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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Worst stomach bug in the world. Nurse on phone suggested I go to A&E

111 replies

Toughtips · 06/07/2019 16:17

Aibu to not go? Surely there's not a lot that can be done for an adult woman who has severe diahorrea for the past 3 days ? I've had a fever but paracetamol takes it down again. I feel horrific in that my back and my stomach are absolutely killing. When I get a cramp in doubled over in pain but surely this isn't worth an A n E trip? I've been sipping dioralyte as my wee is orange in colour. But it's coming out of me quicker than I can put it back. Just don't know what to do!

OP posts:
LakieLady · 06/07/2019 17:06

The doctor didn't run any tests. I think they said it has to get to 10 days before they do anything.

Really? They took a stool sample from me after 4 days.

They might as well not have bothered though, as it took the lab nearly 3 weeks to send the results which, apparently, should have been done in 3 days.

I had campylobacter jejuni and the doc said that I'd probably have been admitted if the results had been on time and I'd still been running a fever.

Some bugs can be fatal and at least one me can leave people disabled (campylobacter can cause something called Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can lead to neural damage). If they said go, then go (if you haven't already, as I haven't RTFT).

stillmoving · 06/07/2019 17:06

Phone them again ,and tell them of your worries

Why? If OP took their advice she would be able to tell the when she gets there. Only she is ignoring the advice and staying in bed Hmm

skybluee · 06/07/2019 17:08

id say to go. a few years ago i had something similar. honestly, ive never felt that bad. i actually felt i was dying. i went to bed,then woke in the night, i couldnt breathe. i literally was gasping. iwas so dehydrated.

myg point is though, ive never felt fully well since then. i dont know what it did. but i do know i was too ill to be at home. my GP had told my mum to call an ambulance, but we decided not to. wish we had.

skybluee · 06/07/2019 17:11

and i;d also say this:

he fact that you’ve been told to go and yet you don’t feel that there’s a real need - indicates to me that you’ve exaggerated your pain to us.

When in the kind of pain - you seek professional help.

You don’t want to. So I can’t believe it is that bad

is a dangerous line of thought.
i've not gone to hospital bc i thoyght i was ok, or would be wasting their time - then ended up being admitted on a medical ward for 5 weeks. i was very very ill. and i felt very very ill. i jst didnt feel able to go. and people thinking "it wasnt that bad" was part of it bc i felt i wasnt worth treatment.

Original poster
Toughtips · 06/07/2019 17:12

That's my concern that I'm being to Ott to waste time like that. I'm also anxious about pooing myself on the way there only to be told that it is just a bad bug n to go home and rest. I know full well I'm being silly and over emotional as I've not been able to sleep much. I'll go and take a change of bottoms incase. I was just hoping to rationalize by posting on here but I realize how silly that is when a nurse has advised I go

OP posts:
CloserIAm2Fine · 06/07/2019 17:13

YABU to call a medical advice service for medical advice and then ignore it

And posting on MN about ignoring their advice is very much in the same vein as those people who check in at the hospital on fb for the “u ok hun?” messages.

I do hope that you feel better soon though!

Nat6999 · 06/07/2019 17:16

If you insist on staying at home, don't drink plain water, your body just rushes it straight out again. Drink either flat full sugar pop, lucozade sport or Dyoralite sachets mixed with water, that way some of the fluid will be retained with the sugars & salts to help your body recover. If you have codeine or co-codamol these will slow down your bowel & ease the runs.

CobaltRose96 · 06/07/2019 17:16

A medical professional told you to go to A&E. Go.

LizB62A · 06/07/2019 17:17

See if someone can get you some squash/ribena/whatever (not the ones with sweeteners, you need the sugar) then try having it with lukewarm water and just sip it. Hope you feel better soon.

Thump · 06/07/2019 17:19

Let us know how you fare out.

Original poster
Toughtips · 06/07/2019 17:21

Thanks everyone. For the stern don't be a dick posts to the kind ones. All are appreciated. I'm going to head down there and see what they say. I just can't shake the whole melodramatic thing going to ane with a stomach bug. Just doesn't seem right

OP posts:
Thump · 06/07/2019 17:24

Is it far to travel? Could you put a sanitary towel on towards the back of your knickers in case you get a case of the squirts en route?

