Bloods and ECG ok but feeling fatigue... - British Heart Fou...

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Bloods and ECG ok but feeling fatigued and have pain in left chest area

Blondie567 profile image
18 Replies

Just been to the A and E. Have been feeling fatigued, dizziness, and pain in my left side of my chest with feeling hot and sweaty and brain fog.

ECG and blood work are perfect. And felt like a liar especially when the doctor at A and E asked me if i had been Googling my symptoms.

I am out of breath doing the most basic function and am concerned.

Can anyone please advise me

Thanks so much

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Blondie567 profile image
Blondie567
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18 Replies
Albenol profile image
Albenol

Hi Blondie567,I'm sorry to hear about your plight, my chest/throat pains were attributed to anxiety, thankfully I persisted at my doctors and was sent for a echo cardiogram, that showed nothing but I was offered a stress echocardiogram which lead to an angiogram which lead me to being diagnosed with coronary heart disease and a quad bypass. Try not to worry, a number of your symptoms could be caused by anxiety but go back to your doctors and emphasise your concerns. Good luck 👍

Blondie567 profile image
Blondie567 in reply to Albenol

Thanks for replying, I do appreciate it. I did forget to mention that i had a heart attack a few months ago and haven’t felt well since. Appreciate your advice. All the very best to you

bee_bear profile image
bee_bear

I'm so sorry you had this experience. You absolutely did the right thing going to A&E.

This is something that's been drummed into me the past couple of months. Since my NSTEMI heart attack and stent a few months ago I've been experiencing angina so severe that I've been sent to A&E.

Each time my bloods and ECG were ok. Each time I felt like an idiot wasting everyone's time, to the point that last time I had severe angina that GTN wouldn't ease, I refused to go to A&E - until I was dragged there by family, on the advice of my cardiac nurse, because despite me pretending I was fine, I couldn't walk unaided, BP through the roof & obviously in pain that GTN didn't help. Still, bloods & ECG fine. I do now have a diagnosis of microvascular angina from my cardiologist & my attacks are not as severe or often on my new drug regime.

After my GP gave me a stern talking to yesterday, I'll go to A&E without fuss from now on and try my hardest not to feel like I'm wasting everyone's time. As she said yesterday, the one day I don't go, could just be the day I really needed to go and that's why A&E exists.

It's important you talk this through with your GP to start the process of working out why you had that experience.

I wish you all the best.

annpavitt250448 profile image
annpavitt250448 in reply to bee_bear

I know how you feel about you are wasting everybody's time if you end up in A&E after having an angina attack that g.n.t. Spray doesn't help, after 3 doses. That's how I felt last Sunday when I ended up in A&E. Assured by doctor I had done the right thing although like you e.c.g and bloods were fine. Like I put in my post always obey the rules of 3 and if that doesn't ease your symptoms phone 999

Philosment profile image
Philosment in reply to annpavitt250448

Hi, could you elaborate on the ‘rules of 3’ please? I have not come across this term before, thanks, PhilO

annpavitt250448 profile image
annpavitt250448 in reply to Philosment

If you have an angina attack, take 1 or 2 puffs of your g.n.t. spray, wait 5 minutes and if it hasn't resolved repeat, wait 5 more minutes again if angina hasn't eased use the g.n.t spray again and if that still hasn't helped call 999. Don't think you are wasting A&E time if bloods, e. c g come back normal as I have been assured by A&E docs its better to be safe than sorry.

Philosment profile image
Philosment in reply to annpavitt250448

My thanks - I had come across this advice before but not expressed in this way. 😊👍

Turnipgirl profile image
Turnipgirl in reply to annpavitt250448

A and e would rather you see them and have a false alarm than not go at all and it be too late!

annpavitt250448 profile image
annpavitt250448 in reply to Turnipgirl

At least we have a good reason to go to A&E if we have chest pains. Work as a volunteer in the help desk in outpatients at our local hospital and you get folks coming in, looking for A&E , sometimes for very trivial things. I suspect because they can't get a G.P. appointment.

Turnipgirl profile image
Turnipgirl in reply to annpavitt250448

Back in 2017 I had blood clots in the lungs and I had walked into a and e seriously ill as I genuinely needed to be there!

My friends asked me how did you walk into a and e seriously ill?

annpavitt250448 profile image
annpavitt250448 in reply to Turnipgirl

We used to have a walk in centre in the place I live, till the powers to be closed it to save money. Now everyone who could go there just goes to A&E instead of they can't get a G.P. Appointment. We do have a GP. , nurse practitioner led minor injuries department, which I ended up at last year when I broke my humerous bone. Judging from last week goodness knows how they are going to cope when winter really sets in.

Yumz199725 profile image
Yumz199725

Sorry to hear they weren't exactly understanding. Feeling like that isn't nice. Is this the first time you have felt like this?? Good that your blood work and ecg came back fine. Have you been to doctors about how you been feeling?? 🤔.

Blondie567 profile image
Blondie567 in reply to Yumz199725

Hey Yuma, thanks for your reply, i have been to the A and E on numerous occasions with the same complaint. Sometimes they find ‘crackles ‘ on my lungs, sometimes nothing.

I know that i am not a hypochondriac, but made to feel like one. When i went in July, i waited 7 hours only to be told that if i had been having an actual heart attack i would be seen and attended to but as this was classed as a minor issue, i was discharged.

Still waiting for my 2nd consultation with a cardiologist (heart attack in March).

Feel like they are putting me through the procedure but not listening

Yumz199725 profile image
Yumz199725 in reply to Blondie567

Yeah it does sound like there treating you like your waisting there time 💔😞. And your definitely not!! Sorry your been made to feel like that! I hope your not waiting too long for your appointment with cardiologist. If they here crackles on your lungs why don't they investigate further?? I feel like they are not equipped to deal with people with complex heart issues at A&E they either don't know what there dealing with or they say that you should contact your heart team 😐🙄😶😑.

DWizza profile image
DWizza

Do you know what your trop score was from the blood tests? When I had Nstemi the ambulance crew hooked me up to the ECG and said my heart was fine . They insisted that I go into hospital to have blood work done. I also felt a fraud , I felt fine , looked extremely fit , was in vest & shorts from a yoga class . I’m glad the medical team decided to do a second blood test while I was there , the doc thought it was an insignificant reading but decided to do a another. Even though that meant I was waiting in the horrible, busy corridor of A& E from 13:00-23:15🤦🏼. First test came back 74 second one 402. Everyone was shocked and I ended up with a quadruple bypass 8 days later.

mesally profile image
mesally

This mirrors my experience! If you look fit and nothing is showing on the first tests you don't fit the profile! The blood test shows the real problem

Wanderinglady profile image
Wanderinglady

I spent years being told my symptoms were due to anxiety. Eventually I saw a paramedic at my surgery who listened. I. Was sent to see a cardiac nurse specialist who requested an angiogram. It was only then that I was diagnosed with MVD. It only took 30 years to get the diagnosis!! I was fortunate that my local hospital has the right equipment ant the dr who did the test has a special interest in the problem. Look on the INOCA website and see if there is a specialist in your area. You need to be given a provocation angio to find out what’s going on. Don’t give up, you will get answers in the end.

fishonabike profile image
fishonabike

i support what Wanderinglady says - check out the info and see your GP - INOCA is increasingly being recognised as a cause of chetspain (particularly in women) but it is not widely understood or known about - the prevailing model of chest pain always being caused by blockage is very dominant and health services have not yet accepted that there are alternatives which affect more women than men

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