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

Be grateful that your GP took your symptoms seriously OP and referred you to A & E . At least you know that your heart is OK . I hope you get some help with your anxiety issues now from the GP .

My mum’s GP said that she had a virus . She died that same night alone from a massive heart attack .
My dad’s GP diagnosed indigestion, he then had a serious of 3 heart attacks followed by a quadruple heart bypass .

I’m glad you’re ok op and all your observations and tests were fine. Now it’s time to start working on grounding yourself and learning about your symptoms and ways to cope in a crisis. I am a fellow anxiety sufferer.. I don’t suffer so much now unless it’s really bad and I can’t see past the symptoms but when things happen but now I spend time looking at resources online about how to ground myself and understand what my body is doing when my nervous system is on fire. It’s so common to feel what you are feeling. I hope I don’t sound like I’m making your symptoms feel like nothing but you yourself can learn to accept them which then makes them disappear. Anxiety medication may help too just to give you some respite from the exhaustion. It feels horrible but nothing you are feeling can harm you..
Have a look at tiny Buddha, dialectical behavioural therapy resources, grounding exercises, ACT therapy and anxiety no more. Speaking to others who also suffer might give you some peace of mind that you are not alone. Good luck xxxx

Hope you’re ok now and got some sleep. I get the same feelings. Had it terribly the other day. I’m going to phone GP and book in for a general appt. I really don’t want to go to A&E for what I’m 99% sure is anxiety.

1.I get so mad on mn at th he gps are doing nothing mantra going about, I know 2 gps and they're trying to help people while trying to keep covid away from vulnerable patients. They are stressed out from misdiagnosis of patients and patients deciding to diagnose themselves.
2.You gave the symptoms of a heart attack. My uncle went in to his gp with these symptoms and they told him he was having a heart attack. Really light symptoms and they called an ambulance and he had a triple bypass that weekend and they told him they were so relieved he was still there.
3.My friend works in a cardiac section of a huge hospital and she said everyone should always get checked out.she wants to bang her head off the wall when people say they didn't want to bother people or take someone else's place. She said she couldn't give a shit if she sees people over and over as long as they're still alive

@LemonPeonies

I used to suffer myself but in the nicest way possible, no one ever dies of a panic attack. However wasting time at A and E may mean someone suffering a stroke or something might not get the care they need in time....

Bollocks. Not going to A&E when advised to do so may mean a stroke or heart attack not being treated in time, which will cause the NHS much more trouble.

What did you actually expect your GP to do, though? They sent you to A&E to check whether there was anything physically wrong with you. That was the correct thing to do. If you'd have been having a serious cardiac issue the GP wouldn't have been the appropriate place to be treated. Now it's been established that there isn't any physical issue, hopefully you can remember this next time.

@YouokHun

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 agree entirely - excellent post.

@Sunshinesandice - you say you've suffered from anxiety for a long time, and it seems to be quite debilitating. You cannot rely on calling your GP or going to A&E every time your anxiety overwhelns you. This isn't going to go away of itself unless you take steps to address it.

OP you did the right thing. Symptoms like that should always be checked out. I tend to end up, very reluctantly, in A&E with similar symptoms every couple of years. Last time I told that what I thought it was and that I hadn’t wanted to go but they were very firm that I should go and get checked out.

Ok, well done OP.

Thing is, anxiety doesn't protect you from heart problems (or anything else). It is possible to have both.

Doctors investigate and treat symptoms. Sometimes that involves identifying a cause. They don't have time or resources to investigate all possible causes of things that are not themselves pressing problems. We'd all like to be fully understood, mentally and physically but that is not the service the NHS offers.

Respect your doctors and trust them to do their job. You may well have valuable observations of your own condition, worth mentioning. You are not in a position to decide what is important, or make clinical decisions though.

I find a weighted blanket really very good for these symptoms. Doesn't work for everyone of course, but it helps me relax - you can pull it right up to the top of your chest. Good luck @Sunshinesandice my whole family has anxiety issues and it's miserable.

You did the right thing - you consulted a GP and you followed their advice. Your outcome was great, in that you are not suffering a serious physical condition. It is awful having to wait so long, though.

I disagree that GPs shouldn't be able to help with mental disorders. Of course they should! Perhaps this particular one is overstretched due to Covid and all it entails.

I think you should call the GP again when you are up to it, and say you now wish to seek help for anxiety, after having been given the all clear from A & E.

