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

Chest pain, chest heaviness, palpitations, impending doom...that's cardiac until proven otherwise. Your GP was right to say A&E.

Well in the space of half an hour I’ve been triaged , bloods done and ECG. Nurse said ECG looks fine , Heart rate is a little high ,but could be down to me being absolutely petrified. Now just awaiting doctors

You’re definitely in the right place. I had similar symptoms and reluctantly presented at A&E at GP’s request and it was a pulmonary embolism
I suffered from anxiety at the time and was convinced it was that
Always good to get checked out

He can't treat you for anxiety until you have been checked for a heart problem . It's an ECG and a blood test, its best to rule it out .

It literally is just panic and anxiety

Our GP would have done the ECG themselves but not all GPs have that facility so he did the right thing

so presumably the GP wanted to urgently exclude any serious, immediate risk to health from the cardiovascular symptoms. And that feels inappropriate because?

@Zilla1

so presumably the GP wanted to urgently exclude any serious, immediate risk to health from the cardiovascular symptoms. And that feels inappropriate because?

Why are you being so rude ? I didn’t say appropriate , I just felt he interrupted me when I was trying to explain my Symptoms , and just sent me straight to A&E , and I didn’t want to be a pain in A&E. but I’m Here now

Didn't realise I was being rude, OP, I was genuinely asking why you felt what the GP had said was inappropriate given your OP. Based on what you said, the GP might have interrupted you as you wanted to get you to A and E asap.

That's a point. Was it possible he was trying to get you to A&E quicker so that's why you felt cut off?

Please don't feel like a pain in A&E, a GP has told you to go there, it's not like you have just decided to go along for a jolly.

@Sunshinesandice

Well in the space of half an hour I’ve been triaged , bloods done and ECG. Nurse said ECG looks fine , Heart rate is a little high ,but could be down to me being absolutely petrified. Now just awaiting doctors

That's good, now they might tell you to make an appointment with your GP but that doesn't mean you've wasted anyone's time. It just means they've ruled out the emergancy stuff.

You’re not being a pain, while it could be anxiety it could also be far worse so it’s better to be checked. As others said if everything is fine you can go back to the GP for your anxiety

Interested to see where this one goes. I've often got headaches, nausea, dizziness and a racing heart. I'm pretty sure it's my anxiety, so I don't go to the doctor because I don't want to be "that" person and embarrass myself, but then because I don't go to the doctor I basically sit here stewing thinking it's something more serious...🤦🏻‍♀️

It is very difficult for anxiety sufferers (and doctors) to know when something is anxiety or something potentially more dangerous. Some compassion and understanding for the OP would be good.

If he says a&e, then go to a&e

@Kittii

It is very difficult for anxiety sufferers (and doctors) to know when something is anxiety or something potentially more dangerous. Some compassion and understanding for the OP would be good.

Exactly this. Hope you’re okay op x

@Reddip

Interested to see where this one goes. I've often got headaches, nausea, dizziness and a racing heart. I'm pretty sure it's my anxiety, so I don't go to the doctor because I don't want to be "that" person and embarrass myself, but then because I don't go to the doctor I basically sit here stewing thinking it's something more serious...🤦🏻‍♀️

The GP isn't going to mind if you make an appointment and tell them that, tell them your symptoms and that you think it's anxiety but you'd like to run it past them to stop you getting anxious about it. I have been there myself and know it's hard not to feel like you're wasting people's time but especially if you just make a routine phone appointment and aren't doing it every day they really don't mind.

@Kittii

It is very difficult for anxiety sufferers (and doctors) to know when something is anxiety or something potentially more dangerous. Some compassion and understanding for the OP would be good.

Yes to this

OP, once you’ve been to A&E and any physical cause has been ruled out perhaps you can immediately focus on managing your anxiety (which it appears it is likely to be). There is no “just” about anxiety, it’s very debilitating but it can be managed. Sometimes it’s helpful to take an antidepressant just to take the edge off things while you seek support but keep in mind they can take a few weeks to help and the GP may need to adjust amounts etc at first. If you have been somewhat dismissed it would be worth booking an appointment with a different GP and being specific about wanting help with anxiety. Has your anxiety always been focussed on health? You don’t need your GP or A&E to self refer for CBT through your local IAPT (NHS talking therapies provision). You will be given a telephone assessment and may be invited to a group or put on the wait list for face to face help (slightly different pathways depending on the service you’re in contact with). They should be able to assess your specific challenges to decide what the best approach is. Unfortunately wait lists are long so the alternative is to find a properly BABCP accredited CBT therapist through cbtregisteruk.com/ and see them privately. I think it might really help you. Good luck and hope you feel better soon.

I have only skimmed the thread so not sure if anyone else has mentioned this but those are also potential symptoms of an overactive thyroid- when my thyroid was overactive my symptoms were

Serious anxiety
Heart palpitations and racing heart
Sweats
Chest pains
Weight loss
Constant nervous feeling in tummy

GP actually found it randomly when he ordered a whole pile of bloods for another issue. I didn't put my symptoms down to anything physical, just assumed it was regular anxiety, put it turns out my thyroid hormones were all over the shop. Might be worth asking them to check if they haven't already!

The big issue is the distinct lack of funding for community mental health services.
GPs are not mental health specialists- neither us A&E.
It's just there is this massive chasm where people with considerable MH issues cannot get help.
We should all write to our MPs.
Latest unitiatuve where I work us to move MH nurses into a different team and call them a "new" resource. Robbing Peter to pay Paul.
The govt needs to start funding nurse degrees properly so people who care, can qualify and care.
GPs do not have capacity to fill this ever widening gap.

@Sunshinesandice

Well in the space of half an hour I’ve been triaged , bloods done and ECG. Nurse said ECG looks fine , Heart rate is a little high ,but could be down to me being absolutely petrified. Now just awaiting doctors

Which demonstrates that A&E thought you were right to have gone there.

A lot of GPs don’t have the facility to carry out an ECG. This needs to be done first to rule out any physical cause. You are not being fobbed off. Please go.

Even after an ECG you need to have a blood test which I think only a hospital can do (in order to get quick results).

Glad you are getting checked out