Should I go to A&E

[saduncomfortable]

Some background - I started with what I’m sure were kidney stones two weeks ago. I nearly ended up at A&E at 1 in the morning because the pain was so bad but then it passed. Shorter bouts of pain continued for a week so I went to my GP last week. They dip tested my urine and said I had an infection and gave me antibiotics. I spent all weekend with full on cystitis symptoms - minus the pain of urinating. - feeling constantly like I need to go and bladder pain. My test results came back from the lab and said no infection. I went back to the GP who said that regardless of the lab results, they believed I had a kidney infection and it could easy take a week to stop feeling discomfort. My dip test still shows blood present. At the same time the GP was saying it really sounded like kidney stones and the only way to know for definite is a scan. He said if i was no better today to go through A&E as that was quickest.

So do I go go to A&E today? Will they even agree to a scan? I don’t understand why the GP couldn’t just refer tbh. I physically can’t cope with sitting for hours in A&E with this going on so am really unsure of what to do. At the same time I can’t cope with this for weeks on end and I’m also now off work with this which isn’t ideal.

We went Friday and Sunday. Both times they didn’t do anything. All they did was check his urine. He has had urine sent for culture. His white blood cells in his urine was 489 ( they should be around 0-5) they just speak to the GP. He is now so much worse, he has a referral to urology. But that is going to take a long time.

I'm Scotland out GP refers via acute receiving medical.or surgical depending on problem. I've been to both, once ending in admission once in an urgent referral to soecialist.

That's great...

for Scotland.

If he's much worse, take him now, or ring 111

An ongoing infection that isn’t resolving can absolutely be an emergency. This is how people end up with sepsis. The point is, you don’t know if it’s an emergency or not and you are not a medical professional, so you just need to take the advice a medical professional has given you, which is to go to A&E.

Hope you went. Kidney infections are serious. I’ve had sepsis as a result. Go to a&e - they will check your crp markers and probably put you on IV antibiotics

a Kidney infection can easy spread and cause sepsis. I speak from experience and tbh I wasn’t in that much pain but I think taking medical advice from a GP is more wise than from a random mumsnetter

the baby would be about 6 months old by now!

Excellent username! 👏

I went to A&E at 5am in the end. I wasn’t seen until midday and my blood pressure was through the roof. I felt a stone pass around 11am and I firmly believe it was causing a blockage before that as I immediately could go to the toilet and I remember crying with relief! They scanned me early afternoon and said I had a 4mm stone and the cut off for surgery is 5mm so they sent me home. At this point I was out of pain though. I had another scan a few weeks later and the stone was gone. I had no issue with that one at all. I believe the stone I passed in A&E caused some nerve damage though as things haven’t been the same since!!

Anyway that’s a long winded way of saying that I went to A&E and did get checked out properly although there was a long wait. Good luck to your partner - it’s horrifically painful

I’m so glad you went and it came out! How long all in all were your symptoms going on before passing the stone ? Xx thank you for replying :) xx

@StarrrzI had on and off pain for a few weeks but I think the severe pain lasted around 24 hours before I passed the 2nd stone

Don't know if OP is in my area, but this seems to be the norm now. I had an appointment for an ongoing issue-not in a massive amount of pain like she is, but otherwise similar-and GP cancelled appointment and said they're too busy to see me so go to urgent care. And I know of several other people in my are who have had the same thing recently.

An ongoing severe uti that has not responded to antibiotics is an emergency. My daughter almost died from sepsis from a silent uti.