# Gastro appointment in 3 months, why such a long wait?



## 1fboguy (Nov 13, 2012)

I have FBO. I booked a gastro but I have to wait 3 months to meet? What am I supposed to do in the mean time - quit my job? Have others booked with a gastro and had such a long waiting time? I have never done this before and I don't understand why the wait is so long. I can't keep my job with FBO.


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## Getting Me Down! (Oct 29, 2012)

Hiya, i saw my gastro for the first time in june (i was only 16, from england). He prescribed some loperamide and sent me on my way.
I left college due to my IBS, and the loperamide has not fixed my main problem (which wasnt specifically D in the first place)
So now i dont go to college, cannot get a job until this is sorted, and my next gastro appointment was made for january, (over a 6 month wait!) ...So I've done nothing the past 5 months!.. and cannot do anything for at least another 2 months... It's ridiculous, i know!
Especially when for all i know, i might have an undiagnosed condition that is only getting worse while im waiting!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

A lot is how many patients there are that need a specialist vs how many of that type of doctor there are in a region. When there are too many patients and not enough doctors it makes it hard to get an appointment. And it may be they only have a certain number of new patient appointments depending on how full the practice is. Usually there are appointments kept for current patients so it may be easier once you are one of their regular patients.

The longest wait I had was 6 or 7 months to see a particular doctor as his practice was full. I did get to see a GI doctor sooner, but had to wait for the top level specialist.

It may be worth talking to the triage nurse to see if you can get a quicker appointment, but I'm not sure if odor alone is enough to get you in ahead of people who are bleeding, etc.


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## DevilOnMyBack (Aug 30, 2012)

I was booked for a G.I in early august, and had to wait until October 29 to get my colonoscopy/endoscopy. However the wait to just see a g.i. to talk with them is only a week or so.


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