A&e, doctors or wait it out?

[autienotnoughty]

Off and on back pain for past 15 years. More on in past two years. Symptoms include lower back pain, painful spasms , shooting pains in thighs. Being managed with physio, Pilates, walking and yoga.

Last six weeks pain has got significantly worse. I keep experiencing weakness in my legs, periods of not being able to stand/needing support to walk and get up.

Today my back has locked three times leaving me unable to walk, getting worse each time. I am now laid flat on my back, I can't sit up. Dh had to drag/walk me to the toilet. I can't walk. I can't turn over. I'm applying heat and cold.
I'm also feverish . I have shooting pains/tingling in my legs plus the back pain and spasms.

Do I go a&e?
Ring doctor Monday?
Ride it out?

As others have said Cauda Equina needs excluding. Many people who develop Cauda Equina have lived with a bad back for years and then it escalates to an emergency. I work in a spinal injuries unit where there are regularly patients who have had a deteriorating back dismissed or they ignore it and end up with a spinal cord injury. I would suggest A&E.

incorrect, it absolutely can. As in previous post, i'm 43, i've had a history of chronic back pain since the age of 17.
10 years ago it got suddenly significantly worse, requiring an MRI and resulted in a diagnosis of degenerative disk disease, the 'sudden worsening' was my L5/S1 disk completely dying, causing sciatica. Since then i've had 2 significant episodes of increased pain that have seriously decreased my mobility, the first leaving me needing a walking stick, the last leaving me an ambulatory wheelchair user.. drs believe the causes being other disks have 'gone' (dried out/desiccated).

@Icanthinkformyselfthanks it can. I said upthread my sciatica worsened and I developed cauda equina
It had been on and off for years and not investigated as it always resolved itself until it didn't
This was my MRI the day before surgery

So 111 has run you through a clinical triage process and advised A&E.... but you would rather not attend?

And then garner the opinion of a medical issue on a massive forum for their opinion.

This really is not the forum for asking medical advice. As you can see the huge range of responses and opinions.

No one here knows what is best for you... do you know who can help? Actual clinicians.

I have reported this post to mumsnet, I believe in the same way they do not allow posts for posters who are suicidal to stand and direct them to appropriate resources, the same should be done for posts like these!

While you are waiting, have you got Ibuprofen & either paracetamol or Co-codamol? Take 600mg of Ibuprofen & 2×500mg either paracetamol or co-codamol, you can also take buscopan if you have any for the muscle spasms. Try & lay on your back with a pillow under your knees.

I completely agree!

I would invest in a raised toilet seat with handles at each side, when I had my prolapsed disc, getting on & off the toilet was agony.

A&E

Go to A&E if that’s what you’re advised. Take a mat or blanket and a pillow so you can lie on the floor if needed.

Or it’s not urgent, in which case it’s not A&E.

You have an inappropriate user name.

Hope 111 get back to you soon, if you're feeling generally unwell too then that's a red flag

No it's not. 99% say A&E, 1% are easily ignored.

asking for help & a hand hold are the back bones of MN.

Tbh I was hoping for a less panicked response.

I'm taking everything on board but even if dh gets me to the car I can't sit in it or sit at a&e. Ours has one of the worst wait time in the country and it's Saturday night. I'm waiting for a clinician to call if they suggest ambulance I will accept .

I'm considering booking a private mri. Is it awful?

That's obviously not true. Sometimes people put off going to hospital when it's the right place to go (possibly believing it's not serious, fearing having to wait hours when they feel dreadful etc)

Could I ask what your symptoms were which caused you to go to a&e? Just want to be aware as I suffer from sciatica. Thank you

@autienotnoughty My pelvic & lumbar MRI took 30 minutes. The staff were extremely sympathetic & raised my legs over a pillow. I could see the ceiling when moved into the machine. It was uncomfortable but I knew it had to be done for a diagnosis to cure the pain.

OP - As per PP, if you can get to A&E please go!! No it's not an ideal situation, but it sounds like you need medical attention, and it could take hours for an ambulance to turn up.

Get thee to A&E. Straight away.

This is mean. Op has clearly said she can’t sit & her A&E is particularly busy & that she could go in the morning. She’s phoned 111. She can’t walk or stand so sitting on a hard a&e chair with no guarantee she’ll be seen by morning is a genuine concern. Sat night at a&e will be far worse than sun am.

Hopefully they’ll decide to send ambulance op. Good luck to you🥰

@Brownwitch first I had severe pain, then I lost feeling in my leg and had foot drop, I could only walk dragging it but it wasn't CE at that point
I was in bed and it was like a sudden rush of warm water feeling down my legs. Lay there for a bit contemplating then took myself to a&e and said "I'm due to have surgery in 48hrs for my back and I think I have CE"
They scanned and confirmed it was

I'm concerned about your difficulty to wee.

There's one test that the GP told me about. If when you wipe your bottom area it feels a bit numb that's a really bad sign.

"Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) - Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust" https://www.torbayandsouthdevon.nhs.uk/services/specialist-spinal-orthopaedic-physiotherapy-service/common-spinal-conditions/cauda-equina-syndrome/

Please check this list.

Go to A&E OP. I herniated 3 discs in my back and well remember the agony that was the car ride to the hospital, the scans etc. But you must go and get checked out. Obviously significantly less than ideal but do you have an estate car where you can lie in the boot with the back seats down, with lots of duvets for padding? Otherwise if you genuinely can't get in the car phone an ambulance.

Don't wait for a call back, that might take hours, just call an ambulance now.

@autienotnoughty You're not thinking clearly. If you book a private MRI, you'll still have the same issues with getting in/sitting in a car, won't you? You need a medical evaluation of your symptoms. You can't just jump to an MRI, because you won't get treatment from it, you'll get a diagnosis. You need diagnosis and treatment.