Scared

[Eliza22]

For 3 weeks have had pain in upper gastric area. Feet bloated and have had to let my waistband out. Pain goes round to my back. On Sunday, I felt terrible. Went to bed and woke at 2 am in dreadful pain. Within minutes my heart rate had rocketed and was irregular. I started to shake, uncontrollably and was deathly pale, according to DH, who rang for an ambulance. Ambulance arrived, BP was high 180/145, temp of 38 degrees and started shaking again. Waves of dizziness, pins and needles in both hands.

A&E set up a drip. Temp came down. One hour later, off again! Temp spiked, shaking, dizzy, pins and needles, BP sky high. Given anti-spasmodics and sent home. The Dr said it was probably gall stones or inflamed pancreas and my GP would arrange for a scan.

I'm now terrified. Am scared to eat much but feel really full. Acute pain is now a dull ache. I feel like I could now wait for ever for an ultrasound scan and in the meantime, I've talked myself into pancreatic cancer (shock). I KNOW, I'm over reacting but the drs just seem so blasé about what to me, was bloody awful and has really scared me.

What these medical people who see emergencies and medical situations every day don't seem to get, is that for them, it's nothing but for us, it REALLY IS an emergency and I'm just waiting for it to happen again. I have a disabled son of 13 and my DH is his step dad. DH had to stay with ds and I went to A&E alone.

Anyone out there that can talk me off the ceiling?

FEEL bloated. My feet are fine!

Could it be gallstones. I had similar symptoms and that was my diagnosis. I also ended up at A&E.

Hope you get a firm diagnosis and feel better soon

Yeah gallstones seriously suck. The first time you get that pain and it just goes on and on is bloody awful...It really makes you scared.

Hope you get it sorted OP.

I had similar a couple of weeks ago. Really bloody scary. Horrendous pain in side abdomen (though my period had just started also) which rendered me incapable of moving. Temp, dripping sweat, clammy etc. Ambulance called, pain stopped soon as was in A+E (brilliant but also a bit "typical" grrr)

Had blood tests, showed white cell count high but other tests fine so sent home with Buscopan. No idea what it was/is, no scan arranged. Petrified it will return and have since felt on the verge of returning

Hope yours doesn't return x

Thanks so much for the replies. Logically, I think it IS gallstones or some kind of ulcer as have been on prescribed anti-inflammatory meds for years (bone problems). I have been taken off them now so, that may help. I'm taking Buscopan and Paracetamol.

I guess I was shocked by the "off you go, see your GP" thing. My body reacted in a "shock" type way. The Dr at A&E said "we'll do a chest and abdominal X-Ray" but then the place started to fill up and they never happened. No one said anything about what to eat/not eat/drink (considering the possible diagnosis) and that was it. If it happens again and DH is working away, I will have no choice but to take my 13 yr old son with me and that will be horrendous. I wanted to shout I need this sorting as soon as possible because my son is very, very dependent and often it's just him and me but really, no one cares.

There was a young man in the cubicle opposite to me who was very drunk. He'd been involved in a fight from what I could hear and needed an X-Ray of his hand/arm. He was sobering up, whilst waiting but he was also very angry that he couldn't have a cigarette. It went in and on. In and out the nurses were and the young Dr eventually gave him a disclaimer form to sign and off he went for his city break. I didn't know whether to feel cross or sorry for the young man. He needed help for sure.

Shakey, I know exactly how you feel. Do see your own GP at least.

It's not that nobody cares...its just that you've experienced the state of the nhs a&e departments now. If you're not life threatening you're sent to your gp who in turn are having their own problems.

Try and keep as much fat out of your diet as possible and ask your gp to refer you for a scan.

Gamechick I know, you're right. Thanks for being sensible! I'm 52 next month. I run, cycle, don't smoke, drink wine and keep my weight down. Hopefully, won't wait too long for a scan.

Christ! Have tried to get an appointment all week with GP. Apparently, ITS NOT POSSIBLE TO PRE-BOOK APPOINTMENTS IN AUGUST. You have to call at 8am (and it's always engaged) and the. At 0810, when you DO get through, ALL the appointments are gone.

I feel your pain . Would it be worth going to surgery at 8am and just waiting ?

No wonder you're worried ,I do hope it can be sorted for you soon .

Eliza how are your poo and pee?

Grrr at ridiculous appointment system. I second getting there at 7.55 and scowling. How have you been the past few days?

I've been ok, but to wade in moggiek, I've had similar and have posted on this thread (hope you don't mind Eliza ) regarding poo and pee...

I'm waiting for a referral to the consultant for a definite urethrocele and possible bladder prolapse so wee is always a problem and my bowel movements have changed. Whereas previously, I used to have a satisfactory movement every 2-3 days, now I am struggling to go. I'm drinking plenty of water and don't feel constipated but it's a definite change. No blood that I can see.

OK. Symptoms of PC can be that you poo more often, and that the poo is very pale in colour, really smelly, and is very difficult to flush away. This is because the compromised pancreas might not produce enough digestive enzymes to break down the fat in your diet. Another indication can be that your pee is really dark in colour.

