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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to call 999?

84 replies

Adogwithabone · 03/11/2019 01:21

Just finished a course of antibiotics. Have horrendous stomach pains. Seem to be coming in waves where I can't move - just crouched on the bathroom floor. Keep going dizzy and hot like I'm about to be sick.

I've tried taking paracetamol, ibruprofen, codine, rennie, gavascon, wind settlers (just incase of trapped wind - pretty certain it's not)

The pain is bad but manageable. however, When the waves come I can't move and hurts so much it's hard to breathe. I have to just curl up on the floor and wait for it to pass.

I've Called 111. They're going to call back within 2 hours. Which seems fine but when a wave comes... It's worse than when I gave birth!

OP posts:
Andysbestadventure · 03/11/2019 09:27

@StrongerThanIThought76 never heard of referred pain, no? Many people feel it under their ribcage.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 03/11/2019 09:34

I’m glad things are okayish now, OP, but I was just wondering why so many said to call an ambulance when you have said you might get your DH to take you to hospital if needs be today?

This isn’t a dig, I’m just genuinely wondering why he couldn’t do that last night? Was he not there?

I know it’s a thing on MN with people dithering about whether to call an ambulance but they’re usually people who have no-one to drive them there or who are stuck totally on their own with kids in bed.

CAG12 · 03/11/2019 09:35

MN is ridiculous sometimes. The ability to diagnose someone based on just abdominal pain could throw up so many differential diagnoses its untrue. So many things are taken into account during an abdo exam including vomiting, stomach sounds, bleeding signs, how the stomach feels, bowel movements etc etc.

Just abdo pain is not a sign post to galls stones, appendicitis, ulcer etc.

OP ive no doubt something is wrong and its sods law that the pain didnt come whilst the paramedic came! If it comes back or your worried go to A+E please. Hope all is well

Bellyfullofbiscuits · 03/11/2019 09:38

I had pain like that with narproxin, awful.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 03/11/2019 09:38

I think I question these things more ever since a friend stayed years ago and she panicked about severe stomach pain and said she thought I should call an ambulance. I was Hmm and said that we were 15 mins drive from the hospital and I could drive her there but she seemed to think ambulance was the only realistic option! When you have a guest in your house it’s pretty hard to say “you don’t need an ambulance, you just need to get to hospital and I can do that”. It turned out to be trapped wind, caused by probably a stomach bug (she had gone to bed early feeling shivery and rough).

I was quite embarrassed by it all really, trying to apologise to the paramedics.

JoinTheMicrodots · 03/11/2019 09:52

There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, because 111 chose to send the paramedic. you would have been very unreasonable to call 999, however, and would have waited hours for a non-priority ambulance anyway. Get someone to take you to A&E if you get more pain.

linentowel · 03/11/2019 10:01

Another one who had had gallbladder attacks. Pain is horrendous.

Don’t eat anything fatty today. Try and find an open chemist and get some buscopan.

Bowerbird5 · 03/11/2019 10:16

Another who had gallstones. Horrendous pain. Mine was discovered when I was pregnant and one was huge. he actually went to get another person to view it on scan!
Had them out when DD was 7months and had septicemia so ended up staying longer than planned. Tricky as I was still feeding her.

Hope you feel better this morning and do make sure you follow this up with GP. Keep off rich, spicy and fatty food as it aggravates it if it is gall stones.

rainbowconfetti · 03/11/2019 10:18

I thought when reading your posts you were home alone. Then further in you mention if it happens again DH can take you to urgent care. This is what you should have done last night.

rainbowconfetti · 03/11/2019 10:19

Sorry that sounded brutal, I didn't mean it to. Have tried to reword it but it still sounds shite.

Sorry

FLOrenze · 03/11/2019 10:50

You have not wasted the paramedics time, it is not always easy to asses on the phone . Clearly in your case they did not have a enough information to send an ambulance, but thought your situation was bad enough to justify medical intervention. The mobile paramedic’s role is to assess by meeting the patient. They would not have sent the paramedic if they thought you were a time waster. His advice to go to urgent care if needed will confirm your action Was correct.

Wheat2Harvest · 03/11/2019 11:08

I've tried taking paracetamol, ibruprofen, codine, rennie, gavascon, wind settlers

Within what space of time? All these could be the cause of the problem if you've taken them within a short space of time.

Meshy23 · 03/11/2019 12:34

You haven’t wasted anyone’s time although perhaps your DH could have taken you.

Definitely important for a professional to diagnose you.

But just a point to @StrongerThanIThought76 - appendicitis pain often starts in the middle of the tummy in waves and then moves to lower right abdomen. A simple nhs check would have told you that and there is no need to say “FfS”!

So shouldn’t dismiss any pain as simply trapped wind - and a professional should always diagnose.

