WIBU to go to A&E?

[halloumi1]

Hi,

I woke up in the early hours a couple of days ago (2 week old newborn!) with a sharp pain in my shoulder when I rolled onto that side. It seemed manageable throughout the day though.
Yesterday, I woke up in excruciating pain with it - my DH had to manoeuvre me out of bed as even sitting up was sickeningly painful. All day I had horrendous pain in that shoulder which was also in my chest when I tried to take anything other than a shallow breath. It was there constantly even when I was just sitting. It started going across my back too and is like a shooting, stabbing pain.
It brought me to tears many a time and physically stopped me from eating or moving at times as swallowing seemed to make it worse. I’ve given birth twice with no pain relief and that was nothing compared to this.

Any sneezes, sniffs etc caused an extra stab of pain and it was impossible for me to hold my newborn as it felt like my chest was going to cave in and I panicked feeling like I couldn’t breathe. She’s been really unsettled from last night into this morning and it’s incredibly distressing because I physically can’t do anything to comfort her. DH is trying but he’s just getting increasingly frustrated - there’s lots of swearing and he’s saying he can’t look after me or get on with anything else he needs to and voicing his frustration that I need to do something.

I’ve tried strong painkillers but nothing makes any difference. I can’t get comfortable in any position and today it’s still no better. It feels like it’s moving into the side of my breast now as well and painful to stand up straight.
I did ring 111 yesterday, explained how painful it was but they just told me they were referring me to a pharmacy and put it down as referral for shoulder pain. The pharmacy rang me and just told me there’s nothing they can do as they can’t give me anything stronger than what I’ve already had.

I’m well aware the NHS is under strain and don’t want to be one of those people that just waste everyone’s time when there’s people that seriously need them. I don’t understand what they could do for me or what’s causing this but at the same time, can’t continue in this pain.
We have a walk in centre near us but there’s no facilities there so I don’t know what they could do. I physically can’t move or care for my 2 children (have a 2 year old too) without excruciating pain and can’t go on feeling like this. WIBU to go and sit in A&E to try and get seen?

My local MAU wouldn’t see someone with these symptoms as it isn’t an obstetric problem, therefore a&e is more appropriate. From a reply posted further back in the thread, some apparently will, so must be a regional thing. In any case it looks like the OP has been triaged pretty quickly (not surprising with those symptoms).

You are not responsible for keeping the NHS going. Please please go to a&e if you feel you need to.

Lots of places don’t have urgent care or walk-in centres. Where I live A&E is the only option. It’s helpful to remember that not everybody lives where you do.

By your symptoms i would think blood clot

Glad you are in A&E and those saying
111 has assessed you and ruled out anything bad - This is rubbish!
They arent medically trained and just say what the computer tells them to!!!!

I wish people would stop telling others that they are fine when the person is displaying very serious symptoms !

Dd had radiating pain in her chest and back and shortness of breath and was also fobbed off being told it was muscular but it was multiple PEs.

Hope you're ok OP

And that was the Gp and a&e which told her it was muscular. Thankfully she went back a few weeks later to a&e.

This is how I felt when I had PEs. I went to a&e, was told it was muscular and had been told to get dressed and go home, then another doctor came on shift and said he'd just like to rule out a PE. Thank god he arrived. Blood test was borderline but scan showed multiple PEs.

Hope you're ok OP.

Seriously? You need to ask the question? Go or dont go.**

Had this after giving birth to my last. Had thrown a PE and also had pleurisy

go.
This may be a PE. ( blood clot in lung)

hope you are ok

Many many people have said it now but a postpartum PE is very much a risk. What shoulder is it? I can't quite believe that 111 and the pharmacist dismissed you!

Thanks again everyone - your lovely comments and help have cheered me up spending the day away from my baby.
It is my left shoulder.

My bloods came back with an high inflammatory marker. I’ve had a chest x Ray and they’re suspecting blood clot.
I’ve got to wait to be injected with a blood thinner and come back tomorrow morning too to a different department.

@halloumi1 was just about to say that a friend had this and it was a blood clot in her lung! Hopefully the blood thinner gives you some relief.

Just read your update halloumi1 glad you are getting tests done.
Take care.

I am very glad you've been seen and that you have a likely answer. I hope your DH apologises for having behaved badly towards you!

Thank goodness you went! Take care.

@halloumi1 Yes, sounds like the pain that my daughter was in during a chest infection episode a couple of months ago. They did a bit more digging on the pain she was in, and found it to be a blood clot. Glad you're getting some treatment. Hugs. x

Do they send you home these days with a PE?! My dad had one of those and was kept in. I've had a normal leg clot and given blood thinners and not kept in, but they then monitored me very carefully (at least 2 scans some time apart to check it had broken up and the blood flow had become normal)

Just popped back to see if you had updated. Glad you were taken seriously and are getting treatment.🌺

A & E - definitely. Hope you are there now.

I woke up one morning with a sore arm/shoulder and thought I had slept on it badly. It was also sore when I breathed. Got worse all day and I ended up in A & E quite late at night. Turned out I had pneumonia and was in hospital for a week - 4 days in HDU. I even got my husband to drive me to the hospital, which looking back was crazy!

Sorry - I see you have updated us and you are now getting treatment/care. Hope it goes well

I was very worried when I read your post and am so pleased you went in. I am still worried that a postpartum mum with a newborn would even question being able to go in and get attention immediately in a developed country like the UK. I hope you feel better soon and that the medication takes effect quickly.
I have family in Europe (Switzerland, France and Germany) and any medical issues they have are dealt with so well and efficiently there and with such great care. I really really hope our NHS gets better again. I think they are fabulous when people have a real problem, but it speaks volumes that you felt you had to ask on a forum whether you should go to A&E (when the reality should be that you should be able to walk in and get attention immediately and really feel like that is the right thing to do). Same applies to a newborn, for example or a cancer patient etc.

Glad you went/ are going to A&E, OP. Thinking of you