Heart problems and GP

I agree Sarnia.I take Edoxaban as a blood thinner but need flecainide twice daily for AF.

Luckygirl3

Send me this young trainee! I am at a loss with all this, but ploughing on somehow.

She was amazing. Listened to me, lifted the phone, said I am going to get into trouble for this and phoned the Professor directly on his mobile.
She caught him walking to a clinic and he said he had five minutes to listen.
He gave her advice on the spot and asked her to call his secretary to explain more fully.
She actually saved my life.

Pri1

I think this is awful from your GP. You need further investigations. It could be atrial fibrillation. Get another appointment with a different Doctor. Don’t wait.

This, in spades!

I am a GP and I am upset by the actions of my " colleague " ( even though I have no idea who or where they are , of course)
Go back ,insist on seeing someone else.
You need a proper ECG , probably at least a 24h tape , blood tests , BP monitor and possibly chest xray and an ECHO scan of your heart.
In the meantime cut down on caffeine.
Be firm.
I'm 68 and still working as a GP so you are definitely not considered old at my practice!

Absolutely disgusting behaviour from a GP. I suggest you go to your practice and tell them as a complaint and say you want to see a different Dr

I was nearly crying with frustration last week.
At the end of August I collapsed on the tennis court and was taken to hospital by Ambulance.
Had all sorts of tests and was pronounced very healthy.
I had to go back a few days later and have more tests. Again I seemed fine but had to return the following week to pick up an ECG machine that I had to wear for 24hours.
Turns out I have a problem but I am not sure quite what!
I have been given a prescription and am now taking A pill every day.
I am supposed to have an echocardiogram but after waiting now for about a month for an appointment I thought I’d start contacting my GP.
They weren’t interested, I had to go through the hospital.
They eventually told me that it would be about 4 months before I got an appointment.
When I suggested having it done privately I was told that the consultant wasn’t prepared to look at a private result.
Tomorrow I have a private appointment with a cardiologist. Not for the echocardiogram but just for a chat.
£250.
The 4 month wait may be quite reasonable, I may not need to be concerned but I need reassurance.
As someone who knows nothing about heart conditions I have been worrying for weeks and think my £250 will be well spent.

My Dad walked to his Gp surgery to order a repeat prescription one day.
He must have looked a bit off as they took his pulse: 35!
Straight to hospital and had a CRT device (pacemaker) fitted.
He was 87 at the time and is still going strong at 93.

You are far too young to be written off Notagranyet24!!

Just a quick up date on my ‘journey’ - I’ve seen the private cardiologist and he explained the information in the letter that the A&E Dr. had not made clear.
He told me to have a cholesterol test which I had at the Surgery. I had a reading of 5.7 the pharmacist rang me and told me that I could try and bring that down by changing my diet or by taking statins.
I will try the diet first but as I seem to be following the guidelines anyway I am not hopeful.
Am having another ECG and an echocardiogram tomorrow privately. In total I will have spent £725. No Christmas presents this year!
Good luck to all of us.

PamelaJ1 I can relate to your story. Like you I have paid more than £700 for an echocardiogram and a consultation with a cardiologist. My GP refused to even refer me for an echo, giving me the impression I didn't need it, but when I looked at my notes on the NHS App, she had put that she hadn't referred me "because the service is overwhelmed"

I have 3 friends who have had "silent heart attacks" which were only discovered further down the line, one friend actually dying and the 2 others nearly dying before being given stents or a pacemaker. My own heart episodes pointed to my possibly having had the same and I was getting nowhere with the NHS.

The private cardiologist diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation and SVT and wrote to my GP recommending a beta blocker and a blood thinner which he prescribed. I have had more advice and help to get these medications tweaked from the British Heart Foundation who offer a free consultation with a cardiac nurse.

I pushed for a referral to an NHS cardiologist but there are no appointments even for next year. I have also been referred to the Lipid Clinic because my cholesterol is astonishingly high (8.4) for no reason as I have other health conditions which mean I eat a very restricted low fat diet. GP thinks my high cholesterol is genetic but both parents died many years ago and were never tested. Meanwhile I have put myself on Plant Sterols to reduce it and it has gone down to 7.2 in 2 months, so I will stick with those for the time being rather than take statins.

At the moment I have Shingles so am battling with that.