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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to hope the Foreign Office don't waste any time on Laura Plummer...

684 replies

PiffleandWiffle · 26/12/2017 22:09

She was stupid enough to smuggle drugs into a country against their laws, got caught & got sentenced.

BBC Link

Cue the predictable wailing & cries of "it's not fair" from the family!

Personally, I'd rather the Foreign Office spent it's time trying to help people who are genuinely in trouble abroad rather than idiots drug smugglers....

OP posts:
bananafish81 · 29/12/2017 15:13

If you happen to have pelvic pain, try and see the team at the Neurology Hospital in London, they were amazing.

Funnily enough Tammy I actually went to the national hospital for neurology to see Dr Baranowski first of all (pelvic pain from a spinal injury), and had a hideous experience! He told me the dose of oxycodone I was on was too low to make any difference so took me off it and just told me to take ibuprofen. Even though I'd been on multiple strong prescription NSAIDs which had both not done anything (not inflammatory pain) and which gave me gastric issues. Told me he wouldnt try any interventional procedures as he didn't think there was any point in trying. So left his office in tears and ended up worse off than when I went in! thankfully my insurance paid for the privilege, not directly out of pocket..

Ended up at a different pain Dr whose care I've been under for well over 10 years and who has been an absolute life saver

*I would say that I am addicted to having a life like getting up and moving around and doing things.

I cannot do this without the medications so am I addicted to the medications or having a life??*

I only realised how much I depend on my meds during the time I was having fertility treatment and had to be off my meds after embryo transfer. During my (unsuccessful) pregnancies I was in so much pain I couldn't work, walk properly, just couldn't function.

Obvs I'd have happily gone through it all if it meant we could have a baby, but sadly my infertility issues (not related to my spinal injury) are too severe to sustain a pregnancy. Back on my meds I am a successful senior professional, I go to the gym - I'm in lots of pain, but it's managed sufficiently to be able to deal with it and be a contributing member of society. Without my meds I am curled up in a ball no good to anyone.

I am dependent on my pain meds to manage my spinal injury in the same way I am dependent on my epilepsy meds to manage my epilepsy. I need them to manage my condition. I am not addicted.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 29/12/2017 15:31

Incidentally what happened to the lovely Omar?

The family are reported as saying he's "standing by her" and has "visited her in prison" (probably to make sure she's got their story straight and isn't about to drop him in it Hmm)

As said upthread, I imagine their attitude to Omar will change when they find he's moved on to his next "innocent victim", but for now he's probably carrying on like a dog with two dicks

And yes, hmmwhatatodo - I also wondered how many other women will see his photo and wail "but he's MINE!!!"

SusanneLinder · 29/12/2017 15:32

*Even if you have a UK prescription for some drugs, you are still liable to be arrested and charged in some Middle Eastern countries for bringing them into the country.

I really want to get this point across as I am worried about the number of people who think that a UK issued prescription will negate a drug smuggling charge in places like the UAE.

It doesn't.*

Persian Cat Lady is correct. We thought about taking a trip to Dubai, but DH and I have various medical conditions and take medication on the banned list. So we checked the UAE website and it states we need to get permission from their Dept of Health to take it in, even if transitting through. It just wasnt worth the hassle. To anywhere else, we have a separate bag for meds, prescriptions and doctors letters, and haven't had any issues, but still wouldn't risk it in UAE. And we check EVERY country we travel to.

PersianCatLady · 29/12/2017 15:48

Bananafish81
I know exactly how you feel and it makes me sad to know that you are also in pain but I am so grateful for the advice you have given me today.

VelvetSpoon · 29/12/2017 15:49

Susanne, completely agree with your last post. My bf takes tramadol and other heavy duty painkillers. When we went abroad recently he took paperwork in support, and told me to take my codeine (I have it to take for emergencies when my gallstones kicks off) in its box and to take as few as possible. We had no issues but I felt we were covered even if our medication had been picked put on entry; I will admit I've never been on prescription meds before this year and I had no idea that you need to be quite careful about what you take abroad. Naively I assumed if you had a geuine UK prescription (which of course she didn't- I would be sympathetic if these were her own meds) that was fine.

PersianCatLady · 29/12/2017 16:26

VelvetSpoon
A lot of people don't realise that UK prescriptions don't exemptthem from drug laws in foreign countries.

Please have a look on the Internet before you next to away to check the rules for each drug you will take in that country.

VelvetSpoon · 29/12/2017 16:31

Persian thanks, I definitely will. It's only my bf that alerted me. I would have had no idea otherwise. It just never occurred to me. He pointed out that a lot of prescription meds here are illegal abroad. I never knew, and I consider myself fairly bright. I am sure lots of others, especially if you've not been on meds for years, would think the same.

TheletterZ · 29/12/2017 17:33

Can I ask, very politely as I am just curious, those of you on high doses of tramadol and other painkiller how you manage to go away for long holidays? I've never needed high strength painkillers, most I have been on was codeine for a foot injury and while that made the pain less it didn't make it go away and the two weeks I was in pain was incredibly draining and I struggled to leave the house. Is it a case that you just keep going as much as you can and know your body well to know your limits/routine needed?

PersianCatLady · 29/12/2017 17:46

TheLetterZ
I don't know if I am on sufficiently high strength medicine as for pain I currently only take 240mg of codeine a day.

