been processed and marked as urgent and,

* If they can share a referral reference or a contact number for the department, to allow you to reach out directly to the service to follow up.

If you feel your symptoms are worsening or you are unable to cope, please seek physical and/or mental wellbeing support via either NHS 24 on 111, or by reaching out to Breathing Space on 0800 83 85 87.

GP practices are independent contractors and manage their own systems for appointments, feedback, and complaints. As they are not registered to respond via Care Opinion, I am unable to have a direct dialogue with them regarding this feedback and I would recommend contacting the Practice Manager directly to share your experience formally. They will be best placed to look into what happened and ensure this is addressed appropriately.

Thank you again for sharing your experience.

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by Pat73 (the patient)

Hi Paul,

Thank you for your response. It has now been 6 weeks since the referral. I will do as you suggest and contact my GP. The numbness in my legs have got worse and sometimes I need to use a stick. My speech issues comes and goes. Hopefully the GP will be able to help me. I'm hoping to get back out to work at some point.

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