Told it was a panic attack when I was in fact having a heart attack

[pillyinkpen]

I had a massive heart attack in may last year my son called an ambulance saying I had severe chest pain they took an hour to arrive then refused to take me to hospital told me it was anxiety and left I got a taxi to the hospital was then left in the waiting room for 3 hours before they did bloods they then went into panic mode when my trop came back at 3078 I was rushed straight to angioplasty total blockage in right side of my heart you would think they would learn but no for last yr I have had really bad angina again said it was in my head had an angiogram 6 weeks ago now left side of heart 80% blocked go in for more stents on 22nd October can do nothing at mo as sets angina off and covered head to toe in bruises from the blood thinners I wont lie I'm scared stiff

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

Hello pillyinkpen,

Welcome to the forum.

I am found reading your post really difficult.

I acknowledge just how bewildering and frightening your experience has been. Those who you expected to be able to trust didn't listen and care for you as you would expect.

Do you have access to some psychological support?

Some Cardiology units have a psychologist or perhaps speak to your GP?

I have sadly had some very poor experiences too. I have an unusual and poorly understood and recognised type of angina. I too was told it was all in my head at first. I was left in severe pain on too many occasions.

I wrote to the Patient advice and liaison service PALS and the Head of Cardiology.

I met the staff and talked through my experience of care.

They acknowledged that they could have done things better and apologised and my care has improved.

I now have a written care plan to help the staff look after me when I need to go into hospital.

I hope you are able to find a resolution to your situation soon.

[pillyinkpen in reply to Milkfairy]

Hi thanks for your reply I have ongoing therapy and have just this morning finally been able to complain to the ambulance service I'm really scared and mentally damaged I honestly don't know what I'm doing right now gp isnt interested I feel so alone cardiac services were not brilliant if I'm honest and dismissive I guess for them they see it every day so it's not personal to them if that makes sense

[Sunnie2day]

Good on you for taking control (getting the taxi to hospital).

Might I ask (feel free to say you prefer not to answer) are you male or female? I ask this as more and more it's becoming clear women are not taken as seriously when presenting with symptoms like 'really bad angina'. There is an article on the BHF HeartMatters pages on this very topic, if you're a Lady Heartie it would be worth going to the BHF site and having a look at all their women with heart conditions publications.

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

Like Milkfairy I too found your post a difficult read - hit too close to home, really too close as I had the same sort of dismissive 'care' from my previous GP. My current GP (and the cardiologist she referred me to through the Rapid Access Chest Pain unit agrees with her) says the lack of proper medical supervision from the previous GP contributed to my multiple heart conditions progressing from 'reasonably mild' to 'concerning'.

[pillyinkpen in reply to Sunnie2day]

Yep I'm female im 47 now was 45 when I has my heart attack it has taken me the last year to get them to send me to the rapid access clinic as they again said it was anxiety I saw them and the angiogram said it's not anxiety so im waiting for the stents again with no help to cope with the pain and worry in the meantime I will def have a look at the article

[Sunshinebrew]

So sorry to hear of your experience, and I really sympathise before my diagnosis I was told I was anxious and given gaviscon even got referred for a ball bladder scan which was normaI was lucky not to have a heart attack though. It took over a year to get an angiogram after slightly high troponin and a stress echo which showed angina this showed severe narrowing and I had angioplasty done 2 weeks later. Still suffering symptoms 3 years later and been to A & E a few times and ECG rarely shows anything but I am listened to and taken seriously now I have a diagnosis of MVA as well some doctors are more enlightened others very dismissive, even so I am grateful for their care. I'm sure they will look after you now and it's comforting to speak to others on this site wishing you well. I am female too with low cholestoral non smoker and no heart disease in the family so was seen as unlikely to have heart disease, and at times did think is this all in my head. Take care.

[pillyinkpen in reply to Sunshinebrew]

I'm so glad you have been looked after alas I haven't my trop was 3078 and had emergency angioplasty then basically left 18 months later another angiogram shows severe 2 vessel disease and the need for more stents

[dunestar]

Very shocking account, pillyinkpen. The medical profession has to learn not to put people in boxes and listen to what the patient is saying more.

[pillyinkpen in reply to dunestar]

You are right it's so easy to pigeonhole people if only life were so simple I wouldn't mind I told them.my history but still they didnt want to listen

[Amikatari]

Dear Pillyinkpen,

I'm so sorry to hear you've had this experience. It's so awful to be dismissed and disbelieved about a serious illness, and it makes us feel so unsafe in the world. I've had a similar experience and it's left me very scared and angry and with a desire to do something about the problem of doctors not listening to people and putting our lives at risk. I'm sure it happens to women more often, although of course I also have sympathy for men in the same boat, and it certainly happens more to people of both sexes who've been told at some point that they have anxiety or any other mental health concern.

