I think I need further investigation. GP doesn't.

[radiateforme]

AIBU to want further investigation? For months now my chest has felt tight. Intermittent pain. Breathlessness etc. I haven't had covid as far as I know, haven't even had a cold. I'm only 30, but am in tears because I'm just so worried about my chest. I feel like I can't inhale properly. It's almost all the time now. They think it's my low iron levels. Iron levels were 6 (should be 30) they then went up to 10. I can't get them up as my periods are so heavy and all over the place. AIBU to want this looking in to further? I've never had anxiety over my health. Now it's all I think about.

@BanginChoons

Your iron is very, very low if it is 6, normal range is above 12, and I would expect someone with hb under 10 or 11 to be symptomatic. If you were my (pregnant) patient I would refer you to haematology as this would require close monitoring. Are you taking ferrous sulfate or ferrous fumerate tablets? Current guidance is to take 1 a day, on an empty stomach, with orange juice, and not to eat or to drink caffeine for another hour afterwards. I would expect this to make a noticeable difference within about 2 weeks. If there was no rise, I would be looking at b12, folate and ferritin (another blood test), as low levels of these can prevent iron absorption. Go back to the gp, and insist they investigate further.

They haven't mentioned any of this to me but they did do a full blood count with loads of different tests

@WeatherwaxLives

I get very low iron due to blood loss and not being able to get it from my food because of gut problems.

I've had iron infusions at hospital you go in for a few hours and go on a drip - if your iron is that low and tablets aren't working there are other options to get the levels up.

I am always amazed at the difference after I have an infusion. I know I don't feel great before, but it's stuff like suddenly being able to walk up a flight of stairs without panting or just realising I was feeling like I was wading through treacle. It comes on so gradually I don't realise how awful I feel until I feel better.

Please go back to the GP and push for something more to treat the iron levels if nothing else.

I almost cried reading this. I'm so breathless all the time. I was beating myself up thinking it was because my BMI is 26.7

I had this, and after months and months of feeling like a hypochondriac every time I went to the doctor, it turned out to be a combination of Costochondritis and also a hiatus hernia (which caused stomach digestive issues - I had the tight chest/breathlessness in the evening and at night, which was linked to stomach acids and digestion after eating, bizarrely!)

Too many times GPS dismiss due to age gender etc.
I fixed my 14 month UTI because my husband took my wee sample to his GP and was given 2 weeks worth of anti biotics (which I took) I was only ever given 3 days- I had bladder scarring for 6 months.
Age is also a factor. Dismissed because of age. Can you go private OP? Can you request a second opinion.
I totally get that most of the time it's nothing serious, but that doesn't help with how the patient feel. Please keep pushing and don't take no for an answer. They base their diagnoses on stats.
I know 4 people in the last 6 months who have had a cancer diagnoses but were dismissed due to age. (26-35 years) I'm not saying that to scare you but just to keep at the doctor. I pushed for a smear and was told no and had to go private in the end. All was fine but the relief it made me feel was worth it.

@radiateforme, I had similar symptoms, not to stress you out even more, but it could be a possibility. A few years ago I went to see my GP 12 times over the course of 9 weeks with breathlessness, not bring able to take a full, deep breath and sharp chest pains. She sent me away each time saying I was "overdoing it" (I wasn't) or was "slightly anaemic". It got to the stage that I had to sleep sitting upright as I couldn't breathe properly on my back and like you, I became incredibly anxious.

One day I had this overwhelming feeling of impending doom, it's hard to explain, but I just felt absolutely certain I was going to die. So I took myself off to A&E, where they found I had more than 15 pulmonary emboli (blood clots in my lungs).

Of course, your issue may be nothing like mine, (although if it is, it's easily fixed with some blood thinning meds) I just couldn't not respond when I saw you had the same symptoms and had been brushed off by your GP in the same manner as I was - it's just something to be aware of. I was only 32, fit and healthy and my oxygen saturation remained between 98-100% the whole time, the only way I was diagnosed was by a blood gas then CT scan.

I hope that whatever it is, you get sorted quickly, good luck.

[quote BetsyBigNose]@radiateforme, I had similar symptoms, not to stress you out even more, but it could be a possibility. A few years ago I went to see my GP 12 times over the course of 9 weeks with breathlessness, not bring able to take a full, deep breath and sharp chest pains. She sent me away each time saying I was "overdoing it" (I wasn't) or was "slightly anaemic". It got to the stage that I had to sleep sitting upright as I couldn't breathe properly on my back and like you, I became incredibly anxious.

One day I had this overwhelming feeling of impending doom, it's hard to explain, but I just felt absolutely certain I was going to die. So I took myself off to A&E, where they found I had more than 15 pulmonary emboli (blood clots in my lungs).

Of course, your issue may be nothing like mine, (although if it is, it's easily fixed with some blood thinning meds) I just couldn't not respond when I saw you had the same symptoms and had been brushed off by your GP in the same manner as I was - it's just something to be aware of. I was only 32, fit and healthy and my oxygen saturation remained between 98-100% the whole time, the only way I was diagnosed was by a blood gas then CT scan.

I hope that whatever it is, you get sorted quickly, good luck.[/quote]
That's so scary. My uncle nearly died of a PE in his 40s. Glad you're ok now.

You have symptoms of severe anaemia. Go back to your GP and tell them about the really heavy bleeding. Emphasise that even with supplements your iron level isn't back to normal. You need to make the most of it and if they say no ask to see another GP within the practice.

