To keep going to the GP or give up

[throwawayanxiety]

namechange as this is all personal. I dont know if this is the right place for this either.
For the last couple years, l've deal with arm and facial numbness, of my left side. Always got told it was anxiety, and never fought my case as it's hard being a young female. In terms of not being listened to, and all issues being brushed off.
Finally got taken seriously by a cardiologist who has ran a 24hr holter and an echo - normal results. Tilt table test is booked for April.
However over the last week, the numbness is worse, it tingles all the way down to my leg, there is no visible droop, and it isn't NUMB as I still have all sensation- it just feels... off. Like a weakness of sorts, but my stregnth is fine. A numbness of sorts, but I have all sensation. It's my left side only, has never happened to my right side.
I have been referred to a long covid clinic, as l've had an array of symptoms since my first covid bout in 2022.
Heart palpitations PVC & PAC
Fast heartrate after eating - this is a big one and causes me to barely eat as I don't look forward to being uncomfortable for hours after eating.
Headaches & Migraines
I need glasses now
Stomach issues - not pooping then pooping all day.
Indigestion
Shortness of breathe that I feel in my stomach but ox levels are always above 97%.
Pulsatile tinnitus and normal tinnitus.
fast heartrate for no reason (90-95), other times hr is 60
skin lesions
weird stabbing and sharp pains in upper left arm
tired all the time, but then also can't stay asleep odd jaw pain
I never get a "cold" or quick virals anymore, it's always a month long feeling like absolute s*, never a quick illness anymore.

I'm just at a loss now of what I can do, the numbness is affecting me the most, as my maternal grandmother has history of TIA and ishemic* strokes.
I'm 24 years old and can't live this way anymore, and I have no idea who I'm meant to try and talk to, to discuss these symptoms.

Last had bloods done 12 Feb, l'm due a retest in 10 da because my WBC came back as elevated at 11.2. They going to test them again and also check vitamins and thyroid.

Any ideas what this could be? Is it all anxiety? FTR, I do have diagnoses of OCD and GAD (health centred) but l'm no longer anxious, and more angry at how I'm feeling every single day.

I've also lost so much weight, I was 71KG and happy, and now I'm 57KG and utterly miserable.
aibu to keep going to drs and getting tests done and getting no answers aside from " you're too young to have any issues and “ it’s anxiety “

Look into spinal stenosis…do t give up though whatever you do x

@Gonk123

thank you, I’ll look into it x

Keep going back. Is there any chance of changing GP?

@Zeitumschaltung I have changed GP as I moved house, however this GP is impossible to get an appointment. They triage you first, and then go from there - can give a referral to therapy, which I do not need.

I do have blood tests scheduled again in just over a weeks time, so I’m hoping once I’m in a GP surgery I’ll have more luck at trying to talk to them about everything. But as anxiety is on my record, this is the first thing they look at.

Has your GP considered a referral to a Neurologist?

@jonahpopsNo, has refused to send a referral to a neurologist, on the understanding “ im not ill enough to recieve a scan “

I was wondering about neurology too, possibly MS or something like that. Most commonly diagnosed between ages 20 to 40 so no you wouldn’t be “too young”. That wouldn’t account for the range of other issues that you have but it would explain the tingling/numbness.

Dysautonomia/POTS can be brought on by covid which is perhaps what the tilt table test is for. There is a version can do at home called the NASA lean test.

Its shocking that your GP is so unbothered by the numbness down one side and to suggest its anxiety rather consider potential nerve/neuro issue.

start asking around for good alternative practitioners like chiros or naturopaths. They see many patients that have given up on mainstream medicine so tend to be a lot more familiar with these types of nebulous conditions. That’s what I ended up doing

@FoggyByeah i thought the same, i didn’t think they’d be so uninterested. The only reason I am currently in contact with a cardiologist, is i was begging my GP for 2 years to do a holter, and even after that was done “ you’re clear, see no need for further investigation “ then 6 months later I had the cardiologist call me personally to ask how my symptoms was and if I’d seen any change, after me explaining, well no I haven’t had any changes at all they’re all still there, he told me he’d refer for a echo and a tilt test.

it’s just all palmed off as anxiety, and you hear it for so long you begin to believe it’s true. however I’m now at a stage, where I’m not anxious, or paranoid over the symptoms and feelings in my body, I’m just angry because I wake up every single day with an uncomfortable sensation in some part of my body. And I completley understand aches and pains are a regular con of life, but not every single day, and not what I’m experiencing.

It sounds like you are at least having quite a few investigations.

Have you considered trying medication for anxiety, it seems your physical symptoms could be anxiety related so maybe worth a try to rule it out?

If it’s not that I would have thought a neurology referral, but I’m not a HCP.

My Mil had a range of symptoms like yourself they said it's anxiety as all her echo and other related heart tests came back normal. look for natural remedies, Dr.Berg on YouTube is good as is Barbara o Neil.. search their names with your symptoms and remedies come up...I search tik tok for more. Take magnesium glycinate supplements and vid d3 with k2

The long covid symptoms sound much like Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. Definitely don't give up...challenge your doctor, explain the impact this is having on your life and ask them to believe you. Good luck

Join Benenden which is relatively cheap, then if you want a referral use them. When you say you are going private, there is little a gp can do!