Been in a lot of pain today. My back and are the worst. My neck (trapezius muscles) feel like they are carrying a very heavy weight, and my back is spasming. You know when you wring water out from a towel? It feels like someone is doing that to my back muscles, all the way down on either side of my spine.
I took codeine at 1pm today and it didn’t seem to do anything. At half 2 I wanted to curl up and cry so I phoned the doctor for an emergency appointment.
Went to the doctor and waited an hour to be seen. When I got in and explained what’s been happening today the doctor butted in and said ‘this is an emergency appointment… you have a chronic condition … not appropriate to make an emergency appointment’. I immediately started to cry (which must have looked pathetic). I stated firmly that to me this was most definitely an emergency as I couldn’t continue with my day and had to go home early (I’m a vet student on an anaesthesia rotation at a referral hospital). I explained that the pain was so severe that I couldn’t continue.
She would rather I kept my appointment with my doctor for next week (to update him on how I’m finding the baclofen). I couldn’t believe it. What the hell is an emergency appointment for!? I’ve contacted the practice to find out how to complain to the practice manager.
I’m so sick of this. It’s two steps forward, one step back, or sometimes vice versa.
When is severe pain not an emergency?
She sent me away with diazepam and told me to increase the baclofen.
I’m so tired of being in pain. I phoned my mum when I left and cried and cried. I’m still crying now. I want answers. I want support. Why is it so hard to find?
I’d consider that an emergency appt, they’re anything that wont wait until the next pre bookable appointment and flare up of severe pain is that although just wanting stronger analgesia because you still had a little pain wouldn’t be. To complain just write to practice manager or phone and ask to speak to them. Hope your pain is settling a bit X
Thank you. Had a good cry, something to eat and took my diazepam. Now and lying down and waiting for the spasms to go away.
I checked on the website for the complaint procedure. I’m going to book an appointment with the practice manager and discuss everything.
I hope the practice manager reads the GP the riot act. Just because someone has a chronic condition doesn’t mean that they might not sometimes need urgent care! Grr!
I hope the meds help.
Karen x
The diazepam made no difference whatsoever. Went to bed in pain last night.
Contacted the practice and they gave me the email for the manager. Sent an email today and she (practice manager) replied. She apologised and said she’d investigate. I complained about yesterday and also about the lack of understanding I’ve experienced. I also asked “How exactly do I go about getting a referral?”. I can believe I have to spell it out for them.
She said in the email ‘please ask for referral with your GP at your next appointment’. I responded with “What should I do if Dr X doesn’t want to refer me? I’ve been having this issue for a long time. I’m at a breaking point.” No response as yet.
Back and neck are really really sore today. I’m sitting at a computer and I want to cry. Took co-codamol at 11am, made no difference. Took diazepam about 20 minutes ago. No difference. Still have a horrible throbbing twisting feeling in the muscles of my back, mainly deep muscles. My neck is throbbing also. Weirdest most unbearable sensation.
I’m tempted to go to A&E and see what happens but part of my is scared of being laughed at for this issue. Can’t believe my GP practice.
If the diazepam isn’t working then I would be tempted to suggest that the pain isn’t muscular or, at least, wholly muscular and that it’s neuropathic. If it is, then you need a different type of med altogether.
If it gets unbearable, then do go to A&E. You might have a long wait, but it’d be worth it if they can tell you for sure what’s causing it and give you something that works.
Kx
My friends reckon the dose she gave me was pathetic. 2mg Diazepam.
I’m a vet student and I wouldn’t use that dose in a dog let alone a human (The dose for a dog is typically 2mg/kg)/ I feel like she did it just to humor me.
It even says on my notes at the top of the page (on the practice computer) ‘benzodiazepines contraindicated’ … she should know this but did it anyway probs to get rid of me.
Just want to cry.
Oh luv! I do feel for you.
I`ve had my problems for going on 15 yrs now and i remember how bad the pain was in the early days.
It made me so irritable and tired. I was un-diagnosed so said to a GP locum, ok no-one knows whats wrong, okay I probably wont get a cure, BUT do I HAVE to be in so much pain all the time?`
I was prescribed amitriptyline…which is also given for depression, but in larger doses. It works well on nerve pain, although some folk cant tolerate the effect it can give…tiredness and not being able to wake up fully…it made me sleep well…I began on 25mg and got up to 100mg before it zapped the pain.
I`m still on it at 75mg at night. I tried to reduce it under supervision, but the severe pain returned.
It`s bad enough that we suffer all these ills without the medics upsetting us.
Hope you get somewhere with the complaint.
luv Pollx
Made another emergency appointment. I took a friend with me for moral support because yesterday I just cried 
I thought the doctor was OK but my friend thought she was condescending and not really listening.
I explained that I have an appointment next week to discuss the baclofen and bring up referral (yet again!) and that I made the appointment due to the amount of pain that I was in and to see if they could give me anything stronger.
I was sent away with tramadol. She wanted to prescribe naproxen but it’s contraindicated with baclofen and venlafaxine (antidepressant).