When my iron level.was really.low like yours I was given.iton tablets and told to take vitamin C and D3 too. I think iron is absorbed better when taken with vitamin C. I drank fresh orange everyday too to get levels up.

I was thinking you should get it looked into for possible PE too. Just to be on the safe side. Has your gp checked your oxygen levels? Sometimes they check oxygen says after you've walked around or gone up and down stairs too

Why are British GPs so brutal? I had something similar, following pneumonia. Went back to GP (not in this country) and was given a short course of Prednisolone, which got rid of it.

Not saying thats what it is, but its a symptom that should be given an attempt to diagnose and treated. Theres also a condition where your chest lining becomes inflamed (I forget the name) and that can be very painful, albeit not usually that serious once treated.

Is there any chance you could have had covid or pneumonia and developed this as a side effect unknowingly?

Again, why are British GPs like this? I also caught Lyme Disease while abroad and the GP recognised it so quickly and treated it so promptly with the correct antibiotics that I made a full recovery.

My heart feels worse when I'm laying in bed at night, ive just had a procedure, that makes me bleed terribly, I can feel myself getting worse every day, struggling to get a sentence out without losing breath, bounding heart in bed.

Request to find the cause of your anemia, mine is Folate and Iron deficiency, your iron is very low so you need to suppliment, you do need further investigation, but to find the cause of your anemia which is leading to these horrible side effects.

Costochondritis, thats what it was. Fixed with a 5 day prescription for prednisolone.

Please get a second opinion, different doctor if possible. You could have something that isn't associated with the iron level. Your instinct is telling you there's something that needs checking.

I think you shd have some bloods done +/- a CT of your chest too. I think PE shd be ruled out too...hope you feel better soon.

Your iron is incredibly low and it is common for it to make you feel breathless. I think mine went as low as 5 even following a transfusion when I had a big haemorrhage and I felt breathless and weak all of the time. Felt like someone was sitting on my chest a lot.

Your heavy periods need investigating. If you find a solution for those, you’ll be able to solve the anaemia much more effectively. Ask for a different GP.

My heavy periods made me so anaemic that I was breathless climbing my stairs at home. Iron tablets gradually raised it but too slowly to make a difference and a heavy period made it lower again.I was told to take vitamin c with the iron tablets and don't have tea or bran. This didn't really make much difference and I passed out in public and in hospital I had infusions which worked so well I felt amazing.The menopause has been a relief.

It can take a while to get iron levels back up and you will need to have your blood tested every few months to make sure your don't take too much. Are you taking your tablets every day and are they the high strength ones the chemist prescribes?

I had recurrent problems with my iron in my 20s and found everything else was ignored until my levels weren't low any more (then it turned into obsessing about my thyroid which has never been deranged but I digress).

I also had bad breathlessness and anxiety when my iron was low and found it difficult to raise them. Most simple tip is to avoid caffeine 2 hours before and after your iron tablet and even better take it with some vitamin C or vitamin C rich food (strawberries or kiwis are higher than oranges). Start there and explain to your doctor that you're doing all you can. If the levels don't go up they'll have to figure out how. If you get your iron deficiency sorted and still have the symptoms then they'll have to look at what else could be causing them but they're unlikely to while you're deficient so work on getting that fixed first.

Also, if you've never tried high-strength ferrous fumerate before, they can mess some people's stomachs a bit if you're not used to them but that quickly settles. They come in small tablets. It's tricky, but cut them in quarters. Start off by taking a quarter and slowly increase the dosage. A slow introduction can really help.

OP I really hope you get yourself sorted. I’m in the same boat. Lots of weird little symptoms which I’m sure are all connected but everything is dismissed by my GP. I’m absolutely freezing all the time, which isn’t like me, I’m always on the warm side. GP said ‘It’a because you’ve lost weight’. I’ve lost weight before, been lighter than I am now and never been cold like I am now. I swear I’ve got a deficiency or a thyroid problem and am thinking of seeing a GP privately as I am fed up of being constantly dismissed 😢

I think it’s worth asking for more investigations as you have a history of blood clots in your family.

This makes me so angry. Breathlessness should always be investigated. My DH was similarly fobbed off repeatedly by our GP and unfortunately he passed away following being rushed to hospital, put in to an induced coma and onna ventilator, and eventual diagnosis of acute heart failure. His symptoms were a lot more severe than yours OP so I'm not suggesting that's what you have at all, just that breathlessness can have very concerning causes and should always be investigated.

I had low ferritin (think my lowest was 11), I was short of breath on exertion, climbing the stairs made me pant! I also had palpitations.

Unexplained anaemia should be investigated. First port of call should be a gastronomic review with a view to Endoscopy to see if there’s a gastro cause for the bleeding. Do you have any trouble with your bowels? Bloating? Reflux? I ask because coeliac disease can cause anaemia. I’d request to see a different GP. They shouldn’t just be dismissing you with these symptoms. Throwing iron at it isn’t ideal either until they know what’s causing it. That’s treating the consequences of your anaemia not identifying the cause.

FFS, the OP has got severe anaemia which presents with exactly the symptoms she is describing. She doesn’t need diagnosis over the internet for other things, when her own doctor has already diagnosed, on the basis of actual evidence, the thing which is causing her symptoms.

OP, please ignore all the other ‘might be this’ posts, and focus on your severely low iron levels. Follow the advice about taking the iron supplements as effectively as possible and try not to worry.

Have you had an ecg at doctors?