A&E for pain?

As5567

This morning things started off as normal, after making a nice hot cup of tea I spilled some on my Mum's brand new carpet. I decided I should attempt to clean it up so me being silly and not asking for help from my brother decided to bend over and clean/dry it up. At this point I felt something give way in my back which caused a huge amount of pain causing my legs to give way and me ending up on the floor in extreme pain of which I can only describe as non stop cramp type of pain. Every time I move my arms/legs the pain comes back for a good few minutes. I have already called my rheumy department but they wont get back to me until either lunch time or 4/5pm and my local GP receptionist told me no I can't talk to a doctor. My only option left seems to be A&E but that won't be possible until my Aunt finishes work at 1PM who's offered to take me. If you was in my situation and pain would you decide to go to A&E? And is there anything they can really do :S

maria09

Hi
Did you ask for a home visit? Sometimes this spurs them on to get the doctor to ring you back
Have you taken ant painkillers?
If you do go to A & E be prepared for a long wait which may not help your back sat in one of their plastic chairs!
Are you able to lie down and rest on bed or sofa?
Apart from rest and painkillers I can't think of anything you can at min except rest
Maria

bubbadog

I agree I would ask for a doctor to come to the house 1st, if the pain is so bad and you've taken pain meds and you don't think you could cope with waiting for a doctor to come to your home (as sometimes it can be a long wait) then it's time to consider going to A&E but as Maria has said it can be a long wait in there waiting to be seen anything from 2hrs to 6hrs depending on how busy they are!
Let us know what you did and how you got on. bubbadog

As5567

Thanks both for the advice, hospital called me back around 20 mins ago and I have an appointment to see my rhumey doctor at 4:20. I was told to bring an overnight bag as its quite possible he will want to keep me in hospital to run some tests.

maria09

Hi
I'm glad they have got you sorted out so quickly
Hope they don't keep you in but it will be for the best
Keep us posted
Maria

dibdab

Hope you feel better soon.

Deb x

dachshund

Hello As5567
good luck with your appointment.
take care
joan xx

kentishlady

Hope all goes well with your appointment and they can help you. Sending some very gentle ((((()))) Beryl.

villier

Hope your app goes well and they don't keep you in..............tc.............Marie xx

As5567

Appointment went well, he managed to see me twice and stayed on late which I was grateful for. He sent me for bloods and x-rays first then I waited about 30 mins to see him again so discuss the x-rays. Nothing really that he could see had changed so I'm booked in for an MRI scan 9AM on Tuesday. I'm told to attend even if the pain goes. We both agreed that it would be a waste of mine and the hospitals time to keep me in over the weekend seems nothing more than giving me pain medications would be done. I have been given some new tablets to relax the muscles around my back and have been told to take my pain killers as normal. Hopefully they will help somewhat for the next 3 days.

maria09

Hi
I'm impressed you have a good rheumy there
Your new medication must be a muscle relaxant like diazepam I had it for a short while when my back was bad worked wonders
Just rest and keep taking your tablets
Maria

DebbieT

Hi,

I'm so glad ure Rheumy helped you out so swiftly!!

I hope ure MRI goes well on Tuesday & that the pain lessens as each day passes.x

As5567

Yes I do have a fantastic rhumey team, that includes the nurses and doctors they are a great bunch of people. Sadly I know that at some point I'm being transfers to my closest hospital which is with another trust due to cost saving measures. Although I was due to change by April/May my doctor declined to transfer me seems I had just started a new medication, so hopefully I will slip through the net:P

Cant sleep, pain feels slightly better with these new tablets which seem to make me feel very relaxed and sleepy to the point where I'm about to sleep yet I can't seem to drift off. Hopefully I will fall asleep at some point tonight, not going to make any effort to do anything other than rest the next 3 days in hope that it will ease the pain.

bubbadog

I'm glad you got sorted, but sorry your having trouble sleeping, hope you get some rest today. Take care.

maria09

Hi
Hopefully when the new meds kick in your sleeping pattern may improve
Hope all goes well with your MRI
Maria

villier

Good luck with the MRI scan, hopefully once new meds kick in you will get a better sleep.......tc...........Marie xx

As5567

Thanks all, had a fairly restless night sleep which I expected with back pain. I can only sleep on one side for about 45mins to 1 hour on a good day and last night I felt like I was turning every 20 mins or so which kept waking me up from the pain. I have attempted to get up and be mobile today but soon gave up after looking out the window to see the horrible "summer" weather. Tablets seem to be working very well this afternoon/tonight now they have built up in my system and I feel rather relaxed which is a good thing, time to catch up on some tv and eventually fall asleep.

maria09

Hi
How you feeling today any improvement
Maria

As5567

Slightly better pain wise, although extreme stiffness has returned in my back, hip area and knee's. It could be related to the back problem or due to the fact I'm due my next infusion soon. I also got my blood results today (I have a friend who works in the blood lab, handy at times lol) and my inflammation level has gone up from 30's to 90's so that hopefully just means I have done too much and just hurt my back rather than caused any lasting damage, that's what I hope anyway. Have my scan tomorrow so hopefully I will know what’s going on then.

maria09

Good luck for tomorrow as I won't be around I've got appointment for wound inspection of my foot as its 12 days since my op good job my bandage has nearly fallen off!
Your joint stiffness may also be due to you having to rest due to your back
Best wishes
Maria

frogmorton

Good luck Ash

I hope it was just a nasty twist or something and your back went into spasm to protect it. When that happens it is excruciating so wouldn't surprise me and diazepam is a great muscle relaxant. As you say I hope there is no lasting damage.

I will be thinking of you tomorrow and hoping that 'they' get to the bottom of it and you feel loads better soon. You have all my sympathy.

Love

Toni xxx

As5567

Good luck with your appointment tomorrow maria, and thanks! Thanks for the good luck toni.

Up bright and early today so I can take my time getting ready.

villier

Good luck As, let us know how you get on...................Marie xx

As5567

Scan went ok, have an appointment first thing on Friday to discuss the results. Was surprised to be seen so quickly for the results as every other time I have had any sort of scan it takes weeks!

Back feels slightly better today, although other parts of me are beginning to play up now so I'm biting my lip and just getting on with things in hope that staying mobile will stop things from getting far worse.

frogmorton

Well done Ash

All done and dusted and results so soon too :shock: that is great isn't it?

Very pleased to hear things are easing too for you

Now take it steady!!!

Love

Toni xxx

As5567

Appointment went good kind of, MRI shows that a disc in my back has bulged outwards from strain/pressure. I have been advised to actually rest and not do too much over the next few weeks. If the pain doesn’t go then I need to go back to see him and he will discuss my options with me. And he said if I was to get leg pain or numbness in limbs then to go to A&E which is a scary though.

Was also given more tablets to keep me going for the next week but I will need to arrange with my GP to get more if I need to seems he is only able to prescribe the one pain killer for a week at a time.

Time to have an afternoon nap!