Without it, I can't do very much so it enables me to get about.

If my DM or DF was to have just one 30mg tablet then they would be asleep in the chair by 5pm.

I think that there definitely is a difference between long term and short term use.

SusanneLinder · 29/12/2017 17:46

For UAE, its not just codeine that is banned. I had a back injury and my codeine prescription is low, only 8/500 mg. DH's are 30/500.
His banned meds include his ADHD meds, anti d's and anti anxiety meds. DD is on Mirtazapine and Quitiapene, as she has had quite bad mental health, so we are goosed really.

keffie12 · 29/12/2017 17:51

TheletterZ in our case our breaks and holidays are the one thing we look forward too. We prepare for holidays, ensure disability help is sorted at the airport, book into a hotel the night before at the airport and so on. We have just adapted and adjusted as we have gone along. Google has been a massive help with ideas for holidaying and the disabled

bananafish81 · 29/12/2017 17:55

Can I ask, very politely as I am just curious, those of you on high doses of tramadol and other painkiller how you manage to go away for long holidays? I've never needed high strength painkillers, most I have been on was codeine for a foot injury and while that made the pain less it didn't make it go away and the two weeks I was in pain was incredibly draining and I struggled to leave the house. Is it a case that you just keep going as much as you can and know your body well to know your limits/routine needed?

I've been on strong opioids for over 17 years now (I'm 36). They're a part of my daily life that enable me to function

Holiday is no different to non holiday - it's easier than non holiday because I can laze around, vs a full day at work and general life and household admin. Pain is a part of my life - it is exhausting, but I have no choice than to get on with things. I am on doses of opioids that would put others into a coma, but they control my pain adequately to enable me to function.

Some days are better than others, and sometimes if I'm taking more meds for breakthrough pain then I can get a bit woozy. My colleagues know when I'm having to take more meds as they can see my eyelids drooping sometimes in meetings. My husband says in the evenings after a long day at work when I've been taking meds all day and my evening doses are on top of a lot of daytime meds, he says sometimes my speech can go a little bit slurred as well as my eyelids drooping.

I broke my back and I've lived with chronic pain for much of my life. Pain is exhausting. The meds can make me drowsy. They bung you up to high heaven (Movicol is your friend). I have no choice but to get on with it.

bananafish81 · 29/12/2017 18:02

I used to be on 8 x 50mg tramadol a day plus 10mg OxyNorm (instant release oxycodone) up to 4 times a day for breakthrough

I was taking the full breakthrough dose so we swapped out the tramadol for modified release oxycodone. Now I take 20mg Oxycontin (slow release oxy) twice daily with the same 10mg OxyNorm up to 4 times a day for breakthrough.

Some days I take more, some days I take less

Most people who aren't opioid tolerant would be unconscious with what I take - could well put them into heart failure.

Codeine would do absolutely nothing for me any more.

When I first started taking opioids I took a lot lot less. But that's why long term opioid therapy needs careful oversight by a pain specialist.

BulletFox · 29/12/2017 18:05

SuzanneLinder what, seriously...?

That's really terrible actually. So they won't prescribe any of those in UAE?

MynewnameisKy · 29/12/2017 18:06

Most people who aren't opioid tolerant would be unconscious with what I take - could well put them into heart failure.

Which is the reason you should never give/ sell/ supply prescription medication to someone it hasn't been prescribed for.

She could very well have ended up on a murder charge if Boyfriend had taken it at the wrong dose.

Bluntness100 · 29/12/2017 18:11

I'm actually starting to wonder if she has learning difficulties or special needs. The way her family describe her, first boyfriend (she's 33) didn't know they were illegal, couldn't tell the difference between them and smarties, it makes you wonder.

But if she was as mentally vulnerable and in need of help as her family are making out, why were they not helping her, why was she travelling to Egypt to see a married man? Surely she wasn't keeping the illegal drugs secret from her family?

It makes no sense.

Growingboys · 29/12/2017 18:15

Agree OP and heartened to see many PPs agree, too.

Ha! re: Incidentally what happened to the lovely Omar?

Growingboys · 29/12/2017 18:33

Also, and sorry if this has been covered before - I've had a quick scan and couldn't see it - where on earth did Laura GET the 290 Tramadol?

They're prescription only here.

Am I missing something?

BulletFox · 29/12/2017 18:35

Apparently from a work colleague

Rebeccaslicker · 29/12/2017 18:45

Bluntness - it all makes perfect sense if you're trying to put the most sympathetic case possible before a judge!

southeastdweller · 29/12/2017 18:45

The Foreign Office are trying to get her moved to a 'nicer' prison:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-42512332

ButchyRestingFace · 29/12/2017 18:48

I'm actually starting to wonder if she has learning difficulties or special needs. The way her family describe her, first boyfriend (she's 33) didn't know they were illegal, couldn't tell the difference between them and smarties, it makes you wonder

Either that or they are seriously overegging this pudding now.

ArntNise · 29/12/2017 19:40

Namechanger5555

I'm much more interested in seeing the Iranian journalist set free.

This ¡

Spangles1963 · 29/12/2017 20:36

I'm just curious at to how this guy who's said to be her boyfriend is married to someone else?

southeastdweller · 29/12/2017 20:40

Polygamy is legal in Egypt.