I have total sympathy for you. My husband had exactly the same experience in January. I thought he was having a heart attack and called an ambulance. He is a super fit healthy guy but had just started a new job that wasn’t working out to well. Paramedics treated him for a heart attack as they though the same even though ecg looked fine you can have a hidden heart attack. 4 hours in a&e and nothing was found. Symptoms continued so 3 months later back to gp for more bloods and tests (husband has not seen gp in about 15 years). All tests came back normal! We have researched all of his symptoms and think it may be fibromyalgia bought on by extreme stress and anxiety. 8 months on there are good and bad days back but we are trying to reduce the stress. I hope that you feel well soon x

Glad that you're ok OP.
See about booking yourself in for a physical including bloodwork. Ask your GP about medicine for anxiety and some counseling.
I put it off for a long time but it has been a complete life changer getting the meds and the tools needed to work with anxiety.

@Slashandcut

Does anyone remember that advert of a queue of people waiting for A&E with non-emergency issues and then the last person in the queue dying of a heart attack?

We need a new one which is just a queue of people saying “my GP sent me”.

But the symptoms could easily have been a heart attack.

Well done for going OP. Next steps would be to phone your GP and ask for help with your anxiety, I have anxiety too, i’m on my third medication (Venlafaxine) which is working brilliantly, I had too many side effects from the others. CBT was a game changer for me too, I still have bad days but I have coping mechanisms now.

Too many people throw about the word anxiety and it’s not taken seriously enough, there’s proof of that on this thread. People who haven’t had anxiety have no idea what it’s like and the fact you actually phoned the GP in the first place is a huge step so well done on that too!

For what it’s worth it health anxiety I have too, not just for myself but around my kids too so i’m there with you

They hospital did all bloods , full count , tested for thyroid and everything else - it’s all been ruled out. I just obviously need to get the right kind of help, but not too sure where to start with it. Private isn’t an option due to money, but is there anywhere I can access for instant help? Does anyone know?

@Oblomov21

Everyone knows that if your anxiety is this bad you probably need AD's and counselling and CBT etc. There are tonnes of options. You've done none of this, done nothing to address any of your issues. Why? You need to be held accountable for your lack of action.

I think you ignorance on the subject is quite funny. The waiting list for counselling is long, ADs are just a sticker to mask the problem right ? I need proper help, hence why I called my GP in the hope I would receive some advice on where to start. So don’t talk to me about my lack of action.

I'm very pleased that it wasn't anything "more serious" than anxiety - and not wishing to do down how awful and debilitating anxiety is, just that it's better than a heart attack.

I'd like to challenge you, gently and respectfully, on your comment that ADs are a sticker to mask the problem. In my experience, ADs were absolutely critical to getting myself back into "balance" so that I could properly engage in self-help.

I'm not saying that ADs are definitely the answer for you, but please don't dismiss them either - particularly as you're having to wait for counselling in any case. You wouldn't leave a cut bleeding for want of a plaster whilst you waited for a stitch, after all. ADs can be a real game-changer.

I’d also agree with the sticker point as above.

OP AD’s were (and are) critical in sorting out my anxiety. Having tried to come off them (I managed a year at one point but it was awful) i’m staying on them for the foreseeable. They’re not for everyone and for some theyre just short term, but for me a long term low dose seems to be the answer

The thing I struggle with the most is the physical Symtoms , is there anything I can possibly take that will help ?

CBD oil has been used widely over the last few years for anxiety, you get it from health food stores generally rather than pharmacy. It takes a few days to effect but is classed as herbal remedy.

Herbal tea before meds for a good nights sleep. Meditation, exercise, hatha yoga. Acupuncture should definitely be tried but appreciate your cost concerns.

Do you know your triggers?

@Sunshinesandice

The thing I struggle with the most is the physical Symtoms , is there anything I can possibly take that will help ?

A Betablocker such as atenolol may help with the physical symptoms, but if I were you I would also talk to your doctor about going on a low dose antidepressant. Your anxiety seems very severe, and even if you were to start counselling tomorrow it would take a very long time to get on top of this without medical intervention - if it is even possible.

I think you need to accept the need for treatment. It will improve your ability to function and your quality of life. Also look into CBT while you're waiting for counselling.

ADs are not a sticker. They are an effective, evidence-based treatment.

What exactly do you want by way of treatment? Could you reduce spending in another area to put the money towards private therapy? No NHS services exists that will be accessible as easily as private therapy, even if it means cutting back on other things quite a bit (of course I realise this still isn't possible for many).

The Reddit "r/MentalHealthUK" has various posts in it listing regional services, charities, etc.

OP did they not advise you at the hospital? Ring the gp office and tell them and ask them an internet forum isn't the best place for actual health help

@Sunshinesandice

The thing I struggle with the most is the physical Symtoms , is there anything I can possibly take that will help ?

My GP prescribed Propranolol for me. My symptoms were/are exactly like yours. It’s a beta blocker and works within minutes of taking it.