Should I go to A and E? I hate wasting time

[Doormouse46]

Just to say I hate wasting time especially when A and E will be busy on the weekend. For the past 3 days, I have had sickness and diarrhoea. At first I thought it was a bug, then food poisoning then maybe Norovirus. I don’t want to go to the doctors if I’m going to make more people sick.

However, I noticed the vomiting/diarrhoea comes after I eat or drink only. I even tried to have a few strawberries this morning and within 20 minutes I vomited them back up.

The same this afternoon, I ate some toast following the brat method and it came straight back up. It’s the same with anything I drink even water. I’m so dehydrated my lips are chapped and I’m pale as a ghost.

The other thing I’ve noticed is my poo (sorry) is sort of black and thick now and smells horrendous even though I’ve not eaten for 3 days now. I’ve lost weight but that’s to be expected. I have a cracking headache which I think is from dehydration.

i really don’t know what to do. I’ve tried an anti sickness band, didn’t work- I’ve tried not eating which does work but I even bring up water.

I don’t know what to do. I feel sort of like I’m dying (sounds dramatic I know). I called my mum for advice as she’s a GP receptionist and she basically told me to keep out and keep drinking water best I can.

i just feel so helpless and can’t see an end to it. I’d appreciate any advice!

Yep, because cola will treat sepsis and a burst ulcer - my sister in law lost part of her small bowel following a burst duodenal ulcer 20 years ago. Perhaps she should have popped off to Co-op or Spar for a can of coke 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

Gosh what a scary thread and so glad you're being treated OP. Get well soon.

My mother had a stomach haemorrhage when she was in her 20s and black poo was the first symptom (although she didn't know it then). She's always drilled it into me too get it investigated if it ever happens and especially when combined with other illness. Still glad you did OP

What have I said that's wrong?

Is @BobnLen going to apologise to the OP? Because apparently that pp is unable to comprehend that thank god the OP did post on MN, and take the advice from pp who recognised the signs of internal bleeding. God knows, the OP's own mother (and GP receptionist? God help us all) was next to useless with her dangerous advice.

The OP would be in a much worse state by now if she had listed to the likes of @BobnLen, not to mention @Ohdearwhatnow4 , @GrannyRose15 , @Sue2024 and others.

And isn't it funny how those posters who gave the totally awful and dangerous advice, haven't even had the good grace or humility to come back to the thread to apologise and admit they and their advice was wrong, let alone wish the OP well in hospital.

I guess they are happy in their opinionated arrogance and see no reason to apologise. I'm just glad the OP listened to the vast majority of helpful pp who emphasised the importance of the black poo and what it could mean. At least one, if not many, of those pp could have saved someone's life today (if not the OP's, then another pp who's been too embarrassed to seek help for similar symptoms.

@BobnLen , @Ohdearwhatnow4, @GrannyRose15, @Sue2024 and the other pp who offered similarly awful advice - perhaps next time, think before you post. You could have led to someone becoming seriously, seriously ill (or worse) today.

@Doormouse46 I hope you recover soon. This thread has been both sobering and educational in equal measure. I wish you well in your recovery

I'm sorry to hear this - what a horrible outcome for your poor sister-in-law.

How some of these posters can be so dismissive and snotty, so quick to imply it's nothing much, based on NO medical qualifications and without properly reading the OP's very concerning symptoms, just beggars belief. Probably the same people who would be knocking A & E's door down in their rush to get seen, if it were them. But although it's not funny, the 'can of coke' comment should win an award for crap services to medicine.

Thank goodness you're in the ward. Really hope you start to improve soon?

My friend lost her father to sepsis, its terrifying how easily its missed. I came to the thread far too late, but am relieved to see that the impending doom and black stools were picked up on.

How horrible for you OP, glad you went to a&e and hopefully feel much better quickly.

Glad to hear your update @Doormouse46 get well soon!

People like you should be banned from MN. WHEN is MNHQ going to step in and deal with idiots who past dangerous ‘advice’ on these threads? It’s becoming an almost daily issue now.

OP I hope you are ok and that your mother recognises that she needs to seriously update her knowledge if she is actually a GP receptionist.

