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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to expect to be given adequate pain relief, like pethadine or morphine, for gallbladder pain

88 replies

BBQSteak · 18/08/2014 23:44

im fucking dr will not give me anything stronger than 30mg codeine which I can only take two of at once and its not strong enough

ive asked for something stronger they say no

do I have a valid reason to make complaint
or what shall I do?

fucking arrrgghh

OP posts:

Floralnomad · 19/08/2014 00:26

If you are in that much pain ring the OOH GP or go to A&E .

ADinnerofHerbs · 19/08/2014 00:26

Really sympathise with you. I had this in 2008 and the pain is horrific. While waiting for my op, I switched to a low fat diet, used skimmed milk, lived on cottage cheese, tuna in spring water, baked potatoes, muller rice mainly! No caffeine. I took paramol for the pain, it numbed it rather than erased it but made it bearable. I lost 4 stone in weight while waiting for my op!! I am now waiting for another op for an umbilical hernia but the pain is nothing like that was. So sorry and hope you can sort some pain relief and that your op is soon.

Original poster

BBQSteak · 19/08/2014 00:33

I can see the sun

I can't see that link

I can't just go to a and e all the time
I have children I have to be responsible for

No way can i drive

OP posts:

Original poster

BBQSteak · 19/08/2014 00:35

Is it better after the op?
So worried about that

OP posts:

Darkesteyes · 19/08/2014 00:41

My problems happened AFTER going on a diet and losing weight too quickly.

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 19/08/2014 00:43

I was given tramadol when I was on ward with suspected ball bladder issues, which turned out to be something else entirely. But they had me on tramadol and codeine, alternating. Complain.

exmrs · 19/08/2014 00:56

Totally feel your pain, I have just been to hospital with sciatica which was so bad I was screaming in pain and had lost feeling in my foot but my leg and bum contracting like mad, phoned out of hours drs twice and begged someone to come and look at me , they wouldn't but faxed prescription to mum for 2mg Valium for 3 days , took Valium but as small amount did nothing , ended up phoning ambulance who gave me gas and air to calm me down as pain making me panic.

In triage the nurse said out of hours doc should have given me more Valium as I'm a big girl and promised me pain relief as it was severe sciatica.

Dr came round and didn't even examine me properly , never told me the diagnosis just I need to lose weight it will help ,nothing about pain relief now as I'm crying and spasming in pain , I honestly felt like saying yes I'm sure I can lose 6 stone by tonight and won't need any pain relief and that will solve my problem.

There was no other dialogue , it felt because I'm fat I get the obligitary lose weight speech ' have you thought about losing weight?' I'd love to reply yes I have but decided I don't want to .

So her diagnosis was I'm fat I should suffer, I had to ask got pain relief where I got told they don't like giving Valium out as addictive but I had the smallest amount and as pointed out I need more as I'm a big girl .

I honestly felt I wasn't treated with respect just disdain for me rolling up to a and e being fat

YourMaNoBraBackOfMyCar · 19/08/2014 00:58

Go to a&e. Only once was I treated like a possible addict (I think because I demanded morphine which was the only thing to work). The doctor made me look in his eyes while he pressed down on my abdomen very hard. Still no idea what that proved. When I was suffering with gallbladder issues I'd just given birth to ds and was distraught at the fact that I would have to be separated from him while in hospital. I could barely speak t give my name as I was sobbing so much. I like to think that went a little way towards proving I wasn't an addict.

I was fuming though at one point. I was on the toilet with explosive and very painful diarrhoea when a nurse opened the door with a coin. He was convinced that I was smoking in there. I was absolutely livid and told him so. I could tell he felt embarrassed but rather than apologising he made a point of not backing down and therefor going OTT about people making his job difficult. I have n doubt that his job is/ was difficult but opening the door of the toilet that a half naked and sobbing woman was in and embarrassing them and himself won't make it any easier. I was going to complain but forgot all about once the doc stabbed me with that big delicious needle.

holidaysarenice · 19/08/2014 01:24

madhugger are you suggesting it's cos she is a women? Bollocks!

My constructive advice comes from both having gallstones at a young age and spending too long in th nhs but it's my personal opinion.

take the codeine regularly, do not allow the pain to build up.
supplement it with paracetamol as necessary but no other codeine products.
if not effective, return to your go, or if an episode contact out of hours. Ask for the next step in pain relief, it may bet tramadol. There is no point in screaming for morphine etc unless you have tried the steps up to it. Obviously an extreme flare in a and e would be different.
ask for their advice on how to manage the pain, what would they suggest is next. No dr will say you just have to suffer.
have you identified any triggers? Bacon was mine. Dairy is common.
there is no point complaining my gp won't give me morphine. Because ur to is entirely right not to give you morphine, in that situation until all avenues have been tried.
7)extreme pain go to a and e, if it's that bad you need to see a doctor and aren't in a fit state to look after children. Especially not if you use strong painkillers.
a diary of pain timings, food etc can help to show triggers etc.
all doctors have fallen foul of the most unlikely addict with theeeee best story to get their hit. It is no surprise when you hear these stories that doctors are wary of all patients. And a good thing too. But they don't hold back on drugs to make people suffer. Without causing offence and I'm not saying that you did, but going in demanding morphine for when the pain gets bad, will not help. I know many people ask for it as it's a well known powerful pain killer but it's not routinely used and there are many less potent but powerful drugs that can be used. Morphine as it is a opioid is one of the most abused and desire drugs for abuse.

