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General health

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Original poster

cant get a doctors app for a few days, with these symptoms would you go to nhs direct on a sat?

14 replies

ELF1981 · 08/12/2006 23:08

Three weeks ago (ish) I was poorly. I felt "off" all day, came home from work, was sick several times, upset stomach etc. I put it down to the egg I'd had for breakfast as it had been a bit runny.
I felt off the next day, a bit weakish and knackered but put it down to being sick for most the prior night.
Since then I've had several days on and off with an upset stomach. I have been getting gripping pains in my tummy, like somebody is squeezing my insides. I feel a bit weak, achy limbs etc. Yesterday I started to feel a bit poorly, had a bad headache the has lasted through until now. The pains in my tummy have been happening on and off all day, I've had an upset tummy, and it gets worse when I have eaten. I haven't been sick though.
I cant get a docs appointment til the middle of next week. Would you go to NHS direct tomorrow? Or is it the kind of thing they'd just refer me to the GP for? I've only been to NHS direct once before and they were useless (broken toe, said I'd need to go to hospital for an X ray) so dont want to waste my time there if they wont be able to help.

OP posts:

AllBuggiedOut · 08/12/2006 23:10

Why don't you call NHS Direct 0845 46 47? I think they're there 24 hours.

mears · 08/12/2006 23:10

I personally would ask for 'emergency' appointment at own GP on Monday TBH. Better to see own docs when you can.

edam · 08/12/2006 23:13

Poor you. You don't 'go' to NHS Direct though, it's a phone/email service. Call them up and see what they say. If it's food poisoning or tummy bug, you need to be off food completely (only water, rehydration salts and, if you must, the odd dry cracker) for 24 hours. If you've got a tummy bug and you keep eating, you won't get better. However, since it's lasted for three weeks on and off, I'd call NHS Direct for advice.

edam · 08/12/2006 23:14

Oh, cross posted with Mears, ignore me, she knows the health service far better than I do!

Original poster

ELF1981 · 08/12/2006 23:15

We have an NHS walk in centre near us. I've found the phone service a bit rubbish in the past, only ever phone about dd and the advice frightened me on both cases ("drive her direct to the hopsital, if she stops breathing, pull over, call an ambulance"!)
I can ring on Monday for an "emergency" on Tuesday, if I can get through in time. Its a nightmare getting in at our doctors!

OP posts:

hoxtonchick · 08/12/2006 23:18

walk in centre tomorrow is a good idea

Original poster

ELF1981 · 08/12/2006 23:21

okay, will go tomorrow. hopefully everybody else will be out xmas shopping so it may be peaceful in nhs walk in centre

OP posts:

edam · 08/12/2006 23:21

Walk in centre sounds like a good idea.

hoxtonchick · 08/12/2006 23:36

nearlythree · 09/12/2006 00:21

I had something a bit like this and needed abs. This might mean (oh joy) you'd need to do a sample.

WethreebobKings · 09/12/2006 01:54

After a stomach upset several things can make your tummy hurt again - milk being the main one, but I also found that bread made it really bad. especially high fibre bread.

You need to do a sample to rule out any nasties, and they may take blood. They will only test for some things after you have been ill for xx days anyway (IME), so a wait for the doctor might not actually hold up anything anyway.

Make sure that your GP does test you for everything though, you have done the wait and see approach out of neccessity.

edam · 09/12/2006 08:47

Hello HC! Went to bed after posting so missed you. How are you?

drosophila · 09/12/2006 09:21

A few weeks after giving birth I had a real bad tummy. The pains were as bad as labour and I could still remember the labour pains. I thought there was something seriously wrong. I had the squits but can't remember if I vomited. think I did. Anyway ended up speaking on the phone to out of hours doc who said that it was gastroenteritis. I suspect you have same thing. headache is probably dehydration.

PineConesAndHonneybunny · 09/12/2006 10:19

Hi, like drosophila said: it sounds like gastroenteritis. It is doing the rounds atm. Here in the Honneybunny family we've all had it in the past month. Ds1 even had it twice. He was the first one, and now the last (hopefully) again. The stomach cramps are really bad! Even my dh was suffering, while he normally keeps walking and smiling, even if he has a really bad cold. Except for ds2 (nearly 1) none of us was sick either (as in vomiting), but we've all had the runs. It does seem to last for ever...
But hopefully you should be starting to feel better soon!

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