AIBU (and pathetic) to think I'm dying?

[EmeraldScorn]

I know how this will sound, that I'm a hypochondriac and/or an attention seeker (I am neither of those things) but I am feeling quite worried at present.

The background and I apologise for the length, I haven't felt "right" since around September (2016), it was nothing that I could really put my finger on as such but extreme tiredness, excessive face sweating, a lot of random shooting pains in my chest/back/shoulder and pins and needles in my hands.

I went to my GP, she checked my blood pressure, my oxygen levels etc and all looked alright. I continued to feel shit though!

Mid October time I got an abscess on my inner thigh (I shower daily and practice good hygiene etc), I was in agony with it but after a course of antibiotics it went away.

November time I started feeling really congested (for no apparent reason) which very quickly descended into coughing and VERY LOUD wheezing. It hasn't gone away and the wheezing especially is really intense. I did book a doctor's appointment but I had to cancel it last minute and to be honest I just didn't bother rebooking. (I should have)

The wheezing, coughing, pains and general feeling of illness has stayed with me and on New Year's day I woke up with a severely painful throat and shooting pains in my shoulder. My throat has since eased! I then started getting highly excruciating pain in my mouth, that I put down to an impacted wisdow tooth but having been unable to bring my dentist appointment forward I went to the emergency dental hospital and the dentist agreed that my gums were inflamed but didn't think it was from my wisdom tooth and he couldn't detect any signs of other dental issues.

I can't do much without sweat literally running down my face, a simple task and my face/hair will be soaked in sweat. I am excessively thirsty (I drink a lot of water but it's never enough), I feel as if there is some thing restricting my breathing, sometimes I will feel this dead weight pressure between my shoulder blades and coughing is really sore. I was checked for diabetes at the start of 2016 (just as a precaution as I have a family history) and I was clear of it just incase the "excessive thirst" symptom made anyone think of it.

Yesterday (Wednesday) I managed to get an emergency appointment with my GP for the afternoon. I went and had quite a thorough check up (as far as is possible in a doctor's surgery).

Blood pressure.
Peak flow.
Oxygen levels.

She is going to put me on a monitor on Monday for my blood pressure to be recorded for a 24 hour period. My peak flow results were indicative of airway narrowing but she said it would need to be monitored weekly for comparison, etc.

Then I was told to come back on Monday morning for blood tests and given a prescription, a 7 day course of antibiotics and an inhaler!!

She couldn't tell me what is actually wrong with me but she did say that because I was obviously sweating/coughing and my temperature was raised she was putting me on the Amoxicillin to clear any infection and she wanted me to start using the inhaler because she said she could clearly see that I was struggling to breathe. She then said we would wait for the blood results and take it from there. Bloods take WEEKS to come back at my doctor's, that's if they don't lose the sample first which happens often there.

I am so tired to the actual point of abnormality; Washing the dishes has become an effort, I get so tired and sweaty I have to sit down. Trying to put my make up on in the mornings is a living nightmare because as quick as I put it on, the quicker it all sweats off again. It's just my face though, I'm not excessively sweating elsewhere.

I have this feeling that I am dying (pathetic I know) but I just don't feel like myself, I seem to have been sick and feeling weak for months. I have a family history of breast cancer and the thought of it is petrifying me, it never bothered me before I started feeling sick though.

Would I seem like a complete nutjob if I was to go to A&E in the morning? AIBU to basically ask for a second opinion? I mean my GP was lovely but she didn't give me an actual diagnosis and I know I have to wait for the bloods etc but it's a drawn out process and I don't want to wait.

I don't normally behave like this, usually I'm quite care free and live for today but I don't feel myself at all and my mind is racing with an assortment of life threatening diseases.

I've tried to use the inhaler a couple of times tonight and I'm not doing it properly at all. Would I be unreasonable (and a dick) to go to the hospital tomorrow for a quicker assessment?

Did you have your thyroid checked? The sweating etc. could be indicative of a thyroid problem.
High blood pressure can actually have fuck all to do with the weight. I'm between 17.5 to 18 BMI, just very petite. I ran, I don't smoke, don't drink any alcohol but plenty of fluids, eat well, love hiking, don't salt too much, cook from scratch. I'm on blood pressure medication. Genetics and stress.
I was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia recently. It was a relief to actually get a stamp on all the weird problems I had for years.
You'll be OK, just be persistent.

Are you up to date on smear tests OP? All okay?

Clandestino, I will be checking for thyroid issues. (Thank you).

Pandarific, No I have never had a smear. I have received "invite" letters to book smears but I have never gone ahead and booked one, I will book one tomorrow.

