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AIBU?

Was I an A&E time waster?

60 replies

ConstableConstance · 26/08/2016 08:08

Last week I went to our local minor injuries because I'd been feeling unwell for a few days with feelings of a fast heart rate and being out of breath . I then felt very sick and dizzy so thought I would get checked out .

My heart rate was 130 and my blood pressure was a little bit high so they sent me to hospital .

In hospital they performed an ECG and my blood pressure was ok by that point .

I tried to explain that my heart races when I'm just walking normally - it's usually ok when I'm resting - they weren't really interested.

This was all in the wee hours of the morning . At 3am they came to discharge me but by this point I felt sick and dizzy and a wee bit teary because I felt rubbish and hadn't slept .

The dr admitted me .

The next day another doctor came told me my heart rate was fine (it was as I was resting) .I again tried to explain it only rises and leaves me breathless when I'm standing or walking .

He told me categorically it was anxiety , I must be worried about things and was a wee bit patronising.

I was calm and I know I'm not anxious .

I was monitored for a further 2 days and spent most of it in bed other than trips to the loo - where my heart would again race and I'd be out of breath .

I was discharged with no diagnosis other than probable anxiety hypochondriac .

The doctor did say my heart rate is fast but regular .

A week later and I still feel rubbish , breathless and with a racing heart.

Did I waste their time?

It's really annoying as I didn't feel listened to and he just kept repeating "things must be difficult at the moment" - he knows nothing about me!

Luckily there is only me and the dog here so I can rest and work from home .

I feel rubbish and a wee bit peeved that the random doctor who I will probably never see again feels I've wasted his time !

OP posts:
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monkeysox · 26/08/2016 08:14

Go back to.gp

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Trifleorbust · 26/08/2016 08:15

You should go back to your GP and request a referral for this to be investigated further. Your heart rate is clearly too fast and you are not anxious, so you absolutely do not need to accept a diagnosis of anxiety from someone who doesn't know you.

Are you fit and well usually?

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SenoritaViva · 26/08/2016 08:16

Can you make a GP appointment? It still doesn't sound like you are right and don't feel like you are a time waster. Forget about the doctor and his diagnosis and keep pushing. It may just be a virus, but you know you don't feel normal so I think a GP visit would be a good (re) start.

Get well soon.

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SmellyHead · 26/08/2016 08:17

The best person to discuss this with would be your GP. Flowers

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BusStopBetty · 26/08/2016 08:21

Yes, go back the GP. A friend had similar and it turned out to be low iron and low b12 so was easily treated.

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glorious · 26/08/2016 08:21

Well you only went because minor injuries sent you, so no. I'm sorry you had a rubbish time.

If you're still concerned you could ask your GP to refer you for a 24 hour tape, which is an ecg that you wear out and about. I'm not sure whether the GP can order this but they also do a test on a treadmill to check how your heart responds to exercise.

I am not a health care professional, I have just had a lot of heart tests.

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Northernlurker · 26/08/2016 08:21

Well minor injuries was the wrong route. You should have gone to your gp. There is clearly something wrong and I'm sorry this wasn't identified at the hospital resulting in the fact that you did take a bed for three days without gain or need.

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ShouldIdyemyhair · 26/08/2016 08:23

I had something similar, although went to an urgent care centre rather than A&E (wasn't registered at a GP yet). When I was told the same as you, I sobbed and the doctor said 'well why are you crying? Everything says you're fine, surely that's a good thing'

He later explained that the GP is who I should be going to see as they can make referrals, monitor over a longer period etc etc whereas he can only treat symptoms in front of him. Looking back it totally makes sense, but that night I felt like I was going to walk out and keel over and nobody would care!

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Idefix · 26/08/2016 08:24

I would make a gp appt op. Did you have bloods taken? Being anaemic for example can give you tachycardia and breathlessness on exertion.

Even if this is anxiety it is a real condition and does not make someone a hypochondriac.

Hope you feel better soon op.

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giraffesCantReachTheirToes · 26/08/2016 08:25

Google POTS postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome

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cexuwaleozbu · 26/08/2016 08:27

Not a timewaster but this wasn't an accident or an emergency or a minor injury so should be dealt with via your GP.

Have you heard of POTS? It's rare and I don't know much about it but I have a friend who has it and your experience sounds similar. See if your GP can refer you to a specialist.

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ThymeForTea · 26/08/2016 08:27

Best way to work this out is ask your self 2 questions-

Have I had an accident?
Is this an emergency?

Some can be both, like a broken bone.

