to think I should have a right to pain relief?

[MadYoungCatLady]

I have just come back from the hospital. I have been in pain for over a week now. I firstly went to my GP last week, who prescribed codeine phosphate and paracetamol. I asked him for dihydrocodeine, which is what my previous doctor had given me on repeat prescription (I had last taken it 3 months ago). He said no, it had a street value and was addictive and to make do with the codeine.

By yesterday, I could take the pain no longer. I had not eaten all week. I felt sick because of it. I was awake at night and crying in DP's arms. I made an appointment with another GP. After a lengthy conversation about my anti-depressants (completely irrelevant) and what procedures I had previously had to diagnose me, she prescribed anti-bitotics for three days. For a condition I have been suffering from for about 4 years. She gave me more codeine to last me over the weekend. I asked again about dihydrocodeine. She told me she would not prescribe this as it is addictive.

By this evening, I was beside myself. Pain is getting worse. I decide to call hospital, they say come up and they will see me. I am told there to have a bath and take my codeine. I was crying in pain whilst the doctor was talking to me. I had taken codeine an hour before. They were not working.

I am 17 weeks pregnant. The doctor at the hospital told me she will not give me anything for my pain (colitis, sciatica and a UTI) because I am pregnant.

During my last pregnancy, I ended up being admitted to hospital and having morphine at 24 weeks.

I've tried to find if I have a right to pain relief but am getting nowhere.

AIBU to think there must be something they can do for me?

I think that some of these posts show that that many people have no concept of what it is like to be in profound pain. I had moderate SPD, and I really feel for you.

It is difficult to treat pain in a pregnant woman, but not impossible. I suggest that you demand to be refered to the pain clinic. There are consultants who specialise with prescribing pain relief.

There needs to be balance between the mother's health needs and the baby.

I have to argue that if you have an illness that requires constant pain medication, then you should not endeavour to be pregnant, because (a) you will not be able to take pain relief (b) any pain relief you get may harm your unborn child.

It's a rock and a hard place, if you need medication to live daily, you cannot carry a child whilst taking that medication, something has to give.

Just called my out of hours GP.
Finally, someone is listening to me. He wants me to take the maximum amount of codeine I can take to stop the bleeding from the bowel, if nothing else. He wants me to see him (I lucked out here) at my local surgery tomorrow to sort out blood tests as he believes it is ulcerative colitis - what I have been saying since my first diagnosis. It sounds like he will sort pain relief of some kind. Right now I'm just overjoyed that something is finally being done to diagnose me properly.
I told him about the treatment I had received from the last two GPs.
I did not inform him the last one is his wife. I'm hoping this doesn't affect my treatment tomorrow...

That is your opinion Fabby. Thankfully, the government does not share your opinion and people in this country are allowed to get pregnant even if they are disabled, as we are not living in a concentration camp in Germany during WW2, although maybe you think the government should sterilise all of us pansies who are in chronic pain?

By the by, I found labour a breeze - which lasted 10 days in total. Painful, yes. Bearable, yes. This pain is not bearable. That may put some perspective on how much pain I am in.

Should I have aborted my child instead IYO? What if my religious beliefs did not allow contraception? What if I had accidentally gotten pregnant (and please don't give me that pregnancy cannot be an accident these days with the amount of contraception, as I fell pregnant 3 years ago just after I had had a breakdown, used a condom and the morning after pill but somehow still ended up PG)? Should I have aborted if I had accidentally conceived?

I can accept that some of the posters think it is best I do not have addictive medication (I quite agree, I certainly do not want to become addicted to anything, Ive seen a close member of my family suffering and battling years against the worst drug of all), what I cannot accept is how bloody judgemental you are of my right to have a child!!!

op, you are being given pain relief. Its just not what you want, and it isnt removing it for you. That doesnt mean the doctors arent doing their job. it just means that they are acting like health professionals, and not just drug suppliers with a prescription pad.

you can have a baby if you want. ignore the eugenics minded people

FabbyChic,
What about people with medical conditions like biopolar disorder, or epilsey or diabetes or numerous other illnesses. Should they be sterlised?

Medication in pregnancy is not ideal, but in many cases it does not harm the feotus. It may well be beyond the skills of a GP to manage difficult conditions in pregnancy. It is why the nhs has hospital specialists.

Its nothing to do with pain threshold. I gave birth with nothing but Tens, so I am not a wimp. However SPD left me crying with pain.

MadYoungCatLady, I hope you get the medical treatment you need.

MadYoungCatLady have a word and ask if they dont want to give it in tablet form what about injection where they can make sure they are in controll of the amount you get , where as maybe there worried you may if still in pain take extra tablets if there available IYSWIM so if a nurse came to the house daily to inject you the baby would be safer in there eyes , just a thought as i know it comes in injection form too

Co Codamol along with Diclafenac were given to me post operative btw would they be any good you could ask about them?

