As Mike says, "Have a discussion with your GP"? I very rarely get to see the same GP when, and if, I manage to get an appointment. Getting an appointment is almost impossible. If you start ringing at about one minute to 8 you get the "surgery not open, ring 111" message. Keep hitting redail and option 4 (appointments) as soon as it connects and after a couple of tries it connects only for you to be told you're number 23 - or whatever - in the queue. I don't understand how it can go from "surgery not open" to Number 23, or whatever, in just the few seconds it takes me to do an automatic redial? if you decide to opt for a booked appointment you may be lucky enough to get one but often you get told all appointments for the foreseeable future are booked! Try again next week. The system is broken.
I have Co-codamol 30/500 left over from my knee replacements and yes, they are very effective but gum my guts up like setting concrete, It's almost more desirable to suffer the pain! I had been self medicating with ibuprofen but the doc didn't want me using that as he thought the naproxen a better alternative with less likelihood of tummy problems?
Anyway, bit of a challenge today. I have to go up the town by bus to the building society and get a cheque for some money to pay into the bank to cover all the ridiculous expenses I'm having to cover for my brother's affairs until the lawyer can release some of the money from my brother's estate. 15 minute walk to the bus stop. The bus takes me to within half a mile of the building society. Then it's a wee walk to the bank and back to the bus stop with another 15 minute walk back home. I'd better get started before the rain comes, which is promised for this afternoon.
Tricks of the trade here.
1 phone the GP ask to speak to the practice manager, complain about the lack of ability to get an appointment, you'll probably find it easier to get an appointment if you take that route.
2. phoning 111 can actually help. even if the GP practice is open, especially when it is open, 111 often has the ability to book appointments with your GP practice through their system. Just don't say anything like you have chest pain as they will want to send you an ambulance.
Co-codamol comes in 8-500 which you can buy over the counter from a pharmacist. it also comes in 15/500 and 30/500 on prescription. so there are more mild doses which won't bung you up so bad.
Make sure you are drinking plenty if you are using it, that will reduce some of those issues.
Naproxen is technically stronger than ibuprofen, but often people don't notice any difference. Diclofenac is in the same family of medications, but is much more effective, it fell out of favor about 15 years ago and stopped being prescribed as much.
You don't have to see any one specific doctor to have these conversations. you've had a knee replacement in the past. You now have hip problems which are documented. when you next see them, state your current medications are not working. you would like to try...... and also see if they can refer you for some physiotherapy.
Physio's may be able to send you for tests or scans that the GP wouldn't send you for, and this may help speed up the process to get seen by a specialist.
To see a Private specialist, last time I looked was around £200 for a consultation, then you have to pay for any tests or scans on top of that.
What some people do is get the initial consultation done, have the MRI and Xrays done, then they go back to the NHS and bypass a big chunk of the waiting time by being put straight on the list for a hip replacement. Drop me a PM if you do want any help or advice.
as they used to say if you got a Fiat that was built in August it was usually a bad one 
he just stood there & grinned 
