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!

It's painful, been there done that but as shit as it is, pain won't kill you.
You can't go to A&E for pain relief, that's not what it's there for

You can ring 111 for a prescription

@confusedlots sorry i wasn't specific enough in the original post, but the pain disappeared for the last week, and only just popped back up, which is why i didn't contact sooner as i thought the worst was over.
sadly, my pain doesn't observe bank holidays or take the days off. if yours does, i'm incredibly jealous! i would love to know how you trained it so well. 😉
the letter the doctors sent me tells me to go to a&e if i had problems, i'm trying to avoid going there and abusing an overstretched service in any way i can, which is why i was asking for advice.

@purplecoats poor you, I feel so sorry for you. It's just awful isn't it? Sorry if I sounded negative, I just didn't know whether it was your first attack. I wasn't aware just how long this would go on when I first started.

I had a few blockages and it was not pretty. I was pregnant and breastfeeding so no one did anything and I was repeatedly told the only thing to take was paracetamol. Super helpful with that level of pain!

I hope you get your surgery soon! It made such a difference to my life.

Have you got any tablets left, what did they give you, if you cannot get a prescription from 111 is there something else that might help.

@confusedlots that's okay, i should have been more specific!
definitely not my first attack, i've been having them occasionally for a few months, then i was in A&E for it a couple of weeks ago as it was constant pain for 4 days. then back in for a blood test and ultrasound the day after, which is when they gave me morphine, another blood test a week later, and then an MRI on saturday. i haven't had pain for a few days, which is why i didn't bother calling the GP at that time.
I did ask what I should do if more morphine was needed when I had the MRI, and they just told me they couldn't prescribe as MRI staff, and to "come back" if I needed it- but the letter only advises coming back to A&E which I'm trying my damnedest to avoid!
the doctor seemed keen to rush me through as fast as he could, but sadly the scan results only come when they come, i suppose!
I'm sorry you've been through it too, it's awful pain! paracetamol doesn't even scratch the surface :(

@purplecoats fair enough, I didn't mean to come across so rude, but I work in a similar field and get really frustrated at people not taking responsibility for their health/medicines and then using services inappropriately when there's no need for it. If you phone your out of hours service they'll be able to see your recent hospital letters and should prescribe a small amount to get you through the weekend. Hope you get better soon.

If your letter says go back to a&e I’d do that. If you were pain free for days and now suddenly need morphine you probably need to be checked over.

www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/prescriptions-and-pharmacies/pharmacies/out-of-hours-medicines/

You're not going to get a morphine prescription by asking a receptionist.

If you're in enough pain to warrant morphine you probably should go back, maybe you need emergency surgery.

If you're just trying to procure morphine without seeing a doctor in anticipation of possible future pain (you say it stopped a few days ago) then I'm not sure you'll get very far. The way you're couching this will set off alarm bells, it sounds like drug seeking.

Exactly.

I had my gallbladder removed a few years ago, it took just over a year from diagnosis to surgery, and the wait is longer now. TBH I would be worried about taking opiates on such a regular basis as you are - as I’m sure you are aware they are very addictive. I would try to ride the attacks out without if you can.

@MadisonMontgomery, 'I had my gallbladder removed a few years ago, it took just over a year from diagnosis to surgery, and the wait is longer now. TBH I would be worried about taking opiates on such a regular basis as you are - as I’m sure you are aware they are very addictive. I would try to ride the attacks out without if you can.'
Did you have pain so bad that you passed out? I know someone who does and also has a small baby. What are they supposed to do? Just hope they don't have an attack when they're on their own with the baby?
I'm pleased for you that you maybe felt able to 'ride out' your attacks. That doesn't mean that everyone is as lucky as you, so I'd suggest you don't judge OP by your own experience.
FWIW, I am taking opiate painkillers for a different reason and I am very aware of the addictive nature of them. I don't have a choice at the moment, but when I do I'll taper down as soon as possible, unless you have a wand you can wave to rid me of my debilitating pain? 🤔

I had my gallbladder out a week ago. Before that I had repeat prescription for 30mg codeine which I used for "attacks" where I was on the floor crying for 6 hours unable to speak. I also used normal paracetamol and ibuprofen.

I once ran out and went to out of hours gp as I had to go to work in the evening and I was totally unable to function. They had me waiting for hours and then said no we don't give painkillers! What if everyone just came here and asked for codeine!!

Eat plainly, very very plainly and low fat until the gp opens again and ask for a telephone appointment to set up a repeat script for codeine.

I will just add, I was told not to go to a&e with a pain flare up as it would always eventually go away, even if it meant I was howling on the floor for hours wishing I would die because I couldn't take any more nights like this. GP told me this.

Then when I saw a surgeon for pre op he said it can't be that bad you've never even presented at a&e. I said I was told not to.

