anyone else worry about Drs/Nurses neglecting you due to hypochondria?

[One_phobic_gal]

So my latest hospital visit has got me thinking about this.
Basically I started my menstural cycle 2 days ago and the bleeding was quite heavy, along with some dizziness, nausea and thirst, so I called a health info line and they said you could be hemorrhaging go to the hospital. Being a major sufferer of health anxiety of course I RAN straight to the hospital. I got to triage and the nurse who would be assessing the severity of my situation was the same nurse who I saw a couple months ago when I was scared I had meningitis. I'm not sure if she remembered me, but the first thing she said after hearing my symptoms was "are you at all anxious?" And I played it down saying it was just usual period anxiety, but she said I should go home because it's not an emergency and she's not concerned, she thinks most of my discomfort was caused by anxiety and she then basically kicked me out saying there were real emergencies to tend to. The wait would be 6hrs so since she said it was fine I went home. But now I'm wondering, did she not take me seriously because she has me chalked up as "a crazy hypochondriac "?? Do you think at a certain point it becomes like the boy who cried wolf? I tend to end up at the emergency room every 2 months or so (sometimes even more often) what do you guys think? I'm truly worried about this

[PASchoolSyndrome]

The only the thing I can say is I am sure it does happen. I don't mean this in a mean way at all but hypochondriacs that are frequent fliers in the ED/A&E can be viewed as a waste of time by nurses/docs because yes, there are people there who are actually ill and don't just "think" there is a problem, and they need the immediate attention over others.

That being said I believe every complaint should be taken seriously until proven otherwise. I'm sorry the triage nurse made you feel bad, I hope that wasn't her intention. People get sick and bad things happen and it should be checked out if someone is presenting with a certain complaint.

ALSO true though, to a hypochondriac a small/different symptom is viewed as life threatening, whereas a trained medical professional can recognize right away that it's just an overreaction.

It's a tough call. I'm sure it happens but like I said I'd like to think "serious until proven otherwise".

[One_phobic_gal]

The only the thing I can say is I am sure it does happen. I don't mean this in a mean way at all but hypochondriacs that are frequent fliers in the ED/A&E can be viewed as a waste of time by nurses/docs because yes, there are people there who are actually ill and don't just "think" there is a problem, and they need the immediate attention over others.

That being said I believe every complaint should be taken seriously until proven otherwise. I'm sorry the triage nurse made you feel bad, I hope that wasn't her intention. People get sick and bad things happen and it should be checked out if someone is presenting with a certain complaint.

ALSO true though, to a hypochondriac a small/different symptom is viewed as life threatening, whereas a trained medical professional can recognize right away that it's just an overreaction.

It's a tough call. I'm sure it happens but like I said I'd like to think "serious until proven otherwise".

Yes I agree with you. I don't think she wanted to make me feel bad but it definitely came off as rude. Do you think they would overlook a serious issue just because they assume it's in the patients head? My fear is one day I'll really be ill but they will assume its imagined and then I won't get the help i need

[PASchoolSyndrome]

I don't think they would overlook a serious issue, but like you said your wait time determined by the triage was 6 hours. So the nurse didn't think it needed immediate attention but had you stayed a doc would have taken the proper history and necessary physical exam/ tests.

I went to a doctor with chest pain, even telling them I might be having an anxiety attack which I'm prone to, yet they still gave me and ekg and chest x-ray to rule out anything more serious. I ended up having costochondritis, but you get the point.

I think at the end of the day serious things won't be missed - not in an ED. Their job is to make sure you're not dying at that moment. And they're pretty good at determining who needs to be seen and who could simply make an appointment with their doc at another time. Have you seen a GP about your issue?

[One_phobic_gal]

I don't think they would overlook a serious issue, but like you said your wait time determined by the triage was 6 hours. So the nurse didn't think it needed immediate attention but had you stayed a doc would have taken the proper history and necessary physical exam/ tests.

I went to a doctor with chest pain, even telling them I might be having an anxiety attack which I'm prone to, yet they still gave me and ekg and chest x-ray to rule out anything more serious. I ended up having costochondritis, but you get the point.

I think at the end of the day serious things won't be missed - not in an ED. Their job is to make sure you're not dying at that moment. And they're pretty good at determining who needs to be seen and who could simply make an appointment with their doc at another time. Have you seen a GP about your issue?

Yeah that's why I decided to leave, she told me if I stayed they would probably just take blood tests to make sure I'm not anemic. She even said that she thinks this is an issue I should talk to a GP about, and it's not an emergency. She came across like she thought it was ridiculous I was there, but it's funny how the nurse I spoke to on the phone from a health info line was such an alarmist, total opposite of her. I guess when it comes down to it triage can decide in a second if you're a serious case or not since they take your vitals etc. I just wish she would have been a tad more kind with how she handled me

[GlassPinata]

When I was younger, i felt doctors didn't take me seriously simply because i was young, and they didn't expect to see ____ (whatever serious illness I believed I had on any given day) in a young person.
In retrospect, I'm sure they recognized my hypochondria long before I realized I had it; what else is a primary care physician supposed to think when a healthy 20-year-old patient visits three times in two months, worried about having a different type of cancer each time?

But it has been a long time now since I've had medical insurance.

[Ihavelostmymarbles]

I have had this happen before. I was having a lot of weird symptoms that could match anxiety, but it ended up being an actual issue. I can see how it was missed because I had been to the doctor so much that they assumed it was just anxiety. However, my ER doctors were not writing down that I was having abnormal results so my doctor had to listen to me.

Of course, that seemed like I was just seeking extra testing, but after switching to civilian doctors I've started receiving better care. One thing I've realized is that there are many types of doctors out there. The best ones are the doctors with good bedside manner and a calming approach. It's a nightmare to have rude doctors or ones who are in panic mode themselves.

I also think some doctors are too quick to give out an anxiety diagnosis. Just because someone is anxious doesn't mean that nothing is wrong. I mean, I was told I had anxiety by one doctor and then told I had severe rhinitis (sinuses) by another doctor.

[One_phobic_gal]

I have had this happen before. I was having a lot of weird symptoms that could match anxiety, but it ended up being an actual issue. I can see how it was missed because I had been to the doctor so much that they assumed it was just anxiety. However, my ER doctors were not writing down that I was having abnormal results so my doctor had to listen to me.

Of course, that seemed like I was just seeking extra testing, but after switching to civilian doctors I've started receiving better care. One thing I've realized is that there are many types of doctors out there. The best ones are the doctors with good bedside manner and a calming approach. It's a nightmare to have rude doctors or ones who are in panic mode themselves.

I also think some doctors are too quick to give out an anxiety diagnosis. Just because someone is anxious doesn't mean that nothing is wrong. I mean, I was told I had anxiety by one doctor and then told I had severe rhinitis (sinuses) by another doctor.

But do you think they would miss an actual emergency? My fear is that in a situation where I would really be in danger, they would chalk it up to anxiety and leave me in big trouble. I suppose if it was serious they couldn't ignore it (at least I hope not)

[Ihavelostmymarbles]

But do you think they would miss an actual emergency? My fear is that in a situation where I would really be in danger, they would chalk it up to anxiety and leave me in big trouble. I suppose if it was serious they couldn't ignore it (at least I hope not)

Could it happen? Sure.
Will it happen? More than likely not based on the new medical advances.

Most of time, something dangerous to your health/well-being is very obvious. My dad has had an emergency at the hospital before and he made it out alive. Try to focus on all the good stories that have happened to people in emergency situations and not focus on the bad. Mistakes do happen but that's life. Trust me, I'm just as worried as you are, but why worry about something that hasn't even happened yet, right? :)