What to do when you run out of controlled drugs?

[purplecoats]

Hi mumsnet! I'm new here :)
I'm currently suffering from gallstones, I was given morphine 2 weeks ago but I have almost run out due to the intensity of my pain. I'm waiting on the results of an MRI scan I had on Saturday, so theres no reason for me to run to admit myself to hospital, as the pain isn't any worse than it was before and there's not much to be done until the results are through :(
My issue is I need more morphine for the pain relief, but I'm unsure how to get more as they obviously don't just sell it over the counter! My surgeon didn't leave a contact number, and with the hours long waits, and the 30 minute drive to the hospital, I'm reluctant to go to A&E. (I was there for 8 hours 4pm til midnight last time...)
Has anyone got any idea how to do this? Is there any way I can phone the hospital and get them to send a prescription to a more local pharmacy? I don't want to phone reception and seem like an idiot, so wanted to ask here first! 🙈 Thank you!

You need to speak to your GP. Especially to follow up about the scan results.

Were you given any advice on dietary changes to help with your gallstones. I've had similar problems (was the worse pain of my life and I've had two csections). I was advised to radically change my diet to help.

Would the GP be better to contact than the hospital itself? I can only contact my GP office reception, would that get me anywhere? They usually have a 2 week waitlist to speak to a GP so I've been hesitant to even bother, they're a little bit useless. :(
Yep, been on a (slightly miserable) low fat high fibre diet. I've stuck to it incessantly, and the pains been much more bearable some days, it's just flaring up a lot today. If it was as bad everyday as it was today I think I'd have run out of morphine way before now!
Sorry you've had to deal with it too, it really is awful!

It's too late for the GP now, they will be closed until Monday.

bugger, you're right. i didn't even think about calling them til it was too late! i guess my only options are to call the hospital reception or march up to a&e and pray they don't keep me waiting forever 😣

Are you in the UK?

Please please don't go to A+E!

You should have contacted your GP for a script, its bank holiday now so you won't get one (if they deem you need one, they might try you on something else, opiods are very addictive and most GPs will try and alternative) until Monday/Tuesday.

Do not got to A+E! I'm a senior sister as its such a misuse of our service 🙄

*I'm a senior sister and its such a misuse of our service

You could call 111 and speak to a doctor, ask if they can send a prescription to your local pharmacy. What instructions did the hospital leave on your discharge letter about morphine repeats.

Try out of hours - it's 111 in some areas. If you're not sure who covers it in yours ring your normal gp number and it should tell you. Way better idea than hanging around in A&E or being in pain until next Monday

I am in the UK.
I don't want to go to A&E-it's just the only option i really have at the moment. The letter I was sent from the hospital gives me no contact for the surgeon who's been treating me so far, and only says to "go to A&E if further help is needed"

I would much rather just phone someone for the prescription or go back to ambulatory care where they treated me before and gave me the opioids, but I don't think I can without an appointment. I'm trying to avoid going to A&E!

Its not a misuse, yes, op should have gone to her gp for repeats but she didnt and now she is in pain, hospitals are for helping people so you have to help whoever needs it. .

Why can't you call 111? They'll be able to see your hospital visit.

Definitely try your out of hours service, or 111.

If the pain is too much for you to manage with over the counter meds then you will need to contact 111 for advice. When I was admitted for an infected gallbladder they were giving codeine or oramorph for the pain.

Why an MRI though? I was told an ultrasound is the best test to see gallstones. Mine were actually caught by accident on a CT scan. I went in to A&E with extreme pain that they thought was linked to my kidneys, then saw the gallbladder and realised that that was the problem.

I doubt that A&E will just dish out a prescription for morphine, go to the OOH GP tomorrow.

How long have you had gallstones for?

I'm not trying to be unsympathetic but be prepared for a long wait list for the surgery. I waited almost a year and had these issues all the time. You can't take morphine every time unfortunately. Are you having an active attack at the moment or sort of after pains? (I felt like I'd been punched for days/weeks after).

Maybe they're worried stones are stuck? I had MRIs for repeated blockages

Try the out of hours GP. Start with 111. Best of luck OP.

Thank you for the advice, I'll be calling 111 when I can. I didn't even consider that as an option as I had already been to the hospital so thought I'd need to contact the doctors who had already seen me, I forgot they have access to my previous records at 111! Whoops 😅
I had an ultrasound and I think they needed extra clarity to make sure it wasn't stuck in the bile ducts, so I was referred for an MRI. They didn't really tell me a lot, just have some more awkward stones than most, I suppose! :(

Hi OP NHS manager here. If you call 111, you can speak to a doctor who can prescribe a short supply to see you through to a GP appointment

@LadyLolaRuben thank you so much-this is exactly what i needed to know! I really appreciate it :)

Don’t know about England but in Scotland GP surgeries are open tomorrow but shut on Friday. They will have a copy of your A+E attendance letter and will be able to provide a script if you call them first thing in the morning.

Sorry, I misread your original post. I should have said that the GP will have a copy of the hospital letter from when you saw the surgeon. If there is a practice pharmacist at your surgery then they can also help you

It is misuse of service.. because you should have dealt with this before now

If you didn't think to phone your GP to sort this out before the long bank holiday weekend, then you'll need to phone out of hours unfortunately, although that's not what the service should be used for when there really was no reason you couldn't have got this sorted out in working hours. Definitely do not attend A&E looking for painkillers, unless of course your symptoms are worsening and you deem it to be an emergency. What an abuse of an overstretched service.

@MouldBuster I've had them for a while, attacks were only once a month or so until this month when i was having severe attacks once or twice a day, then everytime I ate literally anything. The surgeons seemed pretty keen to get me seen since they think the stones are blocking something.
If it was attacks every so often i could deal with it, but I literally couldn't eat a single thing. Even an apple or a low fat yoghurt had me in agony.
Luckily not an active attack right now, just the kind of niggling pain that I know leads to an attack, so I'm bracing myself a bit, haha.