Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wait to see the doctor about chest pains rather than go to the hospital

82 replies

BlueEyesWhiteDragon · 01/01/2022 12:40

For the last 3/4 days I have been having a sort of pain / tightness in my chest (well under the bottom of my left boob). It's not horrifically painful - sort of similar to a stitch pain. When it happens I feel hot and lightheaded and get a short sharp pain down my arm (it's been my right arm but just now my left). It lasts a few minutes and then goes. It's happened but whilst I've being doing stuff and also whilst sitting watching TV.

I have just sort of shrugged it off really and carried on keeping meaning to call the GP but just haven't got round to it.

I've been on a zoom call with a friend this morning and had an episode and she's got all stressy saying it could be a heart attack and sent me a WhatsApp pic of 111 advice about calling 999.

My original though was it can't possibly be a heart attack as it's gone on for days but I have resolved to call the GP first thing Tuesday. I then foolishly did the 111 thing and got call myself which is clearly overly dramatic but I am now wondering whether to go to the hospital rather than wait for the GP next week?

The downside with the hospital is my DF(ather) is completely paranoid about covid and will likely fall apart at the idea of me going in and possibly catching it there. I've only just had my first vaccination before Xmas.

I've told friend I'll go the GP on Tuesday but she's texting me every hour to check I'm still alive. She is also on here (waves) so I said we'd let you guys decide ...

So ..
YABU - go to the hospital
YANBU - ring GP Tuesday.

OP posts:
Feetupteashot · 01/01/2022 15:17

If you're female and 39 it's less likely to be cardiac
Do you have chest pain when you exert yourself? If so I wouldn't hesitate to seek media attention

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime · 01/01/2022 15:52

When I had a heart attack I had had some chest pain on and off for a couple of days and thought it was indigestion. When I woke in the morning of the third day it was a fair bit worse, and the friend I rang to consult about it (he's had a bit of medical training) advised calling a doctor. I did; he said call 999 and they sent a rapid response team in a car and she did some tests and then got me an ambulance.

So yes, a heart attack can be going on for a while.

As far as I know, they really prefer a false alarm to someone dying of a heart attack; they treat chest pain as urgent and try to get someone out for a patient who has them asap.

BringBackCoffeeCreams · 01/01/2022 19:35

I hope you've seen sense OP and are now at the hospital.

My dad had similar and waited for a gp appointment. GP called an ambulance and took dad's keys off him as he said he'd drive himself to the hospital. Turns out that each ''episode' was a mini heart attack. He'd had many over the previous few days. He then had a massive heart attack in the ambulance. Thankfully he was ok. He was extremely lucky.

logsonlogsoff · 01/01/2022 19:39

Ring 111 - now. We did for DD and they had a doc waiting at the hospital when we arrive rather than go to A&E.
Another time we call them a paramedic in a jeep
Arrived within 10
Mins, did some checks and then drove me & DD to hospital, and she was admitted immediately - again avoiding A&E .
They won’t always immediately send an ambulance.

logsonlogsoff · 01/01/2022 19:39

My DDad had similar to you and it turned out he had been having a small heart attack.

BlueSuffragette · 01/01/2022 19:58

Best wishes to you OP. Hope you went to the hospital. xx

saraclara · 01/01/2022 20:34

I phoned 111 about chest pain a few weeks ago. They asked a ton of questions, were really helpful, and didn't send me to hospital. So ' they always send you to hospital' isn't true.

When my husband had chest pains some years ago, 111 sent someone out to see him, they did an ECG on the spot, then suggested hospital, but it wasn't an ambulance job, they let me take him. They didn't suspect a heart attack, but wanted him seen. It turned out to be a kind of pneumonia.

Nothingventurednothinggained · 01/01/2022 20:51

The thing with heart attacks is that they don’t always happen in real life the way they are depicted in tv shows/movies.
You didn’t say how old you are, but older women in some cases do not have the ‘classic’ signs of heart attacks.
Prodromal symptoms can persist for days and weeks before a bigger cardiac event.
So yes, you should be going to the hospital to get this checked out. If you call 111 they will send an ambulance. Chest pain is taken very, very seriously.

DisforDarkChocolate · 01/01/2022 20:54

Go now.

Women can present differently with heart attacks, they are often missed. Go now.

Thievesoil · 01/01/2022 20:56

Please get checked OP.

imjustanerd · 01/01/2022 20:58

The time you wasted writing this thread you could have rang 111 by now.

LapinR0se · 01/01/2022 20:59

Keep us posted. I work with a heart foundation and your symptoms need urgent investigation.

Lovingmylife · 01/01/2022 22:13

Gosh how frightening. I hope you are ok OP.

Moolia · 01/01/2022 22:20

I hope all went well OP. You definitely did the right thing going to hospital.

lljkk · 01/01/2022 22:28

just wondering what OP did

BrotherHelp · 01/01/2022 22:33

I hope you’re busy getting seen. Any GP you phoned with those symptoms would tell you they couldn’t see you and to hang up and phone 111/999 or get someone to take you to A&E. which is the right thing to do,

Seabreeze18 · 01/01/2022 23:05

Hope u are ok in hospital now!! Lots of red flags there

Bluesarestillblue · 01/01/2022 23:26

@BlueEyesWhiteDragon do you have a gallbladder?

shorttwoshot · 02/01/2022 22:22

How are you doing OP? Hope everything is ok xx

takenforgrantednana · 02/01/2022 22:24

@BlueEyesWhiteDragon

For the last 3/4 days I have been having a sort of pain / tightness in my chest (well under the bottom of my left boob). It's not horrifically painful - sort of similar to a stitch pain. When it happens I feel hot and lightheaded and get a short sharp pain down my arm (it's been my right arm but just now my left). It lasts a few minutes and then goes. It's happened but whilst I've being doing stuff and also whilst sitting watching TV.

I have just sort of shrugged it off really and carried on keeping meaning to call the GP but just haven't got round to it.

I've been on a zoom call with a friend this morning and had an episode and she's got all stressy saying it could be a heart attack and sent me a WhatsApp pic of 111 advice about calling 999.

My original though was it can't possibly be a heart attack as it's gone on for days but I have resolved to call the GP first thing Tuesday. I then foolishly did the 111 thing and got call myself which is clearly overly dramatic but I am now wondering whether to go to the hospital rather than wait for the GP next week?

The downside with the hospital is my DF(ather) is completely paranoid about covid and will likely fall apart at the idea of me going in and possibly catching it there. I've only just had my first vaccination before Xmas.

I've told friend I'll go the GP on Tuesday but she's texting me every hour to check I'm still alive. She is also on here (waves) so I said we'd let you guys decide ...

So ..
YABU - go to the hospital
YANBU - ring GP Tuesday.

go to the hospital if you have someone who can take you, if not then phone 999, women present very differently than men when it comes down to heart attacks
PigeonLittle · 02/01/2022 22:25

Yabu call 999 please Flowers

Inthesameboatatmo · 04/01/2022 08:03

Can you let us know if you are OK op.

TurkeyRoastvBubbleandSqueek · 04/01/2022 08:55

@Inthesameboatatmo

Can you let us know if you are OK op.
^................................ .................... ^ This I do hope you are fine OP, and it was just something like indigestion!
Wigeon · 04/01/2022 19:43

@BlueEyesWhiteDragon hope you are doing ok? 🤞

Inthesameboatatmo · 06/01/2022 08:54

Gosh ! Still no update. Hope you are OK op and have just forgotten to post.

Swipe left for the next trending thread