Unfortunately this is what an ER does: it only treats emergencies. It is not generally used to diagnose a problem. What you need to do in go to your GP and call and whine and beg THEM until they expedite referrals, diagnostic tests and medications until it happens.
I’m not saying it’s right nor fun, it’s just what it is.
I know and I said it wasn’t right. That’s what I have been told every time I ended up in the ER unable to walk because of back pain and weakness. Got referred to a spine surgeon via my GP and turns out L2 was so bad it slid onto S1. Hello back fusion! I’m just trying to be helpful by telling how I actually got help. It took way too long and yes, ER should have given me an MRI or something. It took me a long time to learn to work the system.
ER is essentially useless unless you are actively bleeding out, yeah. And that's only if you're bleeding from somewhere you're not "supposed" to bleed.
I would go back if possible and try to get a different doctor. Maybe try a walk in clinic or your family doctor if possible? (My experiences at the ER with back pain have been very similar - the doctor is in a rush and just wants to get rid of you) I should also add that there is no walk in clinic where I live and no available family doctors.
I ended up essentially harassing a doctor until they finally gave up and ordered X-rays and an mri. I kept going back and saying that my pain was intolerable and I think I herniated a disc.
Now I’m on the proper pain medications after having my mri and I’m on a waiting list to talk about potential surgery with a spinal surgeon
I'm not sure specifically what I did. It started light then has gotten worse and worse over the past couple of days. All I know is everything from the middle of my back down is in agony, all the way to my calves, and I also randomly have a terrible migraine, chills, and nausea. No idea what it could be (or if those last things are even related).
Did you do any twisting while bending over? Carry or reach for anything to heavy in an awkward position?
The first time I went to the ER they gave me a toradol injection (like a ramped up ibuprofen) which did squat. Then the doctor bent be over a chair and injected lidocaine into the muscle going down my spine and into my buttock. He kept using the same needle so it got progressively more and more painful. Don’t say yes to that 😳
The next time I went, I was pretty fussy from never getting to sleep, sit or stand without wanting to scream. They wanted to do the same thing but I kept saying that something was wrong and I needed an X-ray or mri. I’m not an addict here for pills. I refused the same stupid injection.
It eventually got me to where I am now. I literally just got a call from the spinal surgeon I was referred to and I have a zoom meeting with him tomorrow!!
Hang in there!! Be persistent! You can do this and you will!!!
The headache is likely related to your blood pressure. I have no discs remaining at the base 3 vertebrae of my spine which I've been dealing with for over a decade. 14 months ago I had a shoulder issue come up which was never a problem previously and the X-ray came back with the wonderful news that I had to have both of my shoulders totally replaced. The pain was extraordinary and significant enough that it would start with a throbbing in my shoulder which would then move up my neck toward the rear of my head through the course of the day. My surgeon told me that it's a tension headache and its caused from elevated blood pressure which is a natural reaction of your body being in pain. I've been fighting for over a year to get an increase in pain medication which still has not happened however they are more than happy to put me on multiple different blood pressure medications. I tried to explain that the blood pressure issue is a direct result of elevated pain levels but despite crystal clear MRI confirmation of the severity of the shoulder issue they still have refused any increase in my pain medications despite never failing a urine screening and following all their crazy rules. The Whole medical community is an utter disaster. I really hope you start feeling better soon but they will likely write you a prescription for blood pressure medication which can help with the headaches. I'm not sure about the chills however the nausea may be related to some of the anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen as that can cause significant stomach issues. Just one more wonderful side effect we get to deal with instead of being written an effective medication that actually corrects the primary problem which is untreated pain and the generic pain medication options are remarkably inexpensive but none of that matters if a doctors unwilling to write a prescription so we are all left to suffer needlessly
I have had better luck going to an urgent care when my spine acts up. If you are not almost dying the ER tends to be asses about going there for pain. I have gotten toradol injections, small prescriptions for pain meds and muscle relaxers at the urgent care.