Eliza hand holding here.
I have a gallstone and ulcerative colitis and your symptoms do sound similar to mine. (Mine has been rumbling along now for a year been a long haul to get this far. At it's worse, I'd say it's like labour pains)
Pancreatic Cancer is one of those medical conditions that is hard to diagnose because of the lack of symptoms (remember the awareness campaign earlier in the year, young woman in her 20s ? )

I ate a toasted cheese and tomatoe sandwich last week (it was lush I tell you) but gave me 2 days of extreme pain.
I can't eat cheese. I've stopped bread. I'm a vegetarian, it's made the pain bearable but , it's a boring diet.

Are you FFFFF? (Fair/Fat/Female/Fertile/Forties? )

(I've been a vegetarian for 34 years. Non smoker. Non drinker. 5'5" 11st (so , yes I could lose a bit) 48yo
My Mum had her gall bladder removed in her 30s.
There is no earthly reason why I should have a gallstone let alone Ulcerative Colitis , but hey ho )

Hello ladies, I still feel grim, to be honest. The dull ache in my chest is a pretty much constant so, at least I know it's not cardiac! (My mum had heart surgery when she was younger than me). I'm 52 next month, am fair, not fat but could lose a bit. Have recently cut out cheese etc as my cholesterol was high but came down very quickly, through dietary changes. My BP has been high but is now under control with medication. Until 2 years ago, I took nothing! Am menopausal so, that doesn't help but no massive symptoms of that, as yet. I have THAT to look forward to.

I support it's scary because I had that weird "shock" thing going on. The day following the A&E visit, I couldn't understand why the muscles in my legs, backside and arms were so sore. Then I twigged. When I was shaking and my teeth were chattering uncontrollably, my body was ridged off the bed/trolley. They put oxygen on me because my O2 saturation dropped and apparently my pulse went from a rapid 138 to 48 beats per minute in seconds. No wonder I felt peculiar.

Now, I just feel utterly exhausted and am scared to eat anything but small amounts of chicken and plain rice and fruit. Yet oddly, I've needed to let out my zip!

You lovely ladies have been kind. Thank you.

Tomorrow, I will see a doctor. End of.

Forgot to say....waterworks Ok, apart from the pain both sides, in my back. Had 2 x kidney surgery as a child/adolescent but have needed nothing since. Bowels, Ok ish. I haven't been able to do my running/cycling recently so feel a bit "sluggish" in that department. Am just too bloody tired.

Oh yes, and can't lie on my sides. Have to lie in my back or I feel like my gizzard (technical term ) is in a vice.

Poor DH. He's so nesh. He keeps checking I'm still breathing when I nod off and my colour drains!

It sounds exactly like gall bladder or pancreas related problem.

I woke up in the middle of the night with a pain very like the one you described. It got worse and I ended up in A and E where after pain killers and examinations and tests they decided I had a gall stone which had gone into the duct into my pancreas and caused acute pancreatitis.

Unfortunately, it was well stuck and I was in hospital in indescribably agony for almost two weeks- dosed up with morphine and on other additional painkillers, a drip and no food for days. It was awful.

They could not remove my gall bladder until everything had gone back to normal which was about 3 months. During that time I had a couple of flare ups, exactly as you are describing your symptoms. I controlled them by not eating, drinking lots of fluid and taking Buscopan. When my gall bladder was removed it was such a relief and such an easy experience.

Insist on a Drs appt. Pancreatitis can be very serious- your Dr might refer you immediately back to the hospital as an urgent case.

I have a GP appointment this afternoon at 5pm. I had to create a real song & dance to get it.

What the hell's happened to our NHS? I had to get really stroppy and then I felt physically wrung out and really sorry for the receptionist on the phone. It didn't used to be like this.

Hope you get it sorted out at the GPs.

How did it go?

The GP said that if it happens again, whilst waiting for the scan, to go back to A&E. My BP was still high but she said just continue with the tabs I'm already on. She did print off a basic "do' and don'ts" diet-wise. The scan may take up to 6 weeks to arrange.

So, that's it.

What did she think it is?

Sorry, LouLou, I could sleep for England at the moment. Early night for me, last night. GP said it could be Gall Stones, or gastric/duodenal problem. She didn't seem bothered that my BP was up again, having come down well with increased medication.

I'm rather disillusioned with it all, to be honest. I'm not sure what I expected the poor woman to say/do and it was 5pm on Fri afternoon. She did say to go straight back to A&E if it happens again. It'd need to be really, really bad, for me to do that again (as it was last Sunday night).

On the plus side. I contacted social services yesterday. My ds (ASD/OCD) has one who we haven't seen for 2 years. We've just muddled along, as best we can. We saw a specialist on Thursday who was utterly flabbergasted that ds was termed "mild autism" and discharged twice from Autism Services. He described my son to me as having "very significant impairment" and will write to our GP to arrange some input. So, I rang social services and told them we need some help. That if I'm ill, there's no one to look after him and I'm struggling. The lady I spoke to will arrange for someone to come and see us, hopefully, pretty soon.

Fingers crossed you get the help you need Eliza

I've been ok (touch wood) though still feel that something is "brewing". Maybe I'm just anxious of it returning, don't know.

My 7yr old was there at the time (DH was working) and it was awful. Trying to reassure him while gasping on the phone to my Mum telling her to "Get.Here.Now." Fortunately they were on hand to help but I don't know what I would have done otherwise