What a nightmare for you.

Loads of conditions v difficult to manage in pregnancy - I have pre exisiting diabetes and had a ruptured hemorrhagic cyst during 2nd trimester requiring morphine - if the pain is that severe that you are unable to eat, you really do need to attend A&E and be assessed properly, if not admitted and treated - can kind of get where GP's are coming from to an extent about wariness to prescribe opiates in pregnancy - are you under Obstetric doc? They will be able to prescribe more appropriately and more confidently than GP.

Diclofenac contraindicated in first and third trimester but not second, so that's an option?

Some antidepressants - including Amitriptyline which is safe throughout pregnancy - are brilliant for chronic pain, esp neuropathic pain - though not sure about UC pain - but may be worth exploring further.

Are you taking codiene and paracetamol in combined preparation or seperately? If seperate, may be worth taking paracetamol at, say, 12, 6, 12, 6 and codiene at 3, 9, 3, 9 - that way you're covered and not having 'run out' pain.

Hope that helps and you are able to get some relief.

Thanks for some brilliant ideas - maybe suggest the injections to the GP tomorrow. I do have cnsultant led care, I am seeing my consultant for the first time in just over 2 weeks, I had him with my last pregnancy (before I had this pain so no pain relief required) and his philosophy is pretty much that mum is here now, which helped with being treated for the bi-polar type 2 I was just being diagnosed with.

The GP I spoke with today told me to take 8 codeine with 8 paracetamol, which is doubled from the last GP, so I'm hoping that helps! I was on amitrip previously, to treat the bi polar, which seemed a sensible anti depressant due to the pain killer element. However, it was knocking me out, and I have a 3yo DS so I simply couldnt be asleep during the day when I took it, so we stopped that. I've tried so many things over the last three years, and had finally found something that worked. I have tried tramadol, diclofenac (cant take that now due to possible colitis), morphine, oramorph, amitriptyline, codeine, solpadol and finally dhc which worked! Then I had a small bottle or oramorph every six months on average to basically keep me out of A&E!!! I think because I know what drugs work for me, it comes across badly when I specifically ask for one, so am willing to let the new GPs prescribe anything, I dont mind trying again maybe something else will work now.

I've managed 1/2 sandwich and 1/2 tin of soup today (also been sick but never mind, I think stress combined with pain) but I just cannot stomach anything. Thankfully my mum has got DS for a few days, poor little thing I dont want him seeing me like this :(

Making my app in the morning, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed he will help me in some way, rather than scratching his head and sending me on my way.

I really hope you get things sorted.

Good luck :-)

MadYoungCatLady:
"My psychiatrist is very good, but he's made a bit of boo-boo and written to my GP that I have been addicted to diazepam in the past - I did call him to ask what the hell was going on, he said he hadn't said that at all simply that he prescribes it every 2 months or so when I suffer badly from anxiety and panic attacks. Think my GP has read this wrong, but still - I'm now an addict as far as they are concerned and I'm now wondering if this is why they are refusing to help."

Do you know exactly what your psychiatrist wrote?

I would be trying to get this sorted out and corrected as a matter of urgency. If your psychiatrist has managed to write a letter that it is possible to interpret as "MYCL has previously been an addict" and you don't get it corrected/removed from your medical records, that piece of information will follow you around for the rest of your life and may impact on your ability to get health insurance - or anything else where you have to declare your previous medical history and the company you're dealing with can check with your Drs.

You can request access to your notes under the Data Protection Act (you can get a hardcopy, but may be charged a fee to cover admin costs) - either through your GP or your psychiatrist, and you can ask to see all of them or a very specific item (there are certain circumstances where they can refuse but they need a good reason, such as they believe it would cause serious harm to your physical or mental health). I'd find out exactly what you're psychiatrist wrote and see how it fits with the GP's interpretation - but probably get the psychiatrist to clarify the situation regardless. However clear it may appear to be if you know the background, if one Dr has managed to misinterpret it remains possible for others to do the same.

Really hope the new GP can be a bit more forthcoming and is prepared to work with you :)

I hadnt thought of that Tangled, think I will get straight on to that once things settle down a bit.
Thanks for all your best wishes everyone - GP was a DREAM today! He even apologised for having to prod my tummy! He has prescribed buscopan for now, along with the codeine (this one trusts me with 100 rather than 28 :) ) and paracetamol. He mentioned the fact the baby can become addicted if I carry on taking it until the end of the pregnancy but says not to worry about it now. He has referred me to have some bloods done to actually diagnose the problem, he firmly believes it is a typical case of colitis.
Still in a lot of pain, effing back playing up now but at least I am smiling as someone believes I'm not just a raving junkie! Knowing there is light at the end of the tunnel and proper treatment ahead is what I needed but never thought anyone would bother with!
Yay!