Should I pay for a health check ?

[Goodlife]

Hi
Feeling really low at the moment. Fed up with all the physical symptons and just can't accept they're all down to anxiety. My G.P has done blood tests but has never taken my blood pressure, never had an ECG or MRI so how can she rule out any other causes ? I am attending an anxiety workshop, but I feel until I've been given some sort of thorough medical check up I can't begin to deal with the problem. I am on Citalopram & Propranonal. which aren't really helping. I feel myself slipping back again, and all I think about is what might really be wrong with me. To this end I was wondering if it's worth shelling out for a private medical check up just to lay my fears to rest so I can get on with my life. What do other members think and has anyone else been down this route ?
Thanks for reading

[precious78]

I know exactly what you mean. I often think about this. But I wonder if I actually would be able to accept that I was alright if they did do all those tests.

I have had an ECG and it came out ok but I worry that this only gives a snapshot of what your heart is going at the time. So partly I still worry about my heart when I get pain and it races. Deep down I know there is no reason it wouldn't be ok but I still worry.

[joyce1980]

I have had this though too, I went back onto Paroxetine....... all symptoms have gone!

Blood tests do show a lot though, bloods won't show Neuro problems exactly but they will show an abnormality that would spur the Dr on to look at whats causing it, So don't you worry you are just fine.

You may want to try another Medication as not all of them work for everyone!! just let your Dr know and he/she will try you on another antidepressant.

Good luck and your not alone, x

[Alabasterlyn]

Before shelling out for any private check ups have you thought about telling your Dr how you feel and asking if they can at least do the simple things like checking your BP, giving you an ECG and maybe doing more extensive blood tests? A lot of surgeries these days have a BP machine near the waiting room, so you can just pop in when you like and take your own BP without the Dr even having to see you. Also a lot of surgeries have ECG equipment so maybe you could arrange for the nurse to do one for you? You could ask what was checked for when you had a blood test as they can check for quite a lot of things. I know one time I had about 5 different blood tests done, from liver funtion, thyroid and blood count to kidney function and sugar levels.

To have an MRI done privately would cost a lot of money to scan one area, so if you don't have a specific part of your body that is causing you a worry I'm not sure what that would achieve to be honest. I know a lot of private hospitals do offer health checks but I think they are for general things and don't include things like CT scans or MRI scans.

[Goodlife]

Thanks for your replies. I've just been talking to my friend & she thinks I should go back to my G.P & talk about how I'm feeling before going down the private check route. I suppose I'm just desperate to improve things & am willing to try anything. Just so fed up with feeling like this & feel terrible for the way way it impacts on my endlessly patient partner & kids.
Anyway thanks again & lets hope tomorrow is a better day
XX

[Trixie]

If you were to spend a fortune on health checks and they all came back negative, would you actually believe the results or would you think they were wrong? Don't waste your money please.

[lorac]

Hi

I did go down the private health care check line because I was so fed up with the same old answers from the doctor and convincing myself there was something seriously wrong with me instead of accepting it was anxiety and panic. I paid quite a bit for it and at the end was told the exact same thing.

Take care

Carol