GP has told me to go to A&E but I feel a bit fobbed off.

[Sunshinesandice]

longtime anxiety sufferer...

so I called my GP this morning, as I cannot shift my anxious feelings - it all started around 2 weeks ago when I had a sharp chest pain, followed by lightheadedness , fear, dizziness, but then it subsided and I felt normal the next day . but since then, I have had on and off days of feeling so anxious - but mainly physical symptoms. .

No more chest pains but I have been getting:

racing heart
palpitations
extreme worry that something terrible is wrong with me
every ache pain or niggle I think I am going to die
dizziness
heavy chest like a nervous feeling all the time

Hence my phone call this morning, in the hope he would call me in , do some bloods check me over .

But he didnt, he listened to around 5 seconds of my symptoms, and said just go to A&E bye, and hung up.

I mean, I am sat here now at home I am not unwell, I feel fine - working, up and about , eating, drinking etc , but I am still well aware of my anxious feelings.

What shall I do ? I don't want to waste A&E time if it is literally just panic and anxiety

Are you on antidepressants, and how old are you ?

They've sent you to a&e in case they need to check your heart out on a monitor.

I’m on no antidepressants, I am 30 years old with a history of feeling anxious.

It's not a waste of time, the GP has sent you to get checked out so that's their advice.

My DH has anxiety. He had to leave his job for it. He takes antidepressants to get rid of his anxiety. Sometimes it bubbles up slightly but he uses the techniques learned at CBT to reduce it.
You can’t expect to have blood tests, or whatever else you want, every time you feel anxious.
Your symptoms are classic anxiety symptoms.

I'd do what the GP says and go to A&E

Rightly or wrongly I just don’t think GPs have the capacity to get people in for blood tests and general check-ups on the basis of feeling anxious.

But if you have a racing heart, palpitations and a sense of impending doom then that does sound more acute, so I can see why A&E would be suggested.

Go to A&E. You doctor is sending you there for a very good reason, and that is for them to check that everything is ok with your heart. The GP can't do that over the phone or in their surgery. Anxiety and panic attacks can cause those type of symptoms, but they would be negligent if they didn't check for anything else.

Stop worrying and just go.

You're having symptoms of a heart attack. It's very likely not but you need checked out - go to A&E.

So you wanted advice, were signposted to a and e as you mentioned chest pains and palpitations but have waited all day and are probably more anxious for doing so. what further help did you want, any blood tests and monitoring can be done there much quicker.

You called the GP wanting some bloods doing and checking over - presumably in case there is a physical cause to your symptoms?
It sounds like your GP agreed that there was a chance it might not all be psychological, and on the history you’ve given they weren’t confident to say 100% that there wasn’t any urgent or cardiac cause.
I would follow the GPs advice, if all the checks at A&E are fine then you can speak with them again about your mental health and management for that, but it sounds like both of you think there could be a physical cause and the GP would like that possibility checking out urgently.

I have to wait until DP home as he has the car , he will be home in around one hour I will go then

How is it fobbing you off to tell you to seek serious medical attention right now ?!

explains (in great detail!) what happens in your body when you are stressed or anxious. Knowing what's going on might help you.

You should go to a&e @Sunshinesandice.
I had similar to what you describe, that would come and go. GP decided to do an ecg, and I was actually going to cancel on the day as felt fine. Anyway, the ecg wasn't good and I was sent straight to a&e and I am now under cardiologist.
I was told many times it was anxiety.
Please let us know how you get on

Forgot to say, A&E will do your blooods and all observations

I had similar symptoms last year. I got pain in my left arm/cheat with a racing heart in the night so 111 sent me to A&E to be fair they were lovely. I had ECG and bloods all fine. I knew it was more likely anxiety as I’d been struggling for a while.

It’s not ideal to go to A&E ( I work in a hospital and ours are very busy) however tell them the GP sent you after a phone consultation. If it is ruled out at least that will help your anxiety, then like I did I rang the GP for support with that. Mine were great. I got offered counselling ( at the surgery) got a sick note for work. General advice for anxiety.

Once I knew the physical symptoms were the anxiety, it helped me deal with that and Ive been much better this year.

These are classic symptoms of hypochondria and anxiety. And gps are notoriously difficult in dealing with hypochondriacs as they know what it is but it’s so difficult to treat the patient, so offloading to someone else is often the answer.

centerforanxietydisorders.com/hypochondriac-signs/

Actually I am with the OP , the GP only listened to the beginning of the story . I presented in April a very similar story, although without the feelings of doom. My GP listened carefully and reassured me and booked me in to the surgery to have a ecg done . But as the symptoms were sporadic it didn’t pick them up . Although my symptoms improved she still arranged for me to have a 24 hour monitoring device a week later. And then rang me to discuss the result.

Subsequently these symptoms have been listed as a fairly common vaccine side effect ( mine started about 5 days after the vaccine and lasted for approx a month) .

Forgot to say I had bloods done as well

Whilst I feel for you OP

I think the GP just doesn’t have the capacity to spend time and effort on someone with anxiety when alongside you is no doubt very very sick patients that she can tangibly help.

You come to her. And let’s be honest - you will leave no better off.

She can’t help you.

She prioritised

She made the right decision

@Marmitemarinaded

Whilst I feel for you OP

I think the GP just doesn’t have the capacity to spend time and effort on someone with anxiety when alongside you is no doubt very very sick patients that she can tangibly help.

You come to her. And let’s be honest - you will leave no better off.

She can’t help you.

She prioritised

She made the right decision

You think the GP doesn’t have capacity but A&E does??

So who does have the capacity for mental health patients?

@GlencoraP

Actually I am with the OP , the GP only listened to the beginning of the story . I presented in April a very similar story, although without the feelings of doom. My GP listened carefully and reassured me and booked me in to the surgery to have a ecg done . But as the symptoms were sporadic it didn’t pick them up . Although my symptoms improved she still arranged for me to have a 24 hour monitoring device a week later. And then rang me to discuss the result.

Subsequently these symptoms have been listed as a fairly common vaccine side effect ( mine started about 5 days after the vaccine and lasted for approx a month) .

Let me guess though

You don’t suffer from anxiety and been to the GP no doubt many times in the past with health related anxieties