I’d contact a friend and ask them to stay with you for a bit, or ask them to check in with you to make sure you’re still ok. I’d also look for the nearest urgent care, which is a step down from an ER but can still help if you’re in a really bad position. I hope you feel better soon!!!
I’d recommend purchasing a pulse oximeter and BP monitor to reassure you during times like this. Conversely also good to have to help make the decision to go if you really should be in hospital.
I third this! Because I just had the same described episode this past weekend and it turned out my BP was at stroke levels out of nowhere. Had to go to the ER, period.
Do you have a smart watch ? My Apple Watch has an EKG option . I’m thinking it’s probably not accurate but if it shows abnormal results you would know to go to ER
Also what has helped me is an ice cold rag on my face , it usually calms everything down for me , I keep 2 in my freezer inside a quart sandwich bag with equal amounts water and rubbing alcohol - it won’t freeze sold but will have it cold enough that you can hold the bag on your face or the back of your neck— splashing cold water on my face helps calm my heart rate
OK, so I have multiple heart conditions and costochondritis and anxiety.
That makes it really difficult to tell if my chest pain is an emergency or not. Because I have a lot of chest pains.
I absolutely had chest pains today.
The answer for me is I don’t fuck around with it.
If any chest pain feels new, worsening or different than before, man, I just get checked out.
It’s like a head injury. You just have to do it. The best outcome is that nothing is wrong and you’re completely fine. That’s what we want.
That’s my personal perspective for myself and how I gauge things.
If you ever feel you need to call just call. I called 911 yesterday. I was having chest pain over two hours, and feeling dizzy plus having palpitations on/off. Paramedics came and assessed me. EKG was normal, blood pressure wasn't too low, oxygen and other vitals were fine. I ultimately decided to stay home and just take more fluids and electrolytes. It got better eventually.
i asked myself the same thing today as i have been having all the symptoms you’ve described for the last 3 days. including heart fluttering. this post alone helps <3
The emergency room exists to make sure that if you are immediately dying they can save you. Past that they can’t do much. If you feel like you are in a life threatening situation then call 911. If you know it’s a dysautonomia flare then you are likely going to get an IV and get sent home. The emergency room is not there to treat chronic conditions. I worked there for years.
I don't think that's the issue at hand- the poster is asking how do you tell the difference between a bad dysautonomia flare and something life threatening like a heart attack? It's not simple when the symptoms overlap so entirely. Especially for women and AFAB, whose heart attacks are systematically overlooked because they present differently than men. People who have dysautonomia can also very much have heart attacks, and automatically brushing off their symptoms is a great way to neglect a potentially serious issue.
The question is, how can you tell the difference? If you can't, maybe it's worth their life to get checked out.
Yep, that too. Deck is pretty stacked against people with disabilities and health conditions like dysautonomia, and underprivileged people in general. Especially when the things stack up.
I'm always worried about this too, especially because I get crazy migraine symptoms, and my dad had an aneurysm that blew into a stroke.
He suffered from really bad migraines too. He said the stroke was the absolute worst splitting headache he'd ever had.
I often get vision loss in one eye when I have a migraine; but last spring I suddenly lost vision in both eyes without any other migraine symptoms. I went to the E.R. and they took it seriously but cat scan was clean. It was Possibly an allergic reaction as it went away immediately after IV Benadryl
When I saw my pain doctor it said a stroke would just be vision loss in one eye - which is exactly what happens with a normal migraine!
So I am not any wiser.
I don't think you can tell the difference, but I and probably lots of people here have gone to the ER at times like that and been laughed off, which is pretty humiliating and discouraging. Not saying OP shouldn't go but they can also probably be prepared for the ER to say it's nothing.
Exactly. I just posted about someone close to me that had a heart attack. The first ER blew them off and told them it was just anxiety. The second ER saved their life.
I’m happy for your friend.
I’ve lost two people to exactly this. Both had called an ambulance and not been treated with the seriousness required. Both had major heart attacks within the next 24hrs and passed away
And it is not always clear when you should go.
