GP advice / hospital advice: which to follow?

[ItalianinLondon]

Sorry if this is a bit of a stupid question - and I'm 100% being unreasonable, because nobody else can really answer it but me!

So, I woke up at about 2am with a really sharp, stabbing pain in the middle of my chest. It still hadn't gone this morning, so I called for a GP appointment and (miracle!) got one. The GP said it was almost certainly pericarditis but I should go to the hospital for echo / ECG / blood tests to check. And she said, if it was, stay off work for a week and come back to see her on 18 Dec to see if I'm okay to go back.

To cut the story short... went to the hospital, had the tests and they said that yes, it is pericarditis, but no reason not to be at work, just take some ibuprofen and get on with it.

So... now I'm not sure what to do. In truth, I don't feel terrible at all, but it's still super painful and the ibuprofen isn't doing much to help. But if I stay off work tomorrow after this advice, I feel a bit pathetic and feeble. And it doesn't help that I'd never even heard of pericarditis until this morning, so I have no concept of what's "normal".

Anyone who has experience / advice (especially how long it goes on for...!) I'd be super grateful.

[Cornettoninja]

Medications generally work on a ladder system so if the weakest drug with the least side effects works then happy days that’s what you’ll be left on.

Generally speaking until a doctor says there’s nothing left to try there is always another medication or combination of drugs that could be what you need. Remember pharmacology is a science, so they’ll test one medication before trying another.

Don’t be put off seeking another medication, it could be the difference between a speedy recovery or a drawn out one.

[Cornettoninja]

(Why do I always think of something to add after I’ve posted sorry!)

It’s almost 2020, take full advantage of living in an era where we have these medications available - it’s daft not to.

[ItalianinLondon]

Thank you! I've gone back to enquire about the meds, since the ibuprofen seems to be having no effect at all!!

[ItalianinLondon]

Thanks to my GP I now have naproxen (mixed with some kind of PPI thing) and I'm already feeling a bit better, if slightly out of it.

Thanks, again, for the good advice!