Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to expecto better than paracetamol in hospital for a kidney stone attack?

65 replies

LobeliaSackville · 31/05/2023 19:35

I'm annoyed with my (lack of) treatment after being admitted to hospital with a kidney stone.

At 6pm on a Friday evening I was suddenly struck with atrocious pain in my right flank. It came in waves and lasted for about 25 mins each wave. I was hunched over on the floor moaning and vomiting. This happened 3 times before DH called 111, and a doctor phoned back and sent me to the out of hours GP. I had a total of 4 waves of attacks before seeing the OOH GP. He was sure it was a kidney stone and sent me with a letter to A&E.

I waited from 9 until 12:30 without any pain relief - I didn't take anything (after vomiting up coco-damol during the second attack) as I didn't want anything in my system to interfere with what they might give me.

I was sent for a CT scan and had another attack whilst waiting for the results and had to ask a staff member if I could go into one of the cubicles with curtains so I didn't make a spectacle of myself. Somehow no one knew where I was when the doctor came looking for me and I had to chase him down in the middle of the attack to tell him I hadn't gone home.

The CT scan found two small stones, and I was admitted overnight to the surgical assessment ward. At this point I was finally offered paracetamol tablets, at 2am. Jee, thanks. They didn't do anything for the pain.

I barely got any sleep as a consultant came and woke me up at 4am to tell me I had stones on the scan (which I already knew) and the night staff were chatting loudly in the corridor.

At 8am a nurse came in to take my stats and gave me paracetamol tablets again, which did nothing. I said the pain was bad but I wasn't offered anything stronger.

I saw a urology consultant at noon who told me he was discharging me as I had likely passed the stone by then and to come back if the other stone causes an attack.

AIBU unreasonable to think I'd be better off staying at home next time? They didn't actually offer me any treatment and I don't know why I had to stay overnight.

At least I have coco-damol at home...

OP posts:
BathTangle · 31/05/2023 19:40

YANBU. DH was given Diclofenac suppositories in A&E for his kidney stones, and now carries diclofenac tablets with him in case of further episodes.

EilonwyWithRedGoldHair · 31/05/2023 19:44

Surely they could have at least given paracetamol via IV which is much more effective! When I was in A&E with abdominal pain they gave me that and later morphine as well (turned out later to have been an ovarian torsion).

Queenelsarules · 31/05/2023 19:45

That is really terrible treatment. When I had my first gallbladder attack I was given diclofenic initially which did nothing for the pain, then was given oramorph which gave me blessed oblivion and relief from the pain, was sent home with 30mg codeine tablets and advised to get my gp to prescribe more. This was A and E in Ipswich. I really hope if you have another attack you get better treatment.

Precipice · 31/05/2023 19:54

YANBU, but the proportion of NHS medical staff who seem to see paracetamol as a miracle cure for everything is astounding. When I was in A&E in the winter for a head injury, they gave me paracetamol and later advised me to take it after I told them it had had no effect (which didn't surprise me, since my head hurt because of the impact). I heard another patient, who was complaining of IIRC pain and a heavy feeling on her chest being told paracetamol too.

Xrays · 31/05/2023 19:57

Yep it’s very shit. That’s the exact same treatment I’ve had, irony being that I have Tramadol at home for lupus related pain but they wouldn’t give me anything other than paracetamol in hospital! Madness. In future I think unless I’ve got a limb hanging off I’m better at home.

Pinkyandthebrain96 · 31/05/2023 19:58

Nothing surprises me.I was given paracetamol In A&E for a severely broken ankle that ended up with surgery to put a plate and pins in .The pain was horrendous .

orangeflags · 31/05/2023 20:03

Madness. My DH was given an injection of morphine when he had kidney stones. Excruciating pain

OneTC · 31/05/2023 20:06

When I first went to hospital with them I got given an anti emetic, told I'd pulled a muscle in my back and sent home. Then when I went back a few hours later and it became clear I had kidney stones they gave me cocodamol 30/500 and that's what they sent me home with.

Giving you just paracetamol is rubbish

NeedSomeWater · 31/05/2023 20:08

It’s your fault. You should have pretended to be a man.

BlameItOnTheGoose · 31/05/2023 20:11

Yep my DH got morphine for that

tonyhawks23 · 31/05/2023 20:11

My daughter's on a 6 month waiting list for her kidney pain and is on Calpol till then.nhs is on its knees,blame the conservatives they've run it down there's nothing left now.you can go private,that is their plan.

Somanycats · 31/05/2023 20:16

DH is a paramedic and so I know a lot of the paramedics who come and go from A&E. I made my own way to hospital, where I was totally ignored in A&E with my kidney stones for about 4 hours and offered nothing. So I caught a paramedic walking though and he got me gas and air from the ambulance and made a big spectacle of me which I wanted. I was seen very quickly after this, admitted and given a morphine injection. The NHS is rubbish right now. Leaving someone all that time in 10/10 pain, peeing blood and vomiting into a bowl is not okay. It is pretty much inhumane.

Fruitjellies · 31/05/2023 20:17

Paracetamol is actually quite effective particularly in combination with other meds. Obviously in your case it wasn't touching the pain so you should have been offered something in addition.

Did you ask explicitly? Sadly this is what you have to do these days.

