Dizziness

ok, i'm going to risk an avalanche of being scolded, but here goes:

background: i'm asthmatic with a possible 'something else' which is under investigation with cons at local costa. most of the time i'm breathless with my pf not being affected.(best 505, avg 480)

twice in the last few days i've had bouts of dizziness, combined with being really short of breath.. i wasn't tight, so didn't use my ventolin (the one today i'd just taken it 5 mins before) but was sitting down feeling like i might fall over / pass out, and just couldn't get my breath.

i know that hyperventilation causes dizzines, but then so does being hypoxic, and trying to breathe less certainly didn't help! couldn't do anything to make it better, just had to wait for it to pass, which once took 10 mins, and once about 40 mins

i've also been getting pain in the left side of my ribcage, which may or may not be connected, but is probably just muscular from the effort of breathing.

so: question is, what do i do?? wait for cons appt in 3 weeks? emergency appt at GP tomorrow? or should i have wended my way to costa by now?!

thanks guys,

justy

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hi justy, this sounds horrid for you :o(

i think if i was you i'd go up to the hosp if i was a) feeling v ill; b) the pain got any worse; c) the breathing got v bad again; or d) i, or people with me, were scared. if i didn't go to costa tonight then i'd definitely see emergency gp in the morning, and if you're fobbed off by snotty receptionists make a big fuss and go to costa.

let us know what you do and how it goes.

take care,

becky

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Justy, sorry to hear you are not feeling good!

I would definately get this checked out sooner rather than later if I were you. At the very least I would go and get it checked out by you GP first thing tomorrow, but perhaps a trip to costa tonight would not be a bad idea, especially if it happens again or you feel in any way 'not right'...

It's pretty unlikely so don't let me scare you, but the combination of chest pain, dizziness and breathlessness without tightness would make me very keen to make sure that it's not a pulmonary embolus or a heart arrhythmia - both very treatable if they're picked up, but not something you'd want to miss.

Do get it checked out, and hopefully have your mind put at rest! No doctor is going to mind being asked to exclude something serious with the symptoms you are describing!

Let us know what happens, and take care,

Em H

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thanks becky and em,

what with all the tests, they've done an echo on my heart about 2 months ago, and a PE blood test of some description 4 weeks ago - would they be likely to change quickly?

i guess i'm just worried that i go to my GP tomorrow, and he say's 'you're hyperventilating' which just makes him think i'm even more paranoid and anxious than he already does.. maybe i'm being silly...

i'm not doing too badly now, so i'll probably wait till the morning, unless it comes back!

thanks for your advice!

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forgot - also have excersise treadmill test and 24hr heart monitor booked for next few weeks...

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well i got the unhelpful doc, who said: ""i don't know, you're a sudoku"" but didn't seem too worried and said to leave it to the consultant.

my plan is if it happens again and is particularly bad, i'll just go to A&E, possibly via the little green men... then at least i'll know i don't need to worry! i'll definately be telling the cons about it in 3 weeks though!!

thanks for your help guys, here's to being a sudoku!!

justy

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I have to say that I really like the idea of being described as a sudoku :o) Sorry the doc was so rubbish though. As both Em and I said before, don't hesitate to get help if you're at all worried or if it happens again.