At Drs, not sure what to do.

[Folf]

Got chest pain feels like someone's kicked me in the breastbone. Hurts to move, hurts to breathe more than shallow.

In queue for speaking to reception, already been told might not be any appointments left. They will see me with this won't they?

No point slagging off the GP surgery, acute chest pain and shortness of breath is NOT a GP issue. GP’s do not provide an emergency service. A&E was always the appropriate choice. Just because the hospital is in special measures doesn’t suddenly mean the GP surgery can stent a heart attack

I get this regularly and have had many tests like ecg and they’ve never found anything wrong. So I am watching to see the outcome.
It’s as you describe, hurts to breath any more than shallow, I find crunching up into a ball rather than out straight feels better. I can’t really move that much when it happens. No dr seems to know what it is. And weirdly my 2 daughters get it too so seems to be something I’ve passed on? One of mine had it yesterday in fact. Drives me nuts they don’t know what it is.
Please update when you know as maybe I’ll go to drs again.
Hope you feel better soon . Blooming GP should be told they’ve got this wrong too.

I hope they can see you soon and you’re ok 🌷

Ignore the twatty posts.

Yikes hope all turns out ok OP! It’s very scary to be on your own when something happens.. glad you have had some supportive replies and glad you are getting seen!

ContessaHallelujahSparklehorse If shes got chest pains she would be having heart traces and lines put in, no way would she be posting on MN.

And why on earth didn't she tell the receptionist she was having chest pains? If she just asked for an appointment, then no wonder she was told to wait until 3pm

And 10 minutes from 111 to ambulance arriving?

Nope.

When you’re being assessed by a paremedic it is inappropriate to be on your phone. Things go on in an ambulance, it’s not just a ride to the hospital.

I’ve also read that having a heart attack does not affect breathing, ie it shouldn’t make a difference if your breathe shallow or deep, it’s more a constant pain. From what I gather I seem to have some sort of muscle spasm in that area. But it’s very scary when it happens.

I pulled a muscle in my chest previously this hurt to breath.

Wishing you well op

I have had something similar to the OP - I called 111, and they sent an ambulance. The paramedics did an ECG at home, and gave me aspirin, and then took me into A&E, where it turned out that I had a chest infection that was causing irritation and pain in my sternum, so I was sent home with antibiotics.

I am a trained nurse, and my symptoms worried me enough for me to go to hospital - and even though it proved to be something minor, I am glad I went, and I think I made the right decision.

In @Folf's shoes, I would be phoning either 111 or 999, or going straight to A&E - better safe than sorry.

Hope you are ok OP. You totally did the right think. Your life could be at stake.

*right thing!

Ambulance was coming in to the Drs car park on blue lights and sirens, but got tuck in the traffic. It's v busy. So yes, I posted from where I was sat in my car watching it arrive.

Jeez.

Ambulance happy it's not heart related. I am getting some ectopic beats, but nothing serious. He pressed on my breastbone and i yelped, so he thinks it's that costchondritis.

Told to go rest and take pain relief.

@RollerJed your attitude is what is wrong here. The NHS have sent her an ambulance and she will be prioritised and be examined upon arrival at the hospital. Let's not condemn the NHS for sending her help.

OP clearly did not explain her symptoms because as someone who has worked in GP surgeries and hospitals, I know full well chest pains would be taken seriously and a GP would often call an ambulance.

She was clearly well enough to post online to a bunch of strangers and has clearly been well enough even in back of the ambulance.

People like @RollerJed have the audacity to slate the NHS and yet if, God forbid, you were to get seriously ill, the NHS will no doubt be your first port of call! Keep your arsehole comments and opinions to yourself because one day if not already, that NHS will no doubt have a hand in saving you or someone you love!

Was just reading about costochondritis. Have you had a bang to the chest though?

I did tell reception what the matter was, they told me to come back at 3.

folf I was about to say similar happened to me and after chest xrays etc they diagnosed costchondritis. I hope that's all it is for you too, though its sucky enough in itself.
If ambulance aren't taking you can you get some pain relief in you and get back to the GP for 3?

Janis nope, nothing. I did have a mad sneezing fit the other day though, I sneezed something like 15 times in a row. Could be that apparently?

If I were you, I would put a complaint in to your practice manager, @Folf - chest pain and difficulty breathing should have been triaged as urgent by the receptionist, and I am appalled that it wasn't.

I hope that the sight of an ambulance, blue lights and sirens, coming into their car park to deal with a patient they had turned away scared the bejeezus out of that receptionist!

I will mention it, I kinda feel like there being nothing too serious wrong that they'll just say she made the right call.

OP hasn’t really said exactly what she told the receptionist. I’d want to know that before recommending outing in a complaint.

A friend (in her 80s) had a heart attack on Monday - she just had faintness, short of breath and dizziness. No pain.

The Dr came out to her and sent her in an ambulance to hospital. She didn't have traces or wires or anything shoved into her. (She's fine BTW)

I think it's important to know the symptoms of a 'heart attack' can vary. It's not usual to clutch ones chest and reel about.

Wow that was unbelievably fast!

I am so glad you called 111. I am so glad you are getting help it's hopefully going to send a message to the surgery that you were turned away for then to have the ambulance rock up to you outside their doors

Focus on getting better and then absolutely complain.

I think I would have panicked if I saw an ambulance stuck in traffic and would have got out my car and gone to meet it instead of waiting like it was a taxi! Probably silly, but id be thinking the sooner they saw me the faster they could be available for their next call, especially if I was embarrassed about the whole thing.

Fgs, I did tell them.

Loni asked me at 9.51 if I'd told them why I was there. I replied at 9.55 with what I told them and that receptionist told me to come back at 3.