Ill but reluctant to see doctor, how worried should I be? (warning: gross)

[PrincessTeacake]

I've had a dodgy tummy this past week, I passed itoff as missing a course of my medication for fibromyalgia and I'm prone to nausea and stomach pain anyway. But I'm now thinking there might be something else up, thers are dark spots in my poo which I know is possibly a sign of internal bleeding, food is going through me in less than an hour and its coming out as stinging diarrhea. I havecramping pain in my upper stomach behind my ribs, I'm nauseous all the timeand I feel pretty weak and wwoozy.

I don't want to see a doctor here because I've had a bunch of bad experiences with and had to pay for both the consultancy that was botched and therrepair job afterwards, I don't have a lot of money right now. However, I'm due to fly to London in the morning for an unrelated matter. Should I be worried enough to take advantage of the wonderful NHS to get an idea of whats up?

Is it wise to fly in the state of health you're in?

Are you UK resident?

If not, you may have to pay for NHS treatment.

And unless it is something readily recognisable, you may not be here long enough to get an adequate diagnosis let alone sufficient treatment.

It might be better, with an eye to the longer term,to find trustworthy medical care where you are ordinarily resident.

Some fibro drugs casue slowing of the intestines so maybe this is a rebound I have had that with my heart drugs. I stopped them for 2 weeks and was in trouble!

Thanks for the quick replies, I think I'm okay to fly, I've been st work all week and I consider myself good to go for anything as long as I can walk. I've had the odd medical emergency in the UK and I wasn't asked to pay and tbh I'm so used to getting on with things while I'm in pain that I'm really just worried about the long term implications of this. I've had rectal bleeding from missing meds before but it was fresh blood and it cleared up after a while.

Oh for goodness sake.
If you don't pay taxes in the uk, you've got a blumin cheek coming here and using the NHS. Will you be insured for your trip here? I don't like to think of anyone not getting the medical care they need, but the pot is not bottomless.

I am non resident and just had to pay almost 10,000 for hospitalization of my dd. be prepared!

I agree Wish - bet we get flamed though!!

There's a bit of a difference between a medical emergency and a longstanding medical condition that may require a longer diagnostic process. Both in terms of your health, and in terms of likelihood of a bill being raised (emergency treatment is free).

How long are you planning to be in UK? For it can take some weeks for non-emergency referrals to come through.

To clarify A&E is free... Everything else you will need insurance or a credit card

Its literally a flying visit, I'm arriving in the morning and leaving in the evening. And I do kind of agree with the sentiment that if I don't pay tax in the country I shouldn't avail of its services. I live in a rural area and my local doctor doesn't know his arse from his elbow, and his colleague is a man who told me fibromyalgia doesn't exist, that I was ill because I was out of shape and then tried to crack my limbs back into position while screaming at me to relax. I had to pay him half my weeks wages for that. There was also the other doctor who prescribed meds to me that sent me to A+E with chest pains, and the staff there who forgot to put my info in the system so I sat for 12 useless hours in tears with the pain. I had to pay them a full months rent for that little adventure. So can you understand why I'd be reluctant to turn to them? Theyd charge you for dying in their waiting room if they could.

sounds like a stomach virus which you may pass round to vulnerable people on your travels.

Are you British? And where are you? And frankly, you have a cheek and a and e won't deal with something like that other than talk about referring you on ... Which they can't

Yes, I can completely understand why you wouldn't want to go to them, and stand by my earlier suggestion that you need to find different health provision where you live. You cannot guarantee you'll be ill only at times when you are travelling elsewhere, or that it will be something ompatible with fluing.

If you're in UK for only a matter of hours, your chances of securing adequate medical attention look remote (A&E waits can be a few hours when you have a non-urgent condition, and you may not get diagnostic tests same day).

Which country do you live in? Surely if you're paying for treatment that should buy you more choice? Ok you might have to travel a bit but it sounds like it would be worthwhile.

Would you be ok to turn up to a&e tomorrow and then stay in and not fly home if that's what was recommended? If not, please don't waste time and taxpayers money.

Hope you get sorted soon.

I feel sorry that you have crap medical services but that still doesn't mean you should try to milk ours dry.