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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not want to go to the Doctor

27 replies

Leafitout · 28/07/2015 23:35

Last few months I have been experiencing heart palpitations. But over the last few weeks they have been coming fast and frequently, I counted having six in just over a minute. This can happen between eight and ten times a dayEven when I am calm and sitting still. I'm shitting it that there is something wrong and can't face going to the Doctor. I'm petrified that I'm going to be told bad news.

OP posts:

TriJo · 28/07/2015 23:37

YABU not to go - best to get anything that could potentially be heart-related checked straight away. It might not be anything, it might be anxiety, but it is always best to know.

Wolfiefan · 28/07/2015 23:37

If you are "shitting it" then you are not calm! Do you suffer from health related anxiety?

Fatmomma99 · 28/07/2015 23:38

Most things are better cured when caught early. Please go.

And I hope you'll be told it's nothing.

Feel for you.

HarrietSchulenberg · 28/07/2015 23:42

Better to go and find out there's nothing wrong, or get treatment, than sit at home and drop dead.

tortoisesarefab · 28/07/2015 23:45

I suffered the same and have a thyroid condition, it took a long time to get diagnosed, go to the gp and in the meantime cut out caffeine

Birdsgottafly · 28/07/2015 23:46

There are lots of things that can cause palpitations.

I used to get them because I have low blood pressure, I also had them during the peri-menopause.

There are methods that you can use, to lesson them, once you've seen the GP and are pointed in the right direction.

birdling · 28/07/2015 23:46

I often get these. Had them investigated, but nothing wrong. Turns out they are stress related, so they get worse when I am anxious. Interestingly, they are far worse when I'm in the early stages of pregnancy. Must be all the hormones

Gymbob · 28/07/2015 23:50

I went through something similar. I could actually feel my heart beating erratically, and it was frightening.

I had an ECG, was fitted with a 24hr heart monitor and had to run on a machine. the cardiologist concluded that although my heartbeat wasn't normal, it was typical of half of all the cardiologists waiting rooms up down the country and nothing to worry about.

you should to get to the docs, but just wanted to steady your nerves

Welshmaenad · 29/07/2015 00:07

Have you been ill recently? I had similar symptoms and was really frightened by them, as they manifested as I was recovering from rheumatic fever.

Had full check up and no abnormalities found, cardiologist explained it is common to experience them after a viral infection. If only the GP had told me that!

cuntycowfacemonkey · 29/07/2015 00:11

I get them all the time and they were diagnosed as SVT which is not dangerous and has required no treatment. There could be lots of benign causes for yours. Go to the GP and have your mind put at rest.

LadyCuntingtonThe3rd · 29/07/2015 00:13

Actually the advice I've heard about palpitations is to go to A&E.

thecatsarecrazy · 29/07/2015 00:15

Go to the Dr please. Getting worked up about it wont help. Chances are all they will do is an ECG that's what they did with me.

Original poster

Leafitout · 29/07/2015 00:17

I do suffer with anxiety. But these palpitations happen when I am sitting calmly on the sofa and feel like my heart is dropping inside of me. I was in the supermarket and it happened in quick succession taking my breath away. I feel very tired afterwards.

OP posts:

RagstheInvincible · 29/07/2015 00:28

Go to the doctor.

WickedCrip · 29/07/2015 00:40

I've got a different health problem to you and I was sort of ignoring it thinking it was related to my disability. But it was getting worse and everyone kept telling me I had to go to the doctors. I really didn't want to, all the doctors I know have left the surgery or gone on mat leave or similar lately. And I was getting more and more stressed by the well meaning comments and suggestions.
Eventually, last week, I did go. Sitting in the waiting room was scary and I was convinced I'd be carted off to A&E because I knew in an able-bodied person my symptoms would ring huge alarm bells (literally I told a friend "I can't make an appt before Thurs because I can't fit a trip to A&E in before then"). I wasn't. I did cry and explain that I was very stressed and worried about the situation. I had a really productive appointment, had no need to be scared and a problem I hadn't been planning to mention came up in passing and that got sorted too. I'm still getting the "oh that looks really bad, you need to get that sorted." comments but knowing what it is and being able to tell people my GP isn't worried is lessening that and my stress.
Your symptoms sounds scary and concerning and it would help to go to the doctors - if it's hard can you write out what's worrying you (or print your OP) and take that to show them? I used to do that sometimes.

