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Original poster

Should we go to a and e?

539 replies

ChatterMonkey · 12/03/2022 07:49

Dp has been feeling rubbish for a week now, with pain caused by constipation. He hasnt had a bowel movement for a week now. The pain is constant, with waves of agonising pain.

Hes struggling to be able to medicate it, as hes not allowed to have anti inflammatory medication for seperate issues, and is wary about codeine based medicine as that causes constipation. Paracetomol isnt touching the sides of the pain.

The plan was to get a doctor appointment on monday, but the pain was really severe last night, im not sure we should wait till monday. He mentioned yesterday that the blockage is starting to affect his ability to pee properly which i think is worrying?

Hes alsp worrying now that the constipation is a side effect of something more serious, as theres nothing we can think thats triggered it. Hes worried about gallstones, or bowel cancer.

Is it worth going to a and e, are they likely going to he able to do anything, even if its just investigate and rule out some of the more scary possibilities thats worrying dp? Or would we likely be waiting ages and then sent away with a box of laxido?

OP posts:
StuckInARug · 13/03/2022 14:51

Hope it all turns out ok OP ☺️

1910username · 13/03/2022 15:02

I don’t know how strong those sachets the OP has mentioned are, but I was wondering, if the doctors don’t find anything wrong (🤞) , couldn’t they give him the drink that people have to take before a colonoscopy?

Ddot · 13/03/2022 15:10

He may have a twisted bowel but lets hope it's just constipation

Interested in this thread?

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General health
endofthelinefinally · 13/03/2022 15:12

Just a small thing, but important, never give high fibre cereal to someone who might have an obstructed bowel.
If you are on morphine or other opiate pain killers don't eat high fibre cereal, have stewed fruit, vegetable soup and lots of water. Add movicol for good measure.
OP I hope your DP gets sorted out asap and is able to come home to his own toilet. Hospital toilets are not the easiest places to deal with this kind of problem.
It sounds as if they are doing all the right things which is reassuring.

Original poster
ChatterMonkey · 13/03/2022 15:15

Oh really? I thought you wanted to eat as much fibre as possible to regulate bowel? I'll remember that for future.

OP posts:
purplegirl13 · 13/03/2022 15:18

A ct scan definitely the right call, it will identify a blockage, whether the bowel is twisted etc.

sueelleker · 13/03/2022 15:27

@ChatterMonkey

Oh really? I thought you wanted to eat as much fibre as possible to regulate bowel? I'll remember that for future.
Yes, you want fibre to regulate; but if the bowel is blocked you're just adding more solids to it.
Laiste · 13/03/2022 15:28

Are you at home OP, or waiting in the car again?

Reading your thread has taken me right back to last year when my elderly mother went into the day care eye hospital with swelling on her eye causing agonising head pains and vomiting and i couldn't stay with her.

2 hours from home and an impossible task to find anything out about a) how she was or
b) what they were doing or
c) weather they were going to keep her in and i could go home or
d) give up trying to find out and just erect a temporary home in the shrubbery of the car park! Hmm

Fingers crossed for you both x

starfishmummy · 13/03/2022 15:28

@JetTail

Mind you, a temperature above 37 is high for me but they don't find that alarming. A BP above 110/70 is abnormal for me and they don't find that alarming. So I tend to answer the questions in terms of what is normal for me and they get annoyed!
This. I know my DS (now an adult, has SN) and a temperature of anything over 37 is a worry but I just get "that's fine". Argh
starfishmummy · 13/03/2022 15:30

@ChatterMonkey

Oh really? I thought you wanted to eat as much fibre as possible to regulate bowel? I'll remember that for future.
It's fine as part of his diet if there is no blockage, needs to drink plenty with it. I need an industrial supply of fruit and veg to keep things moving. Always have.
Laiste · 13/03/2022 15:32

I should have said it was the cay care eye part of the John Radcliff hospital on Oxfordshire - so massive hospital - they could have taken her anywhere!

starfishmummy · 13/03/2022 15:34

@ChatterMonkey

Yes its so frustrating not being there, as dp is not the best at communicating himself 😂 so he'll tell me that the nurse was talking, I'll ask him what she said, and he'll just say 'nothing really' ...!!! I dont think he understands i want to know every single word...!
He could hand the nurse his phone and ask her to tell you.
JinglingHellsBells · 13/03/2022 15:35

@ChatterMonkey

Oh really? I thought you wanted to eat as much fibre as possible to regulate bowel? I'll remember that for future.
For future reference, @ChatterMonkey there are two main sorts of fibre. The sort in cereals is not as 'good' as the fibre in fruit and veg (and pulses). And you need to drink enough fluids to move it along. All the fibre in the world is useless unless it's pushed along and 'swells' with fluid. Also people don't realise that exercise is essential to promote bowel movement. Being inactive ( not walking every day) can cause constipation even when eating the right foods.
Abraxan · 13/03/2022 15:43

@FloraFoxx

'Because inability to pass urine, especially in the presence of a static bowel IS an a&e job'

Even if it was at that stage (and the op said he thought it was affecting his ability to pass urine properly, not that he couldn’t) then out of hours GPs would arrange an immediate admission to hospital.

111 is staffed by people who will ask pertinent questions and direct you to appropriate health care thus saving you waiting hours in an A&E and allowing the staff to see patients who have had an accident or are an emergency.

GPs abd ambulances don't jump A and E queues. That's not how it works. They may use a different entrance but they are still traiged by the A and E department itself and how soon they are seen is dependant on that. That's why you'll often have long queues of ambulances waiting as well as the normal waiting rooms.

