Options
Advice about chest pains
![[Deleted User]](https://w9.vanillicon.com/v2/97952a4fb0be3d8faad1ff71a51b7580.svg)
[Deleted User]
Posts: 1,628 Forum Member
✭✭✭
My gf is having chest pains that can last all day. They seem quite severe but sometimes go away.
She has made a Dr's appointment but it's not for a couple of weeks because of Xmas, and I just wonder if she should go to hospital?
It's not easy for us to get there, and I generally find NHS Direct quite useless, but do you think it's worth me ringing them?
Basically, we are taking quite a 'stiff upper lip' approach, but should we be more worried? The pains are quite bad and intense, but do go away and so are not constant, but they last for a long time when she has them.
Thanks for any advice.
She has made a Dr's appointment but it's not for a couple of weeks because of Xmas, and I just wonder if she should go to hospital?
It's not easy for us to get there, and I generally find NHS Direct quite useless, but do you think it's worth me ringing them?
Basically, we are taking quite a 'stiff upper lip' approach, but should we be more worried? The pains are quite bad and intense, but do go away and so are not constant, but they last for a long time when she has them.
Thanks for any advice.
0
Comments
I had this 3 weeks ago, it turned out that it was hypertension followed by sudden hypotension!
Chest pains are taken very seriously and she will not have to wait!
The Doctor should have advised this straight away!
How old is she, sorry to be direct?
It turned out she had gallstones..and she couldnt believe the sharp pain they caused..worse than giving birth and being in labour is how she described it..she had her gall bladder removed and has had no problems since.
NHS Direct would advise calling an ambulance in this situation, my partner worked for them until recently. All chest pains are treated equally for seriousness,
OP, just get her to A&E, better to be safe than sorry!
I can't see in the OP where they said that they spoke to a Doctor or described the symptoms when making an appointment?
It may have been wise to explain and get the triage nurse (if they have one at the practice) to call back and advise as appropriate.
There are alot of reasons for chest pain from minor things like indigestion up to serious heart problems. Its something that you should always get checked out.
How old is she? Does she have any other symptoms?
I'm concerned now, let us know how things go.
OP said that they could only getr an appointment after christmas! I would assume from that that they would have spoken to the surgery!
Never do this!
Obviously they would have spoken to the surgery as they got an appointment - it's who they spoke to which is the important bit.
If they called and asked the receptionist for an appointment without giving any further info, then a post New Year appointment is fine. If they provided details and a doctor or triage nurse was consulted, then it's another matter entirely.
Get her straight down to the hospital, they will not think you are wasting their time even if it turns out to be nothing.
Some people are so silly.
GF having chest pain. I know i'll log onto DS & ask what to do.
DOH!!!!!!!!!! Call an ambulance ASAP
It was a reasonable assumption to make!
It is also reasonable that they called to ake an appointment because of chest pains.
In terms of it depending on who they speak with, thats just pedantry. Receptionist are not just robots who only act on what is told. there will be protocols that surgeries follow, and one of those would have been to advise that they attend hospital if they are having chest pains, my partner now works at a surgery and this is VERY common practice!
And you are taking this off topic entirely!
OP get gf to hospital, end of!
I agree with the above posters. This is primarily an entertainment forum, and even qualified health professionals cannot offer reassurance over the net.
A&E now.
This done, still in pain, still hardly able to breathe, I sat on a bench and this little old boy started talking, telling of such a sad tale about his departed wife. He was such a sweetheart, so desolate, so alone and completely blind. It wasn't the 'distraction' - it was being able to listen - and actually care and be interested - was a gift, and to hold his hand and bring comfort was a joy.
It's wished this could have been under other circumstances, but it has to be said that it was also really quite funny: hearing the ambulance siren wailing in the distance and know it was coming for me! Arrived, it was to pat his hand and say, 'sorry - I had to go because my ambulance had just arrived'!!!!
The paramedics were superb - took every test available to them, but found nothing remiss, but suggested that I still went to hospital for further tests. Done, this took forever and an overnight stay. Still nothing was found. It certainly wasn't wind (as was ultimately proven after a truly frightening incident not too long ago) and didn't feel like heartburn - and it was eventually thought it was a trapped nerve...
With the more recent event, that was truly terrifying, because I couldn't move - let alone get to a telephone, and was very, very much on my own in an isolated place. All that could be done was lie down, try to breathe and try to think 'intelligently', rather than climb into the zillion worries running through my head. Not being a 'windy' person, it never entered my mind this could be the cause - so the very much prolonged belch that came forth was a great and hysterically funny relief...
Maybe there'll be something for you to laugh at - AFTER you've taken this seriously and taken her to the hospital or, if she has an attack before then, immediately calling an ambulance out to attend to her. It could well be something 'silly' - but it could also be something that should be receiving attention.
Her health is precious, and she is precious to you...
Apart from to support those telling you to seek proper and prompt medical attention, the only other advice I can give is, perhaps, the most difficult: try not to get caught up in the worry, the stress, the panic. Physiologically, these will make things much worse for her while, if you're getting involved with these, you will not be helping her.
Please, get the attention she needs and deserves NOW - and I know I'm not the only FM who's hoping the cause is nothing of importance and you can both relax and enjoy the coming holidays.
I went to the doctor when it was getting too much, all they said is that I need to cut down my caffeine intake, as i drink laods of Espresso and Nescafe (being Italian and all)
Since I posted, there has been no recurrance of the chest pains, thankfully.
I realise that the safest thing to do would be to immediately call an ambulance for chest pains, but she's been having pains like this on and off for months and I suppose we are both reluctant to treat it is an emergency now...
Just to reassure people, obviously I'm not expected a clinical diagnosis or to be told exactly what to do, I am just wondering what action others would take, which is why I'm asking the question.
Also for clarification, she just asked for a Dr's apt without explaining it was chest pains, which I suppose explains the delay.
She's 25, and a non smoker. I think if the pains come back we will go to hospital. Otherwise, she will see her GP as arranged.
I really do appreciate everyone's responses. (Maybe not so much the 'some people are so silly - DOH!' comment. If everyone rang for an ambulance every time they had pains then the emergency service wouldn't be viable at all. You don't start to fry chips and call the fire brigade incase your kitchen burns down. Or call the police because someone's nicked your snowman... Oh, wait. Was that you? Just a joke - Happy Xmas
Speaking as somone who has had 2 heart attacks, please have a look at this for advice....
http://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/symptoms.aspx?sc_id=FP-00229&utm_source=PP-Symp&utm_medium=PP-Symp&utm_campaign=PP-Symp%20071210
But similar things happened to a family member and was very reluctant to go to the hospital - always believed there was more important people. Always complaining of pains at the upper body/torso area that would come & go.
In the end, 1 day out the blue it happened again and was so bad their body starting shutting down - can't explain it exactly but was scary to witness. In the end, we didn't let them stop us ringing.
Fortunately, it turned out the phone call saved their life, as it was a stuck Gall Stone in the Pancreas and they started to suffer from Pancreastitis. However, we didn't know this at 1st and took the medics about 12 hours to find this, but was able to control the pain with medication and now on a waiting list to have their Gall Bladder removed as the severity of the condition last time it occured.
They told us, it was an Gall Stone attack that occured on the day, but as it had become stuck and dislodged some time ago this was causing the earlier pains.
IMO, it would be best to go into an drop in centre and see what they suggest.
She seems to have at least some pain more or less every day now, so next time she gets the pains we are going straight to the hospital.
Everyone is right, and it really is better to be safe than sorry.
Thanks.
Keep us all posted