Thump · 06/07/2019 17:25

And DO NOT FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S HOLY EVEN CONSIDER TRUSTING A FART! Grin

Original poster
Toughtips · 06/07/2019 17:29

It's about a 35-40 min trip so going to take a change of bottoms and sit on a bin bag incase

OP posts:
boobingtonsmythe · 06/07/2019 17:36

I think you should go. I had the same a couple of weeks ago. Phoned 111 and because of the abdominal pain (I was rolling around in agony) and the fact I couldn't keep any fluid in, they said I must go to A&E. They were fantastic. Said I did the right thing going in, put me on a drip to get fluids into me and gave me lots of meds to ease the pain, stop the sickness/diarrhoea. So glad I went as I was also in two minds and thinking it was pathetic to go to A&E with D&V. Wishing you well.

RB68 · 06/07/2019 17:36

Once your wee goes very drk you are basically going into liver and kidney failure and if left shut down at worst long term damage at best - follow the advice and get on with it

BramwellBrown · 06/07/2019 17:38

OP, 111 have told you to go, so go.

Not to scare you but my mum had a bad stomach bug years ago, ignored the GP as she was too busy being a mum. I found her collapsed in the kitchen. She had severe pancreatitis, the hospital didn't think she would make it through the night and we were called in to say good bye to her, she was given the last rights and fell into a coma. Mum says an angel then arrived, hospital put it down to surgery, whichever, but she was in ICU for months because by the time she got treatment the damage was done. She has had to have several operations because of it and 25 years on is still suffering complications. The latest being 14 weeks in a coma because of an abscess that her body couldn't fight. She has spent most of my life in and out of hospital because she felt she was wasting peoples time by going in with a stomach bug.

grumiosmum · 06/07/2019 17:38

A&E would much rather see you & it turns out you are not that unwell/can't be helped than miss a potentially serous illness that needs treating.

CorporeSarnie · 06/07/2019 17:38

Take baby wipes if you have some and two sets of underwear, cover your seat with a binbag and towel, and tell reception you've been sent by 111.

OneStepSideways · 06/07/2019 18:37

Could your GP do a home visit?

If you're keeping some fluids down, your vital signs are within normal range (heart rate, resp rate and BP) it's unlikely A&E can do anything. And you risk infecting other patients. If it's norovirus it spreads like wildfire.

Have you tried taking Imodium, co-codamol etc to see if it eases your symptoms?

I had dysentery following a trip to India, was prescribed various antibiotics, loperamide etc but didn't need hospital treatment.

If the pain is very severe, you're dizzy, drowsy or passing blood then I'd say A&E may be the best option.

LipstickTaserrr · 06/07/2019 19:34

I was like this, turned out to be campylobacter.

Lougle · 06/07/2019 19:49

Don't take immodium, etc., if you don't know the cause of your diarrhoea. The reason you have diarrhoea is because something has caused it. If you take immodium, you are keeping whatever has caused your diarrhoea in you, and you'll be ill for longer.

You are still passing urine, which is good, but orange urine is not good.

You need to be seen.

Mischone · 06/07/2019 22:17

Whenever somebody posts about being quite ill there are always people on here insisting they can't be "that ill" are "exaggerating" and usually told "you can't be that ill if you're able to post on mumsnet"

I had the same said to me on here a few months ago when i posted in a panic and I ended up having a superbug and sepsis Hmm

OP, as much of a pain in the arse it is having to sit in A&E especially if you have D&V I would urge you to take the advice you've received and seek medical care.

As others have said these things can turn out to be pretty nasty and it's better not to take any chances.

In the past I've managed to obtain an OOH GP home visit after calling 111. Could you ask for that if you don't feel up to going to the hospital? Where I am, they will come to your home within 6 hours, even if it's 11pm at night as was the case with me.

I hope you feel better soon, ignore the arsey posters.

Mischone · 06/07/2019 22:20

Just seen your update, I'm glad you're going.

Do come back and let us know how you get on.

HJWT · 06/07/2019 22:23

Hope your ok op x