Call out of hours or wait until monday?

[CollyWombles]

For the past week, I've started suffering with pain in my legs, mostly my right leg and mostly the lower leg. It's worse at night when I am laid in bed and last night was the worst yet.

It's not painful enough to take meds. It's not cramps. No redness, swelling, nothing to see. It's almost like having toothache but in my legs and moving around. No other symptoms except for twitchy right eyelid.

So, do I put up with it and see GP on Monday if it's still happening or would it be unreasonable to contact out of hours?

I'm sure Vitamin D deficiency causes aches.

I have restless legs and have recently been started on meds. That and a change of quilt to 4.5 tog, I'm having a decent sleep and no Riverdance at night.

I have wear and and tear arthritis in my knee. It feels like toothache and keeps me awake at night. I have one 8mg cocodamol before bed so I at least I get some sleep. Doctor says this is fine.

I'm on my feet eight hours a day and mine only kicks off when I'm still.

Symptoms of Dvt would normally present in just one leg not both, and would be red and swollen (although not always!) if it is unbearable ie affecting your mobility etc then go to a n e but if it’s just an achey feeling but you can manage your usual day to day stuff then I would take some painkillers and go to gp. If you are concerned ring 111 - if they are concerned they will advise you what to do.

I don’t think it would be reasonable to go to OOHs because one leg aches, No.

Make a GP appt next week. Or just see if it goes away for another week...

If the aching is stopping you sleeping take paracetamol or ibuprofen surely?

Call 111 if you are worried no point you sitting there worrying and making yourself stressed. In all likelihood though it's something minor. Perhaos muscle related.

I am not a doctor so would suggest speaking to 111

Why not go and have a chat with your local pharmacist? I always find it better having a face to face discussion and 111 will be focused on are you conscious and breathing!

If the pharmacist thinks you'll be ok over the weekend it'll hopefully ease your anxiety (& they can also point you in the direction of suitable painkillers in case the pain is bad again tonight). If they suggest seeking further/urgent medical help you'll be able to say it's on their advice rather than your anxiety sending you straight to A+E!

Get checked out but if nothing is found I'd suggest taking a high vitamin d supplement. Vit d deficiency causes aching bones and most of us in the UK are vit d deficient, esp at this time of year as our bodies make vit d when exposed to sun!

I had really achey legs but the vit d supplement helped really quickly. I use this one which is available on Amazon.

This is what 111 is for. Call them, they will triage you and you will be offered advice/an appointment/advised to make a GP appointment on Monday depending on how that goes. If it's been going on for a week and isn't getting significantly worse or bad enough to need painkillers is there a particular reason you feel it can't wait until after the weekend though?

Thanks all. I think because it was worse last night, it made me worry so I thought out of hours but I also thought it would be silly to call them and say, my legs hurt but not bad enough to take painkillers. So I asked here.

I have to go to the pharmacy to collect meds anyways today so I will ask the pharmacist.

It's incredibly hard to get an appointment with my doctor, usually it's at least a months wait. You can call between 8am and 8.30am for cancellations each day but the line is constantly engaged or you get through right at the end and all appointments are gone.

I'm my own worst enemy when it comes to painkillers, I won't take them unless I'm really in pain as I have gilberts syndrome (mildy symptomatic liver problem) and painkillers can bring on an episode of jaundice which makes me feel wiped out too.

Try an external painkiller - ibuprofen spray or similar. The pharmacist will advise.
I use Ibuspray because I can't take ibufen orally for reasons far too tedious to go into here.

If it’s not bad enough to take painkillers l, and you have managed a week, then I think it would be unreasonable to use an out of hours service - they are usually for emergency’s or things that can not wait until Monday. It’s quite a non-specific pain that moves around too, it could be one of many things but nothing so urgent you can’t wait 48hrs. Have you tried taking an anti-inflammatory?

I suspect your GP will need to take your bloods and possibly refer you to another service anyway.

I know it’s not nice, but wait if you can.

Id wait until Monday, but there's no harm in ringing the NHS line. I used to have terrible aches in my legs in the latter part of my pregnancies and it was due to low potassium levels.

OOH is for things that ca’t wait for GP to open - this can

Op you have other conditions and reasons not to take pain meds and you are worried. Call 111 out talk to your pharmacist that's what they are there for. I don't know anything about Gilbert's syndrome could it be related it a side effect of existing meds? Certainly your pharmacist might be able to reassure on that front / suitable or least harmful pain killers

Gilberts syndrome for the most is mild, it means my liver doesn't make enough of a certain enzyme to process bilirubin. That bilirubin then builds up in the blood and causes yellow eyes and skin. Worse when ill or during AF. Other symptoms are fatigue, nausea, hypglycemia.

Most doctor's haven't heard of it either, because it's classed as harmless. There's a lot worse things I could have! There is some evidence to show that you are 4 times more likely to develop chronic fatigue syndrome with it. There is also evidence to show you are a third less likely to suffer heart disease.

Anyways, I've had gilberts syndrome from birth so I think if this was related to that, I would have experienced it before now. Not impossible thanks to the lack of research into gilberts though.

I'm just getting on with it, pharmacist was ran off her feet and I haven't called NHS. I'll just see how it goes.