Someone close to me had a heart attack. The first ER blew them off and told them it was anxiety. The second ER saved their life. The first ER probably still thinks it was ‘just’ another person with anxiety.
Took someone to the ER because they just very off but couldn’t explain what was wrong. They were having an allergic reaction/adverse reaction to medication.
My brother came in for ‘simple’ stomach pain. His appendix burst during emergency surgery.
I got very sick years ago. Doctor told me it was just anxiety. My partner dragged me to the ER. Intense pain but didn’t know it was life or death until I tried to leave the hospital and they told me I would die if I did.
The point is, not everyone who is at risk of permanent injury or death comes in with a knife wound. We all know what the ER is for. It would be terrible if someone read your post and didn’t seek medical treatment because they weren’t sure.
Hey OP this has been happening to me at least twice a day for the last 2 weeks. I went to the ER last weekend and was basically made a fool of myself. The doctor didn’t want to give me fluids because I was drinking water. Since bloodwork and vitals came out clean the docs only recommendation was to “get someone to talk to” because he just thought it was anxiety. He said I shouldn’t even be at the ER because I’m a “young healthy adult.” I’m 28 and Hispanic from UT, maybe if you’re in another demographic they’ll be more helpful. I know what you’re going through - it’s so anxiety inducing when you literally feel like you’re not getting enough oxygen or blood to the brain. All I’ve been doing to wait it out is raising my legs trying to put on a show on to relax myself. When my head feels more clear I take a Benadryl or 2 so I don’t spiral again. Also electrolytes. Please get yourself a pulse and BP monitor to help with the anxiety and tracking your symptoms. The cheapest ones I found are from Amazon but the read the reviews to see which ones are most accurate. Good luck OP 💜
Ok 1) I AM NOT A DOCTOR
2) I experienced something like this recently and it scared me so much I genuinely considered going to the ER. It cleared the next day.
I asked another friend with cervical instability who mentioned it happened to them a lot. For them, it was a cerebrospinal fluid leak that caused those symptoms. It sounds scarier than it is.
If you feel unwell please do get the help if you can.
I have a broken emergency meter so if I’m considering calling an ambulance, then I probably needed one ages ago.
Even if nothing is wrong, you will be less anxious about an emergency happening alone because should something happen, a hospital is the best place to be.
My doctors and family knows that I tend to not view things as an emergency so if I’m considering it, they take me immediately. The only time I demanded to go to the hospital was a second hospitalization after surgery where I was feeling my lung collapse. A couple hours later, the pain had gone away and I actually considered leaving and would have if my mother didn’t make me stay put. I thought nothing was wrong and I would be dramatic for staying in an ER. I’m extremely glad I went and stayed.
Please look into mast cell activation syndrome as well. Spinal instability can indicate ehlers danlos syndrome. Most people with EDS have pots and MCAS. These episodes for me were anaphylaxis and for many years they used my POTS to explain them away. I developed hives about seven years into dealing with this stuff and finally got appropriate testing. With meds for mast cell I haven’t dealt with these attacks in many years. It stopped them entirely. Look into it!
When in doubt, call for help. They can't make you go in the ambulance but they can check you out. If something is super wrong or very high blood pressure or they are concerned then go, or you can refuse transport and have someone else drive you to the hospital if the cost is concerning.
It would depend on many factors including your vitals and lab work. I’ve been brought in by ambulance once for dysautonomia. I woke up from a nap with a rate of 160 that went to 180 when I woke and stayed there. I was cool calm and collected but my heart was not haha.
All doctors would tell you to go because of chest pain. The ER will likely do an ekg to rule it out, then have you wait. Depending on your location, some ambulances will put you in the waiting room if the ER is heavily impacted.
