Backache and then dies

[Wafflesandcrepes]

My mum had an atrocious backache, which started on 23 December. She went to the GP twice between 26 December and 2 January and was prescribed painkillers and physio sessions.

She died on Friday, at home, in atrocious pain. Mum lived in France. There will be no autopsy unless I ask for one. Emergency services said her heart stopped (thanks!) and left.

Are there any GPs or health professionals out there who could tell me how the NHS would approach things when a 76-year-old lady presents with a mysterious and extremely painful backache which started for no obvious reason (no fall, no exercice, no heavy lifting), doesn’t respond to painkillers and seem to spread to shoulders and arms? My mum has had a stroke in the past and was on blood thinners and medication for cholesterol.

I’m not trying to get anyone in trouble. I just want to understand and make sure we learn from what happened to her.

Thank you.

I'm not sure where you should start looking for answers but I'm so sorry that you have lost your mum 💐

Sorry for your loss OP Sounds like it could've been an aortic aneurysm or dissection. Autopsy would definitely clarify

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Perhaps the best thing to do would be to arrange an autopsy. Nobody dies of a bad back like that, there had to have been something else going on, and the doctor missed it.

Ask for an autopsy then but firstly ask yourself what you hope to gain from it and whether it will help you manage your grief or not.

My guess would be cancer but that's very speculative.

Sorry for your loss, it can be hard to get your head around.

Just to add it isn't always about "missing" something, a lot of times it is a process of elimination or there is a stepped approach

I’m really sorry for your loss.
it could be a case of appendicitis, had this with my relative about the same age, it took longer but the main facts were the same.

Gosh that's so hard for you. Sending you love. I think I'd want to know, because it might be helpful for family history going forwards. Such a difficult time xxxx

I’m so sorry OP.

It could have been cancer that had reached the spine, my relative died like this within a few weeks of diagnosis and was in a lot of pain.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Pancreatic cancer often presents as backache at first. Often by then it is well advanced.

I would ask for an autopsy.

I would not it will not bring her back.
I would not see the point of cutting her open for no return

You should have the autopsy if only to have info you need to find out where doctors went wrong.

This happened to a relative of a friend. She had a major bowel blockage. She was taken to hospital in an ambulance extremely sick but alive, had two major surgeries in two days but they couldn't save her as too much of her body had been damaged by infection the time they operated

I'm so sorry for your loss, and how sudden it's all been for you

I’m so sorry to hear it OP. If you can get a state autopsy just by asking I would do that, otherwise I would pay for a private autopsy.

Depending where the backache was it could be spinal stroke or heart attack. It could be undetected cancer that caused spinal cord compression etc.

An autopsy is the only way to find out what happened.

Fwiw a sleepy GP in the U.K. could have made the same mistake.

I should say - there are so many things it could be - there’s no point speculating really. Just insist on an autopsy.

I'm a doctor. My best guess would be an aneurysm of a large blood vessel rupturing. May have had small contained bleed around Xmas and then re bleed/rupture. Though impossible to say without a post mitten examination.

So sorry for your loss

Some possibilities would be heart attack, dissection of thoracic aorta, rapidly expanding then rupturing abdominal aorta, I guess pancreatitis also possible. Try Googling “back pain red flags” to see some of the features that would be used to guide need for urgent investigations.

So sorry that you lost your mum so suddenly 💐

Mortem not mitten!!

If she was in the,UK she would have a post mortem. You'd need this to establish the cause of death for the death certificate. I agree with the suggestion of a possible ruptured aneurysm.

Oh OP, that sounds very sad.

I’d want to know what it was, in case it was something hereditary. I hope that doesn’t sound insensitive.

Could be lung cancer spread into the spine. Bone cancer is excruciatingly painful.
I would request a post mortem, it would be standard for a sudden death in the UK,
Sorry about your mum.

I also think it could be a ruptured aortic aneurysm. My Mum was much the same, she spent a few days in hospital for back pain, but since she also had dementia, they didn't investigate. She went home one afternoon, and died that night. Autopsy showed a massive ruptured aortic aneurysm.

Your poor mother. That's incredibly sad.

Backache can be associated with a lot things, things that comes to my mind straight away is cancer on kidney/lungs.

I think a G.P here would do the same.

My dad died from pancreatic cancer, went to the GP who I initially gave pain killers and some antacids.
Took a few months to get a scan.
Consultant said there was a stomach ulcer, he was given prescription antacids/tablets (can’t recall).

He was yellow by the time they took it seriously and weighed around 7 stone.

Coldly gave the diagnosis it was pancreatic cancer and said there wasn’t long left.

I am so sorry about your mum💐 what would she have wanted? Will it bring you peace to know what it was?

I'm so sorry for your loss. You must be feeling very sad and bereft.

I would agree with driftinginthewind.

You might find some solace in. Post mortem.