I found engaging with my gp helped lots, asking what the recommend as x or y has not worked really helps. Throws the ball in their court almost. They will have a strategy.
Hope it helps

Original poster

BBQSteak · 19/08/2014 01:24

Going to call taxi for a and e

Fucjs sake

OP posts:

Darkesteyes · 19/08/2014 01:27

YourMa thats awful.

i do have to say though that the surgeon who did my op was fab. When i went in for consultation he promised he would have me on the operating table 6 weeks later My op was 5 weeks later.

And the treatment and aftercare DH got after his heart attack was second to none.

Darkesteyes · 19/08/2014 01:30

"all doctors have fallen foul of the most unlikely addict with theeeee best story to get their hit"

And others have to suffer for it.

Darkesteyes · 19/08/2014 01:32

I didnt/dont have children but i certainly wouldnt have been able to look after kids in the pain i was in.

I was signed off work two months before the op and eventually lost that particular job as a result.

musicalendorphins2 · 19/08/2014 02:26

You only need to be careful with the Tylenol part of your pills. The amount in those is less than an extra strength. I used to take 3 at a time when I had to. Also, there is a stronger version you could ask for, that has more codiene in it, rather than morphine. But definitively go back, or go to emergency, and say it isn't adequate, you have the right to adequate pain control. Gall bladder attack pain is horrible.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Co-codamol

TheMaddHugger · 19/08/2014 03:54

holidaysarenice Tue 19-Aug-14 01:24:24
madhugger are you suggesting it's cos she is a women? Bollocks!

absofuckinlutly I am.

Every woman I know suffered through the pain. Cause hey, It aint like childbirth O.o
every man I know, got wiz bang drugs.

my personal knowledge, not statics

myroomisatip · 19/08/2014 03:59

OP I hope you are okay now. It took ages for my gallstones to be diagnosed. It wasn't until my Dr. gave me medication to stop me from being sick that he realised what my problem was. I was given morphine immediately and referred for a scan etc.

It is much better once they are removed.

But yes. You should be given adequate pain relief!

scousadelic · 19/08/2014 07:24

I'm amazed, I had never heard of morphine for this before. Dark yours sounds horrific. When I had gallstones it was terribly painful, I took paracetamol, ibuprofen and tramadol on a rota, it didn't stop it but made it more bearable. My op was fairly quick too but that was because the stones were in a bad place so could be life-threatening if it moved

Still think holidays advice is good though. You will never win a complaint against a GP by demanding morphine

PowderMum · 19/08/2014 07:29

OP I understand your pain, I've been there. You need to get the pain under control, I needed morphine for tat (go to A&E), then you will have to go on a very restricted diet of bland low date food, no caffeine or fizz until you gave your GB out. I managed 3 months of diet control without an attack once I had been diagnosed.
After the operation I was in discomfort for 2 weeks, then pain free from there on.

sashh · 19/08/2014 07:35

Agree with adding paracetamol. As a Dr once said to me we think of it being a mild pain killer but it also increases the effect of other pain killers.

KissMyFatArse · 19/08/2014 07:43

I was given solpadol and tramadol but tbh the only thing that worked was morphine injections I had at hospital

eyebags63 · 19/08/2014 07:50

I can't believe some of the replies here are trying to justify the lack of pain control the OP has received?!

Yes it is a tricky judgement for the doctor because pain is almost completely subjective and therefore difficult to measure. However in this day and age there is no excuse for anybody to be left in severe pain for any amount of time.

If codeine is not enough then there ARE lots of other options. I would be kicking up a fuss and demanding to get a second opinion if I were in that much pain that I couldn't even eat.

Haggischucker · 19/08/2014 07:53

The pain is horrific I agree, I had my gallbladder out last October. You need to get your diet under control quick and then with the codine it's just about manageable until the operation. I was 20 weeks from initial attack to the operation. I had the first attack and then as I cut out all the trigger foods I didn't have another, just the aching pain continually which, although bad, was nowhere near the same level as the attack. Cut out as much saturated fat, processed foods and for me eggs and beans. It's a long wait till the operation to be out of it on morphine!

treaclesoda · 19/08/2014 07:58

I had gallstones whilst pg and pain relief was a nightmare, you have my sympathy. I spent a lot of time in hospital.

After the birth I was told at the time that 30mg Co codamol, or worst case scenario a couple of tramadol was the most I could have without being admitted to hospital as an inpatient. When things got really bad there was no choice but to go to a&e and end up admitted to hospital.

As an aside, I've always found doctors quite sympathetic to gallstones pain. Nurses and midwives though, without exception, insisted it was nothing a couple of paracetamol couldn't deal with.

treaclesoda · 19/08/2014 07:59

also, I'm sorry to say that diet made no difference for me. Even a drink of water could trigger an attack.

WellnowImFucked · 19/08/2014 08:08

My last two gallbladder attacks A&E basically open the controlled drugs cupboard and threw the lot at me. Dicofen supps, oromorph, IV paracetamol. And this was after the OOH doc had given me IM Morphine.

Make sure they're aware you have a confirmed diagnosis of gallstones. And for every bad attack present to A&E gallstones can become a surgical emergency very easily. I say this as an ex-HCP who becomes insensted when people use A&E as their GP.

Op is a doddle, normally day case. Pain post op isn't a fraction of an attack. Worst is the trapped wind, they pump CO2 in to your belly so they can see what theyre doing.

Good luck

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