NHS symptom thingy online says I must call an ambulance ...

[bibbitybobbityhat]

... but I'm not going to.

So if this is the last ever post you read from me I'd just like to say ...

GOODBYE!!!

Its been fab .

Mwah x

What's up?

I put my symptoms in (pain in left arm)

It said call an ambulance!

No other suggestions.

But I really am not going to do that and all the goodbye stuff is a joke, obviously .

It's because 'computer says you are having a heart attack'. Have you pulled a muscle? Pain when you move?

Isn't that linked with heart attacks? Though I can't believe it is really supposed to advise that on the basis of one symptom only. Have you tried starting again and seeing if it says the same thing? And do you have any other symptoms, or is it really just the arm?

No, just constant pain and slight numbness and tingling in fingers.

I have some kind of virus atm and am assuming its a flu-like symptom.
Only slightly perturbed because none of my other joints are hurting.

It always tell me to call an ambulance. I usually call NHS Direct instead. Or just take some pain killers.

But yes pain in the arm can be linked to heart attacks. Along with other symptoms I would imagine.

Have you been carrying a lot of weight on that arm?

It's possible you have an inflammation of the joint/tendons there...

umm, isn't numbness another symptom? you should def call nhs

Numbness and tingling is something messing with the nerve. You are best off popping to see your GP in the morning, diabetes and vitamin b12 defieicency can cause this. You can also see a chiropractor but most of these are private but it will really help.

is yoru neck ok?
your posture?

Stress/panic?

I think I may have damaged it when I slammed the phone down so hard earlier in the week (I was v cross) that I almost broke the phone. My hand has hurt since then, but the arm thing started this morning. The actually slamming was maybe 4 or 5 days ago. I think thats the likely cause. What a silly cow to damage myself like that .

Ah well, it's done now. You just need to do something about it. Have you tried running your fingers up your arm with a bit of pressure to try and find the really sore and hard spot? This is normally where the pain is coming from, it radiates from here.

Find a chiropractor

arf.

at the phone.

the NHS should add something to the symptom checker which asks if you can still MN with both arms. If your answer is yes it should tell you to stop wasting its time .

lol!

rofl Mumonthenet.

Last time I was really ill (vile stomach bug) all I could do was lie on sofa, stagger to bathroom, and Mumsnet for about 10 minutes at a time because the screen was making me feel sicker. But, hey, I was still here .

Sorry I'm not finding this wildly humorous. Pain in the left arm is a potentially serious symptom - that's why the website flags it as it has done. Unless you are absolutely sure you know what has caused it (and I don't get that from your posts) you should be phoning them and talking this through. Aside from the flu bug do you have any other symptoms or risk factors for heart disease and how old are you?

No other symptoms. Am 47. Please don't worry. I shouldn't have made light of it, but I don't think there's anything seriously wrong, honestly.

pre or post menopausal?

cripes northern.

Now, Bibbity, are you sure you are alright?

Maybe you should nip down to A&E?

You could always take your laptop with ya...snigger.

I phoned NHS direct once, as I was short of breath in the late stages of pregnancy and wanted to ask if that was normal (it was ridiculously short of breath, admittedly, and I had not found MN at the time...) They phoned 999 on my behalf.

The ambulance staff said that they had renamed it NHS Re-Direct. Made me larf, and think twice about using the NHS direct!

NHS direct seem to get a terrible press just for giving advice and acting to help people. Hecky - late pregnancy and short of breath could have been a pulmonary embolism which would be life threatening to you and the baby. There's no way to tell that over the phone so they got you to hospital. Certain symptoms have the potential to flag up a life threatening problem and if that situation goes badly there's no going back so you may think it an over-reaction but that's what all NHS staff want it to be. People getting better or not being ill at all is Good. People dying because they waited too long is Not Good.

Op - will you go see your GP today?

You really ought to get yourself checked out and why bother doing the symptom thing if you won't follow the advice.

I had that shortness of breath thing in late pregnancy - the GP actually said to me'Oh dear, better go to hospital, it could be a blood clot lodged in your lungs'

very reassuring thing to say to a wildy emotional 8.5 months pregnant lady

hope you are ok, op

Foosa - it is a terrifying thing if it does happen. A friend of mine had this - gave premature birth to her third son (making 3 under 5) and her husband was called back to the hospital in the middle of the night because they thought they would lose her. Thankfully she pulled through as did her son. I'm sorry you were frightened but it's a scary thing and there's no dressing that up.