GloGirl · 29/07/2015 07:27

What do you want people to say? That you are able to not go?

You know you have to, so ask yourself what is it that can get you there. Can you tell a friend and ask them to go with you? Or arrange something nice to do once you've gone? Is there another concern you'd like to talk to the doctor about?

StillStayingClassySanDiego · 29/07/2015 07:34

I went through a period of anxiety attacks when under stress and I had a racing heart , I was convinced I was going to die of a heart attack.

I went to the GP as I began to fear leaving the house in case I keeled over. I was fine but referred for CBT , when I became less anxious the palpitations stopped as did the racing heart.

Do go , you'll be sorted one way or the other.

Silvercatowner · 29/07/2015 07:38

Actually the advice I've heard about palpitations is to go to A&E. This type of 'advice' is one of the reasons the NHS is on its knees.

Enchufla · 29/07/2015 07:44

I had this a few years ago. My heart would race and flip flop around for no reason like you it would happen while i was on the sofa. I had an ecg and wore a 24 hr tape but the doctors couldnt find anything wrong. I cut out caffeine and its mostly stopped happening when i have too many caffeinated diet cokes it sometimes comes back so i know i have to cut it out again

DoJo · 29/07/2015 08:02

I would echo what others have said, but if it's in any way reassuring, then I would be very surprised if they took any action or gave you a diagnosis there and then! I went to the doctor's in January with something similar, had a 24 hour ECG in Feb, a scan in June and am only seeing the consultant this week so you probably won't have to deal with everything in one go and there will be a lot of explanation about what's going on before they hit on a diagnosis.

acquiescence · 29/07/2015 08:51

I had this and it was anaemia. Get to the GP, could be something really simple and likely to be treatable or they can send you for investigations. As others have mentioned, also a symptom of anxiety. I am a mental health nurse and have lost tract of the clients I have worked with who have anxiety who tell me there is nothing wrong with their mental health but they have issues with their heart beat!

Original poster

Leafitout · 29/07/2015 13:33

I have a doctor appointment booked for this afternoon. Today I had four experiences of the same, hopefully the doctor can put my mind at rest.

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 29/07/2015 13:37

Good luck. Thinking of you.

thesnailandthewhale · 29/07/2015 13:48

Another one who used to get this a lot. I gave up drinking and drink decaff coffee. Generally I found when I was really stressed I was fine, it was when I relaxed a bit (eg. exams finished) that it got worse. Haven't really had any for about ten years now but like pp's have said, if I drink a couple of cups of normal coffee I can feel the fluttering beginning. Go along just to put your mind at rest, it really is more common than you think x

Writerwannabe83 · 29/07/2015 14:44

Good luck at the doctors.

I had palpitations for years that I didn't see the GP about and one night I ended up in Resus in SVT. My heart rate was over 180bpm for 2.5 hours before they could stop it and that was only after having a drug that temporarily stops the heart in the hope when it kicks back into life the normal rhythm will resume. It didn't work the first time but after a second time it did. I was told that if it hadn't have worked that time they would have sedated me and shocked me with the defibrillator.

I was started on beta blockers a week later as my heart rate was persistently high and they worked really, really well.

I had a procedure in the hospital where they insert catheters into the heart to look for abnormalities in the heart and it's rhythm but mine was fine. I have also had a 24 hour ECG and that was fine too.

I came off the beta blockers when I was trying to conceive but then went back on them at 20 weeks gestation because I started having palpitations again. Once on the beta blockers everything settled down again. I came off them though as soon as DS was born as I was breast feeding.

He's 16 months now and I am still off the beta blockers. Over the last few months I have had very occasional palpitations but nothing that is worrying me. I will keep an eye on it and go back to my GP if I am concerned.

You are doing the right thing by getting seen. I really wish I had been as sensible as you. Good luck, I'm sure everything will be fine.

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