View Full Version : do i need to go to a&E?
Plz help just rung nhs direct up cos was worried about pains in chest and arm they told me to get myself down to a&E really worried now dont know what to do?
Hi there,
Stop and take a minute. Have you felt like this before? Are you on your own?
Pip x
No not on my own my hubby and kids r here yeah have felt like this before been going on over a month now
Stay calm and ask yourself honestly if you think this is anxiety or something else. It sounds very much like a panic attack and NHS Direct will always tell you to go to A&E if it sounds remotely heart related.
If you think it's anxiety, do everything you can to distract yourself and physically relax and see if you start to improve. If you've got any doubt, you could either go to A&E or ring an out-of-hours doctor at your practice.
Take care
Pip x
Hi
The fact that you have felt like this before and it has been happening for a month, means theres proberly nothing to worry about and it could be anxiety related. However i think you should go and get checked over to give yourself reasurrance and rule out other causes. I know when ive had panic attacks in the past they have caused chest pains and weakness in my left side. They are scary but harmless. I think , try to relax your breathing, breathe in for 7 seconds and out for 11. Go to a+e and let them just check you, theres no harm in tht. Let us know what they say if you decide to go :) x
angel wings
11-04-12, 21:23
hi
sorry your still having the pains ive still got them too and achey legs aswell nhs direct will always tell you to go to a&e with chest pains, if you feel you need to go there i would but like me you have had them for a while now i went back to the drs tuesday and had a chest xray got to wait for the results and he is sending me for some cardio tests to be done to put my mind at rest other than the ecg have you had any other tests done ???
sherylee xx
11-04-12, 21:50
they always tell you to go a&e with chest pain hunni they have to, id ring the hosp and see what they say xx
angel wings
11-04-12, 22:12
hope you are ok hun let me know how you get on :hugs:
just rung shop doc they told me to see what im like in morning if still feel bad ask for another ecg. Feel scared now how im gonna sleep?
You are going to be ok. I had a look over some of your previous posts and you've felt like this quite a few times before. Try to distract yourself and try some of the breathing techniques Kelly mentioned above.
Take care and I'm sure you'll be feeling better in the morning.
Pip :hugs:
thanks everyone see what im like in morning thanks for your help.:hugs:
Panic attacks can be so darn scary.
I hope you manage to get some rest this evening. Please update as in the morning.
Cant believe it had pain in my arm all night:weep: and chest hurt went to a&E first thing they wouldnt see me as last year went there alot. I was in floods of tears left and went and saw my gp she said she be having a word with them. Today ive felt awful gonna make a complaint 2moz if i feel up to it the nurse had labelled me
miss sparkle
12-04-12, 20:48
a and e wouldn't see you???!!
are they aloud to refuse?
how do you feel now?x
nicola1980
12-04-12, 20:52
Omg they refused to see you?? That is terrible, what did they say to you? X x
How many times did you go last year, and was it always with the same thing ? its very unusual for them to refuse to see someone
I went last year cos i was in a bad way i had a breakdown that was over a year ago they have labelled me to not see me again unless im dying of course im so angry and upset i saw my gp after she was gonna put in a complaint all i wanted was some help
nomorepanic
12-04-12, 21:22
Bev - didn't you go a lot with the problems you had - was it headaches and pains in calves?
nicola1980
12-04-12, 21:26
Thats awful :hugs: x x
Did go alot last year had scatica but i have been better since then the way they spoke to me was so rude
That is BAD no matter how many times a person has visited A&E in the past, If you present with chest pains/arm you should be seen.
angel wings
12-04-12, 22:29
oh that so bad it doesn't matter how many times you have been they should have still checked you were ok i cant believe they turned you away really sorry you are going through this at the moment :hugs::hugs:
nomorepanic
12-04-12, 23:03
Did they check your medical records Bev before turning you away and what exactly was said?
Yes, they shouldn't turn you away but I guess they have to prioritise when they are busy. Did they do any checks on you at all?
Pip
They will turn people away in certain circumstances. My friend works as an A&E nurse, and they get a lot of drug addicts coming in faking pains to try and get painkillers / morphine etc... and they refuse to see them ( most come in every other week ! ).
If someone comes in and they know there is nothing wrong with them, i.e. if they have been in loads complaining of chest pains, and they have checked them and know it is HA, they can refuse to see them as they are normally very busy so have to prioritise people who need actual treatment.
It is a shame, but they are restricted in how many people they can treat by staff numbers and time, so need to make sure the most urgent cases are seen first
Hi mikewales.
What you said is true when i was last in A&E the amount of what i would think were drug addicts shout that they need morphine for pain and drunks walking around (police bring them in and the A&E staff have to baby sit them until they are sober enough to leave).
Takes away the time that the staff need to treat people who could have real problems so maybe that some are not seen who should.
Also the hospitals from what i know are moving to a new system for admissions which is taking up alot of time again (they are in my area) you should here the A&E staff complaining about it.
Hope anx mum gets the anwsers she needs to help put her mind a rest.
Hi
I know with working in a surgery - I would file the people who attended A & E and sometimes it was ridiculous the same people with trivial problems - like sore hand, sore throat, you name it - this is just a general remark not aimed at anyone on here.
