To be worried that GP surgery have it wrong?

[noneedforthat]

About eight weeks ago had a funny episode where I suddenly couldn’t breathe, felt heart was beating weirdly and felt like I was going to die . GP said almost certainly panic attacks . Normal ECG .

Since then I am permanently on edge and terrified it’s going to happen again .

I’m still having similar episodes every few days, but now also ears ringing, very dizzy and no balance . Can’t stand up well . Very tired when trying to walk and exercise . D&V for several days and I keep getting spots/boils everywhere.

GP has said it’s anxiety, panic attacks, low blood pressure and probably labyrinthitis . Possibly slightly anaemic from very heavy periods . Said once you get one illness you get them all .

Bearing in mind This has all been diagnosed over the telephone, not even FaceTime .

I’m now taking pain killers, anti sickness, beta blockers, and anti depressants .

Family hx of anaemia (pernicious and something else to do with oddly shaped RBCs) and heart disease . I’ve also got PCOS .

I’m terrified theres something they’re missing and can’t never settle anymore . Went to Boots today for meds, came over very faint and they had to help me back to taxi, said to phone GP again as very pale .

AIBU to be worried, or do I just need to calm down and try to stop overthinking?

I’ve not really been eating and drinking for days which won’t help, I’m drinking water but hardly eating meals at all - just picking at stuff . Lost my appetite .

I'm so sorry, op. This sounds miserable and I would definitely want a second opinion. Did the gp prescribe the beta blockers and ad's for this or were you on them before?

Have they done a blood test ? I previously had a very similar experience and it turned out my iron levels were extremely low and I had to have an iv of it. And I had multiple ecg done. Some came back normal others skyrocketed as you can’t always catch it on time. It could be panic attacks but could maybe be something like heart SVTs or something

I’ve been on the antidepressants for years on and off, but the beta blockers are new yes, they’re just saying to keep increasing the dose up .

No blood test, no .

I’d definitely request a blood test to monitor it as anaemia is an awful thing to deal with. I barely got out of bed with tiredness I was so dizzy and unwell all the time.

I think the "treatment" you have received is appalling. Call them back and refuse to be fobbed off. I would also be filing a complaint.

@BuggerBognor

GP has said it’s anxiety, panic attacks, low blood pressure and probably labyrinthitis

None of those things can or should be diagnosed over the phone (unless your GP is a fucking magician - in which case s/he might just be worth the bloated salary). Have they even arranged blood tests? A follow up if no improvement? I would be seriously questioning the ethics of a doctor who prescribed a bucket of meds without even a cursory exam.

Go back and keep going back until you’re taken seriously. The propensity of some GP’s to overdiagnose MH issues in women cannot be overestimated. I was referred to the local MH team because of anxiety caused by thinking I had cancer. I actually had....cancer! The MH appointment came through 6 months later after major surgery and I had to ring up and cancel because it clashed with my chemo.

YWNBU to assume the diagnosis is wrong until it’s been properly investigated.

Bloody hell, that’s awful .

No, no follow up . They’ve referred me to cardiology just in case, but nothing else - nurse kept saying, ‘bless you’ when I said I could hardly get up to pee . Just said it’s a nasty virus, no worries. It all sounds like anaemia to me, just getting nowhere with answers .

You really need to get your B12 and folate tested

ESPECIALLY because you have a family history of pernicious anaemia!

I would put money on it being a severe B12 deficiency. I had pretty much identical symptoms with mine

I'm shocked they haven't done a blood test. Classic symptoms.

Lots of info here- pernicious-anaemia-society.org/symptoms/

Very easily treated with 6 b12 injections over a 2 week period, then 1 injection every 3 months.

My symptoms resolved after only 2 loading injections.

I am sorry you are feeling so bad and understandably worried.

Nobody can diagnose you here.

Contact your surgery again and tell them what you have told us here. Some blood tests to check whether or not you are anaemic, your iron and vitamin stores and your thyroid would not be unreasonable at all.

If you feel terrible and this feeling does not last you dial 999 and present to A+E - that is what it's for.

An internet forum cannot realistically help you.

You do sound very anxious and anxiety can cause all of the symptoms that you've mentioned.

But so can anaemia. If you've got heavy periods and your GP suspects anemia then you need a blood test to assess that. Push for that if you haven't already.

And beta blockers actively lower your blood pressure, so if you've already got low blood pressure, it's probably not the best medication for you. It could certainly contribute to you feeling faint, having difficulty standing up, looking pale. Could you buy a blood pressure monitor?