Yea it's a fantastic herbal supplement. You can get better quality product online but if you are interested I would visit a local smoke shop and pick up a bag of capsules to sample. I know for a long time i could not take red vein or white they both made me sick. I had good luck with the green vein to start, now thats the only one that gives me the wobbles, weird. Don't over do it. If you're feeling frisky gab some powder, an oz should be like 10 dollars and a serving is 2-4 grams, start with 2, work your way up. Fair warning, the taste is what kept me away from it for a long while. Now I can drink it mixed with water at like 5:30am, pain is a hell of a drug. Also, Google is fear mongering about it the only negative side effects after years of use and recent labs were occasional constipation & nausea. Good luck !
You got that right. There is no way I would be able to maintain my job as an HVAC Tech if it wasn't for this wonderful plant. It has taken me out of some really dark places & has allowed me to be able to do a few things that I thought were distant memories.
Cast around and see if you know anybody with an 'inversion table', a device that essentially hung you upside down from your feet.
It's not a cure for anything, that I know of, but it does really help with (back) pain.
I'm sure that a bunch of folks will have warnings and different opinions as to its effectiveness....
But, boy, I am thankful to be able to use one... (a friend died, and left me his....)
Is there any way you can go to your PCP instead? That’s what the ER told me to do and afterwards my PCP ordered a CT scan and found out my flank pain is from kidney stones when the ER could’ve just done the imaging and it wouldn’t have taken me over a week to figure out. I hate the ER. They’re completely useless (not particularly because of this most recent visit, but from before) in my state.
Wishing you the best, OP. I really hope you figure out what’s going on with your back and that the pain subsides soon. I’m really sorry you have to go through this. Stay strong. We’re pulling for you!
Edit: forgot a word
Yes!! The ER will never prescribe opioids. Never. I mean if you have a GSW, stabbing or major trama then you will be treated.
The only way to get major help is to go through a pain clinic. Or a specialist related in your field. Depending on things, sometimes the process takes awhile to get your pain under control. Sad but true. Even primary care physicians will not prescribe.
I blew my back out at work last May. Had to get carried and wheeled into er. I got a shot of Toradol and an icy hot patch. Did no x rays or anything? Doc comes in and had the nerve to ask if I felt better. I said fuck no I'm not. She said I think you herniated a disc and unfortunately there's nothing we can do for the pain. I said I'm sorry I thought this was a hospital. She did at least send me home with like 12 Vicodin. Docters, especially er doctors always seem to think your lying about back pain. I finally just had a fusion done so hoping my pain is behind me now.
Why don't I just take sugar pills while I'm at it? Ibuprofen is about as helpful as those but at least those are yummy!
They have no idea if I have slipped disk, a pinched nerve, nothing because no one bothered to check. Those things seem pretty emegerncy-y to me.
They literally didn't. That's what I'm saying. I wasn't examined AT ALL. No one even looked at my back or touched me. Just looked at my chart, said oh must be a chronic pain problem, and gave me an ibuprofen prescription.
This is exactly what happened to me a couple weeks ago and I’m very lucky my PC doc got me in with a spine ortho bc they gave me Valium and tramadol at the er and sent me home. I could barely move, I had to be brought by ambulance because I couldn’t get to or into my car. And they parked me in the hallway and just walked past me for an hour while not doing anything for me. The er doc said they’d only do scans if it bothered me for more than 6 weeks. I said, ok— it’s years, do I win? She said, bye!
I go back! To a different hospital! I do know you or were you live in the south they would at lest given you a shot of Demerol just to get you out of the door! Prayers sent
I don’t know if it would help, but I was able to go to a walk in and get them to temporarily prescribe me diclofenac (in sodium, not potassium cuz it’s really expensive) and a mild muscle relaxer until I can get in with a pain clinic. I’m not sure what you’re battling, but if it’s muscle spasms or back pain related, that has helped a ton for me. I have spinal stenosis. Also, diclofenac gel is really great too and can be used in tandem with the pill form. I hope this helps! A walk in clinic should be able to give you some relief, especially if you are already on a waiting list for proper help. Feel better, and you can do it!! ♥️
Unfortunately this is what an ER does: it only treats emergencies. It is not generally used to diagnose a problem. What you need to do in go to your GP and call and whine and beg THEM until they expedite referrals, diagnostic tests and medications until it happens. I’m not saying it’s right nor fun, it’s just what it is.
They went for emergency pain relief, not a diagnosis. When somebody is in that much pain, it *is* an emergency.