GP definitely better in your case.

I know it sounds simple, and I'm not being sarcastic.

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junebirthdaygirl · 26/08/2016 08:29

I was coming on to say low iron too. It makes me dizzy breathless and l feel my heart racing. Its like it has to work twice as hard. So yes get bloods checked at GPs.
Also if you are taking a diuretic for any reason it can have a similar affect as lowers blood pressure and makes you feel dizzy.
Its all such a horrible feeling l know what it's like.

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ENormaSnob · 26/08/2016 08:30

Go back to gp.

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Wolpertinger · 26/08/2016 08:31

No you weren't, but your mistake was to go to Minor Injuries with something that wasn't a minor injury. They didn't know what to do about it and from that point on you were trapped in the system. Hospital is interested in acute emergencies, not diagnosing chronic problems.

If you had started out by seeing your GP you would have been a lot better off.

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gamerchick · 26/08/2016 08:34

I was going to say low iron as well. Did they do any blood tests?

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blankmind · 26/08/2016 08:37

Get a fitbit ChargeHR, that model charts your heart rate and activity levels 24 hours a day to lots of graphs and displays on your phone, daily weekly etc. you could show that to your GP to 'prove' it's not anxiety and gets worse when you stand or move more.

www.fitbit.com/uk/chargehr

Currys had it at £20 off last month, £99 when I bought one for DD to monitor her inferred by GP anxiety.

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Lifeisontheup2 · 26/08/2016 08:38

The thing is knowing your're not anxious doesn't always equate to your body not feeling/showing symptoms of anxiety.

Panic attacks can come on for no apparent reason, you don't have to feel worried about something for it to happen so technically the doctor wasn't wrong necessarily. Being patronising is a matter of opinion, one persons patronising is another persons clear and reasoned explanation.

Af has been ruled out so it does seem like you're suffering from a chronic problem which your GP is best placed to help you.

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blankmind · 26/08/2016 08:39

ps PoTS Postural Tachycardia Syndrome isn't well recognised so read up and see if your symptoms fit.

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frazmum · 26/08/2016 08:40

As PP said. Could be POTS. Hard to diagnose. Go to GP and keep a diary too. DD was in A&E twice before eventual diagnosis and was told it was anxiety. Good luck.

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OhYouBadBadKitten · 26/08/2016 08:44

no you didn't waste their time. You were sent there. I would make an urgent appt to see your gp today.
What tests did they do?

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myownprivateidaho · 26/08/2016 08:45

I have no idea if the diagnosis was correct, and if you feel it wasn't then of course you must go back to your GP. However, I think YABU for assuming that "anxiety" means "time-wasting" in the eyes of a doctor or anyone. Of course anxiety can have serious physical effects. It sounds like the doctor was making a diagnosis, possibly incorrectly, but not dismissing your symptoms.

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ConstableConstance · 26/08/2016 08:46

Bloods were taken and came back fine .

I had fully intended to make a GP appointment as I had been suffering for a few days with racing heart and breathlessness .

The reason I went to minor illness was because it seemed to get worse quickly and was making me sick .

It was late on a Friday night so no GP available - was that not the right thing to do ? Blush

OP posts:
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harderandharder2breathe · 26/08/2016 08:49

You should've gone to the GP but the hospital clearly didn't think you were time wasting or they'd have sent you home sooner

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Hulababy · 26/08/2016 08:52

Go to the GP and ask for investigations.

I have had tachycardia and palpitations on and off for years. A bad or lengthy session leaves me incredibly tired and weak.

I've been in hospital - admitted to CCU infact. I've had tears and investigations. I've had ECGs and also 48 hour heart monitors (which you wear under clothes doing your normal stuff) etc.

On admittance my heart rate was about 230+ and was rising. Mine is still no known cause. It's not dangerous to me but it's there. Heart rate though first is pretty regular other than missing the odd beat when palpitations start.
Though we know that caffeine and alcohol came make it more likely, as can tiredness and anxiety.

You didn't waste hospital time. They wouldn't keep you in unnecessarily.

It may well be no abnormality found like mine but always worth a full investigation.

Also try and keep a diary of it - you do with the 48 hour monitors. I had to write down my activity, anything I ate or drank, etc, if I felt any particular racing/palpations with times, that kind of thing.

I still gave tachycardia a lot of the time. I wear an Apple Watch and can see it go fast. It's known to reach 200+ for palpitations but is regularly above 100. Whenever I've been in hospital they never want to release me due to a high heart rate - have to refer them to my notes to say it's normal for me!

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