To Go A&E

[Seekingguidance22]

Been dealing with chest ache now for 4-5 days, going into my arm but not pain more of an ache/tingle. I suffer with major anxiety but been under a lot of stress - close family member had a stroke and it's been down to me to contact everyone and keep an eye on everything at the hospital and with family member themselves.

DP has said it's probably stress and my panic thinking it's something that's making me fixate on it and making it worse.

We also had a mysterious illness around 2 weeks ago - we was out of it but DD (2) was absolutely fine. We was just tired,chest pains/ache. Come to think we might have had covid but never tested for it, just stayed in the house.

Im going to call GP tomorrow morning but don't know if it'd be extreme to go A&E, purely because it's not pain it's an ache but can't think as to how I'd of pulled a muscle in that area. Has anyone experienced this? With anxiety and panic too? If im busy I don't notice it and it's not affecting sleep, if anything im more tired which again put down to stress.

AIBU to want to go to A&E?

knowing I’ve had it 5 days, there’s been a lot of stress, and my DP has said he’s had this too recently.

(IM 21)

So you have gone from wanting an ambulance into A&E to absolutely fine this morning?

@jubileetrain I never said I wanted an ambulance into A&E, I said unless you was taken by ambulance it wouldn’t be rushed forward. I know this also from experience with the local hospital. I said 111 never sent an ambulance too which was a good sign as if they thought this type of chest pain was an emergency they would have.

I don’t feel totally fine, but I have calmed down a lot since last night- I posted this in the midst of what I think was a panic attack I’ll be honest since I’ve had my DD I’ve never focused on my health whatsoever, to a point I’ve forgotten how I used to panic about my health before I got pregnant.

My arm does feel less numb now though and I do have feeling in my hand which was scaring me the most. According to DH my left shoulder is rock hard compared to my right side, so it could possibly me muscle related? But I’m not sure I don’t remember pulling a muscle.

I mean it's radiating chest pain.
I'd go to a&e personally, it's never wasting time with chest pain.

Heart attack symptoms in women are different
For future reference

You did give the impression you wanted an ambulance and were not happy with the suggestion made by 111 as you wanted to go to A&E.

Arriving by ambulance does not prioritise a patient.

so it could possibly me muscle related? But I’m not sure I don’t remember pulling a muscle

You may not remember as you mentioned lifting your daughter. Does pain relief work?

You won't be able to jump the queue even if you arrive in an ambulance though. They assess and if you're ok to be in the waiting room you go there. If you get triaged as having a heart attack then you go wherever is appropriate

Just as a sidepoint... are we really so distrusting of the NHS that we're more trusting of a random group of internet strangers to give us medical advice?

I can't believe people come here with chest pain then fanny about getting proper medical advice then ignore it

Just wanted to say you sound like me a few weeks ago. Mega stress that had been ongoing for months, was having heart palpitations and struggling to deal with normal life with them. Ended up in A and E with constant arrhythmia that was giving me panic attacks. This went on for a week. I booked a private Echo which found nothing wrong and multiple ECGs that could see the arrhythmia. Family event I had been dreading came around and I was hopped up on kalms, diazepam, a bucket full of propanolol and just like that they stopped the next day. Worth mentioning I also had chest pains and that tingly arm feeling. I thought I was about to drop dead for about a week (multiple sudden deaths of family/friends in a short time period added to this worry, like you). I find my heart gets worse when I'm a bit stressed, and the chest pain but I'm baffled that stress can do so much to your body. Speak to GP about propanolol as that dulls the chest pain/palpitations etc. Obviously get checked out, but your situation sounds like mine and I'm here still and healthy.

Which advice have I ignored? I spoke to OOH and they said if the pain continues or gets worse to go to A&E.

The advice from the entire thread.

Have you phoned your GP yet this morning?

Yes, currently awaiting a callback from GP surgery.

Your GP will just tell you to go to A&E which is where you should be right now getting an ECG

Go to A&E

Been to see GP this morning who checked blood pressure, oxygen, pulse and temp.

She agrees and thinks it’s stress/panic related to what’s happened the past few days as it started the same day my grandmother was taken into hospital who I’m extremely close to. It seems to intensify when speaking to my grandmother, because obviously she’s not same as she was prior to the stroke, and that seems to make the aches/panic worse.

Thank you to all who commented. But after 111 wanted me to see a GP I decided to see my own GP the next day. I wasn’t ignoring advice to anyone who said go to A&E but NHS are already under so much pressure I didn’t want to take time up there when deep down I think anyone could tell you it’s panic related.

I found old text messages to that I’d sent my DH a year or so back saying I’d had chest pain exactky where this one is and according to those messages I was also stressed then too.

Im going to try and relax a little now. Whilst trying to kick this smoking habit as I do want to be around as long as possible, again thank you to all who commented. And I truly hope anyone else out there with anxiety who might come across this post it might help you.

Good lord this is why there are 13 hour wait in a and e. Make an appointment to see your gp as this is clearly not an emergency

Sorry just seen your updare and my own message seems a little harsh ! Sorry for your anxiety op it's a tough thing

You do realise though that you have still taken up NHS time? Do you think your GP and 111 have unlimited time and resources? I'm absolutely not saying that you should have ignored this but if you'd just gone to ED or a walkin rather than ringing ED, essentially using a walkin centre appointment but then not attending then using an appointment with your GP you could just hahe cut all of that out and been reassured by ED thst you're ok. Exactly why as above 111 is a complete waste of time. I'm glad you're ok though x

No appointment was made with OHH, they gave me a website where I could book my own appointment, was either one late last night the rest was for today. So no I don’t think it’s unlimited, but I’d of much rather of a 10 minute 111 call than hours in A&E using nurses/doctors valuable time to tell me it was anxiety. Which is why I simply popped myself down to the GP this morning.

OHH called me last night as a courtesy call.

@Ahurricaneofjacarandas lol, you went from "are we now listening to random people on the internet for health advice and not listening to the NHS" to "why did you waste NHS resources" where OP followed NHS advice to adding your own advise as to what the OP should've done 😂😂😂

@amummyy I will admit making these posts are quite tedious as 89% of people said I was being unreasonable to fuck off to A&E in the poll - yet almost everyone who commented told me to go to A&E.

I only held on to see my GP as she’s fully aware of the anxiety.

This was GP’s verdict - Chronic Anxiety