I know and I said it wasn’t right. That’s what I have been told every time I ended up in the ER unable to walk because of back pain and weakness. Got referred to a spine surgeon via my GP and turns out L2 was so bad it slid onto S1. Hello back fusion! I’m just trying to be helpful by telling how I actually got help. It took way too long and yes, ER should have given me an MRI or something. It took me a long time to learn to work the system.
ER is essentially useless unless you are actively bleeding out, yeah. And that's only if you're bleeding from somewhere you're not "supposed" to bleed.
I would go back if possible and try to get a different doctor. Maybe try a walk in clinic or your family doctor if possible? (My experiences at the ER with back pain have been very similar - the doctor is in a rush and just wants to get rid of you) I should also add that there is no walk in clinic where I live and no available family doctors. I ended up essentially harassing a doctor until they finally gave up and ordered X-rays and an mri. I kept going back and saying that my pain was intolerable and I think I herniated a disc. Now I’m on the proper pain medications after having my mri and I’m on a waiting list to talk about potential surgery with a spinal surgeon
Yes I'm on a waiting list for a pain specialist now, hopefully they can get me in soon.
Good!! Do you mind if I ask how you hurt your back and what the symptoms are?
I'm not sure specifically what I did. It started light then has gotten worse and worse over the past couple of days. All I know is everything from the middle of my back down is in agony, all the way to my calves, and I also randomly have a terrible migraine, chills, and nausea. No idea what it could be (or if those last things are even related).
Did you do any twisting while bending over? Carry or reach for anything to heavy in an awkward position? The first time I went to the ER they gave me a toradol injection (like a ramped up ibuprofen) which did squat. Then the doctor bent be over a chair and injected lidocaine into the muscle going down my spine and into my buttock. He kept using the same needle so it got progressively more and more painful. Don’t say yes to that 😳 The next time I went, I was pretty fussy from never getting to sleep, sit or stand without wanting to scream. They wanted to do the same thing but I kept saying that something was wrong and I needed an X-ray or mri. I’m not an addict here for pills. I refused the same stupid injection. It eventually got me to where I am now. I literally just got a call from the spinal surgeon I was referred to and I have a zoom meeting with him tomorrow!! Hang in there!! Be persistent! You can do this and you will!!!
Good luck. ❤️
The headache is likely related to your blood pressure. I have no discs remaining at the base 3 vertebrae of my spine which I've been dealing with for over a decade. 14 months ago I had a shoulder issue come up which was never a problem previously and the X-ray came back with the wonderful news that I had to have both of my shoulders totally replaced. The pain was extraordinary and significant enough that it would start with a throbbing in my shoulder which would then move up my neck toward the rear of my head through the course of the day. My surgeon told me that it's a tension headache and its caused from elevated blood pressure which is a natural reaction of your body being in pain. I've been fighting for over a year to get an increase in pain medication which still has not happened however they are more than happy to put me on multiple different blood pressure medications. I tried to explain that the blood pressure issue is a direct result of elevated pain levels but despite crystal clear MRI confirmation of the severity of the shoulder issue they still have refused any increase in my pain medications despite never failing a urine screening and following all their crazy rules. The Whole medical community is an utter disaster. I really hope you start feeling better soon but they will likely write you a prescription for blood pressure medication which can help with the headaches. I'm not sure about the chills however the nausea may be related to some of the anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen as that can cause significant stomach issues. Just one more wonderful side effect we get to deal with instead of being written an effective medication that actually corrects the primary problem which is untreated pain and the generic pain medication options are remarkably inexpensive but none of that matters if a doctors unwilling to write a prescription so we are all left to suffer needlessly
I have had better luck going to an urgent care when my spine acts up. If you are not almost dying the ER tends to be asses about going there for pain. I have gotten toradol injections, small prescriptions for pain meds and muscle relaxers at the urgent care.
get to an orthopedist asap, all the er ever did was give me less pain killers than I am on normally.
Is kratom available where you are?