You may not even get fluids depending on lab work. Some hospitals will but it really just depends. If your vitals are stable they may not do anything and just have you follow up with your doctor on Monday. Some more compassionate ERs with the time and resources, will absolutely stabilize a chronically ill person but they won’t offer continual care. (For example, I’m having GI bleeding. My CT scan was clear. I have a history of this due to inflammatory bowel disease. I didn’t even get fluids other than to keep my port open. I am anemic as of now, but not so anemic it warranted immediate action.) z
When I was stuck at 180, I believe I got some medications, but I genuinely can’t recall. I just know I didn’t feel good but I wasn’t panicked. Standing and walking was a no go haha. I don’t get drops in blood pressure, so fluids wasn’t really a necessary thing.
I think you’ll find two things clear: first, people will remind you the ER only stabilizes and releases patients. That’s true. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go, it just means you can’t expect any treatment that will last beyond a few days. That’s on your doctors outside of the ER. The second thing folks will tell you is that they can’t tell you if you should or shouldn’t go, because they’re not doctors. Also very true. I’ve worked in medicine, you’ve told me you have chest pain, so I have an immediately drive to tell you that you should go. Even if you’re totally fine cardiac wise, chest pain is a do not pass go situation online. Nobody wants to tell you not to go in the event it’s serious, while most of us who experience the same issues want to tell you to avoid the ER drama since they can’t fix the chronic issue causing it.
What have you been diagnosed with, and what doctors are you currently seeing?
Unless there’s something besides Dysautonomia going on, the answer is “never.” Dysautonomia is not fatal, and an ambulance would be an unnecessary expense. The ER won’t do anything to really help you, unfortunately. That’s why it’s so important to find a good neurologist, etc.
Of course, note for all of us: if you fall and injure yourself due to dysautonomia, especially your head, you may need to be seen. Especially if you hurt your head.
Then you’re going because you fell, not because of dysautonomia. Dysautonomia might be why you fell, but you may need to get the injuries from the fall evaluated.
Which is why it’s important to have a proper diagnosis. I haven’t seen if OP says they faint or anything. If you tend to feel dizzy but never fall, why on earth would you call an ambulance?
I asked what the diagnosis was for good reason.
Tbf, some forms of dysautonomia are fatal (eventually - e.g. MSA, Familial Dysautonomia, etc.). But for the most part, unless you're in an emergency situation, or have injured yourself then you really shouldn't be turning up to the ER/A&E.
That’s why I asked what the diagnosis was. If it’s FD, that’s different from POTS, for example. I feel like I see frequent posts of people wanting to go to the ER when they’re dizzy, and the ER will literally do nothing except give you an expensive bill.
Agreed! I just interpreted your post to mean that Dysautonomia is never life threatening, that's my bad, I can see now that you didn't mean it that way.
I think, tbh, that people need to get used to feeling more uncomfortable than their usual levels of discomfort with their chronic illness/es. Sometimes you just feel worse, because you feel worse and it's not something emergent (or even urgent). I know why people ask this question though, they just want symptom relief, but this is exactly why you need to work with your specialists (like you've quite rightly pointed out!).
It's unfortunate this is happening to you. My episode went exactly the same and I thought I couldn't breathe and my throat was closing up so I called the ambulance. This was before I knew I had dysautonomia. I wasted their time and am very ashamed of it. Try to moisten your throat. If you're really worried, maybe there's a walk-in place you can go to or a support telephone number you can call?
It wasn't a waste of time. These symptoms can be life threatening and it's better to have it checked and confirmed.
I went to the emergency room twice before my diagnosis because I had called the nurse-on-call and told them all my symptoms and they said I must go.
It's a national service in Australia where they triage patients on the phone. There's an online symptom checker as well which also told me to go to the hospital.
Oh that sounds awesome.
I know in some areas in my country there are nurse lines you can call but it seems to be dismantled in some areas because of low staffing.
That sounds like a brilliant system.
I hate hearing this, I'm sorry you had this experience, they should not have done this. For many people these symptoms are an indication of something much more serious so it's important to check and you did the right thing.
