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

[LobeliaSackville]

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...

I had a spine fusion with scaffolding screwed into bone and a long incision and had paracetamol. It was fine.

I just stay at home and take late MIL's leftover tramadol and my own co codamol if I have a gallbladder attack now. I also refused to have a hysteroscopy without a GA after the last one ended up with me getting up from the table and going home because it was so painful. I had morphine after my first c section 24 years ago and codeine after my second, which was 18 years ago. I believe they only give paracetamol now.

Women are just left to get on with it. I can't understand why they would under medicate severe pain.

DH has kidney stones. He’s had an operation to get rid of them (he didn’t enjoy this if you catch my drift!) and lithotripsy. They’re still there, he has flare ups from time to time and actually has one around Easter that was the worst for a while (doubled over in pain multiple times over 2 days). Ended up passing one after struggling for a few days more (he reckons it was lodged in the exit for a couple of days first! 🤪), I even got a picture (of the stone, just to be clear)at work 😂 it’s a tricky one as it’s all very misunderstood and I know post his op he felt he got very little sympathy and care.

Yanbu. It doesn't even work that well for everyone anyway.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/2tCb8mSyQKKWGbz5BXKDnW9/how-good-are-painkillers-at-targeting-specific-types-of-pain

Iv paracetamol and rectal diclofenac is the stuff for any colic type pain (kidney stones/gall stones) and much better than oramorph for bay type of pain imo. Sorry that you didn’t get that - it should have been offered.

Absolutely horrendous. Paracetamol is OK for a slight headache but other than that is completely ineffective, certainly for any real pain. Fortunately I have a relative with a regular supply of morphine (for a long standing medical condition) that I can go to if I need real pain relief. NHS pain management is a joke.

I broke my leg and was in considerable pain, I was offered paracetamol….sigh! It didn’t touch the sides; my GP when I got out prescribed tramadol.

That doesn't sound good.

I was admitted 3 weeks ago with suspected appendicitis and given IV paracetamol which worked far better than I expected as oral paracetamol doesn't work very well on me.

YANBU at all. We deserve better pain relief

My local hospital "pain service" claims no difference between oral paracetamol and IV paracetamol. There is a big difference. One makes a difference on severe pain, the other is smarties. GP won't prescribe diclofenic at all unless its via the pain service. Waiting times are first appointment about the 18m mark..

Neighbour has a open hysterectomy last year and was home the same night with 2 paracetamol ... In case she needed it. She needed it and far more.

I've had the pain service sit down several times with me over the past 15 years and tell me that nothing can offer, I've had anaphylaxis to a couple of their treatments so it's just go away, we can't help you. I bring down their stats. Direct quote from the lead consultant.

Yup paracetamol transforms into something magical if given in a hospital. In the real world you have a headache that drinking some water and getting some fresh air doesn’t cure so you take paracetamol. In hospital you have your leg cut off with a rusty knife and they give you paracetamol.
i always take some painkillers into hospital with me just in case ( no I don’t have a problem) even if a paracetamol would a help the chance of getting at the time you need it is remote, I always take my medication in with me as well, as no matter how routine it is trying to get it in the hospital at the right time of day is impossible. A diabetic relative of mine ended up very unwell as the hospital seemed to be unable to coordinate times for insulin and for food.
But the worst thing I’ve found is where they send you a letter inviting you in for a minor procedure and they advise you to take a couple of paracetamol, before you come in, to ease any discomfort and then go home straight away afterwards. This is code for it’s going to be extremely uncomfortable or more likely very painful and it’s a procedure that they used to do as a day patient and with sedation.

I read an interesting article about how going on roller coasters can help to break up and pass kidney stones. Big Thunder Mountain being the ideal speed and centrifugal force ride. A premeditated trip to euro Disney could be more fun than a trip to A&E ! I'm not making light of the pain you went through, just found it an interesting idea.

I was only given paracetamol for my hip replacement 2 weeks ago. The first night after the op I was in the most horrific pain -I still can’t believe I was left like it. They said I couldn’t have any other pain relief because of low blood pressure. It was15/10 pain. In the end my crying and exhaustion led to me falling asleep at 5am.

This was a private hospital.

I was contemplating asking them to call me an ambulance to take me to hospital while I was in hospital.

Paracetamol is a great pain relief when taken regularly. I had kidney stones and was given diclofenac sup. This helped me with pain relief. I had them for a while after my attack.

Unfortunately you have to make a massive fuss to get proper painkillers. When having a very very painful miscarriage and losing a lot of blood I had to run after a nurse and beg them to help me to get seen quickly. If you're quiet and bear the pain they will ignore you. You have to be inconvenient in some way because they are so busy they will just forget about you.

Was given ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory) when I dislocated 2 ribs. Same again with a Morton’s neuroma. However, A+E is understaffed, underfunded and used by people who have a cold, leaving serious cases like yourself under the radar. You’ll be quiet because of the pain and therefore overlooked, because a loudmouth with a paper cut is screaming for morphine.