Shell shocked after a and e visit

[Onethreefiveseven]

I am looking for advice on what to do next as I feel like I'm not coping

I started developing very severe neck pain yesterday. I am not inexperienced with pain, I've been through significant, life-threatening medical events. This was far worse pain than breaking a bone, for example, or an infected surgical wound. I've also had migraines and this was much worse. The closest comparison was when I went into hyperstimulation during a pregnancy induction and felt like my abdomen was in a vice. This time I felt like my skull was about to crack. It was so extremely painful and very frightening, I also had blurred vision on my left side. The pain was so intense I can't describe it.

I was sent to a and e by 111, got there at 8, told 3-4 hours wait. I sat in waiting room on a hard chair groaning and crying. By the time I was triaged the wait had become 5-6 hours and then by 11pm 8-9 hours. I spoke to a receptionist who made it clear that I wouldn't be seeing anyone until the morning. No pain relief until then. So I asked my partner to pick me up and we called 111 again desperately trying to get pain meds. Spent the night waiting for callbacks and begging for help down the phone. Sobbing and at times screaming from the pain. I finally got some codeine this morning, after 14 hours of indescribable pain.

This morning the pain is more under control and I thought I would feel relieved but instead I feel odd, psychologically, in a bad way. Kind of dead eyed and like I want to cry but can't. Hopeless. The fact that I interacted with so many people and no one helped. No one even really seemed to believe me how bad the pain was. I'm not writing this to blame them. Maybe they were doing what was necessary, prioritising other patients. It was still horrific though.

I will make a drs appointment for my physical health but I want to know what to do, today, to try to minimise the psychological effects. I've barely slept and I can't figure out what to do. Has anyone else been through a prolonged period of very intense pain and/or been denied pain relief, and found a way to cope with the emotional aftermath. Maybe just writing this down will help, I don't know.

You are registered with a GP.Thats what they are for.

Sickening the state of things.

I think you should go back to A&E for a scan. I would be worried it was a stroke or an aneurysm. In both situations it might account for why you feel numbed.

This sounds horrible, I really feel for you. Your psychological symptoms don't sound straightforward either so I would definitely seek further medical advice.

Would the pain be reducing if it was still an emergency. Genuine question, I am maybe not thinking very straight. I'm age mid 40s in case that's relevant. Someone who called back during the night (nurse practitioner?) mentioned tortecollis but obviously that's not a formal diagnosis without seeing me.

I'm going to call my GP now.

I so so sorry for you OP. I had a very similar situation recently and have been off work for 2 months with it.
I had horrific back pain after a very heavy patient fell on me. I was in so much pain I couldn't breathe or drive or move, I'm in my 60's. I live alone and was really afraid.
I rang 111 and spoke to a doctor eventually who told me to go to A&E. I went and waited for 14 hours crying and groaning on the floor in absolute agony. Nowhere to lie down, just the floor. Ambulance wait would have been hours so a friend dropped me off in a wheelchair. Eventually a doctor gave me some tramadol by which time I was really crying from the pain, I've been off ever since and the inefficiency has been terrible. I've been referred for an xray, MRI and orthopaedic appointment because I can't stand on my right leg at all, sleep or eat from the pain and have lost 2 stone.
It was 4 weeks of waiting just to find the GP had never requested any of these things, she forgot so back to square one - another GP sent the referrals.
I've had frames, commodes and various aids delivered to my house.
I've never known pain like it.
I lay in bed in a tramadol induced haze for weeks. The pain is still there. All I hear is you can't keep on taking those you might be addicted to them.
I don't give a shit quite frankly, if this pain continues much longer I'll consider suicide.
I've finally got my orthopaedic app later this week but nothing else xray, MRI date have arrived.
GP keeps saying the NHS is in a mess I can't help you.
I take 4 prescription strength cocodamol, prescription strength naproxen and 2 tramadol all at once so i can get a few hours sleep. friends bring me food I can eat from my bed and bottles of water and feed my cats.
If i had no friends I think I'd just lie here and die and I'm not being dramatic.
Apparently its ok to leave someone in their 60's in this state. I am appalled.

