Would I be unreasonable to go to a&e?

[flanjabelle]

If I would, please please don't flame me as I am laying here in tears because I don't know how to cope anymore.

I have lower lumbar pain that has been becoming more and more severe over the last year. I have received appalling care including fuck ups meaning I have been discharged from physio accidentally, putting me back at the start of the process, only to be told physio won't help me anyway (after waiting for another referral and seeing them again). The gp fobbed me off for months before finally ordering an x ray and blood tests to look for rheumatoid arthritis and any other auto immune diseases that would be attacking the spinal area. I am waiting on the results.

Back to now. I have barely slept for two weeks due to the pain. I am on co-codamol 30/500 and gabapentin which do not take my pain away. I wake more than 20 times through the night, cannot get comfortable in any position. I am in constant pain through the day and am at the point of breaking down. I have a 2 year old. How the fuck am I supposed to parent like this?

My gp has fucked up again. He has told me that they have exhausted their options so I need to go to the pain management clinic, but then forgot to order the referral. I have asked again and again and today they have admitted that it was only just sent through.

I am at breaking point. I can't get out of pain. I can't sleep. I can't parent a toddler. It feels like someone is squeezing my spine with a vice. I don't know what to do.

If iabu to go to a and e, what am I supposed to do? I have coped and coped and I can't cope any more.

I second RB8's suggestion of a private osteopath. Yes it will cost, however if they can get you on your feet it would be worth every penny!

I've had three issues over the last few years the GP just mugged me off with pain killers that didn't help, that have all been solved with the help of my wonderful osteopath. I rarely go to the gp these days unless I absolutely have to.

My dh had an accident in January, and his experience of NHS physio's is dire. It has greatly impeded his recovery, to the extent that he is currently unable to work. We're now paying for a private physio too.

Please go to a&e, this is an emergency. I have been in your position and was given an injection that worked miracles. Unless you are admitted you won't get any tests done but at least they can control your pain in the meantime

I echo calling 111 and asking what they suggest. It could be that they suggest you go to A&E for better pain relief. They may need to keep you in to get your pain under control as it does sound pretty extreme. Good luck.

I'm so sorry, that sounds awful but you need to muster whatever energy you have left and get to the bottom of this. If that means going to a&e then at least try it - and tell them you have pcos. Gynae/ hormonal issues could very well be the cause or a contributing factor so the medical care (or lack of) that you are receiving should be investigating this. Sincerely hope you get some answers and relief, don't give up X

All you can do is go, the worst they can do is turn you away but it will save you from being at home wondering if it would be better if you went.

Yes I'd call 111 first and ask them. I've had them send me out a doc who gave me morphine for a back spasm although the 2nd time it happened they only gave me diazepam (which my GP won't). There is a back thread here which may help you in the long term as we are all chronic sufferers in there and know exactly what pain you are in although we all arrived there via different stories. Good luck and let us know how you get on. Also yes get Mum and DP on board as you need help with the wee one.

Interesting. The mini pill has no estrogen, so if it is low or fluctuating estrogen (as mine was) then that wont help your situation.

This link is interesting:
patient.info/forums/discuss/perimenopause-and-severe-joint-pain-any-one-else--36790

I really feel for you. I remember how exhausting and depressing that level of pain was.

I do think a&e is your only option if your GP isn't helping. Tell them everything you've said here, write it down before being seen if you have to. Tell them it's got worse this week and making you feel faint and that you can't cope anymore. Good luck.

I would go. I've gone to my local version of A&E several times when I've had severe back pain and they would give injections that help (anti-inflammatory injection as I can't take them by mouth because of stomach issues and then usually some really strong pain killer injection). I think its worth a try.

This sounds so much like me..except my pain is in a different area to yours. I am going to be honest rather than telling you what you want to hear. Do not just go to A+E. I know the service has a bad reputation, but call 111 and tell them exactly how bad the pain is, chances are, they will send an ambulance (not an emergency one, just a spare whenever they can). You get pain relief much faster this way too as they can give you entinox until you reach the hospital. At the very least I expect 111 will arrange an out of hours doc appointment at your local hospital. I realise this post is coming across wrong at this point so I shall switch to my actual experience rather than 'advice'

So, at least once a month this gets so bad, and goes on for too long for me to cope with it at home. When this happens I call 111 and 9 times out of 10 they agree I need to go in and they will send an ambulance as soon as one is available. I have been advised NOT to make my own way in as my pain gets so bad that I often pass out with it, or get kinda stuck in one position where I can't even walk. Ambulance ALWAYS give me entinox which really takes the edge off. At hospital they give me a few shots of morphine until the pain is under control then send me home. I often break down and tell them I am sorry for wasting their time but I am always told that if the pain is bad enough to have a grown adult in tears and unable to move, then A+E is the best place for me. A+E are much more likely to arrange for scans and such to find out what the actual problem is too..they will usually do that WHILE you are there. While I am still undiagnosed..its not through lack of trying. I have to say the NHS has been amazing to me.

Pain clinic...I know you really don't want to hear this but don't get your hopes up too much for that appointment. I did and I was crushed. The one here may just be bad but honestly, its no different to a GP appointment except for the fact that they don't actually perscibe anything to you, they will send a letter to your GP and its still down to your own doc to actually write up the prescriptions.

In short, I would say A+E are great if the pain is so bad you feel you can no longer cope. But likely all they will do is get it under control then send you home, but when its horrendous thats all you want, even a few hours is a relief.

I hope you have a batter experience than me with getting it sorted but I have had pain 18-20 hours per day averagely. It is absolutely horrendous for maybe 3-4 hours per day (usually on a night, luckily as I have young kids) but even when its not at its worst its really painful. I had an operation to remove my gallbladder as it was suspected that may be the issue, it wasn't...AND the operation had a bunch of complications which have left me in more pain than ever before as I think I have nerve damage to go with whatever the hell I had before, as I get the feeling that the 'drains' are still stuck in my chest from where they had to drain everything after the staples and such came undone. Not good. My pain clinic are now on about me seeing a psychotherapist to work on ways to mentally deal with long term pain, as they say its pretty much the end of the road now and everything that could be done has been done. I do have a physio appointment next month that I am hesitantly optimistic about though. It has been spoke about me maybe seeing an anesthetist about having some form of injection which will apparently work similar to an epidural on the area that the pain is centered...but this is after 2 years worth of pain clinic appointments, MRI scans, operations and such, a ridiculous amount of painkiller changes, and its a very very last option as nothing else seems to work.

I know some people will not like this post as its not...supportive as such. I just think being realistic is better. Do not get your hopes up too much about the pain clinic as its not very different to seeing your GP, except the appointments seem shorter and less personal.

I really really hope you get this sorted hun as there is nothing worse than living in constant pain. I feel like a write off and I am only 29 years old. I was absolutely fine too until my son was born, after that this pain just took over my life completely.

Do they know whats actually the cause of your pain? Have you had scans and such or were you just chucked onto painkillers immediately? I would also suggest maybe changing GPs if yours is totally useless. I know thats not an option in some areas though...

My mum is here we are going to a and e. Thank you all.

This may be against the tide, but I had months and months of one particular problem, dressings with practice nurse every few days, ended up in A&E on IV antibiotics (not same problem as yours), and going to A&E was the only way to get a referral to someone who could help.

Can you change gp or involve PALS?

Sending good vibes, it is awful when you are suffering and no-ones listening.

Best of luck.

Having now read through the rest of the thread (I read OP, post then go back to read) call 111 NOW. Get someone to watch the kids if they are there. If this is not an option get someone to watch the kids as soon as possible and THEN immediately phone 111. You need some relief from this. Even if it is just a shot of morphine and then a few hours pain free, it will do you the world of good. Do not minimize the level of pain you are in to the operator..I know it makes you feel pathetic to admit you cannot walk without crying and such (this is me..not you) but they need to know.

If you tell A+E when you are there about your doctors fuck ups, its not going to do any harm..I don't know what they could do about it, but its not going to make anything any worse so its worth a shot. They may also give you stronger medication to leave with. My first A+E trip I was on codeine and when they sent me home I was given dihydrocodeine and a bottle of oramorph. I take the oramorph only when the pain gets so bad I would otherwise have to go back to A+E and it does help a lot. I still have to go pretty regularly but nowhere near as much as I had to before. My GP took a bit of a huff when my discharge letter 'recommended' he carry on with the same painkillers mind, but he did go along with it.

I see you are going. Good. I hope they sort you out, at the very least in the short term. Until you have lived with such pain issues its near impossible to understand how bad it is.

Vickyyy... , so sorry and I really hope that something will work eventually.

my thought was that an ambulance can take ages, depending on where the OP is, but I entirely understand what you do. I wish you (and the OP) the very best.

Another one with severe long term back pain here.
Go to A&E so you can get some temporary pain relief. You will not be wasting your or their time.
After that keep going back to the GP. He can prescribe Omeprazole that will stop your stomach hurting so you can start the Naproxen again, that will help. You could experiment with other NSAIDS again or an anti inflammatory gel.
Some people do not respond to opiods, so things like co-codamol won't work.
Next thing is to rent a TENS machine from your local boots chemists or buy one for £20 or so. It blocks the pain messages while it only works while you're using it but it will definitely help.
Acupuncture and Osteopathy will help, some osteopaths also do medical acupuncture so no need for two separate appointments.
Alternate heat and cold often helps but you could try experimenting with a hot water bottle first, it makes a real difference to me.
Lastly gentle movement helps. Even though it hurts, getting moving does help with almost all back problems.

Go to A&E you are in a lot of distress.

OP I was just going to say go to your A&E or ring them. Make sure you tell them you have PCOS. You could have a cyst pressing on a nerve and causing pain. They will have to scan to see. Ask them to put you in for an MRI also. Hopefully you are being looked after now

Urgent care centre? They will at least get you some strong painkillers - and being within a hospital often do an referral there and then if it's obvious who you need to be referred to. They are basically 24 hr GPs.

Also I know doctors don't like you requesting certain meds, but if opiates aren't working well for you there is something called acupan/neforpam. I swear that was my saviour for a fair few months. Unfortunately I developed a tolerance to it after a while but that happens with a lot of things. It doesn't help me anymore now but it was absolutely fantastic to begin with. You don't get the drowsyness and such that a lot of people get from codeine/morphine either.

*nefopam

My doc never even mentioned it to me, that was again A+E at one point.

Do some people genuinely think that the OP should have called an ambulance? FFS it's no wonder the ambulance service is so snowed under. She already said she had a partner and mum, both of whom could get her to A&E (I'm not going to debate whether that's an appropriate place to go). Ambulances are for emergencies, where you may need life saving care or accidents where for example you might need to be immobilised. They are not a taxi service. OP I hope you manage to get some help soon. Don't write off chronic pain services, some of them are amazing. I realise this is no help until your referral actually gets acted on tho.

Honestly all they will do is give you tramadol which you have anyway and tell you to see your gp. I can't recommend an osteopath enough though. Seriously it cost about 50 pounds and was a lifeline for me.

Good luck, A&E sounds like the right thing to do. I hope they can help