BeanTownNancy · 03/11/2019 21:59

@StrongerThanIThought76 - interestingly, my pain was above my belly button, but the doctors, consultants and surgeons still "couldn't rule out appendicitis" after all of their tests and scans so wheeled me in to have it cut out regardless. Interestingly it actually wasn't my appendix, it was a meckel's. Still could have died though, and the medical professionals luckily used their professional knowledge to make a best guess with an unusually presenting condition.
Always best to err on the side of caution and leave the cynicism to the professionals in my opinion.

tolerable · 03/11/2019 23:10

i cramp and feel like my ribs are broke c/o allergy to pencillin\antibionix..tongue swells up too

BarbaraStrozzi · 03/11/2019 23:18

I had similar a year or so ago. Like you, I felt really guilty about wasting the paramedics' time, but the hospital doctor just said "look, if the pain's so bad you need morphine, then you need to be in A&E."

(Never did get to the bottom of what caused it, all the blood tests were inconclusive.)

StrongerThanIThought76 · 04/11/2019 00:36

PPs, my apologies. I had my appendix out when I was 14 (30ish years ago) and my symptoms were feeling like death, vomit until there was only bile and lower abdo pain. I was taken by ambulance to hospital and it was removed 4 hours after I arrived. -And I wasn't allowed to keep it in a pot afterwards, much to my disappointment

So, I was basing the critique of advice based on my own experience. My point stands about taking advice from professional health care specialists rather than asking strangers online. Not sure if I dare comment about OPs dp being available to take her to MIU or A&E yesterday rather than call 999...

HowlinProwlin · 04/11/2019 00:47

Mmm that sounds like gallstones to me..

Pain coming in waves is spasms, it pulls on the web of connective tissue that holds all your guts in place, it can refer pain around the side, into the back of the shoulderblade, you can also find your pancreas irritated at the same time, and lasting soreness centre of chest below the end of your breast bone, radiating round to the right hand side.

It can be agonising, I have been hospitalised and given IV paracetamol and IV morphine for it, so it is NOT a waste of anyones time at all to get such pain checked out.

Helini · 04/01/2020 23:18

Hi everyone, OP here, I regularly name change.

Just a quick update that I finally had a scan today and it was multiple gallstones! You were right!

Codene, paracetamol does nothing. The pain is so much worse at night when in laying down. The person performing the scam said to wait a week Nd the. Phone GP for the next step so I think it's going to be a while yet to get it sorted.

Can anyone tell me what happened to them once they got told they definitely had gallstones? I have multiple approx 10 ranging in sizes, I think she said 17mm.

eaglejulesk · 04/01/2020 23:55

"Feel so guilty and ridiculous that I've waisted a paramedics time."

You haven't wasted their time. Better to call for something unimportant than not call for a real emergency, and we are not qualified to tell the difference - that is their job.

Hope you are soon a lot better. Flowers

eaglejulesk · 04/01/2020 23:58

I had a scan several years ago and was told I had multiple gallstones, but not the size. I get a slight niggly pain in the area sometimes, but have had no further treatment. Yours sound much worse, painkillers generally worked for me. Good luck - hope it is soon sorted.

Ballstothisdotcom · 05/01/2020 00:02

I had mine out. God the pain is like nothing on earth.

Came at a hugely inconvenient time of starting a new job so only took a week off. Could have really done with two weeks to recover. Have it out if that if that is an option.

zenasfuck · 05/01/2020 00:17

Once my gallstones were confirmed by scan, I was referred to a surgeon for removal. I had the surgery about 3 months later. A day case, in at 12.30 and back on the ward by 2.30

I instantly felt better, it's hard to describe but I can only think I didn't realise how unwrll, ru down and poorly I felt until it was removed and they were gone. It was literally instant on waking up post op

Pain was minimal, in fact I didn't take any pain killers at all. Had a few days resting on the sofa and then I was back to normal, although easily tired and needing an afternoon nap for a few weeks after

Have had no side effects at all, can eat whatever I please

Sewingbea · 05/01/2020 00:30

A colleague, years ago, said that when she had gallstones the pain was as bad as labour. Before she had them removed she was advised to stick to a very low fat diet, and she found that helped a lot.

definitelyshouldknowbetter · 05/01/2020 00:33

Worst pain of my life!

After I’d had mine confirmed I kept getting episodes but as it was confirmed as gallstones I was just dismissed if I plucked up the courage to see someone again, this went on for about 18months until I had a particularly bad attack and begged my DH to take me to A&E after nearly 24hrs of pain, I was admitted as my liver function test was way above what it should be and id developed jaundice, I was treated in hospital for three days and had to go back the following week when the inflammation had reduced and they took it out, I was in overnight and had about a week off work.