Should I go and see GP for this?

[BigFanOfACheese]

So a month an ago I injured my little toe - my son jumped from the sofa straight on the toe with his knee. It was so painful that I was afraid to take the sock off to look at it because I thought it will just come off together with the sock.
BUT there was no bruise at all, first it was just painful and then in a few days swollen and red but again no bruising at all which initially led me to believe it’s not broken at least.
I could put my feet down, put weight on it and walk albeit it was painful. Wearing shoes was like a torture and I was limping so bad because obviously it was all squished inside the shoe.
I tried to tape it together with the next toe which really didn’t help and also paracetamol worked for a short amount of time.
I bought barefoot shoes with a wide toe box and it’s the only pair I can wear for the past 3 weeks, I tried my regular shoes yesterday so but I can’t take more than few steps at home.
So far forward to now - almost 5 weeks later. It still hurts but a bit less than it was. It’s still swollen a bit and I think a bit red too . I can touch it but it hurts, I can walk without shoes at home but I can feel a bit outside.
Shall I just keep waiting for it to get better or go and see GP considering it’s been almost 5 weeks now.

There’s no any sort of discolouration, it doesn’t look out of place or a weird angle.
Possible fracture?

There's little point going to the GP. A broken little toe just needs to be rested. Plus they have no imaging machines to tell you if it's broken or not anyway. You could go to minor injuries. They do X rays. But ultimately they might give you an air boot and probably they can't do much else. Even if it's broken.

Oh I feel for you OP. If it were me, I’d give it till 6 weeks and then see the GP. Sounds like it needs an X-ray but would definitely get that through a go referral or do you have a walk in centre with X-ray? I don’t think there is much they can do though for a toe? I have broken a few and it’s rubbish as you can’t rest toes easily x

Go to minor injuries unit as they can xray it there & then. Sounds painful.

I can see why you want to see someone but not sure the GP is worth it- if it’s anything like mine you’ll be on the phone for days before you get a sniff of an appointment.

it’s always embarrassing to rock up to minor injuries with something that happened 6 weeks ago but I think it might be the option available

It sounds as though it may be broken, but there’s no real treatment for a break in a little toe beyond what you’ve already been doing, and the fuckers can take weeks to heal. A GP is most likely to tell you to keep doing more of the same, or minor injuries where they can xray; but the outcome of the latter will still be advising taping, comfortable shoes, rest etc.

I broke my big toe several years ago - it was excruciatingly painful. In A&E it was simply taped to the next toe and I was given painkillers. It took several weeks to fully heal and the pain to go.

Years ago a tin of baked beans fell out of a cupboard on to my bare foot. I didn't go to the GP .
For months I could hardly walk - the pain was excruciating. Stupidly because the pain was in the ball of my foot I didn't at first associate it with the tin falling on it. When I eventually went to the GP about another issue I showed him my foot and he said that it was a spiral fracture. He offered to send me for an x ray to confirm this but said even if it was confirmed there wouldn't be any treatment and it would heal itself.
It did eventually but the lasting effect was to spread my foot so it is now broader than my other foot.

It sounds to me OP as though your toe is fractured and it might be as well to get this confirmed but I don't know what they will do about it. Give you strong painkillers at least. I would hope
I really sympathise.

Thank you everyone. I googled and yes there is a walk in centre not far from me where they do X-rays.
Because it’s not that painful anymore maybe I will give a week or so more and then try to go?
To be honest my biggest fear and concern is that I will never be able to wear normal shoes again because it’s been 5 weeks now and it still feels like a torture.

I suspect that I broke a little toe last year. I was running around playing with a nephew and I accidently booted the skirting board. It was agony for days then painful for weeks but eventually the pain started to go away.

Minor injuries manage new injuries (within the first 2 weeks). Little/5th toes are not x-rayed unless dislocated which is typically visible

OP - search 'NHS broken toe' online, this information leeaflet will give you advice on self management & whether you need to see your GP

Ahh ok thank you. I never went there when I broke my toe that was a guess. So I think it's just resting it at home really!

A friend had to have an op to have her broken toe reset, so might be worth getting it checked out? That was a big toe though.