I'm really getting fed up with the sexism in doctors' offices, the way male doctors attribute "anxiety" as a catch-all diagnosis for women's symptoms that have literally nothing to do with anxiety.

It's known as "diagnostic bias." And male doctors are notorious for doing it to women patients whom they don't take seriously.

Heart disease runs in my family. And, I have a heart murmur and am in poor physical health.

Last Friday, I was over-worked by my supervisor at my 2nd (former) retail job (I quit it this weekend). I normally only can handle working between 8 to 11 hours a day. But, last Friday, I worked 14 hours and suffered the consequences immediately for it, that drove me the e.r.

My symptoms mimicked a heart attack;

cold sweat
indegestion
exercise induced asthma
nausea and dry heaving
chills
pain in my left arm and left side of my chest
light headed feeling and dizzy
anxiety through the roof (the urgent care nurse I called told me I was having a heart attack and to go to the e.r. so I found a ride to an e.r. I live minutes away from; I couldn't call an ambulance b/c my state medical assistance doesn't cover the $900 cost to ride in one).

I got to the e.r. walked in, collapsed, they put me in a wheel chair, did an e.k.g., drew blood to look for proteins related to heart attacks, took a chest x-ray, gave me I.V. fluids, gave me oxygen and 2 hours later told me that I had a heart murmur, but did not have a heart attack despite my symptoms. Instead, the male e.r. doctor patronized me, and told me that I had a severe panic attack instead. Um, no, I didn't. I was physically unable to work the 14 hours that I stupidly did, and suffered for it.

Obviously, I'm glad I didn't have a heart attack. But I worry that what if I had a mild heart attack and that was ignored? I can't see a cardiologist without a referral so that my state medical insurance will cover the cost of the visit, but I have an appointment with my doctor next week and plan to ask him for a referral.

My concern is that my male doctor will refuse to refer me, because he'll read the e.r. doctor's notes about "anxiety" and chalk what happened to me up to anxiety, and very wrongly so. Anyone would FEEL anxious in my situation based on the symptoms I listed above.

Can anyone relate to being mislabeled by their doctor as anxious, when in fact, you had legitimate symptoms completely unrelated to anxiety?

I'm also vitamin deficient, and have a non-functional thyroid, which creates depression as a side effect. I'm just so frustrated with not being taken seriously. Like, I'm the woman who cried "heart attack" but didn't have one, and won't be believed if I actually do have one with the same symptoms. I'm terrified to take a second job now, as much as I need the money. Because, I don't want to put myself in jeopardy again, being over worked by a horrible retail supervisor. I should never had agreed to stay. I don't know what I was thinking Friday night.

https://consumer.healthday.com/menta...ay-708333.html