AIBU to make him see the doctor

[Steggers123]

My husband is 47, he has been taking medication for high blood pressure since his late twenties. His father had a major heart attack at 39 and two of his uncles did not make it past their fifties (fatal cardiac arrest in both cases). He has just told me that during the night he had chest pain lasting for about an hour which was so severe he thought he was having a heart attack. It passed and he is in no pain now, but I think he should go and get himself checked out by the doctor. Am I being hysterical?

The doctor said 'if it's alright with you we'll put it down to indigestion and keep an eye on it'. Of course the daft git agreed like a nodding dog.

Oh dear. Awful. I bet your husband downplayed everything. And propranolol for high BP that's not good treatment. I admit, I'm coming to this without taking the history but as a GP my alarm bells are clanging loudly.

Very brave doctor who puts an hour of chest pain with sweating in a male in late 40s with a strong family history of ischaemic heart disease down to indigestion. Hope their defence fees are paid up.

Musical, he takes 160mg propranolol a day, so Should it be a worry his blood pressure has suddenly got higher in conjunction with chest pain and intermittent hand swelling. He's happy as Larry now, the doctor said he was ok and quite clearly I was over reacting.

Sorry, another comment. I've been in this career since 1986. Hospital medicine until 1991 GP since then I've seen a lot. You don't get bonus points for trying not to admit/refer people. I'd rather refer up 10 chest pains and pick up one heart attack than refer none and miss one.

I wouldn't be happy with that at all.

I had chest pains a couple of years ago. Rang 111. As soon as I described my family history they sent an ambulance. I had all sorts of tests in a&e and was referred to a cardiologist who ran more tests. They took it all very seriously. I'm the same age (or I was then) as your DH. With family history.

I think he needs a second opinion

Not sure re the hand swelling but propranolol is not a usual treatment for high BP. I've been a GP for 26 years and even in 1991 it wasn't standard. He should visit GP and get bloods and review of meds.

Agree with Bitoutofpractice. I rarely comment so much on posts here but I would not be happy with outcome. Some patients manage to give a history in such a way that a doctor can end up colluding with them unintentionally. I still think he needs bloods to rule out a heart attack.

I don't know why mean do this. I badgered my Dad for ages about a scab on his face that itched and bled, healed then reappeared. He went to the doctor twice but described it differently and as it didn't look particularly bad on those occasions he was prescribed eczema cream. No I'm pretty sure the GP would have said to come back if not resolved but he didn't. it got bigger and bigger and I mad in appointment myself in the end. As suspected it was basal cell skin cancer. Luckily not fatal but he had to have a chunk removed from his cheek that could have been so much smaller if he had been honest 3 years earlier. I really hope your the doctor is right but it's you that will live with the consequences not him/her.

men not mean!

Sorry for typos. Sticky keys on this keyboard!

OP how is your dh now?

Sorry for the delay in getting back, DH seems fine. I'm watching him like a hawk and if he even gets the slightest twinge he'll be straight to A&E.

Steggers - my cousins DH had a heart attack earlier this year.

He had been at GP for a chest infection, but went back, an ECG was clear, so they sent him home, said pain was the C infection.

Only when he was getting worse in next 24hrs did his wife insist he call them again (still dont understand why she didnt call 999). GP then got an ambulance to him.

Ambulancemen also did ECG, which again was clear, but blood test in A&E showed he had had a massive heart attack. Arteries 75% blocked. He was v lucky to survive it seems.

So, just because an ECG was clear, it doesn't give your DH the all clear. If this ambulancemen had decided my cousin's DH didnt need hospital based on 2 clear ECGs, he'd be dead now.

Glad you're DH is ok OP. He's lucky to have you

Gobsmacked the doctor DH saw was happy to put it down to indigestion. Maybe it was but with the symptoms he had along with history that is really negligent imo.

Propanalol is not something either a GP or hospital cardiologist has ever mentioned to me in over 30 years of having high BP medication. I have a daily combo of Felodopine, bisoprolol, Candesartan and bendroflumethiazide which keeps it at a decent level.

I'm no medic but as far as I'm aware an ECG will only show if someone is having a heart attack at the time. I think a blood test is more accurate in establishing whether someone has had one, after the symptoms have stopped. Your DH could have had a heart attack or an angina attack, either way it needs following up urgently. If he had either of these things it could be he needs an angiogram and maybe stent/s putting in. These are game changers in treating heart attack/angina attacks. They gave my late DF 20 years he'd not have had before these things were available.

Please insist he sees his GP who will hopefully see the importance of appropriate follow up. Good luck OP.

He needs an emergency appointment with the GP, to request referral to rapid access chest pain clinic at the hospital. Given his history and symptoms he needs bloods, an echo and angio.

Propanolol is an absolutely bizarre choice of medication, who put him on that? He really does need proper cardiology investigation.