How would you define a 'thorough' GP examination?

Hello All - im a veteran anxiety sufferer! about 15 years no

For the last 4 months I have suffered from feeling that I can't breath properly. In my 15 years, this has never been a problem. It comes and goes and yes distraction can help at times however doesnt stop me from worrying about a heart condition or even impending heart attack (big article in Sun newspaper today!!)

I have visited my walk in centre twice and GP once. They have said its anxiety although i dont necessarily agree. The exmination included: listening to chest and back with stethoscope; blowing into a 'asthma' tube (sorry dont know name)and had oxygen monitor on my finger. Does this equal a thorough examination?

I worry that anything I visit my GP with will be put down to anxiety and im not being checked out properly.

Thanks in anticipation.

JulieG

'Its not what happens to you but how you deal with it.'

Hi Julie

I can't be of much help as I've never suffered from this (yet lol!), but it sounds to me like they've been thorough and as you've had more than one opinion then I think you can relax a bit.

However, if you are still unhappy with the diagnosis, you are perfectly within your rights to insist on a second (specialist) opinion.

I know how you feel though, I think lots of us can sympathise with feeling we are labelled with anxiety as soon as we walk through the doctor's door and therefore not taken as seriously as we should be. However, when I am in a rational frame of mind, I do realise that they have to take everything seriously and if they thought there was anything wrong, they would investigate it.

Hi
the listening to your heart would detect any abnormalities with your heart sounds which would show up a murmouretc. Listening to your lungs would show up any reduced air entry caused by possible infection, fluid, etc. Peak flow readings would show any constriction caused by asthma,copd etc and the pulse oximeter would show if the oxygen concentration in your body was low. While these tests themselves cannot give a diagnosis of a condition they will show up abnormalities which would then prompt your gp to investigate it further. I would say that if there was anything wrong with your breathing your gp would have picked it up through one of these carried out.
I understand how you feel about being concerned that everything is just being out down to anxiety but i think that sometimes we have to give our docs credit for the fact that they can usually tell the difference between anxiety symptoms and symptoms through actual pathological illness.
I hope this helps

Hello again.

Thanks very much for your sensible and 'thorough' (lol) replies. You both talk a lot of sense.:yesyes:

Nell you sound like a GP yourself lol!! I have a lot of respect for my GP and she is always patient with me and takes her time to talk to me, but unfortunately sometimes my thoughts take over and I cant believe that im ok. However there comes a point where you have to doesn't there.

Anyway thanks again, I appreciate your time.

JulieG xxxxxxxxxxxx