Wibu to call the ambulance back?

[Lemononachair]

Been having bad chest pain on and off since yesterday morning. Woke up around 3am with severe pain that has been constant ever since. Pain is intense and like a heavy crushing weight on the left side under my breast.

Ended up calling 111 for advice and they sent an ambulance, who checked me over and said all their tests came back ok (ECG, etc) but that to rule out heart problems I would need a blood test. I felt that given the current situation with coronavirus that avoiding a hospital visit would be best, they said I can have the test done by a GP but would take a few days for the results.

Since then I have tried to take painkillers and sleep until I felt well enough to call the GP but the pain is so awful. I can't sleep more than an hour or so at a time until it wakes me up again. Painkillers help a little at first but wear off quickly and never actually stop the pain. I keep retching and am very nauseous and dizzy.

I can't get to the GP as I can't get public transport or drive myself. I don't have anyone who can give me a lift, and I can't even get myself to the nearest shop to get more painkillers!

Paramedics did say I could change my mind and ring them back to get taken to hospital but should I? Am I just being a baby? Is it a good idea to go to hospital for a blood test and pain relief when it may have lots of people with coronavirus there? Don't know what to do, feel like I'm making a fuss over nothing but it hurts so bad 😞

Hope you're ok OP. I had all these symptoms before and spent the night in a&e having all sorts of tests before being told at 5am it was dehydration. I'd been having an incredibly stressful time at work and was so busy I was forgetting to eat or drink. The chest pain was terrifying and completely debilitating so it's easy to think the worst but in my case it was easily fixed. The pain went away quicker than my shame at letting myself get in to that state. Hopefully something that can be just as easily explained 🤞

Hope you’re ok OP. And for everyone complaining she shouldn’t be on Mumsnet - surely as she’d already decided not to go in the ambulance the first time it’s better to ask advice/reassurance on here than suffering in silence and getting progressively worse without anyone knowing? I’ll always remember a thread where a poster had an incredibly heavy period (bleeding through a pad every half hour or so, soaked clothes etc) and was looking for advice. Many people were concerned and asked her to call an ambulance. Turned out to be sepsis and the hospital told her she would have died in the night if she hadn’t come in. People shouldn’t be discouraged from asking for advice- even if the response is 100 people saying ‘call 111!’

Hope you're ok OP x

Hope you’re ok op and they have managed to ease your pain.
I’m glad you called back, I’m no expert but your symptoms certainly sound 999 worthy to me x

OP, I hope you are recovering. I think you are going to find you have had a heart attack. Classic symptoms. My BIL had the same and when he vomited when he became nauseous my sis called an ambulance and he had suffered a heart attack. He is well now after having stents fitted.
Please return when you can to let us know you are okay.

Hope all is ok op x.

Taxi.

@Chocoholic12

Taxi.

Have you read the thread???

No one can diagnose you over mumsnet and chest pain needs urgent medical attention. I can assure you from experience the hospitals are being so careful I am in the extremely vulnerable category and have been in hospital for treatment several times and have seen the lengths they go to keep you safe. Good luck xx

Hope your OK. Best to get checked out, you did right calling back the ambulance.

Hope you’re ok. Sounds like gallstones.

Good luck op, I'd of called back to it's the right thing to do. Your symptoms make me think it could be Gallstones? I had mine removed years ago but I can still remember the excruciating pain. I hope you start to feel better soon

Call them back. Hospitals are pretty quiet atm and you’ll be dealt with quickly. All the best.

The OP did call them back.
I presume she is being kept in,
I hope she is ok.

Fingers crossed she is ok 👌

Any update OP?

Hope you’re ok

Any update OP? Hope everything turned out ok and it wasn’t anything serious xx

Sounds like pericarditis to me, doesn’t always show on ECG unfortunately

Hope you're being looked after in A&E and it's nothing serious op!

Evening.

Well I did go to hospital, they gave me morphine which helped a lot but still didn't totally get rid of the pain. I had a lot of tests and investigations, everyone was super lovely and kept me comfortable as much as possible.

Unfortunately none of the tests showed anything up - I've had various blood tests which all came back clear. I'm still waiting on results for one of them but they've said no news is good news so I imagine that was also clear.

Still in quite a bit of pain, almost a solid 48hrs now, but I can manage it just enough with painkillers to try and sleep.

No definitive answers really, I guess I just have to keep taking painkillers and wait for it to stop 😞

Sometimes pain can occur as warning signs before a heart attack so if youre discharged and get more intense and stronger pains please go back other symptoms can include back pain and pins and needles . This happened to my mother and was told it was panic attack. She had a full heart attack 2 days later had two blocked arteries and had to have 2 stents it damaged her heart she later had a double heart bypass and a value replacement.

Did you have a ct scan? Lots if things don't show in bloods or an ultrasound or X-ray but would on a ct please go back if the pain continues. Did they discharge you with oramorph etc

I didn't have a ct, they did bloods, ECG and a chest x ray which were all clear. They said they ruled out the most serious stuff which is good I guess but just a bit frustrating to still be in a lot of pain but have no answers.

They didn't give me any pain relief, no. I've just been using over the counter painkillers so far which tbh are not very effective.

I'll keep monitoring things, if it gets worse I will go back but I just don't want to waste anyone's time and annoy the staff who I'm sure are very busy, especially when all the tests come back clear. I'm sure they must think I'm making a fuss over nothing! It was really bad though, I was literally sobbing when the ambulance showed up.