Do you feel the wrong way round in your body?

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If your GP is sceptical, it may be worth asking for a referral to your local adult IAPT service (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies.) Although their main thing is getting depressed/anxious people into therapy, you'll usually get a much longer triage interview with them, and it will be with someone specialising in psychology/psychiatry. That's how I ended up getting my autism assessment; the IAPT worker I saw first mentioned the possibility of autism to me, and wrote back to my GP to support my case for assessment.

Thanks, I will make some notes about all this.

I never know who I will see at the doctors, often it's been a locum. I try not to go because I don't get any help.

They usually ask the same two questions :
How can I help you?

What would you like me to do?

I've crossed swords with them by telling them that I haven't spent six years at medical school so can't answer their questions. And if I had I wouldn't be there.

They don't like me much.

I reckon, since I was given a diagnosis of fibromyalgia that I could walk in with my arm in a bag and blood gushing from the wound and they would say "you get things like this with fibro, take a couple of paracetamol and if you still feel bad in a week, make another appointment".

It's going to be a struggle.

I get where you are coming from Heatsink...I have had chronic pain issues for about 25 years now, and never gotten a diagnosis. It does not fit any of the standard immune system dysfunctions like fibro, etc. I heard all that stuff you are getting...you're getting older (uh, I was 40 then?) so you can't walk as far as you used to (I was jogging and hiking in the ADKs, working out with weights, etc), you're depressed (well, yes, I am depressed because I am in so much pain I can't sleep and can't exercise like I used to!) etc, etc. I know a lot more now about my body and the whole thing is under relative control, but I remember what it was like. Now our healthcare system is so fractured that getting a new doctor involved is tricky. I have been fired by two doctors, because of my insistence that they listen to me and what I know from experience works with my body.

I found that bringing in a piece of paper with specific points on it. I try to keep it simple because medical providers are busy and have little time to think. And I just kept going back. Nope, that didn't work. Nope, this didn't work. Nope, no relief from xyz.

Based on the two questions that you get from your provider, I would make some specific requests. "I would like to try medication A", "can you refer me to an occupational therapist", whatever. Clearly your providers don't have much time to consider the problem and because it is complex, you don't get what you need.

Also, if you have the option, I did get some referrals to specialists and saved up the money to check in with them. They weren't a lot of help, but it would give me some idea of which way to go.

I also did a LOT of research on the web and tried to find what made sense to me and what didn't. Then I would ask my health care provider if I could try x, y, or z.

I found there is no magic pill or exercise, but I stubbornly kept chipping away at the problem and eventually symptoms have eased. Or, possibly, the disease itself, whatever it is, went into remission and all the stuff I have done is/was useless. Good luck.

I refer you to the statement "I did not spend 6 yrs at medical school".

I don't know what is wrong with my health, or at least I have just discovered some things that may/do contribute to the problems I experience.

Even if I knew what was going on I don't have the knowledge to determine my own treatment.

That, after all is why doctors do the training in medicine and I know how to wire your off grid set up.
If I were a battery I could request the correct treatment.

Which is why I regard them as quacks, as all they do is offer whichever pills the sales team are promoting. Which is why they gave me enough opioids & derivatives to kill me off several times. And repeat prescriptions ad infinitum.
'sorry, can't be arsed, go and be a junkie'

^^^ I'm not a doctor either. Most of the information I got was from the internet and the amount of information available now is way more than 25 years ago. I had to teach myself because the doctors don't know. Would it be better if doctors knew what to do? Of course, but frequently, they don't.

Plus, it doesn't really matter if you don't know. Just asking a specific question can sometimes provide a medical provider with enough of a stimulus to get talking.

You said you have fibro - there are forums that deal with fibro and other similar disorders. I found these very helpful early on.

Anyway, it was just a suggestion based on my experience which could be much different from yours. It is extremely discouraging trying to get better under the circumstances you face and I can appreciate that.