The surgery is charged for each patient who attends A & E which is a lot of money and people really abuse it. Also the 999 ambulance service - some of our patients are black listed - calling them out for ridiculous reasons. One patient in particular calling them for a chinese delivery takeaway! I jest - but it is clogging up the phone system - he was later struck off (mentally ill) and has to be seen by a police doctor.
A & E is a last resort for people to go to a true emergency. There are other places like Walk in Centres to go to.
angel wings
13-04-12, 09:37
Hi
yes completely understand about drug abusers and people going every day with the same problem and minor things but anx mum is having chest pains which should be checked out she had also phoned nhs direct who told her to go which they do with chest pains anyway i know and the dr said to wait till the morning and see how she is and if she still felt bad go which is what she did so i think to be turned away was unfair,i just hope you can get more help from your gp anx mum :hugs::hugs:
nomorepanic
13-04-12, 10:14
Bev's chest pains have been checked by the doctor though and I think she is on antibiotics for it as she had a bad cough. So if they checked the medical records at the hospital and saw this they would have maybe turned her away knowing that she has been seen recently and was having treatment for it.
To be honest you are better calling the out of hours GP service than NHS direct or going to A&E. They will assess you then decide what to do for the best.
angel wings
13-04-12, 10:26
I know but im in a bit of the same situation myself chest pain wise and you feel you have nowhere else to turn sometimes im not aware of what checks have already been done so i know they would do what they felt best its just so hard when you know people are struggling and i know a & e is the last port of call its just frustrating sometimes x
Very true, my friend says more than half the people they get in could be treated by their GP's or even stuff from the local chemist ( or just go home and sober up ) so it is a big strain on their resources.
Nic is right, if her records showed she had something that was responsible for what she was worried about, and was already being treated for it, then they wouldnt see her as there wouldnt be anything they could do anyway
I understand many drug users go there to get there local fix, but im not one of them. Yes last year i went there alot when i had acid reflex and scatica but that was a year ago. Should i b labelled for going to seek help i wasent going i was advised to go there. My gp is making a complaint and i am seeking legal advise. The nurse told me i will never be seen cos of my attendance last year so they u go what u meant to do??????
angel wings
13-04-12, 21:41
im glad your gps making a complaint for you, i think sometimes when they look at your records and what a d your are on you are judged its not right,how are you today x
Thanks for asking angel wings still got chest pain arm pain abit better doctor has put me on tramadol and increased my pregablin which is for nerve pain and anxiety so just taking one day at a time really. Hows u?
angel wings
13-04-12, 21:50
still have pain but not too bad today trying to ignore it but is hard too x
has the tramadol helped ??
Think its helped abit still got pain got some sleep last night so had abit more energy today sorry your not good either awful isnt it
angel wings
13-04-12, 22:00
oh good glad you managed to sleep ok and hope you have a better day tommorrow x
Thanks hun for your support, hope your better too:hugs:
Anxious_gal
13-04-12, 22:34
Surely it's illegal to discriminate you because of your mental illness!
I'm so sorry they did that :(
Could you go to a private hospital perhaps?
Glad you're feeling a bit better.
Take care
Pip x
Still getting pains gonna make a complaint about hospital not being labelled for being ill feel so angry towards them the staff are so rude
At the risk of being controversial, we are now 3 days from the original post, which would suggest that your pain is not being caused by an emergency situation.
This being the case it seems unlikely that A&E would have been able to do much.
Just my thoughts, resources are finite and unfortunately harsh decisions have to be made on a daily basis as to where the resources go.
Good luck with the CBT
At the risk of being controversial, we are now 3 days from the original post, which would suggest that your pain is not being caused by an emergency situation.
This being the case it seems unlikely that A&E would have been able to do much.
Just my thoughts, resources are finite and unfortunately harsh decisions have to be made on a daily basis as to where the resources go.
Good luck with the CBT
+1
Elen, I agree, while it may not be a nice thing amx mum is going through, we all have a responsibility to try and find the treatment that is right for us. If the symptoms are caused by anxiety, then no amount of physical treatment is going to make them go away, only cover them temporarily at best.
And the fact anx mum posted this in the HA forum shows she knows that is the root of the problem, and what really needs treating.
NHS direct can not see you... They only hear wha you say on the phone....if you ring them and say I have chest pain , breathless etc etc...they WILL tell you to go to A&E....
If they don't then they could be putting themselves up for a good sue
Think of it that way,....with chest pain I leave it as it is..,if generally worried I wait until the next day then boom an emergency appointment.
Im sure your fine but they need to do their job..,
Xxxx
angel wings
14-04-12, 18:26
I still think they should have checked anxious people still do have heart attacks or heart problems just because you have HA doesn't mean you have to blame everything you get on it
nomorepanic
14-04-12, 18:47
Angel - Bev knew what the chest pain was though she has had it for weeks and has been given antibioitics for it and has seen the doctor many times so if at the hospital they checked this then they would turn her away.
Anxious_gal
15-04-12, 00:50
Yes if you've had chest pain for weeks n it's not a sudden thing.
