AIBU to ask my GP for pain relief

[ladyattheback]

I've never approached my GP and requested medication- TBH I don't know if this is permitted or if in fact many people approach GPs with this request. I'm ordinarily the kind of person that avoids medication. For example, I've been told in the past I 'need' to take a certain medication (not an antidepressant) for life due to a spine problem. I believed this for a while until the first lockdown and a change in the GP at our practice. There was a problem with that prescription and as a result I stopped taking the pills and noticed no difference whatsoever (neither did my family in my behaviour).

So I'm the kind of person that will happily follow a course- like antibiotics but would prefer to deal with pain issues another way. For this it means exercise and diet - keeping weight off. I'm no gym bunny believe me (size 14) but I found swimming offered a real lifeline to pain relief - the ultimate pain management because it eased pain to manageable levels.

So I'm not used to approaching my GP and requesting pain relief. During this lockdown we find ourselves in, I'm nervous about approaching NHS at all TBH, but I'm at the point where I can't sleep especially well due to pain, and feel fortunate to be on flexible furlough where I work 4 hours a day - if I went back up right now I'm not sure I'd cope, so I'm benefitting from being on furlough for all the wrong reasons.

We live in a city, so rely on public pools. We don't live near a coastline or safe lake, and don't run a car. We ALL can't book a holiday (I relied on this twice per year at least for pain relief to swim), plus we in the city can't do what car drivers can ...Transport Police are at most stations asking questions to establish why you deem your travel to be essential.

AIBU to approach our heavily stressed NHS for pain relief or will they think I'm a bit nuts right now???

Can’t you just buy some?

I did and now get them on prescription.

For god's sake just go to your GP and tell them you're in pain.

What kind of pain relief do you need? You can buy things like ibuprofen, paracetamol, ibuprofen and codeine, and cocodamol all OTC. Generic ibuprofen and paracetamol tablets are very cheap. If you need something stronger then speak to your gp.

They’ll expect you to have tried over the counter before they prescribe anything.
Sounds very uncomfortable for you though and it’s a shame you can’t swim if it helps but there is no harm in asking/discussing it with your GP

garlic whorl if you mean purchasing paracetamol or ibuprofen or over the counter medicines that don't require prescription, I could purchase these, but regrettably they don't have any effect. I slipped some discs in my back a few years back and was prescribed high strength co-codamol, and it did nothing. I'm aware I don't react to some anaesthetics and not sure if this has anything to do with this, hence why I'm wondering about approaching my GP.

Not unreasonable but maybe tell the GP about the pain and how over the counter meds aren’t enough to keep it under control, how you’re struggling with everyday tasks etc... don’t start the conversation asking for codeine/tramadol/any potentially addictive medication as it can come across as medication seeking (even if you have no history of it).

If GP doesn’t suggest painkillers you can mention a couple of medications and ask if GP thinks they’re suitable, doctors are generally happy to discuss medication and the pros and cons of different meds.

You will be offered a physio referral.....that is routine for back pain

I find this so bizarre... you could have called the doctors and had this sorted in the time it took to write this post. Why would you not ask a GP to help you when you are in pain?

Thanks HikeForward, I'll do this. I can't possibly begin to understand what I should be asking my GP for in terms of pain meds since I don't know what I need, but I suppose when I posted this, I was genuinely worrying if it's unreasonable to contact NHS right now to request pain relief and I more than understand they must be swamped. I'm pretty much at the point where I've done all I feel I can but not sure what it is I need. I found it a real challenge today to concentrate at work.

My DH had a chat with me last night about this because he could see I'm having trouble...his observation is, the pain levels are creeping up, and it's not like me to leave things in the house that turn into a mess he ends up cleaning up (which he doesn't ind doing). We've been together 25 years and he knows what a clean freak I ordinarily am, how bad I must feel seeing mes I can't deal with, and how much this pain crap is getting to me - he's genuinely concerned too.

greeneyedlulu. you must have a well managed GP. Mine don't take calls - really. Sorry but the provision here is clearly not what you are used to.

greeneyedlulu - sorry I meant since the Covid crisis, my GP don't take calls.

Ours do phone appointments only and will ask you to come in if they think they need to see you. I guess I'm just lucky to not need their services but I'd have no qualms about contacting them if I needed to.

Just ring your GP practice. They will offer you a phone consult appointment with a named Dr or nurse. The Dr?nurse then calls you on the phone at appointed time and you can tell them what's wrong. They will work out with you, what's needed next ; it could be

a face to face physical examination
a pain medication prescription
Advice on an over-the counter pain relief.
Other advice.

We have found phone consults at home such a comfortable and efficient way to talk to a DR I hope it's one of the positive changes that stays after lockdown.

I have been having horrendous back pain since June. I am awaiting MRI results... three weeks and counting. I have had physio, chiropractor and OTC painkillers but it got to the point where I can’t cope any more. It hurts all the time; I am exhausted, my house is a tip and every day I have to sit at my desk for 8 hours working and I can’t think about anything other than the pain. I explained this to my GP and he prescribed me strong codeine and amitriptyline. Don’t get me wrong I am still in a lot of pain but it has taken the edge off and my life is now bearable. Speak to the GP

You need help. Your usual way of managing back pain is not available. You are very much entitled to seek support on pain management. No point in being a martyr - get in contact with the gp to see what options might be available if over the counter is not making a difference.

Maybe the pain will improve again when you can get back to swimming regularly (assuming Covid has stopped you from doing that)? Can you explain what you put in you OP to the doc, then ask if they can prescribe something to help the pain in the meantime?

What was the (supposed) long term medication you stopped taking?
Hope you can get this resolved, disc pain is awful

WetEcho, I'm sorry you are in so much pain . I slipped a few discs about 8 years ago and even prior to Covid it took a good while for the MRI results to come through. Please be careful - the best piece of advice I received was that until you receive your MRI results you should be very careful don't risk aggravating the injury until you know what the problem is. It can take a good few weeks for MRI results to become available.

I had a very bad back pain problem (herniated disc) a few years ago which eventually resulted in emergency surgery. Dihydrocodeine is what worked for me. You don’t have to say anything in particular to your GP, you just go for help and they will sugges what they think is right for you.
There is absolutely no need for you to be avoiding medication- just take it.

You don't need to know exactly what medication you want to request, just tell them about your pain, what you've tried and what works and doesn't work and go from there, they will make suggestions for treatments (pain relief/physio etc) and if you try what they suggest and it doesn't help go back and tell them so you can try something else.

Thanks so much everyone, I'll definitely contact my GP now. With the NHS being so overwhelmed, I was concerned I would be perceived as a time waster (that and that I was asking for pain relief). Like you say, with the methods of pain management that ordinarily work for me not working, I've been genuinely convincing myself my problem can wait. My DH is right - it can't wait. Thanks so much everyone

I'm pretty much at the point where I've done all I feel I can but not sure what it is I need.

That's exactly when to go to the GP — glad to hear you'll be asking them for help. The whole point of all our Covid efforts is to keep the NHS available for those in serious medical need, and pain at that level counts as serious medical need.

Of course you should! I can see that you’ve also said that you will now.
I want you to know that you’re not in your own with lack of swimming leafing to pain from spine problems. I have had a slipped disc removed years ago but suffered residual nerve damage and ongoing sciatica pain and swimming is the best exercise for pain relief for me too.
It became unmanageable for me in January and the GP gave me a short dose of naproxen. I hadn’t tried these before but it reduced the pain to a more manageable level. Cant wait for pools to open though!