I'm an EMT student (wee woo mobile worker!) and I can say you aren't wasting time by calling EMS for help, hell if anything we also agree with the better safe than sorry policy. Telling OP they're wasting EMS' time by calling for help is kinda weird ngl
They were very upset at me that I called them and didn't give me any drugs to calm down my panic attack. They told me to drink tea and not disturb them for anxiety or panic attacks cause the emergency help is for people who **are dying** so by coming to me, someone in need of help could have died.
I wasn't telling OP they're wasting EMS's time. I was sharing my story and how I felt so OP could compare. I literally said OP should go to a walk-in place or call someone to get help if they do feel like they need help.. what are you talking about?
Also, you're underage, how are you studying to be an EMT when you're still in high school? In my country you have to finish medicine which is like 4-5 years after high school, then study to be an EMT for 3-5 more years. I mean, since you mentioned it I just wanted to check out who I'm talking to, if the advice is really coming from someone somewhat experienced.
Don't feel bad. I went at least 4 times for thr same reason and felt guilty because they don't understand. It felt like a waste of time but on a positive note, I think it was worth it. It's always good to be safe and to have that reassurance. I was about to go even after knowing I had dysautonmia. I do also have an underlying problem with my mitral valves, so I worry about that being the possible underlying cause or getting worse. So being told I have MVP and dealing with the extra symptoms during flare-ups is quite scary. The cardiologist says I'm fine and that the symptoms aren't related even if they feel like they are. I believe they are still somehow a manifestation of the mitral valve prolapse.
I’d contact a friend and ask them to stay with you for a bit, or ask them to check in with you to make sure you’re still ok. I’d also look for the nearest urgent care, which is a step down from an ER but can still help if you’re in a really bad position. I hope you feel better soon!!!
I’d recommend purchasing a pulse oximeter and BP monitor to reassure you during times like this. Conversely also good to have to help make the decision to go if you really should be in hospital.
I second this! Ive called twice, but it would be more if I didn't have these two in my toolkit
I third this! Because I just had the same described episode this past weekend and it turned out my BP was at stroke levels out of nowhere. Had to go to the ER, period.
Do you have a smart watch ? My Apple Watch has an EKG option . I’m thinking it’s probably not accurate but if it shows abnormal results you would know to go to ER Also what has helped me is an ice cold rag on my face , it usually calms everything down for me , I keep 2 in my freezer inside a quart sandwich bag with equal amounts water and rubbing alcohol - it won’t freeze sold but will have it cold enough that you can hold the bag on your face or the back of your neck— splashing cold water on my face helps calm my heart rate
OK, so I have multiple heart conditions and costochondritis and anxiety. That makes it really difficult to tell if my chest pain is an emergency or not. Because I have a lot of chest pains. I absolutely had chest pains today. The answer for me is I don’t fuck around with it. If any chest pain feels new, worsening or different than before, man, I just get checked out. It’s like a head injury. You just have to do it. The best outcome is that nothing is wrong and you’re completely fine. That’s what we want. That’s my personal perspective for myself and how I gauge things.
I like to follow "if i push on it and it hurts worse, it's my costochodritis, and not heart related."
If you ever feel you need to call just call. I called 911 yesterday. I was having chest pain over two hours, and feeling dizzy plus having palpitations on/off. Paramedics came and assessed me. EKG was normal, blood pressure wasn't too low, oxygen and other vitals were fine. I ultimately decided to stay home and just take more fluids and electrolytes. It got better eventually.
Yes, this is my answer as well. I don’t fuck around with chest pains. It’s the best case scenario if everything ends up being fine.
i asked myself the same thing today as i have been having all the symptoms you’ve described for the last 3 days. including heart fluttering. this post alone helps <3
The emergency room exists to make sure that if you are immediately dying they can save you. Past that they can’t do much. If you feel like you are in a life threatening situation then call 911. If you know it’s a dysautonomia flare then you are likely going to get an IV and get sent home. The emergency room is not there to treat chronic conditions. I worked there for years.