A lot of your symptoms sounds like mine when I get a lung infection. I have bad asthma and I get pneumonia or bronchitis really easily. It can stay between the more than usual asthma and full-blown infection for weeks and then I feel a lot like you describe and yes, sometimes I do feel a little like I am reaching the end of the road. It is often a bit of a struggle to get the doctor to see it as anything more than bad asthma, but I have enough experience now that I know exactly what it is and what I need to cure it. And that is a 10 day treatment of antibiotics (occasionally I have to do two treatments if the first doesn´t cure me completely). So it sounds like your doctor might be on the right track with you. I´d take the antibiotics and use the inhalers and see what happens after a week or so. If you get worse, then go back immediately.

Back to gp to discuss irregular bleeding.

Haven't you mentioned this amongst the other symptons?

Thanks Sonjadog.

ENormaSnob, no I haven't told my GP about my irregular bleeding because I didn't want to bombard her with multiple concerns and I didn't really see it as relevant I suppose.

Your surgery should allow you to book a double appointment, which is 20 mins long. I would book one of those so you don't feel rushed and write down everything that's worrying you before you go, don't miss anything out. Hope you get some answers soon.

Please tell your GP about the irregular bleeding. That to me is the most important, relevant issue.

Hi
I think because of the many symptoms and instant panic about HIV that you are suffering from panic attacks and health anxiety. When my brother is anxious the sweat from his face is unbelievable, it literally flows. He had to give up teaching because all the children commented.
It's really important to have smear tests and not right to bleed between periods or after intercourse and you need a smear done asap.
Book a double appointment with the GP and tell them EVERYTHING you have told us here. If it's too much then just print the post and show them.
I strongly believe from experience that all of your symptoms could be anxiety driven - except fro the bleeding.
Don't tell your GP which tests you'd like done - tell them what you've told us and you will be helped. Best wishes and don't ask Dr Google as he never has any good news. x

I think you are panicking now because you feel you can't wait for the blood test results. Why did you wait this long to follow up at the doctors? Were you scared and wanted to bury your head in the sand or were you quite blasé about everything, and have now realised you should have gone to the doctor earlier? Either way explains the panicking now.

It sounds as if the doctor is treating this seriously. Unfortunately it's going to take time. Be strong. It might be an idea to write down every single symptom to give to the doctor next time. Hopefully you are panicking unnecessarily, but it's understandable

It's not really that I can't wait for the blood tests, it's more to do with negative experiences of enduring lengthy waits for blood results to come back previously, both personally and with family members, so I don't want to wait and then be frustrated.

My sister was unwell for quite a while and she was running back and forth to our GP with every new symptom etc, she was being palmed off constantly to be fair and had 2 disastrous attempts at waiting for blood results but the long story short is that she had cancer. She was told repeatedly that she was just "run down", yeah she was but it was because she was riddled with bloody cancer. I think her age is why her concerns were dismissed, she was only a year older than I am now.

My nephew ended up in intensive care for 6 weeks because by the time he waited for blood to come back, he had already collapsed and been rushed to hospital.

So yes I do accept people's suggestion that I seem anxious RE blood tests.

I didn't intentionally put off going to my GP, it was more the case that on the day(s) I had planned to go, I felt too weak (or maybe it's laziness?)

As for my irregular bleeding, yes that I was putting off because I don't like the idea of a smear test and I knew if I had said about it, a smear test was going to be the suggestion. I know it's silly but I'm embarrassed!

Anyway, I'll be seeing my GP on Monday.

No wonder you dont want the wait with that history, but it is a bit of a red herring; you've actually waited longer than the longest of blood test results by putting off going to the doctor for so long.

Good luck for Monday.

How did the GP go OP?

I had my blood pressure redone this morning and it was high. I had bloods taken and the results "should be back by Thursday".

I had the peak flow test again and it was a similar result, although my wheezing does seem to have slightly improved since using the inhaler I think.

My GP wants me to finish the course of antibiotics first and then she wants to put me on a monitor for 24 hours to record my blood pressure.

I have also booked myself in for the dreaded smear test.

All in all it's a waiting game I suppose to see what impact the Amoxicillin has and what the bloods indicate.

I'd be more positive I think if I didn't have my very well meaning but overly cautious sister on at me every 10 minutes on WhatsApp, she has become quite the medical expert in the last 5 years. She means well though and I'm grateful to have her, complaints aside!

Aw bless her though I can imagine it's frustrating.
Well done on booking the smear & I hope thurs brings you some answers.

How did you get on today op?