Help.

[Bertieredcocker]

Am having numerous symptoms which seem to relate to heart disease. I have been admitted to hospital on 3 occasions with total weakness, very high BP and Pulse rate and missing heartbeats. Been told there is nothing wrong with heart. Symptoms are getting worse. I am having trouble walking any distances now and doing tasks such as vacuuming. I am getting to end of tether.

[Edwen_]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I became ill with cardiac illness a few years ago. I went to A and E a couple of times with no joy, my GP had told me there was nothing wrong with my heart. Soon afterwards I had a heart attack. The truth is that at A and E they only check if you are having a heart attack, although they can refer you to a cardiologist. You need to be very proactive. Insist on a cardiology appointment and then push to get as many tests as you can especially a CT scan. If you have a blockage in an artery it should show up, then you can have treatment. In the meantime you should be on medication for BP.

Keep badgering them until you get answers.

[Smarticus in reply to Edwen_]

Also to add, keep a diary of how you are feeling and if possible get yourself a blood presure monitor and keep a log, it helps when you see the GP to show them that something isnt quite right.

[Benzman in reply to Smarticus]

I have posted this before, but it is correct that you have to be proactive.

I had 5 stents fitted in 2016 but afterwards still felt unwell and breathless and kept collapsing resulting in 7 blue light trips to A&E over a period of 9 months. Every time A&E kept me there for several hours before telling me I was stable and could go home and with no further action. On the last occasion I was there my wife dug in and refused to take me home until something happened to find the cause. The junior doctor said that their job was to just patch me up and send me home. My wife demanded a consultant and when he came he referred me back to cardiology. The result was that I needed a sixth stent. That was in 2017 and I've been generally fine ever since.

Good luck & don't give in.

[Hidden]

I agree, often we need to be really firm with A&E or GP that something more than a patch-up is needed. A referral to a cardiologist sounds very warranted.

Once you’ve had a referral, there maybe future options of a cardio to advise A&E, if you ever end up there again. Eg I’ve had to visit A&E a few times, because Brompton heart hospital can’t take emergency admissions, but I now ask A&E to phone Brompton cardio doc for advice.

Sometimes even worth taking someone with you, who may feel more able to be very vocal on your behalf, than you may feel able to be on your own behalf.

Finally, don’t put on a brave face with the medics. They need to see us how we really are. A few times I’ve held back the tears & been stoic, and it’s hidden the issue. The time I was really at the end of my tether, in pain & crying, I think (sadly) I got taken a bit more seriously. For same reason, I no longer “wait to see if things improve”, as the Drs seem to get clearer info if I go at the height of my symptoms.