Fainted 4 times in 2 weeks. Next available GP appointment 31 Aug

[WillitFit]

I've never fainted before in my life (52 years) but seem to have suddenly started in the last fortnight.

I've explained symptoms to GP receptionist (like you must to get offered any appointment these days) and the best they can possibly do for me is 31 Aug.

Is that OK? I mean, can it wait that long or should I do "something" else?

At our surgery you can fill out an E Consult on the website and they respond within 24 hours, that would get you at least a telephone appointment. I think you need to be seen sooner than 31 August.

It was the same time for a telephone appointment. IME econsult just gets you a call to arrange an appointment and is only looked at by receptionists. No better availability.

I would phone again and explain that this is out of the ordinary for you and request a phone consultation at least. They will have earlier appointments available but only give those out when needed.
i once fainted in a shop and was sent to a&e by the first aider.
If you’re in the uk and feeling unwell then I’d phone 111 for some advice.

Yes, I did all that. "I can't give you an appointment that isn't there"

Worth going along to a pharmacist who can at least check your blood pressure etc? They can do quite a lot these days..

I had a choice of phone or face to face, but it was at the same date and time

I've checked my blood pressure. It is at the low end of what the NHS website says is healthy.

Well they’re meant to. I did an e consult Weds morning, got a message to say a gp would call by 6.30 Thurs, no call came. Filled in the form to say I didn’t get the call, message said surgery will call back asap, they didn’t. It’s a terrible system.

Have you ruled out all the obvious things?
Are you drinking/eating enough?
Any stress?
Have you had chance to do a lying/standing BP?

Email the GP practice and put it FAO practice manager.

Complain to them. You need to be seen now!

go to a local walk in centre if you have one as you will be seen

My surgery does reliably call when you do Econsult, so it's better than having to spend all day trying to get through, but you only get a receptionist saying the same things as if you'd called

If your BP is the low end of normal, take your heart rate lying down, sitting and standing (around 5 mins apart) if your heart rate increases by around 30 bpm on standing, it could be PoTS (I have this)

Can't advise anything to get an earlier appt, that sounds horrendous. But at least you may know what you're dealing with. Lots of info and support groups online if it is PoTS.

Good luck!

The only thing new is that I had Covid just before this started

The OP needs to see her GP to have the required tests, a walk-in centre can't do blood tests for example

They must have emergency appointments available on the day if you phone first thing? If not, next time you faint go to A&E.

This.

I would want an ecg done.

I'm sure you have tried this but do you have the option of an on the day emergency appointment? If I say its not an emergency I get the same shit as you have done, but if I phone at 8.00 and say its an emergency they try to talk me round but do have on the same day appts. They go quickly though so sometimes have all gone and you have to phone at crack of dawn several days on the trot. I get DH adult DS and myself all trying on our mobiles at the same time in the hope that one of us beats the queue.

If you can afford it you could pay privately for bloods medi check are good and have offers every Thursday I think. At least then you could drop a copy to your doctor if anything abnormal shows up.
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism after fainting, so definitely need to keep pushing.

I know it sounds ridiculous, it is ridiculous, but you can't get through in the mornings. The phone system only allows so many into the queue and cuts off all the others.

Yes, I'd quite like an ECG too.

How long ago did you have covid?

Did you suffer quite badly with it?

I tested positive on 21 Jun, but I'd had a "cold" for a few days before that. Quite poorly for about 4 days, but fine since, apart from the fainting

Going out on a limb… covid can cause heart inflammation. I am wondering (not medically trained but I do have a lot of complex health issues, lupus, Addisons, asthma, kidney issues etc) if you’ve got some sort of infection / inflammation with your heart and I think you really do need to be seen and have it investigated. I’ll get flamed for this but everything considered I’d rock up to A and E and tell them you are feeling dizzy and keep fainting and let them run some tests / do an ecg.

Get everyone you have in the house on their phones 10 mins before lines open and redial constantly. Could a neighbor come in and help? It's bonkers but its what we do.

Is there a local out of hours doctor you could use?

Are they any consultations including in your health insurance or any work benefits package, of you have either than you can use?

Is there a blood nurse at your GPs could they just do a blood screening?

It's not just the fainting, you are risk of bending your head or falling if you get weak very quickly.

Turn up in A & E tell them you have fainted multiple times, near miss with concussion etc. Stay there until someone assesses you?

It's your health and it's priceless, do what you need to do to get seen to.