Then you're better off swing a doctor or a specialist .
Do painkillers help?
like angel said just because i suffer with HA dosent mean that everything is HA im taking these people to court had enough.
TBH I wouldnt cause yourself the extra stress, you'll lose and it will cost you a fortune, drag on for ages and give you loads of hassle
Taking a Hospital to court will cost a huge ammount of money Bev ..Its highly unlikley you would win unless there has been a case of severe malpractice or neglect .If on the likely outcome of losing your case ..you would also have their Lawyers&court costs etc to pay .I suggest you write to the Area Health Authority and complain before you subject yourself to something so expensive and stressful ..Tc/ Sue
With the rudeness and disrespect the hospital have caused basically saying i can never been seen again sorry but in my eyes thats totelly wrong my gp has even said its wrong and making a complaint i will do what i need to do
I'm sorry you haven't been feeling well.
You have been there a few times in the past and currently being treated for a chest infection?
A&E very rarely turn people away without looking at their records and quickly checking the patient over. With your history and the fact that you are being treated for a chest infection (I think I read that right) they would have likely known it's anxiety. I just can't imagine that they would refuse to see you without checking your records and getting a clear idea of what is going on with you. Considering you are still alive it obviously wasn't urgent and I'm guessing that they could tell from your notes and symptoms that it was anxiety.
macc noodle
15-04-12, 23:11
As an HA sufferer, I completely sympathise with the panic and abject fear felt when u have physical symptoms that u believe are life threatening.
However, you had received the appropriate treatment for your diagnosed condition and, to be brutally frank, your repeated trips to a&e are wasting resources and time.
You will not succeed in any legal action since the records will show that the appropriate medical treatment had been applied to your problem.
You really need to get on top of your anxiety and channel all your efforts into getting better.
Sorry if you think this is harsh but you really do know that it is not your heart.
nomorepanic
16-04-12, 00:46
Bev - did they actually say to you that you would never be seen in A&E again or is that what you perceived them to say?
I really can't see them saying that you would never again be seen - they would not be allowed to say that.
Don't bother sue'ing - spend the money on some help for the HA instead. It would be much better spent that way.
Make a complaint by all means, but thinking of sueing the NHS is a non starter, unless you really want to end up with a massive bill for their legal costs. In fact, I doubt you will find any solicitor who would take on the case anyway ( unless they are just after your money ).
People can sue the NHS in cases of real negligence etc... but you are talking about taking on a huge government body, with the best lawyers money can buy and unlimited resources. There is no way you would win.
I do also agree with some others comments, if you think about it from the other side, if you had a serious problem, and went to A&E and they said you would have to wait hours because they were treating people with HA who didnt have anything seriously wrong with them, you wouldnt be very happy.
I'm sure A&E haven't said they will never see you, if you went in with a broken arm or bad cut, then they would. I imagine what they mean is they won't see you constantly for the same complaints, or things your GP is already dealing with etc...
The others are right, you would be better off getting help with your HA, then you wouldn't feel the need to go to A&E when you are worried as you would know it isn't a heart attack or anything more serious :)
Thats right they wont see me unless ive broken something had a stroke something they can see they did say with this document they cant see me again
macc noodle
16-04-12, 14:18
What document exactly are you talking about?
There must be more to this story than has been told on here - I cannot believe that they are doing anything more than trying to stop you persistently going for check ups for a condition you do not have.
They have to stop people taking up valuable time and resource - if there is nothing physically wrong with them or if they have already received the appropriate treatment for the condition they have.
You have to face up to the fact that whatever has happened here, it is down to actions you must have taken and that you need to get some professional help to deal with your health anxiety - no A&E in this land would turn away someone they genuinely believed had a heart condition.
Imagine just for one second that one of your loved ones was desperately ill and the ambulance was delayed in getting to them because they were busy reasssuring someone with health anxiety that the chest pains they had were anxiety - well the same goes for A&E - persistently going back for affirmation of your well being (or otherwise) is stopping them from treating people who are genuinely in need of Accident and Emergency.
I know and understand your fears, as a fellow sufferer, I know how hard it is to conquer HA but you are going to have to to get your life on track.
:hugs:
The other point is that there wouldnt have been anything they could do if they had seen you. If someone came in with pain from a chest infection, that was being treated, they wouldnt start giving ECG's etc..., and wouldnt be able to give any other drugs if a GP was already treating the condition.
All they would have been able to do is tell you not to worry, and go back to your GP if it gets worse.
Think we need to remember here what A&E is there for.
It stands for accident and emergency, they are there for situations where you have been involved in an accident and/or require emergency treatment.
Just to put things in perspective a bit. I went there a few years ago with a badly broken ankle. They patched me up, gave me pain killers and arranged for a proper appointment at the fracture clinic the next day. Then I was sent on my merry way in a taxi.
I am afraid that is what they are there for, to assess the damage and do what is necessary to get you through until you can be seen by someone more specialised, or if no further treatment is necessary to send you on your way.
This is not diminishing your Health Anxiety in the slightest but I am afraid that you do have to be realistic as to what resourses you can expect to receive.
Good luck with your Health Anxiety, it is truly a horrible illness.
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