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 I'm not known for being a drama queen by my gp tyvm. I've been to the Drs twice in 18 months!

There has to be something really wrong for me to actually bother to go in, I'd usually rather treat at home.

My sisters partner had a heart attack and they didn't realise till 5 days later when he went to the GP with indigestion. I also know someone having a massive heart attack who did drive to the GP!

Take care @Folf, how very scared you must have been. Tell the children and do your level best, to be kind to yourself.
Hope you're feeling much better soon Lovely. 💐

Oh and as I pointed out earlier in the thread, I have a history of ectopic heart beats. I have actually been told to go to gp if I get chest pains, so i did.

Then go away.

Of course. Only people who don't dare to try and work this out should be allowed to post

bus

It really wasn't that cryptic. But carry on Poirot.

Sorry some of the posters are giving you a hard time. I’m glad it’s nothing serious just painful. I would be discussing not being seen before 3pm with the gp. It sounds as if you did the right thing.

Chronic pain sufferer here. The gp isn’t likely to give you anything very strong for pain. Try and get some 30/500 cocodamol prescribed if you’re ok with codeine. You can take this with ibuprofen / naproxen (prescription drug) if you can take these. Nb if you get this higher strength cocodamol it does cause constipation.

Folf I hope you start to feel better soon.

The thing which annoys me with these threads is the number of posters who pile in on the OP claiming she is part of the reason 'why the NHS is on its knees'. As though the only reasonable response to any medical problem is to stay at home not bothering any medical professional.

If someone is suffering undiagnosed chest pains and shortness of breath I dont want them driving. They need to be seen by someone qualified urgently. Being triaged by the doctors receptionist is not satisfactory.

Reading as an outsider the NHS sounds terrifying. I'm sure it's not in reality but from reading on MN unless both your legs have fallen off and you're literally fading away don't even think of calling 999 and fgs don't go near A&E.

Feel better soon Folf!

Sorry to hear that you are feeling so unwell - some people are being very nasty in their constant sniping.

I had had costochondritis/Tietze's syndrome for almost 30 years and it can be absolute misery when you are in the middle of a flare up. It is really a vicious circle that you feel so ill, don't breath properly, cannot rest properly and feel even worse.

I hope you are still going to your GP appointment to get proper pain relief and see if you can get some muscle relaxants. I also find anti-inflammatory creams/gels good and warm baths can help as well.

Folf

Great news you weren’t having heart attack!

As for the grumpy arsed sods who’ve posted cynical responses to op, hope you never feel alone & vulnerable whilst feeling ill and scared. Utter twat bags.

@Zucker if both legs have fallen off you are expected to cycle to the hospital. Dont waste precious NHS resources!

The NHS is struggling for many reasons but most of those are systemic: the way it is managed, budgeted, the way it is the service of last resort for other issues of a more social origin.

OP needed to be seen urgently. She did exactly what she should have done in the circumstances.

Zucker The NHS is amazing. They will treat everyone and anyone free of charge, no matter how big or small the problem. The problem is, people don't know what should be treated at home, what should be an appointment with your gp, what should be a&e and what should be a 999 emergency.
So ambulances get called for drunks, and people turn up at a&e with ingrown toenails and indigestion.

But the general advice is, if in doubt, call them. Chest pain should automatically be a&e or 999. The operator will make the decision and will always say, better safe than sorry.
MN advice about never calling 999 is stupid.

Zucker we’ve had a very bad year. NHS has been amazing - GP Surgery, 111, 999 and Surgical Assessment Units, and we’ve still got both legs.

See my previous post.

Glad it wasn’t a heart attack OP though sorry you are feeling poorly
I hope you’ve had some time to rest up.
You did the right thing seeking the appropriate medical help and don’t doubt yourself.
I’d hate for someone with similar pain to read this thread, feel it unsuitable to call for help and actually suffer a heart attack.

feel better op.
I might be inclined to mail.phone.letter the practice managerlater and tell them what you were suffering with and then what the receptionist told you.she is not qualified to say a person with ur symptoms was ok to wait til 3!hell im not a doctor and I would have done all I could to get someone out.
thankyou for seeking us out when you were scared.sometimes we no what we must do yet fear and illness and all sort of other factors mean we just need some people outside of our own heads to reassure us of what to do. that is what we SHOULD have done on here.
I think the trolling mposts have a lot to blame to people jumping to conclusions of the ops truths when they see something that might just be a little out of their own "normal"
you've been really brave hun.sounds like what you've got is really scary and painful
rest now if you can.tell kids mums poorly and need lots of help today.
oris there one of their mates mums u could call to do the school run for you?
confusion and fear and ill health makes us need any kind of support.please come back again if you ever need it.
its gone beyong questioning and to the point of nasty how you've been treated today and im sorry you had to contend with that aswell as everything else.
take lots of care tongight and whilst you heal.xx

Janus Have you heard of precordial catch syndrome? From your description it sounds like that. I used to get it quite a bit but haven't had it for a while. Nothing to worry about but it is painful whilst it's happening. I found forcing myself to take a large deep breath until I felt the pain sort of 'pop' very sharply helped. I'm not an expert or professional but that's what your post reminded me of.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precordial_catch_syndrome

^that was to another poster not to the opening poster.

Hope you get a chance to rest up over the weekend and feel better soon.

No need for the level of snarkiness on this thread.

Hi Op, glad you were seen eventually. Hopefully, the pain killers work soon.

Sorry you're getting such a hard time on here. I'm beginning to think there's some people trying to sabotage MN at the minute.

It's a very mumsnet phenomenon - someone says they're ill, and everyone piles on them saying they're what's wrong wlth the NHS, they can't possibly be sick, etc etc. It's ridiculous!

OP, I hope you kept your 3pm appointment & are feeling a bit better now.

I get that people don't like threads like this, but i wasn't about to keel over. I literally just wanted another opinion on what was best to do if the Dr couldn't see me, having been told there were likely no available appointments, considering my symptoms.

‘@EnidButton’ that is exactly it!! I literally have to freeze as if I move it gets worse. There’s nothing other than pain and not being able to breathe deeply. It’s happened so many times that I’ve become a bit blaise about it all but my teenage daughters don’t like it. Wow, I shall show them this and show it’s nothing to worry about! I will take my younger daughter one more time as I’ve been and oldest daughter so feel like I should take her too. Thank you so much, I’ve googled this so many times but not come across this explanation before. I can sometimes go months to even a year without it happening. My dd’s are more frequent and I wonder if that is because it seems to mostly be young adults that get it. How very interesting, thank you so much!

@EnidButton even, hope that tag works!

Some harsh folk on here. I've just gotten over a bout of costchondritis and pneumonia. I swear i thought i was dying. The pain is horrific. It can be caused by a virus aswel as impact or injury. Plenty of rest. Naproxen works well. As does sleeping propped upright sandwiched between many cushions. Feel better soon op