Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Do I need to "do" anything for DH?

83 replies

SnowySheep · 15/12/2020 21:38

This is all getting very distressing.

He's been in major pain for a couple of days, after fixing a leak under the kitchen sink!

He (and I) also has Covid.

This morning he was very distressed with chest pain and telling me he couldn't breathe. I can't take him anywhere because of the covid so I called an ambulance. Whilst I suspected it was muscular we also gave the covid issue and he's a higher risk age group.

They were brilliant, arrived very quickly, checked his heart, lungs, blood pressure and decreed that it's a muscle strain and it's not that he "can't" breathe but that it hurts to breathe, take stronger pain killers.

So, he's since been taking 30mg codeine and paracetamol.

He's still sobbing in pain and panic stricken that he can't breathe.

The man is an ex soldier and not at all prone to over reaction, normally. He's usually, take an aspirin and press on, regardless of the injury.

I'm not concerned for his safety, as he was so thoroughly checked this morning, but can/should I "do" anything for him? Should I be asking "someone" for better pain relief? What he's taking is left over from an op he had earlier in the year and pretty strong, I think? The paramedic said they were good for him to take with paracetamol.

I don't know what to do.

OP posts:
OhCormoranAllYeFaithful · 15/12/2020 21:49

I’d be 999 calling and stressing that he feels he had deteriorated and has a feeling of impending doom.

inquietant · 15/12/2020 21:50

When I don't know what to do, I go with worst case analysis.

A) you get medical attention you don't need
B) you don't get medical attention you do need

Get him seen again.

pinkdragons · 15/12/2020 21:50

Call 999 he is in intense chest pain.

People call for far, far less. This is not a waste of their time / resources. He needs to be seen again. Ideally at the hospital if they will take him in to a covid unit.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
TildaTurnip · 15/12/2020 21:53

@OhCormoranAllYeFaithful

I’d be 999 calling and stressing that he feels he had deteriorated and has a feeling of impending doom.
Yes the panic and pain is more than enough to call.
beavisandbutthead · 15/12/2020 21:57

So he has been in pain for a couple of days since pulling muscles working on your sink. To add he has covid, been checked out fully by paramedics , had an EEG found to have no issues and has stong pain killers. No change in his presentation- so why are folks screaming to phone an ambulance? Take someone with covid with musclular pain to hospital ...really. Give him more pain relief and send him to bed, If it is worse overnight call an ambulance.

Eifhsg · 15/12/2020 21:58

I don't think being ex army makes someone incapable of having panic attacks or being overwhelmed by pain and frightened. Especially after a year of collective terror about covid.

Pain around your chest can be very frightening and being frightened makes it much harder to tolerate pain. As well as making your chest feel tight because when you panic you stop breathing deeply.

He wasn't breathless then, he's not breathless now, he's "just" distressed by pain after/during a period of high stress and fear?

If his condition has not changed since he was thoroughly checked, has he done slow and deep breathing to calm himself? In for 4-7 counts, hold for 4, our for 7-10. Longer outbreath than inbreath. Stomach expanding while breathing in.

Eifhsg · 15/12/2020 21:59

The op hasn't said he's deteriorated just that he's continued to panic.

Milkshake7489 · 15/12/2020 21:59

Please call 999. Paramedics can be wrong and/or people can deteriorate.

Don't risk his life to avoid potentially wasting another paramedics time.

ShortSilentNight · 15/12/2020 22:02

Do call 999.

Original poster
SnowySheep · 15/12/2020 22:02

I've been trying to get him to do gentle breathing exercises and calm down, with minimal success. But he is getting air in, it's not that he's gasping for breath.

He's calmer now the last lot of pain relief is starting to take effect.

OP posts:
Oly4 · 15/12/2020 22:03

Ring 111. For what it’s worth I was once diagnosed with muscular strain by a paramedic and it was actually pleurisy that caused extreme agony. Luckily I saw my GP the day after the paramedic (I wasn’t coping so called the GP) and was immediately sent to hospital for a scan.
You need to ring 111.
I’m not sure why you’re thinking that just because he’s seen one medical professional that’s it?