Once I'm ready, I'm going to write about my experience of being disbelieved and send it to this website: hystericalwomen.co.uk/ You might be interested in reading the stories on the site and/or writing for it, too. It's all about how women are often dismissed by doctors. (Do be careful, though, it might help to read about others' experiences, but it might also be upsetting to read about how many people this happens to.) And I might even start a website of my own along the same lines but focusing more on the discrimination that both sexes face when trying to access physical healthcare after being told they have a mental health issue.

I'm glad you've found the strength to make a complaint about the ambulance service. I'm still trying to work out whether complaining to the hospital where I was treated badly would make me feel better or worse! Sending best wishes xx

[pillyinkpen in reply to Amikatari]

Thank you for your reply its shocking how many people have had the same experience in this day and age I have now made a complaint to the ambulance service and my gp and have just engaged in legal action not the route I wanted to go but organisations need to be held accountable for their actions or things will not change and people will continue to suffer and die. It makes me mad that we are all being told to open up about our mental health issues but as soon as a doctor or paramedic sees you have problems they immediately assume it must be that your dammed if you do and dammed if you dont . I will def take a look at the website you mentioned and please let me know if and when you set one up as I would like to be a supporter x

[Amikatari in reply to pillyinkpen]

You're absolutely right, I totally agree that we must hold organisations responsible for their failures and discriminatory attitudes. Good on you for complaining. I'm not sure if I can cope with doing so myself, the whole experience has left me with a fear of being disbelieved. Yes, I'll definitely let you know if I set a site up x

[Heythrop51]

Where all your issues within one health trust? I have found the one I am under now far better than the previous one.

Also does it rate to one particular area? Your profile doesn't say. Some trusts are better with some conditions than others.

Hope you are getting the treatment you need?

[pillyinkpen in reply to Heythrop51]

Two different trusts east kent nhs trust and Norfolk and Norwich university NHS trust x

[Heythrop51 in reply to pillyinkpen]

Thanks for reply. Hope we hear from Londinium at some stage.

[mikealford]

I was similar, because right side blockage none of classic symptoms. I had to take charge of my own care, the medics couldn't make the decision. When they did the bloods the trop was sky high, and it was completely blocked RAD. Medics can't be left to make decisions, it's your body- you have a certificate to prove it!

[mikealford]

Hi pillyinkpen

I had chest pain. Dialled 111. Ambulance came. Ecg normal. Crew said what do you want us to do. I said hosp. Hosp did blood. Cups of tea. Etc, then rushed to cath lab. Complete block RAD.

You have to insist.

Key words... short of breath. Jaw pain.

[pillyinkpen in reply to mikealford]

Shocking isnt it unbelievably I had another one a bout 14 months later and got the same treatment in fact the triage at the hospital shouted at me I the waiting room that they dont take previous medical history into account I was stunned ended up with 2 stents on the left this time but still nothing changes I think I must have a face that says hate me sometimes I feel like denying them access to my previous medical history and.make them start from scratch because I have PTSD and fibromyalgia they judge me from the beginning as it being a mental health issue and that's dangerous x

[mikealford]

Yes i guess peeved, is to say the least. I have to say the hosp was brilliant, but shows you have to be insistent without being rude.

Like, "is your dad there?"

[pillyinkpen in reply to mikealford]

Lol honestly I got kicked out and threatened with removal on sunday only to give in and come home my go called me on monday saying I needed to be in hospital on iv antibiotics because my bloods were really bad and i said to him but they kicked me out he was furious and is treating me at home trying to get a kidney infection under control and kidney pain hurts so bad I've been like this since November but no one seems to care makes me so sad I was a nurse for 20 years and never treated a patient like they didnt matter

[scotsrish]

I live in British Columbia, Canada. I too am female and post HA and 2 stents 5 months ago. I will never get over how they treated me and dismissed me like i was nothing because of this attitude i nearly died. I have since been back to the ER with med side effects and pain and again was ignored than dismissed and told not to come in with every little thing. The way they treat men compared to females is unforgivable and i refuse to be dismissed anymore. I am angry plus with covid we are alone when we go into the hospital. No more Mrs nice , i am determined to draw attention to this.

[Hidden]

That makes me so mad!

I was told i was having a panic attack, turned out to be pericarditis. Then again was told to calm down till they saw i had a severly enlarged right side of heart,.

Are they still being taugh that women that are in pain are hysterical?!

I hope you the best x

[scotsrish in reply to Hidden]

Sorry i am late getting back to you. Have a good listen as i did in the ER the difference in how they treat women compared to men is absolutey inexscusable. To think all these years and women are not taken seriously or treated with the same respect as men by many nurses and doctors. Shameful!

[A75-mw]

Sorry to hear you have had such a frightening experience. Just recently, someone posted that they were a paramedic and was apologising for not treating people seriously enough while working . They had a heart attack and realised how terrifying it is for patients with chest pain and felt very remorseful. I was treated rudely by some triage nurses over four years who said go to your GP for antidepressants. I have atrial fibrillation and valve disease , I knew there was something wrong. I spent all night once in a chair in A and E feeling terrible and frightened on my own .