Concerned about my friend...

Recently, one of my close friends told me about something that happened to her at Uni a few weeks ago and it's really concerning me.

She had been doing a group investigation into the effects of different drinks (lucozade, red bull etc) on the body - which consisted of taking each other's pulse and blood pressure. When it was her turn to have her blood pressure taken the machine couldn't get a reading and she said that as soon as the band started to contract around her arm she felt really sick. After a few attempts at getting a reading she was violently sick and almost passed out!

A few days later she made an appointment with her practise nurse. The nurse also had problems taking her blood pressure but eventually got a reading and said it was fine. My friend was sick twice during this and fainted! The nurse recommended she made an appointment with the doctor but my friend doesn't want to. She says there's nothing wrong with her - even though something squeezing her arm makes her sick and faint! She is quite overweight so I think she's afraid of being told by the doctor that she needs to lose weight.

I'm forever worrying about her now. I know I can't make her go to the docs but how can I persuade her that it's a good idea to get checked out?

Reply 1

Knight-of-Ni

Have you offered to go with her? Or go to the doctors yourself and speak to them about it :biggrin:

then you'll know if its a serious problem and take it from there.

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

Yes I've said I'll go with her - so has her mum - but she still won't go because she says there's nothing wrong and she's not ill.

Will I be able to discuss it with the doctor? What about patient confidentiality?

Reply 3

Knight-of-Ni

If she refuses to go then the doctor probably will, there's no harm in trying anyway! Or you could just go and ask about the symptons in general, without mentioning her! :biggrin:

Reply 4

AndySoOoOoN

Whats wrong with the woman, theres clearly something wrong thier, and she seems dead set on not going to the doctors. Scare her into going.

Reply 5

generalebriety

Take her blood pressure on random occasions, relentlessly and without remorse, till she agrees to go. :smile:

How can you not see something's wrong with you if you throw up when someone takes your blood pressure. :confused:

I'd say scare her into realising there might be a genuine problem.

Reply 6

UpliftMof0

Im no expert obviously, but my first impressions are that it seems to be an anxieity problem. like you said, she may be worried about her weight. I wouldn't suggest that was enough to make someone be sick and feint though.

Does your friend have over-anxious moments with other things? like heights or spiders etc? some people's link between body and mind can mean that its much more a mental rather than physical issue. In which case the doctor will be saying there is nothing wrong other than that she needs to 'conquer her fear'.

There could be some anxiety linked with the actual feeling of the armband tightening around her arm, its quite shocking if you arent used to it, never done it before and I could imagine scary for some people.

I realise that none of this is answering your question... (doh should have read it... seems a shame to waste advice :P) ... ermmm but you just have to try and convince her that some illnesses have very little symptoms and just because she doenst 'feel' ill, doesnt nescassarily mean she isnt.

Reply 7

sufiankane

it cud be anxiety...this is another random one but maybe diabetic or lactose intolerant??? not sure but u said it was after fizzy drinks so she may be somehow allergic to them. Cos weneva i have beef my stomach sort of dies and i wont give the details

Reply 8

Anonymous #1

I don't think it's anxiety - she doesn't seem to get worked up about anything. She's quite laid back about stuff really.

I've told her my concerns about it maybe being something serious and that it's not normal for that sort of reaction to happen but she's adament that there's nothing wrong. I do have a blood sugar monitor so I could get her to take a few readings of that but how can I take her blood pressure myself?

I feel like I need to give her a real scare to get her to do something about it - but I feel a bit nasty - plus, I think she's a bit p***** off that I keep going on about it!