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?

Glad you are on the way to getting sorted OP

And a message AGAIN for people saying its a gp issue or dont go to A&E …
Please do not give this advice when you clearly do not have any medical knowledge at all - Your ‘advice’ could kill someone!

So glad you went to A&E!

I read this post and immediately dug for my account details to reply!
100% knew this was a PE clot reading it and I was genuinely worried at the replies you’d had, had it happen to me whilst 5 weeks pregnant with my second child - I was misdiagnosed with pneumonia for 2.5 weeks and almost died due to that factor. I actually diagnosed myself in the end because the injection they give you when you’re bed bound is blood thinners to stop you getting clots and it helped me feel better, luckily for me one of my ward nurses was my childhood best friends mother who thankfully agreed it was clots and spoke to the doctor.
I was absolutely riddled with clots and very lucky, I was almost sent to ICU.

The “cure” was 1 magical injection that dispersed all clots, I refused it as they knew but didn’t want to mention that it included pregnancy (I was sent for a scan to make sure the pregnancy was viable still and say goodbye - the sonographers words) - so the second best thing was 18 months of anticoagulant injections which I jumped at because I’d already been on them for a few days, pain was managed etc.
I had no follow ups with haematology or respiratory after my 18 months prescription ran out, until December 2021 when I almost died again because of PE clots. The haematologist I have now is absolutely livid and extremely protective of me as I had a miscarriage prior to the second incident which could have been avoided if I was being managed properly instead of being left to my own devices. “A walking time bomb” is how he described me…
I have a now 3 month old thanks to him & his fight for me to get appropriate treatment and my medical records corrected as my clotting issue is entirely unprovoked (that we know of currently, I go for the full blood works in March this year to find out what the cause it but it’s suspected genetic and my children will have to be tested too).

PE clots can and do just sneak up on you. I went to bed perfectly healthy, happy etc in December 2021 and I almost didn’t wake up, the whole situation was horrific both times.
I’ll now be on anticoagulants for the rest of my life, thankfully.

As for your hubby… I sympathise with his ignorance to a degree but agree with the sentiments of the other comments. Hopefully he steps on some Lego.

sorry for the long rambling reply. One thing I get very stressed about with friends and family now is any situation like yours.
I hope you feel better soon & the pain dissipates quickly so you can enjoy your newborn.

Don't be surprised if you feel the cold with the blood thinners. My mum started them after having a pacemaker fitted. She was always someone who wandered around at home in a Tshirt in winter, not any more, she has to wear multiple layers & have the heating on all day now.

Well done for going to ED, hope you feel better soon. It's awful how you feel like you're making a big deal sometimes.

I thought I had a kidney infection not so long ago and rang the GP. Despite being in loads of pain I was offered to drop a urine sample in with the nurse and nothing else. It was a Friday as well. I cried down the phone and pushed to be seen in person by a doctor. It's a good job I did as I was sent to hospital for urgent bloods and diagnosed with appendicitis.

It worries me how stuff seems to get missed when being triaged on the phone and similar. Not everything has text book symptoms and I think of people see you in pain in front of them they understand how bad it is that but more and perhaps how serious it might be. To anyone who happens to read this, if you have a gut feel you or a family member need to be physically seen, please do push for it.

Hope you start feeling better soon.

Can you ask them to screen you for Antiphospholipid - a blood clotting disorder. I was diagnosed when I was pregnant. I’ve been on blood thinners ever since.

Hi OP,

I’m glad you went to A&E. Please give feedback to 111. It was clear to me it was a clot and I just posted on your other thread before seeing this one. I’m not even medically trained. However, two idiot GPs - who really shouldn’t be allowed to practice - missed my mum’s clot/aortic aneurysm six weeks ago and she’s no longer with us. 😢 Backache, shoulder pain and indeed chest pain should never be discounted as “just pain”.

Sending you love and strength.

@Wafflesandcrepes Ah yes, I posted in health first but there was more traffic here and I was a bit desperate yesterday!
I’m so sorry for your loss and that you had to go through that needlessly. There are so many great GP’s and medical staff but sadly also a lot of not so great ones or who are so pressured, they aren’t treating people properly and it’s to their detriment.

@123password1234 Thank you for sharing your story. It really is very scary that it’s happened and happened to you. You think you’re okay and then all of a sudden it’s there! I went to bed as normal and woke up the next day in excruciating pain. I’m so pleased you have your baby now and that you’re being managed properly - you absolutely shouldn’t have had to go through what you did in the meantime!

Thank you everyone for your kind wishes and words. Still in pain today but feeling a lot better knowing it’s hopefully going to be better soon.

@Wafflesandcrepes I'm SO sorry for your loss. :-(
@EnglishRain Thank you for helpful advice.
@halloumi1 I hope you're soon well, hugs.

Don't you have a walk in or urgent treatment centre you could go to?
It does sound like you have a trapped nerve of some sort.

Frozen Shoulder ?

Chest infection and blood clot, actually, so hardly something for a walk-in centre.

Try reading the OP's posts before contributing?

Yeah, that'll be it.
Well done.

I think I know what you have. It's horrifically painful. I had it - a calcium deposit in the shoulder tendon. Check out on Insta shoulder doctor - and you'll see what I'm referring to.

Important to get this checked out. It could be anything. Could be something minor but only way to know for sure is to be properly examined and if xrays or any further tests are needed then the hospital is the most appropriate place. It's not inappropriate and hardly as if it's an ingrown toenail etc. I hope you decided to go in the end.

Please go to A&E these are the exact same symptoms I had before being rushed in with a blood clot to the lungs, mine also was linked to pregnancy and giving birth.

So glad you got a diagnosis and are being treated OP
Wishing you a full and speedy recovery x

Yes go! That's what it's for, you do have an emergency as you're in excruciating pain my dear. Xx

Does it not occur to anyone that OP might have made a decision about going to A&E in the 31 hours that have elapsed since she first posted?

I always wonder why some posters don't read the thread before they reply 🤔

Pleased that you've been seen & treated @halloumi1

As a pp said if/when you feel up to it give 111 feedback as it's really shocking that the advisor/advisors didn't flag up problems with breathing & the fact that you've recently had a baby.
I'm not medically qualified but even I knew it sounded serious & you needed to be seen.

Just go! Who cares what anyone else thinks, you can’t eat, sleep or care for your little ones, this needs attention. Good luck!

Please go to A & E .....it could be referred pain x

Could be a frozen shoulder. Needs confirming and treatment.

Or it could be the blood clot and chest infection that have already been diagnosed?

@halloumi1 as @KrasiTime suggested please do ask your doctor to test for antiphospholipid syndrome (sometimes called APLS or Hughes syndrome).

It isnt uncommon and can make you more at risk of clots in the future. There is treatment to manage the risk.

Get well soon.