CentrifugalBumblePuppy · 31/05/2023 20:27

DH had the delight of 4 kidney stones descend last week, he was given diclofenac suppositories & an alpha blocker to help them pass (he had a 16mm one 20 years ago & definitely wanted to avoid surgery this time, at 4-5mm they’ve been passable).

His pain has been pretty well managed with the diclofenac, much better than the paracetamol IV at the time of the giant stone (urology mate at another hospital nicknamed it The Monolith from 2001 lol).

TroysMammy · 31/05/2023 20:30

I know of patients given paracetamol on being discharged from hospital after a hip replacement.

My DP had paracetamol and codeine after an appendectomy.

MrsAvocet · 31/05/2023 20:34

I'd like to say I'm surprised but I am not. A couple of years ago I had an accident and my injuries included a broken neck, ribs and shoulder. It was fairly sore! But as I also had a head injury the medication that I take for an unrelated painful long term condition was all stopped (including one that has "do not stop taking this medication abruptly " on the label - fortunately nothing awful happened though.) So I was getting less pain relief in hospital than I was at home, and no help with personal care or anything either. I more or less stopped drinking as the staff were so rude when I asked for help to get to the toilet. There were posters on the wall talking about the importance of hydration but nobody even noticed I was neither drinking nor peeing. I ended up taking my own discharge eventually as literally the only thing they were doing for me that my DH couldn't do was take my blood pressure. And he was willing to help me get to the toilet and into the shower at least. Despite the Consultant's dire warnings that I couldn't possibly cope at home I felt both safer and more comfortable at home than in hospital, which is pretty shocking really. I know the NHS is under pressure but I don't think that fully explains all the bad experiences people are reporting.

Aslanplustwo · 31/05/2023 20:40

I went to the out of hours doctor recently with a gallstone attack, and they handed me Tramadol and told me to take paracetemol at the same time. Your pain sounds much worse than mine, so I think your treatment was pretty bad.

Wishitsnows · 31/05/2023 20:44

Terrible treatment but seems pretty standard for NHS ‘care’ and they wonder why people buy meds on the internet. You should put in a complaint when you feel able.

Original poster
LobeliaSackville · 31/05/2023 20:47

MrsAvocet · 31/05/2023 20:34

I'd like to say I'm surprised but I am not. A couple of years ago I had an accident and my injuries included a broken neck, ribs and shoulder. It was fairly sore! But as I also had a head injury the medication that I take for an unrelated painful long term condition was all stopped (including one that has "do not stop taking this medication abruptly " on the label - fortunately nothing awful happened though.) So I was getting less pain relief in hospital than I was at home, and no help with personal care or anything either. I more or less stopped drinking as the staff were so rude when I asked for help to get to the toilet. There were posters on the wall talking about the importance of hydration but nobody even noticed I was neither drinking nor peeing. I ended up taking my own discharge eventually as literally the only thing they were doing for me that my DH couldn't do was take my blood pressure. And he was willing to help me get to the toilet and into the shower at least. Despite the Consultant's dire warnings that I couldn't possibly cope at home I felt both safer and more comfortable at home than in hospital, which is pretty shocking really. I know the NHS is under pressure but I don't think that fully explains all the bad experiences people are reporting.

How dreadful! Now that you mention it, I wasn't offered any water until about 10am, so I'd been there 13 hours at that point. I had a water bottle in my bag thankfully, but what if I wasn't as coherent and was at their mercy?

OP posts:
YouDoYouBoo22 · 31/05/2023 20:51

Yanbu. As some other posters say, it’s given in a lot of ridiculous situations. I was given two paracetamol when I was in hospital in labour with my eldest! Madness.

Starhead69 · 31/05/2023 20:52

YANBU YOU should have been offered either IV or opioid pain meds according to the NICE guidelines

Bazinga007 · 31/05/2023 20:53

What was their response when you asked for something stronger?

Soakitup37 · 31/05/2023 20:55

After 3 days of being induced and knackered from a labour which ended up as an emergency c section, my son and I were both poorly (he was in NICU) and I had the most horrific after pains, just like labour pains. Hadn’t slept for 36 hours, I was in agony and every time I drifted off I was ripped from my sleep in pain. Had to BEG the midwife for something, yup I was given paracetamol.

Didn’t touch the sides. I ended up screaming in pain and took 2 other bedside visits (I was immobile) for someone to agree to oral morphine. I conked out for about 9 hours after that and it wasn’t even enjoyable just incredibly necessary. I’d have paid for it if need be, seems so stingy. I remember thinking if a man had just gone through what I had he’d be hooked up to everything on a drip.

ArcticSkewer · 31/05/2023 20:58

I can't believe any of you get prescribed anything for gallbladder attacks. I've always just been left to get on with it. It's like a mini childbirth. Sigh. Feel quite hard done by now.

crew2022 · 31/05/2023 20:59

@LobeliaSackville
"How dreadful! Now that you mention it, I wasn't offered any water until about 10am, so I'd been there 13 hours at that point. I had a water bottle in my bag thankfully, but what if I wasn't as coherent and was at their mercy"

What about older people with dementia or people with learning disabilities or who are non-verbal. I literally think people could die of neglect within a few days in some of these hospitals.