"Awful treatment from Paramedic"

For the past week I've been suffering from severe episodic upper left abdominal and chest pain. I called 111, visited a walk in clinic, and have spoken with my GP several times over this period as the symptoms are truly crippling. 

I'm screaming in agony and unable to breathe, and nothing offers any relief. The professionals all seem at a loss as to what might be causing this and just told me to keep taking Tramadol, and go straight to A&E if symptoms worsen.  

I had the worst attack so far yesterday. Crushing pain on the left side of my chest. I couldn't breathe as the pain was so excruciating. My sister is a nurse, and had advised me that if it got too bad to call an ambulance. 

In desperation I called 999 as it felt like I was going to pass out from the pain and inability to breathe properly. I live alone, so didn't know what else I could do. I felt like I was dying, the pain was so severe. 

2 hours later the ambulance arrived, by which time the pain had eased quite a bit, but was still around a 6 on the pain scale. 

The two paramedics introduced themselves and asked what was happening. At this point one of the paramedics began saying over and over so why did you call an ambulance, what do you expect us to do, why didn't you call your GP again, you look comfortable, why are we here, you don't need an ambulance and many things along these lines, implying I was wasting their time. This upset me to the point where I began crying. I've never been spoken to like that by anyone in healthcare before. 

The Paramedic went on to say it was simply down to anxiety, why didn't I take diazepam? 

Constipation: Why am I not on laxatives? 

Acid reflux. Why was I taking my medication in the morning?

I explained I have not been at all anxious all week, that I take my medication as prescribed and have not had any acid problems since being put on PPI's many years ago. Everything I told the paramedic felt to me like it was wrong in their eyes, and met with accusations and disbelief. 

When checking my heart with a stethoscope I was told me off for "grunting" when I yelped in pain at taking a deep breath. 

It was then suggested that I hadn't been taking pain medication correctly when I explained I don't like to take too much paracetamol every day, due to a previous liver condition, but I had been taking it daily alongside my other meds since this new pain started. 

I mainly take tramadol on a daily basis as I have several very painful conditions, and don't feel comfortable taking the maximum dose of paracetamol long term alongside this. 

Once in the ambulance The paramedic accused me of lying about ever having a liver condition (I was physically alcohol dependant for many years) and that my reluctance to take more than 4 paracetamol a day was instead related to a paracetamol overdose I took in 2011. I don't know why this was brought up. I was already so very upset, and it had no bearing on the situation. 

The paramedic then went on to imply that I googled too many symptoms, when they questioned the reason I had decided to lower my dose of antidepressants. They were interacting with the Tramadol I was taking, causing symptoms of Seratonin Syndrome. I'd lowered my dosage maybe 6 months ago with the advice from my GP, and don't see why I was being accused of using "Dr Google" like this & how it bore any relevance to my pain. 

They then asked if this "Doctor Google" had made me believe my symptoms were heart related. I replied no, I didn't think it had anything to do with my heart, as I think they're to do with a rare condition I have called "Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction". I felt I was totally patronised, stating that SOD is just my body not knowing I don't have a gallbladder and that it doesn't cause the symptoms I described, instead implying that I was still drinking a lot of alcohol. 

I very rarely drink, and have been living with debilitating sphincter of Oddi symptoms for years. The paramedic has no idea of the toll my condition takes. 

The whole journey to hospital, they were telling me I was lying, that my symptoms weren't real, that I should have got a taxi to hospital, and all of this was because I don't take my meds correctly (I do) and Google my symptoms all the time (I don't) . I feel this paramedic's whole manner was just so accusatory and cruel. 

They even asked why I don't drive. I explained I have agoraphobia so never go out anyway, to which she responded "so how did you get in the ambulance then if you don't go out?" 

There was much more, but they constantly belittled my symptoms and previous diagnosis, made accusations, and made me feel just awful for calling an ambulance. 

They made such untrue accusations, and constantly made digs about my mental health. 

I didn't stop crying the whole time in the hospital waiting room. I told a nurse what had happened, and the nurse apologised for my treatment (I didn't feel the nurse needed to apologise at all) and suggested I make a report of what had happened. I was too upset at the time. 

I just don't know what to do. I'm crying now as I type this, thinking of how I was treated. I was sent home from hospital after around 5 hours, after receiving IV pain relief and undertaking tests, the results of which are being forwarded to my GP. It seems they show I have inflammation somewhere. 

Most likely, my Sphincter of Oddi Symptoms are changing and we don't yet know why. 

I don't know what I'm going to do should I ever need an ambulance in future. I think I'd rather die.