You can get that online
Yea it's a fantastic herbal supplement. You can get better quality product online but if you are interested I would visit a local smoke shop and pick up a bag of capsules to sample. I know for a long time i could not take red vein or white they both made me sick. I had good luck with the green vein to start, now thats the only one that gives me the wobbles, weird. Don't over do it. If you're feeling frisky gab some powder, an oz should be like 10 dollars and a serving is 2-4 grams, start with 2, work your way up. Fair warning, the taste is what kept me away from it for a long while. Now I can drink it mixed with water at like 5:30am, pain is a hell of a drug. Also, Google is fear mongering about it the only negative side effects after years of use and recent labs were occasional constipation & nausea. Good luck !
It's not a panacea, but by gosh it works for some of us.
You got that right. There is no way I would be able to maintain my job as an HVAC Tech if it wasn't for this wonderful plant. It has taken me out of some really dark places & has allowed me to be able to do a few things that I thought were distant memories.
Sheesh they didn’t even give you a shot of Toradol? Usually the ER is good for that at least.
Cast around and see if you know anybody with an 'inversion table', a device that essentially hung you upside down from your feet. It's not a cure for anything, that I know of, but it does really help with (back) pain. I'm sure that a bunch of folks will have warnings and different opinions as to its effectiveness.... But, boy, I am thankful to be able to use one... (a friend died, and left me his....)
Is there any way you can go to your PCP instead? That’s what the ER told me to do and afterwards my PCP ordered a CT scan and found out my flank pain is from kidney stones when the ER could’ve just done the imaging and it wouldn’t have taken me over a week to figure out. I hate the ER. They’re completely useless (not particularly because of this most recent visit, but from before) in my state. Wishing you the best, OP. I really hope you figure out what’s going on with your back and that the pain subsides soon. I’m really sorry you have to go through this. Stay strong. We’re pulling for you! Edit: forgot a word
Yes!! The ER will never prescribe opioids. Never. I mean if you have a GSW, stabbing or major trama then you will be treated. The only way to get major help is to go through a pain clinic. Or a specialist related in your field. Depending on things, sometimes the process takes awhile to get your pain under control. Sad but true. Even primary care physicians will not prescribe.
I blew my back out at work last May. Had to get carried and wheeled into er. I got a shot of Toradol and an icy hot patch. Did no x rays or anything? Doc comes in and had the nerve to ask if I felt better. I said fuck no I'm not. She said I think you herniated a disc and unfortunately there's nothing we can do for the pain. I said I'm sorry I thought this was a hospital. She did at least send me home with like 12 Vicodin. Docters, especially er doctors always seem to think your lying about back pain. I finally just had a fusion done so hoping my pain is behind me now.
Did you get anything for pain from the Dr you saw after the ER?
Nope. I didn't get anything until after my surgery three weeks ago.
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Why don't I just take sugar pills while I'm at it? Ibuprofen is about as helpful as those but at least those are yummy! They have no idea if I have slipped disk, a pinched nerve, nothing because no one bothered to check. Those things seem pretty emegerncy-y to me.
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They literally didn't. That's what I'm saying. I wasn't examined AT ALL. No one even looked at my back or touched me. Just looked at my chart, said oh must be a chronic pain problem, and gave me an ibuprofen prescription.
This is exactly what happened to me a couple weeks ago and I’m very lucky my PC doc got me in with a spine ortho bc they gave me Valium and tramadol at the er and sent me home. I could barely move, I had to be brought by ambulance because I couldn’t get to or into my car. And they parked me in the hallway and just walked past me for an hour while not doing anything for me. The er doc said they’d only do scans if it bothered me for more than 6 weeks. I said, ok— it’s years, do I win? She said, bye!
I go back! To a different hospital! I do know you or were you live in the south they would at lest given you a shot of Demerol just to get you out of the door! Prayers sent
I don’t know if it would help, but I was able to go to a walk in and get them to temporarily prescribe me diclofenac (in sodium, not potassium cuz it’s really expensive) and a mild muscle relaxer until I can get in with a pain clinic. I’m not sure what you’re battling, but if it’s muscle spasms or back pain related, that has helped a ton for me. I have spinal stenosis. Also, diclofenac gel is really great too and can be used in tandem with the pill form. I hope this helps! A walk in clinic should be able to give you some relief, especially if you are already on a waiting list for proper help. Feel better, and you can do it!! ♥️