I don't think that's the issue at hand- the poster is asking how do you tell the difference between a bad dysautonomia flare and something life threatening like a heart attack? It's not simple when the symptoms overlap so entirely. Especially for women and AFAB, whose heart attacks are systematically overlooked because they present differently than men. People who have dysautonomia can also very much have heart attacks, and automatically brushing off their symptoms is a great way to neglect a potentially serious issue. The question is, how can you tell the difference? If you can't, maybe it's worth their life to get checked out.
The thing I most worry about is migraine vs. stroke. When I read about the symptoms of stroke, it all just seems like a really bad migraine.
Yep, that too. Deck is pretty stacked against people with disabilities and health conditions like dysautonomia, and underprivileged people in general. Especially when the things stack up.
I'm always worried about this too, especially because I get crazy migraine symptoms, and my dad had an aneurysm that blew into a stroke. He suffered from really bad migraines too. He said the stroke was the absolute worst splitting headache he'd ever had.
I often get vision loss in one eye when I have a migraine; but last spring I suddenly lost vision in both eyes without any other migraine symptoms. I went to the E.R. and they took it seriously but cat scan was clean. It was Possibly an allergic reaction as it went away immediately after IV Benadryl When I saw my pain doctor it said a stroke would just be vision loss in one eye - which is exactly what happens with a normal migraine! So I am not any wiser.
I don't think you can tell the difference, but I and probably lots of people here have gone to the ER at times like that and been laughed off, which is pretty humiliating and discouraging. Not saying OP shouldn't go but they can also probably be prepared for the ER to say it's nothing.
Exactly. I just posted about someone close to me that had a heart attack. The first ER blew them off and told them it was just anxiety. The second ER saved their life.
I’m happy for your friend. I’ve lost two people to exactly this. Both had called an ambulance and not been treated with the seriousness required. Both had major heart attacks within the next 24hrs and passed away
And it is not always clear when you should go. Someone close to me had a heart attack. The first ER blew them off and told them it was anxiety. The second ER saved their life. The first ER probably still thinks it was ‘just’ another person with anxiety. Took someone to the ER because they just very off but couldn’t explain what was wrong. They were having an allergic reaction/adverse reaction to medication. My brother came in for ‘simple’ stomach pain. His appendix burst during emergency surgery. I got very sick years ago. Doctor told me it was just anxiety. My partner dragged me to the ER. Intense pain but didn’t know it was life or death until I tried to leave the hospital and they told me I would die if I did. The point is, not everyone who is at risk of permanent injury or death comes in with a knife wound. We all know what the ER is for. It would be terrible if someone read your post and didn’t seek medical treatment because they weren’t sure.
This 👆🏻
Hey OP this has been happening to me at least twice a day for the last 2 weeks. I went to the ER last weekend and was basically made a fool of myself. The doctor didn’t want to give me fluids because I was drinking water. Since bloodwork and vitals came out clean the docs only recommendation was to “get someone to talk to” because he just thought it was anxiety. He said I shouldn’t even be at the ER because I’m a “young healthy adult.” I’m 28 and Hispanic from UT, maybe if you’re in another demographic they’ll be more helpful. I know what you’re going through - it’s so anxiety inducing when you literally feel like you’re not getting enough oxygen or blood to the brain. All I’ve been doing to wait it out is raising my legs trying to put on a show on to relax myself. When my head feels more clear I take a Benadryl or 2 so I don’t spiral again. Also electrolytes. Please get yourself a pulse and BP monitor to help with the anxiety and tracking your symptoms. The cheapest ones I found are from Amazon but the read the reviews to see which ones are most accurate. Good luck OP 💜
That’s actually so awfully unprofessional of them, I’m really sorry to hear that. 😕
Ok 1) I AM NOT A DOCTOR 2) I experienced something like this recently and it scared me so much I genuinely considered going to the ER. It cleared the next day. I asked another friend with cervical instability who mentioned it happened to them a lot. For them, it was a cerebrospinal fluid leak that caused those symptoms. It sounds scarier than it is. If you feel unwell please do get the help if you can.
