AIBU to not eat properly in order to avoid going to a&e

[avoidingironing]

I went to see my GP on Friday due to having stomach pain, she told me to go to a&e if I felt it was getting worse or I was worried over the weekend.

But I have taken meal replacement drinks instead of eating and that seems to help. Tried eating a rice-cake and the pain came back.

So I assume that this is something to do with my digestive system (doc put me on antibiotics as she thought it was potentially diverticulitis,but she wasn't sure as my pain is in the "wrong place")

So am I being unreasonable to continue to just take replacement meal drinks just to avoid a trip to a&e or am I just being sensible?

Why would you avoid going to A&E if this is what the Dr told you to do if your symptoms worsened?

Posted too soon
However they probably wouldn't admit you anyway unless you're literally at death's door. Is your Dr planning on doingvsime follow up investigations?

Fizzymama - because the Dr said if they get worse, but it is not worse if I don't eat proper food, so it probably confirms that this is related to digestion some how, so therefore not an emergency?

You're postponing the problem by doing this, not preventing it. Your GP wants you to continue your normal diet or she'd have told you otherwise. What will you do on Monday if you start eating again and get the pain?

It's really shit being ill, especially over the weekend, but I don't think you're thinking very clearly about this.

Well it's up to you but I imagine there will be a trip there at some point if you want to go or not.

If you can manage your symptoms with meal replacement drinks for the time being, I would say continue. A and E will be hectic on a Saturday night.

Come tomorrow if you have pain when you eat, make an out of hours appointment.

I’m not a medical professional though, that’s just my advice as a ‘layperson’.

Contact NHS direct for advice if the pain continues.

The Dr said nothing about following up, just gave me the antibiotics to try and waiting to see what happens. If I ate food now I would be in a huge amount of pain, but I think that a few days waiting and seeing what happens might be ok. I don't want to go to a&e un-necessarily.

As in you'll postpone the trip to A&E because it'll be busy on a Saturday night, or you're hoping the symptoms will clear up with the antibiotics or you're scared of hospital and will live on meal replacements indefinitely?

Antibiotics take a few days to work so giving your digestion a rest while they do their thing seems like a fairly sensible plan. Whether meal replacement shakes will do this is another matter and it's a pity that the GP didn't give you any advice.

I don't mean to worry you, but that is how my Crohn's first started.

Sometimes your body just needs a break, it might be that a few days with something easily digestible you'll be fine again. When you are ill fluids are the most important. As you were examined yesterday I'd give it another day or so, unless you end up in total agony of course!

I am definitely trying to postpone the trip as it is Saturday night and will be manic, I also am thinking that the antibiotics might take a day or so to take full effect if it is diverticulitis.

So I guess I am wondering if I should eat tomorrow and then go to a&e if the pain gets bad again, or do I put it off til Monday and see the GP again then if it is still a problem?

Sounds sensible as a very short term plan. I'd be inclined to try again with normal food Monday and go back to the gp if it makes you ill.

Make sure to take the anti-biotics while you are trying not to worsen the symptoms, sounds like a possible ulcer but that's a leap based on very scant information. Foods that are difficult to digest (like rice cakes) over stimulate digestion and make ulcers worse. Try simple easy to digest "normal foods" plain pasta with a little butter, scrambled eggs, etc and see how you feel. If things worsen do as Dr said and get to A&E.

i think it's a good plan over the weekend.

Sometimes you get stuck in the hospital until Tuesday waiting for further tests, or scans.

Mild diverticulitis can be treated at home. You should just look out for the symptoms of internal heaving bleeding, shortness of breath, confusion, dizziness, feeling very clammy and phone an ambulance if they appear.

I'd have breakfast on Monday and then speak to the GP again about any symptoms.

Drink loads of water.

Seems entirely sensible. A&E is not the place to investigate something that's more chronic in nature anyway, your GP should refer you to a specialist if the issues continue.

In the meantime the meal replacement drinks will give you the nutrients you need in the short term so that's fine.

I think it's OK unless it gets much worse even on meal-replacement shakes. Saturday night in A&E will be awful.

You are on antibiotics which might clear up any bacterial infection and then there's the chance that it's a virus.

If it is diverticulitis then you're supposed to avoid some foods such as:
whole wheat bread
wheat bran.
whole grain breads.
vegetables and fruits, especially the skins.
peanuts.
brazil nuts.
popcorn.
brown rice

So maybe on Monday morning try to eat something that it is not on the list AND if you are in significant pain then go to the GP or A&E.

Obviously if the pain intensifies go to A&E as there will be lots of nasties that they'll rule out.

** Meant to clarify that it might be either a bacterial infection treatable with antibiotics OR a virus (or any number of other things).

As a short term measure for a few days it should be fine, but not as a long term measure. If the pain comes back when you start to eat normally again you'll need to visit the GP to get to the bottom of it as it could be any number of things that need further investigation.

Don't however use the meal replacements to stick your head in the sand and avoid help if the pain comes back.

Sounds like a good plan. Please go if you feel a lot worse.

I had a similar experience. Good news is if it's something super serious like appendicitis or acute pancreatitis it's not going to improve with what you're doing anyway.. so if it's helping, good start. It's more likely to be gastritis, stress, or silent acid reflux if food is making it worse.

Thank you, it it helpful reading other peoples views. I feel ok when not eating, but I will not hesitate to go if things get worse when not eating.

I will see how things go and possibly try something easy to digest at some point tomorrow sometime to see what happens. I will go back to the GP if things don't settle when I start eating again.

Thank you all for helping.

If you throw up significantly, get a fever, or suffer unrelenting pain that's a 8+ out of 10 go to the hospital, otherwise it's most likely something that can wait. Oh or pain that comes on with exertion, sometimes in women cardiac pain can refer to the stomach. It doesn't sound like that in your case though. Used to be a nurse. Best of luck x