To ask what's the worst (physical) pain you've ever experienced?

[canwetalkaboutcake]

I've never broken a bone or given birth, but I have had some very painful periods that have made me feel like I'm going to pass out. Also terrible travel sickness / vomiting on a 20 hour trip that left me wishing for death due to how crap I felt.

Pain prior to eardrum bursting. Twisted bowel. Pain pre burst ectopic pregnancy.

Facial scald after camping kettle exploded open.

DF's jacket (he was stood behind me) was melted.

Oh jesus.

Me too. I thought my bowel would perforate it was so painful. I’ve also had an unmedicated vaginal birth and wasn’t anywhere near as bad.

This thread is very interesting, re the variety of different conditions. I was expecting to see toothache and passing a kidney stone - both are well known to be two of the worst, but there is actually loads of other conditions here which is very interesting.

My second birth, zero pain relief as it went too quickly and forced on my back. Every contraction felt like my whole body was breaking. The midwives ‘congratulated’ me after for being so ‘quiet’ in the pushing stage - I literally couldn’t breathe from pain never mind screaming. Completely different from my first birth which whilst painful, was absolutely manageable.

Pleurisy, every breath felt like the Hulk had punch through my chest and was crushing my ribs.

Gallstones, worse than my first birth in pain level.

Breaking my toe, pain sent me into full panic attack.

@Nellieinthebarn heart attack buddies! I’ve never experienced pain like it. Like I was being stabbed and sat on and crushed at the same time.

Migraine
Broken ribs
Pinanidal sinus especially when it burst

@Fink so similar to me except I felt the "electric shocks" of the thing going in only on the left, told the dr and they said oh just lie on your right for top ups and it'll even out it'll be fine. Was not fine. Dead left leg and all the pain, and hated being so immobile, felt like torture! Was also an induction and the drip was on too high, when midwives shift changed the excellent new one gasped and turned it down!

Unfortunately employers aren't that sympathetic. Mostly because you won't "get better". So in order to keep my job, I have to grin and bear it unfortunately. I am campaigning to raise awareness and make people understand the effects of the condition though.

@Nat6999 yet I've had C-section, inductions and back to back labour with baby born face up but didn't find them anywhere near as painful I still feel sick if I think about it.

I've twisted the ligaments in my knee. I thought I was going to throw up.

Please don't worry! I had colonoscopies for years without anything more than slight discomfort; the endoscopist told me I have "a kink in the bowel" which accounts for the pain; hence the general anaesthetic. If yours is painful you can ask them to stop at any time. I've had them previously where I came round in recovery with no memory of it, so you may have that experience!

Gallbladder infection and ovarian cyst the size of a grapefruit. Both on a par.

The gallbladder slightly worse because I was a teen and my mother kept telling me to take an aspirin and go to bed, "If you are in that much pain".

I thought I was going to die because she wouldn't call a Dr or an ambulance.

I couldn't get to the phone to call myself as I was in too much pain to move.

I’ve also had years of colonoscopies, all bearable (@Soubriquet), but the one where they decided to go further up with no more pain relief was traumatic, and I’ve given birth with no pain relief.

Having my spine broken by a van rear ending my stationary car at speed. I was in hospital for 10 months and the first four months were just horrific.
Healed now but wheelchair bound paraplegic.

1. Acute pancreatitis
2. Childbirth

Back to back childbirth of a 9.3lb baby. Actually thought I would die from the pain. Felt like someone was smashing my pelvis and lower back with a hammer . At one point I just closed my eyes and wished I would die. I have flashbacks to how bad it was and have such a low pain tolerance now because I instantly think of that and feel panic. Awful.

Endometrial biopsy, with having a groin abscess drained without anaesthetic(doctor didn’t think it would work due to position of abscess) coming a close second.

Baby that got stuck in childbirth and needed delivery with vacuuse.

Gallbladder pain
Psoriatic Arthritis joint pain.

Giving birth was a walk in the park in comparison!

Piriformis syndrome, sciatic nerve trapped by muscle in spasm. I seriously considered sticking a kitchen knife in my thigh so DH would take me to A&E and I would get strong painkillers ( I’m a normal sane dentist who diagnosed and deals with patients in severe pain but my thoughts were so irrational).
I suffered with grade 4 endometriosis for years but at least you get some relief after an episode. I also have a very high pain threshold so didn’t consider going to A&E when it was really bad.
It has taken 3 years for the sciatica to totally resolve. Because of the distress it caused I have a massive stash of the anti spasmodics that eventually eased the pain. At the first hint of trouble I take a big dose and take to my bed.
Unlike normal sciatica, walking and exercise just makes ps worse.

They gave me morphine, which didn't kill the pain, but I didn't care. I had waited a long time to go in, as the op before had taken longer than expected. It also turns out I had a lot of scar tissue from the first c‐section, so my op took longer as well.

Another pp has said the same I see. I would insist on an epidural, as they can top it up - this is what I had the first time and it wouldn't have been an issue. I hope all goes well for you.

Dental abscess.

I have 5 DC, all of them were large babies and I had two with no pain relief at all, two c-sections and one forceps. NONE of that was anywhere near as agonising as a dental abscess. No pain relief even remotely soothes it and I honestly would have sold my soul to the devil to get it to stop.

I'm not the only one, sadly.