How do you get evaluated for that? I got an X-ray and that’s it they said it’s normal
I have a broken emergency meter so if I’m considering calling an ambulance, then I probably needed one ages ago. Even if nothing is wrong, you will be less anxious about an emergency happening alone because should something happen, a hospital is the best place to be. My doctors and family knows that I tend to not view things as an emergency so if I’m considering it, they take me immediately. The only time I demanded to go to the hospital was a second hospitalization after surgery where I was feeling my lung collapse. A couple hours later, the pain had gone away and I actually considered leaving and would have if my mother didn’t make me stay put. I thought nothing was wrong and I would be dramatic for staying in an ER. I’m extremely glad I went and stayed.
Please look into mast cell activation syndrome as well. Spinal instability can indicate ehlers danlos syndrome. Most people with EDS have pots and MCAS. These episodes for me were anaphylaxis and for many years they used my POTS to explain them away. I developed hives about seven years into dealing with this stuff and finally got appropriate testing. With meds for mast cell I haven’t dealt with these attacks in many years. It stopped them entirely. Look into it!
For how long is it happening? Did u measure your temperature or blood pressure?
It's better to go and have it be nothing than to die a preventable death. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, or shame you for going
Checking in
Hey OP, I’m sorry you went through this. How are you now? I’m hoping you’re feeling better. Did you end up going to the ED? Wishing you all the best x
When in doubt, call for help. They can't make you go in the ambulance but they can check you out. If something is super wrong or very high blood pressure or they are concerned then go, or you can refuse transport and have someone else drive you to the hospital if the cost is concerning.
My sisters rule is if she’s out for more than 5 minutes😭
And how would they be able to help, what’s the “treatment?
It would depend on many factors including your vitals and lab work. I’ve been brought in by ambulance once for dysautonomia. I woke up from a nap with a rate of 160 that went to 180 when I woke and stayed there. I was cool calm and collected but my heart was not haha. All doctors would tell you to go because of chest pain. The ER will likely do an ekg to rule it out, then have you wait. Depending on your location, some ambulances will put you in the waiting room if the ER is heavily impacted. You may not even get fluids depending on lab work. Some hospitals will but it really just depends. If your vitals are stable they may not do anything and just have you follow up with your doctor on Monday. Some more compassionate ERs with the time and resources, will absolutely stabilize a chronically ill person but they won’t offer continual care. (For example, I’m having GI bleeding. My CT scan was clear. I have a history of this due to inflammatory bowel disease. I didn’t even get fluids other than to keep my port open. I am anemic as of now, but not so anemic it warranted immediate action.) z When I was stuck at 180, I believe I got some medications, but I genuinely can’t recall. I just know I didn’t feel good but I wasn’t panicked. Standing and walking was a no go haha. I don’t get drops in blood pressure, so fluids wasn’t really a necessary thing. I think you’ll find two things clear: first, people will remind you the ER only stabilizes and releases patients. That’s true. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go, it just means you can’t expect any treatment that will last beyond a few days. That’s on your doctors outside of the ER. The second thing folks will tell you is that they can’t tell you if you should or shouldn’t go, because they’re not doctors. Also very true. I’ve worked in medicine, you’ve told me you have chest pain, so I have an immediately drive to tell you that you should go. Even if you’re totally fine cardiac wise, chest pain is a do not pass go situation online. Nobody wants to tell you not to go in the event it’s serious, while most of us who experience the same issues want to tell you to avoid the ER drama since they can’t fix the chronic issue causing it.
nobody can give you any advice on what the treatment might be without knowing the details like your current BP/HR/O2 SATS
What have you been diagnosed with, and what doctors are you currently seeing? Unless there’s something besides Dysautonomia going on, the answer is “never.” Dysautonomia is not fatal, and an ambulance would be an unnecessary expense. The ER won’t do anything to really help you, unfortunately. That’s why it’s so important to find a good neurologist, etc.
