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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To go to A&E?

63 replies

QuestionableMouse · 01/08/2016 05:45

I've been getting horrible headaches and pain in my neck for almost two months now. Have also been getting pain/pressure in one side of my face (same as the above). I've seen three different GPs and none of them have done anything to find out what is causing it. I've had six appointments. I'm worried, I'm exhausted and I can't cope with it much longer. Aibu to go to A&E? (There's only
one other doc in my surgery and I refuse to see him because of the way he speaks to people.

OP posts:
Sidge · 01/08/2016 07:49

I feel for you, but A&E is not the place to pitch up at when you want a second opinion.

See your GP again, as well as a dentist, and if they fob you off then see someone else. Keep asking for some sort of resolution, whether that's referral to a neurologist or physio (which you need to bear in mind could take months to be seen) or some medication.

Unfortunately for things like this it can be a process of elimination and take some time to get to the bottom of it. It might be trigeminal neuralgia, it might be dental, it might be musculoskeletal.

Hope you are better soon.

NiceCuppaTeaAndASitDown · 01/08/2016 08:03

I was also going to suggest a trip to the dentist after having very similar symptoms a few weeks ago - I ended up having a dental abscess which needed a root canal.
Good luck!

dogornodog · 01/08/2016 08:21

Agree, it is not an a&e issue.

I also had similar years ago, excruciating pain down one side of my face, many GP visits and they discussed trigeminal neuralgia and gave me some medication (can't remember what) which didn't help much.

Again it turned out to be impacted wisdom teeth and was instant relief when they came out.

PersianCatLady · 01/08/2016 14:50

DO NOT go to A & E for a long standing issue like this.

If you are not happy with your GP surgery, register with a new one and make an appointment.

A & E is for things that are urgent not issues that have been running for months.

GobblersKnob · 01/08/2016 14:55

Poor you, it sounds horrible, do you suffer with anxiety at all?

lastqueenofscotland · 01/08/2016 14:57

Agree with others, do NOT go to a&e, another doctor or dentist but you would be wasting time at a&e and probably sent home anyway.

PersianCatLady · 01/08/2016 14:57

Have you tried anything stronger OTC pain relief yet like co-codamol or Nurofen plus?

0nTheEdge · 01/08/2016 15:09

Agree try the dentist, if no joy keep on at your GP. Might be worth actually seeing the same GP again for continuity and saying that it's still a problem, has not gone away, ask what are they going to do to help you. Apparently a GP has to see your a few times with the same problem until they investigate further. Good luck OP

positivity123 · 01/08/2016 15:12

Is it just on one side of the body? Could it be shingles? Keep an eye out for any rash.

GertrudeMoo · 01/08/2016 16:51

Sounds awful. I wonder why none of the GPs have referred you elsewhere. There's no point in anyone on here second guessing a diagnosis as it could be any one of many things ranging from trivial to terribly serious. Can you afford to go private? If the pain is getting steadily worse and your gp is doing nothing then (unlike everyone else on here) I personally would go to A&E, to rule out the worst case (emergency) scenarios. I was taken to A&E after a bout of severe headaches that led to me passing out, including whilst in A&E in front of the doctor, who rushed me for a ct scan and all sorts of tests. It turned out to be a post viral thing (i.e. they had no idea but kept me in for 5 days and in that time the symptoms improved).

PersianCatLady · 01/08/2016 17:08

I personally would go to A&E
Attitudes like that are making it a nightmare for staff in A & E departments. The OP has had headaches for going on 2 months and there has been no accident or emergency, therefore she should not attend A & E.

Here is some A & E advice -
An A&E department deals with genuine life-threatening emergencies, such as:
•loss of consciousness
•acute confused state and fits that are not stopping
•persistent, severe chest pain
•breathing difficulties
•severe bleeding that cannot be stopped
•severe allergic reactions
•severe burns or scalds

GertrudeMoo · 01/08/2016 17:56

How do you know it's not an emergency PersianCatLady? The OP needs to judge that for themselves, but if the headaches are getting worse each day (which we don't know as OP didn't say) then it could be an emergency situation. To me it sounds like a severe cluster headache, especially as there's a history of migraine.
OP there's a migraine clinic in London that takes self-referrals (or at least they used to, for a donation of £60. I'll try to find info.

Buggers · 01/08/2016 18:04

It's not an emergency because she's had it for 2 months!! I agree to go to the dentist asap. Really hope you feel better soon OP.

ChestyNut · 01/08/2016 18:11

A+E is not the place for an ongoing issue as it's neither an accident not an emergency.