Eifhsg · 15/12/2020 22:04

If he felt exactly the same panicked sense of "I can't breathe" this morning when his oxygen saturation etc showed he was breathing just fine, then how are posters reaching the conclusion he's dramatically deteriorated by presenting identically?

Girlzroolz · 15/12/2020 22:05

I’d be trying to address the muscle pain and fear/stress for an hour, to see if that’s the issue. Warm compresses, relaxation techniques, warm drinks.

I’ve had bad asthma all my life, and while breathlessness can cause a lot of distress it’s never caused me pain. I can’t speak to whether C-19 chest issues cause pain, but it seems unlikely?

Of course call for further medical help, though.

Eifhsg · 15/12/2020 22:05

@SnowySheep

I've been trying to get him to do gentle breathing exercises and calm down, with minimal success. But he is getting air in, it's not that he's gasping for breath.

He's calmer now the last lot of pain relief is starting to take effect.

So you are in fact posting because he's panicking not because he's having breathing problems?

Clarifying, not criticising.

Dinosaur19 · 15/12/2020 22:06

@00100001

Don't leave it

Imagine if the worst happened and you'd done nothing. Because he was seen 'this morning'. Would that help you?

You really should stop trying to frighten the OP.

How are the calming exercises working? He may just be very anxious but I would call 111 to be on the safe side.

Original poster
SnowySheep · 15/12/2020 22:09

*So you are in fact posting because he's panicking not because he's having breathing problems?

Clarifying, not criticising.*

I said in the OP that he was "telling me" he couldn't breathe and panicking, yes.

OP posts:
Plussizejumpsuit · 15/12/2020 22:10

I would have called the GP during opening hours for a sting painkiller prescription. Then youde know if they worked and if not then he need an ambulance or A&E. I'm sure it's stressful but I feel like people always forget about GP practices in these situations.

Original poster
SnowySheep · 15/12/2020 22:10

He's actually asleep in the chair now and snoring in a fashion that suggests he's having no trouble at all getting the air in Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
SnowySheep · 15/12/2020 22:14

I was never concerned about the breathing, it's clear he can breathe, although it causes him pain.

I was concerned about the pain and whether I should be doing more for him.

OP posts:
LagneyandCasey · 15/12/2020 22:17

Glad he's settled. Hopefully he'll feel better when he wakes. It sounds like the panicking was making the issue worse. If he's generally fit and well suddenly having pain and breathing issues can come as a shock and be quite frightening. If he can relax and do breathing exercises it would help and a deep hot bath with lots of steam would be good.

dhisreadingmypostsagain · 15/12/2020 22:17

I've had this exact feeling, please get some stronger drugs for tomorrow and this sounds a bit crazy but vicks decongestant in a bowl towel over steam going in, it helped me through covid panic.. I think it reminded me of being younger, allowed me to rationalise being bunged up and I was able to sleep.

00100001 · 15/12/2020 22:17

@Dinosaur19

All we knew was her DH was in pain breathing and struggling to breathe.

And she was fannying about posting on MN going "but what would they dooooo?"

So, yes, based on the fact that her husband had difficulty breathing and she was doing fuck all... I "scared" her into action. So shoot me.

Mrsclaus5 · 15/12/2020 22:19

I'd order an oximeter if you don't already have one. It might help him feel calmer if he can see his oxygen saturation levels are normal

Original poster
SnowySheep · 15/12/2020 22:20

Fancying about? I was asking about the pain relief, having had him thoroughly checked out only a few hours ago.

OP posts:
Original poster
SnowySheep · 15/12/2020 22:21

@dhisreadingmypostsagain

I've had this exact feeling, please get some stronger drugs for tomorrow and this sounds a bit crazy but vicks decongestant in a bowl towel over steam going in, it helped me through covid panic.. I think it reminded me of being younger, allowed me to rationalise being bunged up and I was able to sleep.
I've been using a Vicks inhaler for my Covid symptoms but I can't smell it now!

I feel pretty rubbish too, actually. Thanks for asking everyone Grin

OP posts: