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.

Sorry dp is driving not me. I'm not using my phone whilst driving.

The diazepam should help with the muscle spasm so hopefully short term you will be a bit better.

And the referral is progress. I really think any Ortho would get an MRI sorted. So hopefully light at the end of the tunnel.

Diclofenac suppositories are like magic bullets. Combined with the diazepam it should really help. Sorry you're frustrated but there really isn't anything else A&E can do for you. I would ring the doctors tomorrow to see if they can expedite your pain clinic appointment.

I agree wholeheartedly with previous recommendations of an osteopath or chiropractor. Try to find one that also does acupuncture. I've had both treatments in the past and they've been simply amazing. The right one is worth every penny.

You can't cash in a script from a hospital at a normal chemist though can you? We have to go to the hospital pharmacy here.

Hope you get sorted though OP and I agree those up the bum painkillers are beyond awesome.

This sounds horrific! Continence issues are definitely a concern and ive been told that if I get anything like you're describing to go to A&E straightaway!

You desperately need an MRI.

If if helps, you can take gabapentin and amytriptyline together. What doses are you taking? Feel free to pm me, I can give you a list of all the meds im on that finally started making a difference while I waited months for my MRI.

Diclofenac is a great start. I hope they help.

Do NOT go to an osteopath or chiropractor. I was absolutely forbidden to seek this kind of help with my problem (herniated disc and severe nerve pain). If the physios can't do anything because they're making it worse, then you need to listen to them.

You might find this website useful

www.spine-health.com/conditions/herniated-disc/whats-a-herniated-disc-pinched-nerve-bulging-disc

You can cash an fp10 prescription at an ordinary pharmacy and at this tie of evening I would suspect that's the prescription given as normally a hospital pharmacy shuts at 5pm??

Ah right, hope so man.

Get your local pharmacy to order them in, it can be very quick.

I have been in pain for over four years, two years in I got a pain clinic referral - the GP refused the MRI and I suspect that is due to cost. If you get the money this is the most important thing to pay for. The pain clinic referred me at the first appointment as it was obvious to them it was a disc herniation. You sound like you have the same. I had surgery but am still suffering due to the muscle spasm and nerve damage. I've had success with butrans patches and tapentadol and occasional diazepam. The pain clinic also has a range of options to try and can really help, they deal with this every day. I use a back support band and sacroiliac belt for support which can help too. Hot showers reduce the spasm to help stretch it out, diazepam will make this even easier so try stretching the spasming muscles gently in ways that feel good. Give the pain clinic a call to make sure they have received your referral and offer to take last minute cancellations to get seen quicker.

I work on a ward where we handle incoming acute back pain.

In experience - the doctors keep folk in for investigations if they start to experience:

Genital or saddle numbness - this is why the doctors might pop a finger in your bottom if you say you've acute back pain, because they'd want to check the tone of the muscles in and around the anus.

New incontinence of bowel or bladder, or an increasing difficulty in passing urine indicating problems with the nerves affecting both areas - sometimes people don't they're going because they can't feel anything.

Pain associated with fever, or complete inability to move - because they indicate infection or pain that could be perhaps be managed better.

I need to rtft because I think you did go to A&E? Generally it's easier to see the GP but I'm very glad A&E have given you painkillers - diclofenac supps are good - and have referred you on to orthopaedics. Hopefully they can help you - you need an MRI though really.

And the nhs site on slipped disc (same as herniated disc)

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Slipped-disc/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Agree with Jareth. Chiro made mine worse
I got an amazing NHS physio who spotted my weak core and helped me
No issues then for 2 years or so. It flared and I took myself to local physio which was £25 and she sorted it. Now if it flares I catch it early, hammer dihydrocodeine and rectal diazepam down me and get into physio ASAP
Mine was sciatica and piriformis and it goes when I'm under extreme stress bizarrely

Sciatica and piriformis here too, it's not fun. My physio works actual magic, I'm sure of it.

Mine did some bizarre stuff. I walked out with no back pain but my knees hurt for 4 days once that went it was perfect!
They seem to have magic of watching you hobble in, poking you and delighting in you go OW YES THERE

Op if you're anywhere near Birmingham, PM me. I have a genius osteopath who can help you with this. I've referred many people to him and they've all been fixed. He uses acupressure and acupuncture as well where necessary/relevant. And he doesn't charge the earth.

I've never needed more than a couple of treatments (and often just one), despite being in such pain that I was fainting and unable to walk properly.

Oh, and I echo those saying don't use a chiropractor. It's not your bones that are the problem, from what you've said, so it's an osteopath who can help.

Am about to PM you

You've been treated like shit OP you really have.The pain your going through is not normal,it's your bodys way of letting you know that there is something very wrong.

I have two types of arthritis now and problems with my sciatic nerve and spine you have my upmost sympathy.

I know you won't feel upto it but ask your DP or your Mum to make a complaint for you about the way you've been treated at your Dr's and all the fuck ups your Dr has made and about the way you've been treated at A&E.

Keep ringing up about your referral,if you can if not ask someone your close to to ring for you,you might be able to get a cancelation.

With the MRI if they're taking to long to get you one(which it sounds like they are)think about doing a GoFundme page,I know that might sound mad but honestly if I read about someone being in so much pain and being let down and mucked about for so long I'd help and I bet there's loads of other people out there that would want to help you as well.

I know it's madness as we have the NHS in this country but they've made you wait long enough OP,you need some help and you need it now.
I hope what they've given you your able to get and I hope it helps.
If it get's any worse honestly I'd ring an ambulance,they might admit you and get you onto some decent pain relief and they should get the tests ect sorted out quicker that way.

Jesus get to an osteopath, I was in tears with lower back pain every day after having my daughter - found phsyio's to be useless but 20 minutes with an osteopath cured me - where are you OP? if your in london the london school of osteopaths take people for exams for their final year students which is fab because it means the examiner does a full inspection.

Finally found a chemist stocking the suppositories, they didn't have the full prescription but had enough for now. I'm home and heading to bed in a minute.

Tonight I am taking the following: gabapentin, diazepam, the suppository, tramadol. (I took my co-codamol at 7pm). Mum has got dd, dp is here with me to make sure I'm OK. I have got to sleep with all that. I am hoping that after a sleep I will be in a much better frame of mind.

The doctor gave me leaflets for mental health services. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

I can't explain how much the advice and support you have given me today has meant to me. I will be reading it all through again tomorrow and working out where to go from here. Thank you to all of you who pmd me as well. Thank you for helping me when I felt like no one gives a fuck about my pain.

I'm in essex by the way in case anyone has any recommendations for the future.

Hope it all helps enough to allow you to get a bit of rest.

Is it safe to take all that together? Sounds like a lot of things at once.

Hope you get some sleep