GertrudeMoo · 01/08/2016 18:22

Copied from NHS website:
Could it be something serious?
In the vast majority of cases, a headache isn't a sign of a serious problem. But, rarely, it can be a symptom of a condition such as a stroke, meningitis, or a brain tumour.
A headache is more likely to be serious if:

it occurs suddenly and is very severe – often described as a blinding pain unlike anything experienced before

it doesn't go away and gets worse over time

it occurs after a severe head injury
it's triggered suddenly by coughing, laughing, sneezing, changes in posture, or physical exertion
you have symptoms suggesting a problem with your brain or nervous system, including weakness, slurred speech, confusion, memory loss, and drowsiness

you have additional symptoms, such as a high temperature (fever), a stiff neck, a rash, jaw pain while chewing, vision problems, a sore scalp, or severe pain and redness in one of your eyes

If you're concerned that your headache might be serious, you should seek immediate medical advice. Contact your GP or NHS 111 as soon as possible, or go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department.

GertrudeMoo · 01/08/2016 18:23

Have you tried NHS111?

PersianCatLady · 01/08/2016 18:25

How do you know it's not an emergency PersianCatLady?
Because she has had it for two months and she has had all day to try and get a GP appointment and by the sounds of it not bothered.

My aunt works in A & E and people that come in with something that has been going on for two or more months usually get sent home after waiting hours with nothing but a stern word and advice to get a GP appointment.

I can't believe that anybody does not understand when the use of A & E is and is not appropriate.

GertrudeMoo · 01/08/2016 18:29

I completely understand, but some longstanding symptoms can need emergency treatment. Not saying this does. I was just saying that if the headaches are increasingly painful every day (with no respite for example) then it can be an emergency. I hope this isn't the case for the OP!

PersianCatLady · 01/08/2016 18:31

GertrudeMoo
I am sorry but I think your advice is irresponsible in encouraging her to go to A & E.

Even if she does go there she will more likely than not spend hours waiting and then be sent home and told to make a GP appointment.
The A & E doctor won't be very impressed that she had all day to make other arrangements and then turns up at A & E because she didn't.

squiggleirl · 01/08/2016 18:38

There is a big difference between somebody not making an appointment to see a GP, and rocking into A&E expecting them to deal with a low-level medical complaint, and a patient who has seen 3 GPs, had 6 appointments and not been offered any help in trying to resolve an issue.

The fact that this has been ongoing can cause either the condition itself to deteriorate, or the patient's ability to mange the condition to deteriorate to the point where it does become an emergency.

The OP is not using A&E as an option for getting a second opinion, but rather as a possible route for receiving treatment.

Yes to changing GP - it is not medical care if you feel you are not being listened to, and no investigations are being carried out. Headaches, neck pain, and pain and pressure in the side of your face are not insignificant symptoms, and I do not think it would be unreasonable for the OP to attend A&E if she has another occurrence between now and being able to see a GP in another surgery.

I think people should be mindful that no one here has met the OP, or discussed her medical history at length. It is very re-miss to advise not seeking medical care, purely because of a poorly resourced A&E service. None of us here is in the position to prioritise who A&E are treating. Those in A&E should determine that. I would much rather A&E told somebody they'd come to the wrong place, than risk somebody who needed medical care not receiving it because they were worried about doing the 'wrong' thing.

gingerboy1912 · 01/08/2016 18:39

Have you been to an oestopath? They can be really helpful.

yorkshapudding · 01/08/2016 18:41

Persian is spot on. One of the reasons A&E's are so chronically overstretched is because there are an awful lot of people who think that it is an acceptable alternative to their GP (because they don't get on with their GP, don't want to wait for an appointment, struggle to take time off work during office hours, want a 'second opinion' etc) which it categorically is not.

I sympathise with anyone who is struggling with unexplained pain (and two months of headaches really does sound horrible) but there are other options. If OP is not satisfied with the response from her GP she could complain to the practice manager, register with another GP surgery locally or visit a walk in centre as has been suggested. A&E does not exist to allow people to bypass a GP they have an issue with or to put people's minds at rest. It exists purely to deal with accidents and emergencies and, however you choose to justify it to yourself, going there for anything else is misuse of valuable resources.

Katy92 · 01/08/2016 18:43

I understand you must be so fed up with this but a&e won't be able to help. Certain walk-in centers do not deal with headaches either- well one near me used to not deal with them anyway.

If you do not feel happy with your gp, and they won't refer you to anyone/advise you better, then you can either file a complaint or change gp's. Not ideal in the short term but it would be worth it. Even if the drs is further away- better to have one they actually cares!

GertrudeMoo · 01/08/2016 18:43

Squiggleirl said what I was trying to say, but much better than I did!

I agree it's more irresponsible to tell the OP not to go, when nobody here knows the exact nature of the issue.

PersianCatLady · 01/08/2016 19:07

I think people should be mindful that no one here has met the OP
No but the OP posted about the issue at 5:45 this morning, she has had all day to make arrangements about what to do and she didn't.

The OP states that -
I've seen three different GPs and none of them have done anything to find out what is causing it.
Why would you leave an appointment without asking for a referral or asking what was going to be done to find out what was causing it?
I find it really odd that 3 different GPs sent her away with no advice or explanations.