That is terrible they did not give you pain relief in the interim.

Is your A&E normally this bad for waiting times? It sounds like they were dismissive. It's the luck of the draw sometimes if you get someone who understands pain + location.

Please go back, prepare yourself with a flask of tea, charger, book etc and snacks and a cosy wrap so you're comfortable whilst you wait x

The symptoms you described would be a classic presentation for stroke or heart attack in women and you should definitely have had vitals and bloods taken. Those might not have been taken by a doctor. Are you sure they weren’t taken?

I haven't seen anyone from my GP surgery its been all phone calls.Bear in mind I work for the NHS myself and I'm seeing this kind of thing all the time. People are being left in a terrible state in some parts of the country and nobody is helping them.

Do you have the ability to pay privately? If you are in that much pain, maybe it is worth trying to fund a private scan. I only suggest it as im having to do similar myself after waiting for someone to help me and getting nowhere!

Healthcare is now terrifying in this country.

I hope you get help soon 🌺

Dont be daft! The OP could have seen a doctor in A+E last night but chose to go home instead.

I will make a drs appointment for my physical health but I want to know what to do, today, to try to minimise the psychological effects.

Buy some Cuprofen or Co-codamol to keep in your medicine cabinet. Both are available over the counter from the chemist.

I can't tell you how terrible it is waiting in pain all night with nobody giving you so much as a paracetamol. Apparently as I found out later from my GP it's better to get a strong prescription from a 111 doctor and collect that from an all night pharmacy and then go to A&E. Then if you have to wait at least you have painkillers.

I passed a kidney stone without any pain relief. They kept wanting to do an internal exam to make sure it wasn't my period. It wasn't. I was literally peeing blood.

The pain from Carotid Artery Dissection can also wax and wane from one day to the next but needs urgent assessment.

You can get 12.8mg codeine tablets OTC. Solpadeine max or nurofen plus.
My cousin had this terrible seizure of the neck. She needed pregabalin and opiate pain relief for several months. Definitely see GP and get referral to hospital for an X ray at least.

😭 That is horrendous.

I mean she couldn't see one last night if she was waiting 11 hours to then be told no one could see her until this morning.

It is terrible that the NHS is completely failing, there was a ‘Dispatches’ program about it last night.

But, failing or not, it is all we have, and I think it really important that the OP gets a proper A&E assessment, regardless of the wait.

I really would seek further medical assessment to rule out physical cause for feelings and to find out what the problem was.

However that sort of numb shock - I have experience of - post being victims of crime and then dealing with hostile unhelpful police and also serious lacking medical care - last labour I was even left shaking then found they lied in medical notes to cover their arses. I think it just leaves you deeply cynical and feeling helpless and worried about it reoccurring in future.

Hi OP. I had stroke (subarachnoid haemorrhage). Can you cope with bright lights and can you put your chin to your chest? I had a nano section of intense pain in my head and that was the haemorrhage. I then just felt slightly unwell. I think anything that suggests anything neurological needs investigating. Sorry you are having such a rubbish time!

I had a bout of cluster headaches - that is regarded as one of the most excruciating pains you can have. I can confirm that. Painkillers didn't touch it.
It's usually in one side of your head and behind your eye. I never had neck pain but I know that is an occasional symptom. It's not easy to diagnose - I was fortunate in that it was a subject of particular interest to my GP.

Similar for my husband, although he collapsed and was admitted to A&E. He also had a subarachnoid haemorrhage, the ongoing effects of which led to his death, four years later.

@Onethreefiveseven please go back to A&E and demand a scan. You need to advocate for yourself or get someone else to, but don't leave without one, no matter how long it takes.

Sorry this has happened OP.

Think I would deal with it by acquiring some strong painkillers from somewhere, to know I had them in if I needed them. The fear for me would be in case it happened again, but if I knew I could be self reliant for a time, I would manage better x

I had something similar a few years ago in my left arm. I'm not sure what triggered it but it gradually got worse I could hardly lift my arm it seemed to lock. Doctor said it was a pinched nerve and referred me for physio. It did take a few months of doing the physio exercises I was shown but I got there eventually.