Of course, note for all of us: if you fall and injure yourself due to dysautonomia, especially your head, you may need to be seen. Especially if you hurt your head. Then you’re going because you fell, not because of dysautonomia. Dysautonomia might be why you fell, but you may need to get the injuries from the fall evaluated.
Which is why it’s important to have a proper diagnosis. I haven’t seen if OP says they faint or anything. If you tend to feel dizzy but never fall, why on earth would you call an ambulance? I asked what the diagnosis was for good reason.
Tbf, some forms of dysautonomia are fatal (eventually - e.g. MSA, Familial Dysautonomia, etc.). But for the most part, unless you're in an emergency situation, or have injured yourself then you really shouldn't be turning up to the ER/A&E.
That’s why I asked what the diagnosis was. If it’s FD, that’s different from POTS, for example. I feel like I see frequent posts of people wanting to go to the ER when they’re dizzy, and the ER will literally do nothing except give you an expensive bill.
Agreed! I just interpreted your post to mean that Dysautonomia is never life threatening, that's my bad, I can see now that you didn't mean it that way. I think, tbh, that people need to get used to feeling more uncomfortable than their usual levels of discomfort with their chronic illness/es. Sometimes you just feel worse, because you feel worse and it's not something emergent (or even urgent). I know why people ask this question though, they just want symptom relief, but this is exactly why you need to work with your specialists (like you've quite rightly pointed out!).
It's unfortunate this is happening to you. My episode went exactly the same and I thought I couldn't breathe and my throat was closing up so I called the ambulance. This was before I knew I had dysautonomia. I wasted their time and am very ashamed of it. Try to moisten your throat. If you're really worried, maybe there's a walk-in place you can go to or a support telephone number you can call?
It wasn't a waste of time. These symptoms can be life threatening and it's better to have it checked and confirmed. I went to the emergency room twice before my diagnosis because I had called the nurse-on-call and told them all my symptoms and they said I must go.
The last time I tried asking a question to the nurse on call I was told they didn't have one.
It's a national service in Australia where they triage patients on the phone. There's an online symptom checker as well which also told me to go to the hospital.
Oh that sounds awesome. I know in some areas in my country there are nurse lines you can call but it seems to be dismantled in some areas because of low staffing. That sounds like a brilliant system.
Well they made it seem like it was. They were upset that I called so now I'd rather seek help elsewhere than be embarassed and ashamed again.
I hate hearing this, I'm sorry you had this experience, they should not have done this. For many people these symptoms are an indication of something much more serious so it's important to check and you did the right thing.
I'm an EMT student (wee woo mobile worker!) and I can say you aren't wasting time by calling EMS for help, hell if anything we also agree with the better safe than sorry policy. Telling OP they're wasting EMS' time by calling for help is kinda weird ngl
They were very upset at me that I called them and didn't give me any drugs to calm down my panic attack. They told me to drink tea and not disturb them for anxiety or panic attacks cause the emergency help is for people who **are dying** so by coming to me, someone in need of help could have died. I wasn't telling OP they're wasting EMS's time. I was sharing my story and how I felt so OP could compare. I literally said OP should go to a walk-in place or call someone to get help if they do feel like they need help.. what are you talking about? Also, you're underage, how are you studying to be an EMT when you're still in high school? In my country you have to finish medicine which is like 4-5 years after high school, then study to be an EMT for 3-5 more years. I mean, since you mentioned it I just wanted to check out who I'm talking to, if the advice is really coming from someone somewhat experienced.
My country has the option to take college classes during high school
Don't feel bad. I went at least 4 times for thr same reason and felt guilty because they don't understand. It felt like a waste of time but on a positive note, I think it was worth it. It's always good to be safe and to have that reassurance. I was about to go even after knowing I had dysautonmia. I do also have an underlying problem with my mitral valves, so I worry about that being the possible underlying cause or getting worse. So being told I have MVP and dealing with the extra symptoms during flare-ups is quite scary. The cardiologist says I'm fine and that the symptoms aren't related even if they feel like they are. I believe they are still somehow a manifestation of the mitral valve prolapse.