A&E refusing to give more than paracetamol when I’m in horrific pain

[Wonderingmummy]

I found out I’ve got gallstones, I need it out but I’ve been put on a waiting list. I’ve also just had a baby which can apparently trigger the attacks.

I had an attack 4 days ago, called 999. The worst pain I’ve ever been in, rolling around the floor at hospital. They refused to give me any more than paracetamol and I was just left to it. 6 hours later, it passed and I was told to go home.

I’m still thinking about it, and it’s annoyed me that more wasn’t done. Do you think I’m unreasonable to expect more? When the inevitable happens and I have another one, I already know my A&E will refuse to help and I want to advocate for myself better.

I've had moderate pain and vomiting and iv had crippling agony where I couldn't speak for crying and puked relentleaalt. If you've never had the really painful attacks count yourself lucky.

I was given morphine in a and e for my first attack it made me feel awful. Please ask to exercise your right to choose, waiting list for cholecystectomy at my local hospital was 2.5 years, mine was done within 8 months at a private hospital NHS funded. I did also agree to an extra MRI to be part of a clinical research programme but that was fine. Please don't take codeine it makes it worse. Even now I don't have a gallbladder I can't take codeine it gives me awful pains. Buscopan will genuinely help, it's spasming that causes pain (or stuck stones) but pain relief won't change those things.
Low fat bland diet, I found i could eat spicy things but plenty can't, definitely low fat though.

I've broken my proximal humerus in 3 places, had 2 c sections, a horrific dental abscess and a grade 3 ankle sprain with full tears of all ligaments and none have been as bad as a fully blocked gallstones attack. I also had kidney stones which were comparatively fine.

I echo the Buscopan recommendation. That and walking. I found walking round the street during a particular bad attack when I couldn’t sit or stand or lie, somehow must’ve shifted something. That and cocodamol. Sending love in an un Mumsnet way as it’s horrible pain. Now had mine out and other than being careful around cheese and no more chips it’s loads better

We took DD1 to A and E, after she’d fallen downstairs. She has LD. We could tell by the intensity of screaming, that she had at least one fracture. All they gave her was paracetamol. It was about 8 hours before a doctor saw her. By this time, DD1 was in so much pain, nobody could do anything with her. She couldn’t cooperate for the x rays or head CT scan. It took four of us twenty minutes, just to persuade her to lift her head up for something. It turned out, she had a fractured collarbone and elbow.

The doctor wrote on DD1’s notes, that this patient shouldn’t be left in so much pain, that nobody can do anything with her.

There is no way on earth, DD1 can access morphine. She doesn’t know what it is, couldn’t use a phone or any way of communicating with drug dealer to obtain it, and she doesn’t understand money beyond a £10 note. She can’t draw money out of her bank account, because she can’t remember the Pin, even if she knew how to use an ATM - which she doesn’t.

How is fair, that people who are genuinely in agony, are refused effective pain relief for hours, just because a few addicts turn up at A & E, seeking a free fix? Don’t addicts have a high tolerance to say morphine, and a small dose like Oramorph wouldn’t work for them? Surely, it’s obvious to A & E staff?

Surely the hospital realise that gall bladder pain is the absolute worst, so of course it should be prescribed if needed. That’s why the NHS is as crap as it is, because people accept crap service as the norm. If they don’t want to provide a service, then fgs get rid of the NHS and privatise health care. It’s just not fit for purpose.

My fiancé had gawd awful pain that was passed off as gerd for a couple of years until he went to the GPs in pain to show them. They referred him however he had an even worse attack and they discovered he had a narrow bile duct so he was feeling every stone passing and anything bigger than 2.5mm was getting stuck. He needed a stent after they were unable to remove due to how narrow the duct was. The stones aggravated his pancreas and the dye used to attempt to get stones out caused an infected gallbladder twice. He eventually had it removed with 7 stones a couple months later. All in all from that bad attack to removal was 3.5mth. They were worried about sepsis during first infection.

Paracetamol- laughable
Diclofenac/naproxen or ibuprofen - barely touched
Codeine was the closest thing for relief and that was minimal.

The things that did help
Morphine
Oromorph (which he got prescribed)

This is a man who has to be bullied into seeing a GP and he was at a few points rolling around on the floor in A&E nearly crying.

OP - push for something dont let them palm you off. After watching him go through the attacks its akin to a heart attack. I genuinely thought for a while I was going to lose him. He is now 3 years from removal and is in a much better place.

