A&e, doctors or wait it out?

Could I ask what your symptoms were which caused you to go to a&e? Just want to be aware as I suffer from sciatica. Thank you

That's obviously not true. Sometimes people put off going to hospital when it's the right place to go (possibly believing it's not serious, fearing having to wait hours when they feel dreadful etc)

No it's not. 99% say A&E, 1% are easily ignored.

asking for help & a hand hold are the back bones of MN.

Hope 111 get back to you soon, if you're feeling generally unwell too then that's a red flag

You have an inappropriate user name.

Go to A&E if that’s what you’re advised. Take a mat or blanket and a pillow so you can lie on the floor if needed.

Or it’s not urgent, in which case it’s not A&E.

A&E

I would invest in a raised toilet seat with handles at each side, when I had my prolapsed disc, getting on & off the toilet was agony.

I completely agree!

While you are waiting, have you got Ibuprofen & either paracetamol or Co-codamol? Take 600mg of Ibuprofen & 2×500mg either paracetamol or co-codamol, you can also take buscopan if you have any for the muscle spasms. Try & lay on your back with a pillow under your knees.

So 111 has run you through a clinical triage process and advised A&E.... but you would rather not attend?

And then garner the opinion of a medical issue on a massive forum for their opinion.

This really is not the forum for asking medical advice. As you can see the huge range of responses and opinions.

No one here knows what is best for you... do you know who can help? Actual clinicians.

I have reported this post to mumsnet, I believe in the same way they do not allow posts for posters who are suicidal to stand and direct them to appropriate resources, the same should be done for posts like these!

@Icanthinkformyselfthanks it can. I said upthread my sciatica worsened and I developed cauda equina
It had been on and off for years and not investigated as it always resolved itself until it didn't
This was my MRI the day before surgery

incorrect, it absolutely can. As in previous post, i'm 43, i've had a history of chronic back pain since the age of 17.
10 years ago it got suddenly significantly worse, requiring an MRI and resulted in a diagnosis of degenerative disk disease, the 'sudden worsening' was my L5/S1 disk completely dying, causing sciatica. Since then i've had 2 significant episodes of increased pain that have seriously decreased my mobility, the first leaving me needing a walking stick, the last leaving me an ambulatory wheelchair user.. drs believe the causes being other disks have 'gone' (dried out/desiccated).

As others have said Cauda Equina needs excluding. Many people who develop Cauda Equina have lived with a bad back for years and then it escalates to an emergency. I work in a spinal injuries unit where there are regularly patients who have had a deteriorating back dismissed or they ignore it and end up with a spinal cord injury. I would suggest A&E.

I've had a 'bad back' for much longer than 15 years (given that my issues are congenital) and I was told - by actual medical professionals - that it absolutely can escalate to a medical emergency quite rapidly.

this is an ambulance A&E job.

depending if this is spasm or not, just to let you know, spasms/locking in your back are your own bodies way of trying to protect the disks/spinal cord because of a mechanical problem.. usually drying/bulging disks.

If you're getting issues with pain in your legs then its highly likely its a bulging disk bothering your sciatic nerves, so likely the L5/S1 area of your lower spine.. pain is also known to refer into the hip from this injury.

You need an MRI, and to see a Musculoskeletal specialist and they need to be aware of Cauda Equina.

unfortunately i have a lot of personal experience in all this, 10 years into the journey with disk degeneration. (to clarify, i've had back pain for 26 years, but last 10 have been significant and mobility affecting, i use walking aids/wheelchairs now.

@SlightlyJaded Glad you’re ok, your post is spot on.
My DM suffered with diverticulitis for many years, all the painful symptoms. However a particularly awful bout of diarrhoea with bleeding revealed Stage 4 Bowel cancer. Sadly things can change/escalate for the worst.

You can not possibly say that with such certainty, even if you are a doctor (you're not).

I was warned by my doctor if I had any of these symptoms it was an emergency. So I know to phone for one.

My friend had this was in ambulance to the hospital fast. Cauda equina is serious.

OP what have you decided to do? Hope you are ok.

Oh honey. Go and google before replying.
Cauda equina is an extremely serious, medical emergency. If op phones 111, I guarantee you they will send an ambulance out.
Perhaps they should speak to you first though, since you seem to know SO much more than actual medical professionals

If you can manage to wait until tomoz then it’s not an emergency or an an and e job. I would ring your gp on Monday and try to keep moving.