To want to go to A&E!?

[hollowtree]

My first AIBU so go a little easy- also feeling extremely sorry for myself!

For about 2 weeks I've been having chronic headaches (think can't drive/lights hurt) which I put down to sleep deprivation. On my worst days I used the codiene I was given after my EMCS! Naughty I know but when you have a small baby and no time for the bloody doctors you'll do anything.

Last few days been feeling a bit fluey- temperature, fatigue, aches and pains along with the usual cough/sore throat/stuffy nose.

Then, last night around 2am I woke up with this excruciating pain in my ear along with (what sounded to me like) a firework display in my head! Followed by fluid leaking out from my ear all over my pillow.

So I thought- happy days: must have been an ear infection/abscess which had sorted itself out and explains the headaches and temperature.

But the pain is getting worse. And I'm feeling so dizzy and just so so shit. My head is banging, my neck is aching and my body feels like it's giving up on me.

I sort of want to see if I need fixing, and getting through today has been a struggle let alone waiting all of tomorrow for an appointment on Monday 😓 WIBU to call 111 and ask if I should be worried or if I need to go to A&E?

I read a thread on here recently about wasting NHS resources and now feeling guilty please tel me WWYD

Agree with from & Alexa

My first thought was meningitis. Ring 111 now.

My boyfriedn died 20 years ago of meningitis. Started very liike yours. Doctors thought it was flu at first.

Please get help.

Definitely call 111 now! This is literally what they're there for

I'm normally super conservative about going to A&E...
But the 'feeling my body is giving up on me' , temperature, dizziness, all make me query sepsis.
Unlikely - but too dangerous to fuck about with. A&E ASAP

Yes it sounds like you need to be seen by out of hours gp . Glad you are calling 111

My first thought also was meningitis, especially bit about light sensitivity

A burst ear abscess or ear drum is not life threatening, I have had both twice. The relief was immense, but not pleasant either. I was fine next day with a mixture of ibubrofen and paracetamol.

The fact that you are still feeling very poorly suggests a possible secondary infection.

I think you need antibiotic care. Get down to A+E now. If it is not critical you will be waiting a long time, but hospitals do have a sepsis protocol now thankfully.

Why are people so reluctant to just go to A+E and be triaged? Especially on the weekend. I just don't understand it.

Def 111. Let the experts decide whether it's an A&E job or not. Hope you feel better soon

Echoing others, call 111.

Hope they can help x

I agree with 111 and try and see if you can see an out-of-hours doc.

What did 111 say?

Go to A&E. They will send you home if it's nothing much. It sounds complicated, hardly just the flu.

Hopefully you’re now speaking with 111

Yes mrs just off the phone with them now and off to the OOH docs!

Oh salad That's so awful I'm so sorry you went through that xx

Sounds like my DH when he had sepsis from an ear infection. Her very nearly had a brain abscess and brain damage and he almost died. Took him 6 months to properly get over it.

Please get seen.

Whats your temperature and whats your pulse? if your temp is above 39 and your pulse above 100, and hasn't improved with medications, I would most definitely call 111 or go to A and E if you start feeling worse. (ex A and E sister here) Although I expect 111 will send you to A and E anyway tbh!

Generally I would say once your ear has burst you should start to feel better. The fact you've been feeling unwell for some time could indicate a nasty infection.

I’d go to out of hours - they’d send to A&E if necessary. Good luck.

Thanks so much everyone, I'm glad to be getting it sorted tbh.

virtual I got them all the time when I was a kid and remember the relief being instant! A got water bottle and some Calpol and I was fine. But I've had the maximum dose of paracetamol and ibuprofen today and I'm still in pain so thought something must be up!

Scary, you did the right thing.

Oh just seen your update. Glad you are going to get seen.

Good look at OOH OP. x

Hope it goes well.

This is not an Accident, nor is it an emergency. So A&E is inappropriate. 111 and a GP all in Center is much better, or better still, see your own GP on Monday

Thank you kitkat and everyone else who has been so lovely and wished me well! Hopefully I will be back with an update later tonight with an update that I am home with some antibiotics and a bar of Cadbury's or something! Xx

Good luck op.

If anyone has a very severe headache unlike anything they’ve ever had before the advice is always to seek medical advice. It may “just” be a severe headache or a migraine but there are other more serious things it could be so it’s always worth getting checked out.