Good lord, some of the replies on here! I’ve had many, many broken bones, including a compound fracture and a fractured skull. Nothing, literally nothing, compares to the pain of a gallstone attack. The pain is unreal, the rolling around on the floor is unfortunately not. It’s AGONY. Fucking paracetamol? Do me a favour, you’d be better to chew on the box.
I had mine out privately after the NHS proved to be useless. I’ve never looked back. And NO, it cannot be controlled solely with a low fat diet. I’ve never been over weight, never eaten a high fat diet, a fucking cup a soup could set mine off.

My husband got morphine. He’s a man though. YANBU

DD has stomach migraines (we think) and goes to hospital a few times a year with horrific pain, they always offer her morphine.
We have to turn it down as it doesn’t agree with her and doesn’t help. I’m always shocked at how readily they offer it.

Sorry this happened to you OP. I had my gallbladder removed last month and the attacks are the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. Whilst you’re waiting for your surgery try to eat foods with low fat and get some buscopan for if you have another attack - it was recommended by my GP. I used it once but it didn’t really help me personally but I’ve seen others say it was a big help for them. Just a bit of advice too - get the surgery! I put it off for a year and ended up with pancreatitis. Check out the symptoms of stone blockages so you can get to A&E if you have any of the symptoms

Go in every time and try and push. I only had 7 months between diagnosis and removal of GB but sadly after I woke up after surgery so excited to be able to eat normally again, I asked the surgeon if he was sure he had removed it as still in same pain but worse. Soon after realised my pancreas had been permanently damaged and it led to a horrendous 6yrs before a major whipple surgery on my pancreas. Stones can cause damage, thankfully for most they don’t, but I can’t read a post about gallstones without saying harass them for a date. Mine would have been less than 7 months but for the Icelandic ash cloud causing my surgeon to get stuck overseas.

I had this, also hadn't had an issue til having my son. I didn't go to A&E long enough to get seen, the 1st attack I was same, rolling on floor unable to stay still with the pain, second attack went to A&E and while in queue for triage literally felt it pass and pain drain away. So went to GP and they got me on list for removal and in mean time they gave me codiene based pain killers to be able to ride out further attacks, which I did have to use a few times. Got gallbladder out in August, amazing to have it gone!

Go to your GP and ask for stronger pain relief to endure the attacks, make a case if you have to about having a child, my GP was horrified at the idea of me having one while caring for a toddler.

Unless they’d had an actual gallstone attack, I don’t think anyone appreciates how painful it is. I had a baby on 2 paracetamol, but gallstones, awful. The only worse pain i’ve experienced is acute pancreatitis (caused by the gallstones, or treatment for damage caused by gallstones in my experience). Paracetamol for gallstone pain is a joke.

This is dreadful being in pain and there is a waiting list for this procedure - quite frightening! I will never give up my private medical insurance and will forego everything else to keep paying for it !! - scary that you are in so much pain and they are not prioritising you!

My partner had gallstones and they gave him oramorph as he was having weekly attacks. Not sure if they will if you are breastfeeding though

I’ve not had this but just reading the posts it sounds really painful op, yanbu

It's such a huge problem in the UK, it's mostly a result of our poor diets, isn't it, sadly

Not the point of the thread, but what a lot of people don't realise is, paracetamol is a base painkiller. A Competent doctor should always start you on paracetamol first and then give stronger as needed. Paracetamol helps all other pain killers to work quicker and better in the long term and short term

I was given IV paracetamol for my impacted gallstones - oh it was amazing. Pain relief was pretty much instant. And it doesn't have the downside of constipation.

Mumsnet posters are a load of loons at times. I’ve had gallbladder pain and it’s beyond words. Hope you soon get sorted x

Gall bladder attacks are evil, for me, worse than labour as at least you get a break between contractions. Best thing ever was once I'd had mine removed, I'm the fifth person in my family, it's weirdly hereditary and affects females more.

Anyway, do you keep a food diary? That really helped me identify the triggers. Dominoes pizza, Chinese food, anything creamy and prosecco were big no no's. Randomly tomatoes affected my friend.

Food avoidance, co-codamol and hot water bottles were my saviour.

It can also be linked to the excess estrogen sloshing around your body in pregnancy and changing hormone levels in the post-partum period.

I can't take any opiates as have a strong reaction to them . Even codeine is too much . But I did have gallstone flare up that landed me in A&E and was given gas and air in a whistle type thing for the pain .

Codeine (and Tramadol) do nothing for me. I’ve been told my liver can’t metabolise it into morphine. Smarties are more use, because at least they taste of chocolate. It’s very annoying in my late 60s, to be offered codeine every time, as the next step after paracetamol; when I know by now, it doesn’t work for me. Yet, if I’m in agony and ask for morphine next, it’s seen as a “red flag”! Why am I left to suffer, when it’s not my fault I’m a poor metaboliser!