My gallbladder had stuck to my liver and caused damage to it and I had to have open surgery. If you're in the kind of pain I described, go to a&e. If you're just feeling a grumbling low level pain, eat plain food and water until you can get to gp and then get the ruddy thing taken out asap

It would be a misuse of service if OP was asking "Should I go to the doctor or should I go to A&E?" However, that ship sailed, for whatever reason, OP is now in significant pain and only has her letter to go on - the letter that tells her to go to A&E which is likely what 111 will tell her to do.

You sound like you're trying to gatekeep the service because OP didn't go to her doctor in time - what, now she should roll around the floor in agony? Nope. OP and the rest of us pay taxes for when we need A&E. You should not try and prevent her from going.

You can use 111 online to request a repeat prescription that could
Be a good way or 111 via phone or online will help you with pain Relief -

Gallstones are so painful so do understand a you can use OTC meds from a pharmacy on a rotation in the meantime -

But if hideous pain please just phone 111 and be triaged to A&E or OOH -

Or if feel unwell Just get help - now BAnk Holiday just use 111 or a walk in near you to get help -

As someone said if pain ok - and fades avoid FAt/fried food - this weekend and go plain -

It is so painful but don't not get help - just go or call...by the time I got to A&E for gallbladder (unknown to what what it was at the time) my liver levers were so dangerously high and post op I was yellow like a Simpson with a stone stuck in bile duct...

Good luck

I’m not judging, I’m concerned. Yes, I fainted several times due to the pain, I got jaundice from a stone getting stuck in my bile duct and had to have two surgeries, where they found my gallbladder had attached to my liver and I had to have part of my liver removed, so I am fully aware of just how bad it can be. I am also aware of how long the wait is currently for gallbladder removal, and I am worried that the OP is potentially taking high doses of opiates over a long period of time. FWIW the pain was so bad for me that no pain relief actually made a significant difference, so it wasn’t really worth taking it.

Calling 111 is absolutely the right call for this one. It'll most likely be triaged to the out of hours GP and they will provide you with a short prescription to tide you over until your GP can sort (as pp's have said!). I really feel for you- I had my gallbladder removed a couple of months ago and I can't believe how painful the attacks were! I did have some relief with over the counter codeine - you could speak to a pharmacist and see if that's something that would be suitable for you.

I ended up using codeine and paracetamol for the more constant, grumbly pain and the oromorph for the sudden, sharp, "I'm definitely about to die" pain.

I also noticed I could get away with much less oromorph than I was prescribed. I didn't really find much difference between 1ml and 5ml in terms of pain relief, so it might be worth a bit of experimenting to see if you can get away with using less and stretch out your supply a bit.

If you need your surgeon for anything else in future you should be able to contact them by going through the hospital switchboard number and asking for their secretary. They should be able to pass on any messages for you.

@MadisonMontgomery, thank you for clarifying. That doesn't take away the fact that your post came across as judgemental, especially re taking opiates. As I've written, I have no choice at the moment as otherwise I wouldn't be able to function and I suspect it's the same for OP. I can't help but feel you could have taken that into account in your post.

I had dihydracodeine when I had gallstones, I took it religiously every day before meals as anything I at brought on the pain, it didn't take off the pain completely but stopped the agony & just left me with a kind of pressure which I imagine was the stone fighting to get out. Ironically two weeks before my op the pain stopped & when I had the op the exit from my gallbladder was massive but there were no stones & the surgeon said I had most likely passed it.

To everyone who is saying it's a misuse of the NHS, or pain won't kill you. Utterly ridiculous.
Accident - no
Emergency - yes
You are in SO much pain you need morphine, you have tried other pain relief, it's not working.
GO to A&E, you have a letter telling you to go FFS.

Feel better OP - don't forget to be aware of the side effects of the morphine (take a stool softener and drinks lots of water)

Where do you feel the pain can I ask, as upon having scans etc done for something else, I was told they had incidentally found that I have gallstones, no action needed but that if I was having pain etc, to go back to GP I guess. Well I have just in this last week, been having an ache/pain on my lower left side but like abdomen area, almost not that far from where ovaries etc are, but I know it's not to do with periods, as I've just finished that a few days ago.

Sorry for taking over with my own question it is just that it was relevant to ask. In regards to your current situation i would speak to your GP see if results are back, and to ask if they can help with prescription. Although admittedly I am not clued up as to whether it will matter or not that you had medication through the hospital initially.

Hi Just wanted to jump in here to respond to all the 'phone 111' replies. You will be phoning them for an assessment, not for a prescription. 111 only has basic info, a snapshot of your health record, its very unlikely your hospital visit will be on there unless you have a very efficient GP receptionist.

Out of hours GPs are understandably reluctant to prescribe opiods to patients they don't know which is why we urge people to sort out their medication before a public holiday. This is why they will have to assess you first. If not obvious, I work for 111 and am often on the receiving end of abusive callers thinking we will just send them some morphine no questions asked.

I hope you get sorted soon x