I'm a junior doctor and so many things in your OP (extreme dehydration, pallour, melaena, feeling like you're dying) got my hackles up immediately!! I can't believe the number of people (including your mum, who I'm sure is lovely but should not mistake her role as a GP receptionist as some sort of clinical background) are willing to give advice without any medical knowledge. Any of my colleagues reading this post would have told you to go straight to A&E! So glad you're in the ward now and wishing you a speedy recovery x

@Doormouse46 really happy to see you are on the ward now and have managed to get some sleep.
Hopefully the antibiotics will kick in quickly and tackle the spesis.

I hope you’ll be back at home soon

@Anna8089 And you obviously clearly know what A&E is for ? What a stupid comment.

We don't know you are a doctor though, how does anyone know that your advice is the correct advice, this is an anonymous chat forum. I could say that I am a doctor.

You don't need to believe me, I haven't actually given any advice in my post and I would never recommend taking medical advice from anonymous strangers over the internet whether or not they claim to be a doctor! This whole situation is a good illustration of that

I advised the op to go to A & E and I am very glad that she is in the ward now.

To broaden the discussion away from op specifically, let’s not ignore the fact that, in general, the reason so many people ask “A and E or not?” on here is because it’s sometimes very hard to get access to a gp during office hours never mind at night or at weekends. And the wait at A & E is sometimes many hours long. This is bound to encourage a fear of being a time waster.

People in many other EU countries don’t have this “you have to wait until you are losing a limb” attitude because they can access help when they need it or are unsure.

People rarely talk about how much money is wasted by patients not having ready access to good primary care and treatable conditions being missed.

OMG Op! I only just read your initial post and my first though was GO TO A&E. I literally shouted at the phone and was frantically looking for your post saying you did. The people on here are insane!!! I have no medical background and yet I know that all what you have described sounded like internal bleeding! My mum had it a few years back and if she followed the advice of her GP at the time she would probably not be here anymore. I hope you feel better soon! I'm not from UK originally and it just baffles me how people are trying to "protect" NHS by literally suffering/dying at home. Please don't do that, the people at the hospitals are the professionals! And the ironic things about your mum being a GP receptionist... absolutely no words..

There was a thread a while back where the OP was soaking through multiple sanitary pads and asking should she go to A&E. Cue idiots scoffing at her, telling her the NHS is collapsing because of people like her going in with 'a heavy period'. Of course, she was haemorrhaging and had she taken the advice of those posters she would have bled to death overnight. She came very close.

It's terrible that still threads go up where people feel qualified to say 'you can't go to A&E, you're fine if you're posting on Mumsnet' - thank goodness the majority of sensible voices have drowned them out, but those self important fools could kill someone with their stupid advice one day.

Glad you sought help OP.

I don't know what some posters were on about. If you can't keep water down, you are in trouble!

‘Burst’ ulcers with peritonitis need emergency surgery to wash out the sepsis and close the ulcer. Bleeding ulcers need medication and a bed on a ward until well.

Take good care of yourself OP. I ended up with PTSD after my brush with sepsis but EMDR therapy put me right. I'm sorry your mum was so dismissive, hopefully lessons will be learned.

Why? It is a bit longwinded but technically correct. If OP had looked on the nhs website or google that is pretty much what she would have read. Thank goodness OP did go to hospital and is now being treated.

OP I'm glad you got yourself treated. I literally just saw this thread and was horrified at everyone just telling you to drink some water and leave it.

Just remember, for the future, it's better to waste some time than to end up dead. Our bodies are more fragile than most realise.

Wishing you a quick and full recovery x

I'd just stop now, @BobnLen if I were you. You've embarrassed yourself enough on this thread. @tamarinda has given sensible comment (note - I didn't say 'advice') on this thread, and it most certainly tallies with the OP's experiences today.

You, on the other hand... well, the less said the better 😔

@OneMorePlant
everyone did not say that
the first few posts in the first half an hour mentioned at least 111 and A & E.
this post is dreadful for the blame game attitude

This isn't the first or be the last thread where dangerous advice has been given, often we don't get any updates so never know what the outcome was. An open online forum isn't the right place to seek help with lots of things and members are not responsible if posters ask questions and choose to take or ignore advice. Nhs or 111 symptom checker might be more appropriate.