To go back to the hospital?

[Glabella]

Sorry for posting here, the health boards are quiet and I am freaking out a little.

I went to a&e in an ambulance on Monday night after crippling abdo pain and vomiting, worse than labour, really really awful. They thought it might be my appendix, referred me to the surgeons who took 13 hours to see me and said it wasn't likely to be anything surgical and to come back the next morning for an ultrasound. The scan was clear, they told me it was probably something gynae and to wait until I see the consultant in September (I have just been referred by my gp for ?endometriosis)

It's now 6 days later and the pain is no better- I am on the max dose of codeine, anti-inflammatories and paracetamol which help but when they wear off I am once again at the writhing in pain and vomiting stage. I can only take them every 6 hours, they wear off after 4. They sent me home with a vague 'it should get better in a few days'. Would I be unreasonable to go back in and make a massive fuss until they actually investigate properly and do something? I've just graduated medical school (but I'm not working yet so only sort of a doctor) so I never know whether I'm making myself anxious about the worst possibility or whether I really should go in. And our local hospital is horribly short staffed which doesn't give me much confidence.

[Owllady]

Go. I would.
I hope everything is okay, but taking that amount of painkillers with no relief, you need to be seen

[SilverStars]

Can you phone 111 and get an out of hours Gp appointment. Then when they see you and hear your history they can send you to hospital ( often to a medical or surgical assessment ward, thus bypassing A&E).

[MrsBungle]

I think you should op. Something is not right with you, you are in severe pain which is not well controlled. I think you should go back and, at least, have further tests. Good luck, I hope you feel better soon.

[PenisesAreNotPink]

It sounds like pelvic inflammatory disease. I've had it 3 times and it was agonising. I was admitted for 2 days because the pain was so bad so they put me on a drip.

Go, and I hope you feel better soon.

[steff13]

I'd go back. I don't think appendicitis always shows up on ultra sound. Regardless, if you're no better, go back. Wasn't there a gynecologist on staff at the hospital who could have seen you right away?

[frumpet]

Have you had a poo recently ? just with you being on the max dose of codeine since Monday ?

[Morethanalittlebitconfused]

If you're on the maximum dose (60mg) of codeine and it's not helping then go back if for no other reason than for some stronger pain relief

[Morethanalittlebitconfused]

and yes, if you've not had a poo constipation can do it!

[frumpet]

Regardless your pain is uncontrolled so i would be seeking help stronger drugs

[kinkyfuckery]

Did they consider your gallbladder?

I second the poster who suggested phone nhs direct/24 and they will likely advise hospital with your symptoms.

[lougle]

Are you staggering the pain killers? If you take them 2 hours apart, then you should have the cover of two out of the three at any one point.

You need to go back, even if it's just for review. You clearly can't wait until September.

Congratulations on graduating from Medical School, too.

[FannyFifer]

Gallbladder sounds likely but surely to god they checked that.

[MandC13]

I had the EXACT same symptoms back in February. Like you nothing showed on ultrasound and after being on the ward two days the pain was still there but not as severe (still receiving morphine but was manageable). I underwent a laparoscopy where they found a huge ovarian cyst which had become strangulated (my Fallopian tube nearly ruptured from being so twisted and hence the pain). I was lucky they explored surgically as the ultrasound was clear, the cyst was so large and heavy it had sort of dropped down out of view (it to the pouch if Douglas, if that means anything to you). The pain had completely gone after my surgery and I am forever grateful they explored it further.
Please go back and press for further investigation.
All the best

[Glabella]

Yes, have had a poo although I've hardly been eating so not a very impressive one. (The things you tell people on the internet) Maybe I should call someone. When my painkillers kick in I feel ok and like it would be silly to go back, but then they wear off. And I have a 2 year old who is fast asleep, and I don't drive. Ffs.

[StillStayingClassySanDiego]

I've had PID and been in agony, my GP admitted me after an internal had me crawling the ceiling and a temperature, that was 16 years ago mind.

Possibility of endometriosis? had that too which causes awful pain in some women but not me, fibroids perhaps?

Be insistent, I've seen some consultants be awful to some patients m stand your ground.

[PowderMum]

OP yes go back.
I'm not sure it is gallbladder when mine flared up, nothing took the pain away except morphine, but it could be, whatever is causing it you need more investigations not to be fobbed off until next month.
I don't know how you are looking after a 2 year old, when I was in the most pain, I don't think I could even construct a sentence.

[frumpet]

Oh and be honest about the pain , don't do the stiff upper lip thing , tell it like it is

[phantomnamechanger]

of course you should go back. seems a no brainer to me, you are in severe pain, cause unknown, with no let up. you need further investigations. good luck!

[SkyBlueSky]

Please. Please. Go!

[iamsoannoyed]

Glabella

I am a doctor (and congratulations on graduating!), if the pain is not getting better then you need to be seen before September. Clearly there is something going on- it could be endometriosis, but there are a myriad of other possibilities (not going to scare/bore you with them) and you need to be seen. Go and seek help- if hospital is short-staffed, you may need to wait longer but surely that is better than being in this pain and not knowing why?

I would agree with others, severe constipation can be very painful and is often mistaken of something more serious. But you need to have that ruled out. At the very least you need better analgesia, which again indicates the need to find out what is causing your pain.

Go and get seen, might turn out to be nothing serious but you need to have that confirmed.

[TheysayIamparanoid]

Just go! Wait till the painkillers have had a couple of hours so they can see the pain but make sure to take them with you! Good luck x

[Glabella]

Righto, I'll have to go. I'll try to update but the hospital is in a black hole in terms of phone signal so if I go quiet I am not dead.

[Harrin]

I had similar symptoms for about 3 days. I was admitted with suspected sepsis, then they thought it was appendicitis. The surgeon was set to whip it out without a scan until I said the pain had moved!

All scans etc came back clear and I was discharged with likely mesenteric adenitis (sp?)

It can be nothing to worry about but there's a small chance it could be serious. Please go back and get checked out

[MrsWedgeAntilles]

The scan was clear, they told me it was probably something gynae and to wait until I see the consultant in September

That makes my blood boil. Its ok for you to be in unmanagable pain for a least 2 weeks because its something gynae? I can tell you that if you were a man and went in with unbearable pain in your testicles you'd be treated as an emergency because of the risk to fertility but its ok for your fertility to put at risk because its "something gynae". Get back to the hospital, tell them the level of pain you are in, demand to see the on call gynae team and don't move until you've been sorted out.