Very similar experience. Was referred to cardiology and ENT. All fine.

It was indeed all down to anxiety. Anxiety triggered by the menopause do not even due to anxious thoughts.

I'd never thought anxiety could have such deliberating symptoms but it does.

Saying that, with a history of pernicious anemia you need to make sure you are being tested for but b12 deficiency.

I work in Cardiology, tbh your symptoms sound like anxiety and possibly anaemia and low blood pressure. You’ve not mentioned anything that would set alarms bells ringing, your symptoms are very common and more than likely due to one or a combination of the above.

If you GP has arranged blood tests and a referral to cardiology then they appear to be doing their job correctly.

Just spotted also that you're not eating much at all. That alone could make you feel exhausted, faint, dizzy etc. Your body NEEDS calories to complete basic function.
If you can drink water, you can drink a liquid meal replacement which will be for sale in any pharmacy / boots / superdrug etc. You need to help yourself a little here.

You need some basic blood tests. Threaten to file a complaint if they don’t do them.

@noneedforthat if you're not getting anywhere with the NHS, you can get a blood test online for a reasonable price. Thriva and Medichecks both do iron, b12, and folate tests.

@Elsiebear90

I work in Cardiology, tbh your symptoms sound like anxiety and possibly anaemia and low blood pressure. You’ve not mentioned anything that would set alarms bells ringing, your symptoms are very common and more than likely due to one or a combination of the above.

If you GP has arranged blood tests and a referral to cardiology then they appear to be doing their job correctly.

What makes you think the op has blood tests or a referral? - it sounds like she has neither of them.

The spots, boils and PCOS make me think of diabetes, might be worth checking that out.

Could it be an allergic reaction? This has happened to me at the start of the year on actually now I'm allergic (as in anaphylaxis) to Ibuprofen that I've never had a problem before in my life. I thought it had been a few panic attacks previous to (which is never had before) but they weren't, they were allergic reactions. I'm not trying toworry you but might be worth thinking about what you had that time x hope you get it sorted as I know it's horrendous X

And yes as someone else has said if you can't breathe go to a&e

Hi op sorry you are poorly. Its sounds very scary , do you believe you are anxious as some of the symptoms do seem similar to panic , anxiety but others seem more random. Some of it sounds similar to me. I have low iron but also low bp something called Pre-syncope. I got referred to cardiology had 24 hour ecg, 24 hour bp and echocardiogram. My bp is low so it makes me feel really faint, heart race , dizzy and just a weird sensation in my body it's worse on my period which is apparently normal. I'm having another 24 hour bp on monday. I was really reassured that my other results came back ok as I was scared about my heart. I have to get my low iron under control with long course of iron, I'm taking tranxemic acid for periods and have to do a few diet changes for the bp. I'm probably on the lower end of normal BMI and apparently smaller builds often have lower bp. I think you need to be seen as a lot seems to be going on and whilst some of it could be explained by what the doctor is saying you do seem to have a large variety of symptoms. I work in a surgery and patients can be seen by the doctor in our area. I would ask to go in , or ring 111 as they might be able to book an out of hours appointment and explain you really feel you need to be seen.

They should have at least seen you. A friend of mine phoned about a swollen face - they said - over the phone (not video call) it was sinusitis. I told they've got to be f-ing kidding and phone back for a second opinion. 2nd doctor said it was an infected bite (after she sent a photo). 36 hours later she was in hospital with cellulitis of the face. She was lucky it didn't go in to her eyes. Was in hospital for 4 days on IV antibiotics.
Phone appointments are great and save everyone time and potential risk - but they have their place. You really need to see someone else.

@BuggerBognor what an awful experience. I am glad you were seen in the end.

OP - maybe worth asking for a blood test. At my surgery it is done by the nurse so not a GP appt and therefore much easier to get.

OP I’m going through the exact same, for the past few weeks I have felt exhausted and constantly light headed. I assumed it was Labyrinthitis or something from a virus as I recently had a cold. But as time has gone on, the dizziness has me panicking, I couldn’t even bare to go to work this week. I rang doctor who thought vertigo but when I said the room wasn’t spinning it was more a feeling of getting off a waltzer she booked me in for bloods, they checked a lot of things, and I received a call today to say my folate levels are low and have prescribed me high strength folic acid. I just pray they work as I can’t go on feeling like this
Demand a blood test, don’t let them fob you off. Can you afford private?