Unable to urinate

[mowgelijeffs]

Hi there,
I've called 111 who booked me an out of hour appointment at 545
I was wondering if anyone can advise me before then/
I've been in a lot of pain since Friday with what I think are kidney stones.
I thought it was appendicitis because of where he pain was. It was getting progressively worse.
I feel on the floor and my husband called an ambulance. I took tramadol co codamol and ibuprofen. They administered entonox. They said the hospital was very busy so I decided to stay at home and try to pass the stone.
I have struggled to urinate since last night. Passing only roughly a tea spoon at a time. It's like I don't have the muscles to push the wee out?
I'm now shaking uncontrollably and I am a bit frightened. My husband is out with my son. I know this isn't the place but has anyone got any advice ? Do you think I need an ambulance?

And if your partner/friend/neighbour cant take you to hospital, you can always get a taxi?

I am so pleased you got it sorted, but this is the definition of emergency and its what accident and emergency departments exist for.

Glad you've been seen and are feeling a bit better.

Thank you all for your concern. I am really touched by the support from this community online. We are lucky to have MN for help.

I think it was an emergency yes but it was dealt with this evening and my husband helped me too. I took some diazepam to help me relax. Having been in hospital so much when pregnant I feel enormous guilt about using their services.
111 team must have all had hangovers because they were cruel. I was lucky it wasn't sepsis. If it happens again I'll go straight to hospital.

Thank you so much again girls. Your concern means everything to me x x

Glad you've been seen and have had some help now.
If in doubt with this in the future please go to hospital asap! 2 years ago I had back pain and was unable to urinate. I too was dismissed by the hospital and it turned out I had a severe compression in my spine. I am now left partially paralysed on my left side, dystonia, and permanent loss of bladder function requiring me to use catheters for the rest of my life. Not to mention my every day pain.
It really angers me how flippant some medical services can be having seen first hand what an inability to urinate can indicate.

Also, certain medications can alter bladder sensation. Tramadol is a common medication that does this, have you tried using a different painkiller to see if it makes any difference?

Good luck with your scan tomorrow.

sorry, but I think this was potentially much worse than sepsis.

so glad you are weeing now. Kidney failure and life dont go very well together.

Llama , yes I recall the tramadol doing this in the past but this was on a whole new level to the point I was frightened. It was like I had forgotten how to do a wee.

Your story is beyond harrowing. You are such a brave woman. Have you got a good support network around you? Do you share your story with many? Women feel so isolated when it comes to urine and bags etc. Awful and so painful. The paralysis must be so frustrating for you.
Thank you for sharing your story x x x

Stitch, I know. It's just that when you've been long term sick you start to feel like you are wasting people's time. Next time I won't let the ignorance of a call handler deter me from getting the appropriate help.

Stitch. Sepsis and life don't go together well either. Sepsis is a lot quicker than kidney failure too.

OP I am glad you are ok as well.

Llama did you post here at time ?

I remember something similar when someone ended up with some kind of paralysis when they were dismissed by several medical professionals.

Sepsis has a 30-40% mortality rate and kills within hours. There aren't many things that are 'much worse than sepsis', to be fair.

Llama did you have cauda equina syndrome? I'm so sorry you didn't get the help you needed quickly enough.

Glad you're OK OP.

I would consider making a complaint about 111 service if I were you. Their advice sounds unprofessional at best, dangerous at worst.

Thank goodness it wasn't sepsis.

Just re-reading the whole thread. I think a complaint to 111 is necessary, for the greater good.

Specifically, why wasn't your case passed onto a medic for telephone assessment?

Yes agreed re a complaint. I have the call handlers details on the paperwork from hospital.
I will be logging a complaint in due course.
They were lucky I didn't have sepsis.
Lazy and uninformed bastards

Mowgel I just mean on another thread :) , maybe it wasn't you but I remember someone with a name like yours helping me when I had retention and struggling to cope with catheter!

mowgel thank you, that's very kind of you to say! I actually tend to hide away mostly and not talk about it, I do luckily have a brilliant support network around me with family and friends, the medical professsionals have been terrible though even now I have to literally fight for appointments i desperately need.
I am a lot better now than I was when it first happened. This post is probably very outing, but I was in hospital for almost 3 months and then confined to bed and home carers for almost a year after that. Now I can wheel about or hobble a bit, I can leave the house & ride in the car and can take a shower by myself - unreal the things we can take for granted sometimes, I actually love being able to wash my hair now 😄

birdsbees I possibly did post under another name but it would have been within the last 3 months as haven't been registered to post for that long. Wonder if it was me or someone else.

lou Yes it's cauda equina I have - hardly anyone has ever heard of it - you are officially more qualified than half the doctors I've seen

I used to work in a regional neuro unit, so I have a bit of an advantage I'm glad you're making a recovery.

Opiate based painkiller (codiene & tramadol are both opiates) can cause difficulty urinating. It's similar to the way they cause constipation which makes it harder to pass poo, this can make it harder to pass urine. If you can bear it, it might be worth trying to cut back some of the opiates and substitute with
paracetamol and / or ibuprofen if you can tolerate it

Identity, yup. That's me! How are you doing are you problem free now?

Llama I think I saw another post about cauda equina on here it might have been you. My husband has sciatica and prolapsed discs and I was telling him about cauda equina a few months ago. Washing your hair is liberating when you haven't been able to do it for months. When I had a nephrostomy I couldn't wash myself either and my husband had to do it. Because of the catheter in my back I couldn't have a bath either. It was so upsetting. If I had told people around me what was going on my life would have been more comfy. Mostly people just want to help.
I'm glad you're improving. Keep talking about it so we can support you.

Lou- it's always nice to meet smart people here isn't it!

Prince- yes I suspect they have done it or at least not helped. Today I'll give them a miss and see if I can wee better.

I hope everyone has a good week.
Big love to you lot for all of the support xxx

Think it must have been someone else llama thinking about it it may even have been someone who was pg.