I took a 50mg tramadol an hour ago and I’m still sore. This is getting ridiculous
I have an appointment on Thursday morning - I am going to stand my ground and plead my case. I don’t want to have drugs thrown at me, instead I want answers. Referral all the way. I can’t go on like this.
Today I struggled to live a patient onto an examination table (I’m a vet student and the patient was a small dog). I also dropped a surgical instrument when my hand and forearm went completely numb. Not good.
I just need to survive until Thursday.
Maybe it would be best to take some sick leave? You don’t want to be dropping surgical instruments point down onto a patient
Kx
It was a pair of haemostats in the clinical skills lab (a place where students can practice) but you’re absolutely right. I’ve pointed out how my symptoms are affecting my studies and that they can end my career as a vet before it begins (I graduate next July) but no doctor will take me seriously.
I’m researching neurologists etc. Do you know of anyone who has self referred?
I also don’t know if I’d be best with a neurologist or a rheumatologist?
I’m still in pain. Tramadol did nothing
I don’t think a neuro or rheumy will see you without a GP referral. Hopefully you can get it sorted on Thursday.
Kx
Hope so. I just wish someone was on my side.
Is it unreasonable for me to want a referral?
Doesn’t sound like it to me. GP’s have more than an eye on budgets these days though - and referrals cost them!
Kx
Went to A&E last night
Woke up yesterday and all was fine but after breakfast I suddenly had a pounding headache. It was the worst one I have ever had. My brain had a heartbeat and my eyes were being pulled backwards. I couldn’t see properly and felt really weird.
I phoned family and my sister told me it might be a migraine so I was told to lie down in the dark. I threw up twice and lost consciousness. Was really really scared. It lasted several hours. When I finally got up off the floor and hit the bed I fell asleep really quickly. Totally exhausted.
I woke up at 7pm and felt better. I got up, had something to eat and then it started again. I phoned a friend and asked if he could take me to hospital.
Had a really long wait but was happy to be seen. Bloods normal. Urine normal. ECG normal. Neuro exam normal. Doctor wasn’t sure if the headache was related to the muscle aches I’ve been having. Also wasn’t sure if this was ME or not.
He is going to phone my GP because he wants me to have an MRI. He is also sending a letter. I cried with relief. He wants to rule out Multiple Sclerosis. He said if it’s not MS then I definitely need more ME/CFS support and was appalled that I haven’t been receiving it. He also wasn’t impressed with all the drugs I’ve been given (co-codamol, diazepam, tramadol).
He wants me to try and stop the painkillers (which will be hard) and try and not worry (also hard!).
Just releived that I’m moving forward. Can’t believe it took all of the pain of yesterday and a trip to hospital to finally get my GP to refer for MRI.
He said it could take 2 months. I don’t mind waiting at all. My dad offered to pay for an MRI if I get it done privately. I thanked him but said that I’ve heard a lot that GPs are not obligated to accept it. I can ask but don’t want my dad paying a fortune for something that the NHS just won’t accept.
We’ll see. For now I’ve taken this week off uni to get sorted and get to grips with things. Also want to make sure I don’t get that kind of headache again. I’m due to start a surgery rotation and cannot have that kind of pain when I’m standing for hours in theatre
Sorry for the rant.
Hi, well at last you`ve got someone to do the right thing.
I hope you can manage those awful headaches till you get the mri.
I think to get an mri privately, it would cost hundreds.
try to rest, yeh?
luv Pollx
Thank you. In bed today. I’ve contacted Uni and I have the week off 
That definitely sounds like a migraine you had, I used to get them quite often. If there’s a hell, there’ll be migraines there for sure, especially the ones where you can’t even hold water down. The only thing that really helps with them is Sumatriptan, you can get it prescribed or can get it over the counter as Imigran recovery. You take it when you feel like you’ve got one coming on. Once it has set in, there’s not really anything you can take to relieve it as you just vomit everything up anyway.
You need to stay away from known migraine triggers such as chocolate and spicy food.
I have to agree with what the A&E doctor said about the medicine you’ve been taking. Codeine, diazapam and tramadol are all potenentially addictive and that’s the last thing you need. They can end up making you feel worse.
Whether you have MS, ME or something else, I think you need to have a think about your immediate future. I know more about ME than MS, and know from personal experience that trying to hold on to your life can be detimental to your long term health. The idea of perhaps taking a year off from your studies may seem drastic, especially when you’re young, but trying to carry on might lead you to lose more time in the future.
There isn’t a right or wrong answer.
I agree - definitely sounds like a migraine. I also agree that sumatriptan can work really well, but you need to take it with something like domperidone for the nausea / vomiting. Migraine shuts down the digestive system, causing nausea and meaning that pills don’t get digested and therefore don’t work. So you need to take the domperidone to get everything working again, so the pills can digest. Some people find that it’s a good idea to take painkillers as well as the sumatriptan and domperidone.
Kx
Hope you are managing to get some rest and feel better soon x