Likewise with a GP referral to A and E. you hand the letter to reception but they still triage you accordingly.

Not all issues will be admitted to a ward.

As the OPs Dh was triaged and dealt with immediately it was clearly the right course of action.

Original poster
ChatterMonkey · 13/03/2022 15:47

Im home now and have been since about 11.30am. Dp been in since 8.45am so its been a long day, particularly as we arent really any further forward... Hes still waiting to go for the ct scan so not even started the wait to have the scan results read...

OP posts:
Bunnyfuller · 13/03/2022 15:49

Wow, op, what a worrying time. Hope they get to the bottom of it soon. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I’ll get me coat….

Good luck DP 😊

Beseen22 · 13/03/2022 15:55

Hello I've only read your posts so just wanted to clarify a few things about ambulatory care clinics apologies if its all already been said.

The whole idea is that you should be able to access a doctor and scans you need but still stable enough to not require inpatient care. So they should take you in, check obs, check bloods, most likely put a cannula in (depending on the reason for referral). You will then see a doctor who will check the blood results and do a physical examination and order imaging as appropriate. With an abdo complaint like your DHs that is most often a CT, or Ultrasound but my trust doesn't do them over the weekend. With the CT he would need a cannula for contrast which allows them to see the parts of the scan they need clearer. All abdo complaints like this are reviewed by general surgery and the rule in most places is that no one eats until reviewed as a clear bowel is better for the imaging and just in case they need to go to theatre (which would be a very small percentage of people in the waiting room). Once the imagine back a senior doc will review and make a decision whether to admit and treat or send home with meds. There is absolutely nothing to worry about at present, all the steps you have described are very routine and the majority of people are discharged from ambulatory care with painkillers. It can be a long day because there is a limited amount of CT scanners and if someone has a higher clinical need they will take priority. Then it can take a number of hours for the CT scan to be reported by the radiologist and for the bloods to come back. However I think it is a pretty good idea because it saves being referred under GP and having to wait a number of weeks to have a scan. Unfortunately that makes them incredibly busy clinics and usually in a small clinic room. The vast majority of people want to have a family member in with them but it just isn't possible unless there is a significant need (communication needs, mental health issues). We had family in when we first started out ambulatory clinic but people were bringing in multiple family members, not moving from seats to allow patients to sit, and often in the summer the room got too hot and we had 3 people faint in the one day due to overheating, feeling poorly and in an overcrowded room. So we had to make it patient only long before covid. Then with covid we now have to try and socially distance the chairs which makes it even harder.

I hope he gets some results soon and gets his pain managed and feels much better. Must be a worrying time but nothing in your description is worrying for me at this time, everything is very routine.

Eggshausted · 13/03/2022 16:16

I hope everything goes well for you. If it’s any consolation, your DH sounds like mine, I.e ‘The nurse said nothing really’. Look after yourself too.

nadgersbadgers · 13/03/2022 16:17

@Beseen22 the most sensible and accurate post I've seen on Mn in years.

If you're told not to eat in A&E it does not mean you need surgery and you've not been told this.

Original poster
ChatterMonkey · 13/03/2022 16:21

@beseen22 thank you so much for your reassuring post, rationally i know that i dont need to be in there, but its difficult at the same time.

Hes gone in for his scan now, so hopefuly it wont be too much longer to get the results of it. Really reassuring to know that the scan itself isnt a concern at this stage. Had a look and the ambulatory care ward is open till 10pm so although i hope hes not there that long, its unlikely that itll close without them getting to him, so i suppose either way, we'll know what the situation is at some point today. Its just a shame he hasnt been able to have more laxitives today due to being in the hospital for so long, as if they rule out anything serious, weve added another day of no bowel movement.

OP posts:
elliesmummy19 · 13/03/2022 16:41

[quote ChatterMonkey]@beseen22 thank you so much for your reassuring post, rationally i know that i dont need to be in there, but its difficult at the same time.

Hes gone in for his scan now, so hopefuly it wont be too much longer to get the results of it. Really reassuring to know that the scan itself isnt a concern at this stage. Had a look and the ambulatory care ward is open till 10pm so although i hope hes not there that long, its unlikely that itll close without them getting to him, so i suppose either way, we'll know what the situation is at some point today. Its just a shame he hasnt been able to have more laxitives today due to being in the hospital for so long, as if they rule out anything serious, weve added another day of no bowel movement.[/quote]
I was in the ambulatory care unit a few years ago for a neurological issue. When it shut (at 5) I moved across to the medical assessment unit so maybe that will happen with your husband? They didn't have a bed in the neurology ward for me straight away so I spent a night (in a chair in the waiting room) in the medical assessment unit.

hopeishere · 13/03/2022 16:45

The cannula could also be to give a muscle relaxant

Runmybathforme · 13/03/2022 16:50

You can go up to 8 sachets of Laxido a day if needed.

JinglingHellsBells · 13/03/2022 16:54

@ChatterMonkey I mentioned a long while back that delays at weekends are often the norm. You can't expect things to happen really fast when they are also having to deal with real life and death issues arriving all of the time.

Your DH is stable.
There is a plan and that will include him being in a queue for the scans.

They will obviously ramp things up fast if he was to deteriorate quickly.

Try to distract yourself and wait for what happens next when he contacts you.

It is quite possible he will stay there overnight for obs, or be allowed home with another appt tomorrow.

It may be that the drs who need to review the scan are not there till Monday.

I know it's really hard, but be assured they are following a plan of sorts Flowers

PollyPepper · 13/03/2022 17:04

Sending lots of positive vibes OP Flowers