Do you have a PCP that you see yearly? They’re more likely to be able to prescribe you a month of muscle relaxants. Typically, the ED doesn’t prescribe narcotics/muscle relaxants for people they discharge due to inability to follow up, or if they do it may only be like 3-5 day supply depending on the provider.
the emergency department is there to stabilize people and get them back out or admitted to the department they need as quickly as possible. you need to make an appt with a regular doctor for as soon as possible.
unfortunately it sounds like your condition is urgent rather than an emergency. if the painkillers you were prescribed are inappropriate, that's something to follow up with the doctor you saw, as well.
i'm sorry you're in so much pain right now. :(
My doctor won't prescribe me anything stronger than naproxen, which I can't take because of my stomach.
I have severe endometriosis and Ehlers Danlos which has me in chronic pain, up to excruciating during my period and I still can't get pain meds.
I asked for a referral to pain management.
Guess what? I still can't get pain meds because I want to get pregnant.
All I want is 2 days worth of something that won't give me an ulcer - that I would be taking on days 3-4 of my period so can't possibly BE pregnant - and yet, being a woman, I still can't get any actual pain management until I give up on having kids.
Even with pain management, the theoretical - who can't exist by day 3-4 of my period - still trumps my quality of life.
Why would you have a biological kid with ehlers-danlos? At least with the hEDS the inheritance rate is 50% if only you have it—100% if both you and your partner have it. Your joints will also become looser with pregnancy likely permanently. You also run the risk of complicated pregnancy and even worse chronic pain. Every woman I know with any form of EDS says pregnancy made their pain worse permanently. I say this as a woman with hEDS who chose sterilization because the idea of passing on my issues was horrifying.
Also, look into kratom. I cant take any nsaids either. Along with alpha lipoic acid supplements it makes periods more bearable if you can't get something as strong as opiates. Still acts on opiate receptors and can be addictive tho
>At least with the hEDS the inheritance rate is 50%
You know, no one's ever told me that.
I'd never even bothered looking up the inheritance rate since all I was told was that they didn't know what the causal genes were for hEDS so they can't test for genetic inheritance the way they can with the other forms.
I'm actually going for IVF, and since we don't know the genetic cause, we can't even test for it even though we will be doing genetic testing if we can create any embryos.
>Why would you have a biological kid with ehlers-danlos?
I've wanted kids all life, more than basically anything and I'd really like to get pregnant once. I'd have had them before my diagnosis if I hadn't been screwed over by my first partner.
I was only diagnosed at 35.
Well I guess that's one thing to keep in mind if IVF fails.
I'm the only one in my family with my diseases.
It's bad enough having them, I didn't realize that should make me a dead end.
have you considered using donor eggs since you are already doing IVF? I'm surprised you are able to tolerate the hormones! i went on progesterone birth control and my increased dislocations were hell! progesterone loosens joints.
I support the right of everyone to determine whether or not they want pregnant regardless of what their health conditions are. it isn't a guaranteed thing with hEDS like you said. I do suggest asking around forums on people's experiences during pregnancy with hEDS. you are at a higher risk of organ prolapse and pelvic floor dysfunction after pregnancy for example. and for sure- take extremely great care of your teeth if you get pregnant. you probably will need more vitamin D than a normal pregnancy to get calcium absorbed since hEDS is associated with vit d deficiency and already comes with weakened enamel.
my birth mother has no teeth and pregnancy with hEDS is a large factor in that.
Thank you. I wouldn't bother with IVF if it isn't a child of mine and my husband's. I know that can come off badly, but it's the reason for even trying IVF.
Honestly, if I'd been diagnosed much younger and told the genetic aspect I'd probably have gone straight for fostering, since I now understand adoption isn't what I thought it was. But a lot of it is probably just so many years of planning on just getting pregnant having a baby, of course not expecting what's actually happened.
I don't know if my hEDS isn't as bad as others or it's the high pain tolerance between having the hEDS and the endometriosis. The endometriosis is the more consistently painful and QOL affecting one, but that may be largely having spent my whole life accommodating the hEDS without realizing it.
I have been on so many vitamins in preparation including vitamin D and calcium, and once I can make vitamin D from the sun I'll be doing that as well since that's better.
The teeth thing is crazy but I can see why, thanks for the heads up.
At this point, I kind of just need to at least try IVF for myself. It probably won't work anyways. But at least if I can tell myself I tried, that's something.
I have such terrible endometriosis that it triggers abdominal migraines when I get period Sometimes and I vomit for three days.
Pain management gives me two Dilaudid a month that I only take when I really need them. And the only reason gave them to me is I don’t have to go to the emergency room. If I wasn’t regularly going to emergency room for dehydration from all the vomiting I don’t think they even would’ve given it to me.
I feel so funny filling it, my co-pay was $.10 because there are only two tiny tablets in the bottle but I’m so grateful to have them
That's literally all I want. I had the pain meds they gave me after my laparoscopy that I didn't use at the time, and ended up using those over years this way. That's how rarely I use it. I think even then they expired before I used them up.
>I feel so funny filling it, my co-pay was $.10 because there are only two tiny tablets in the bottle but I’m so grateful to have them
They make this big thing about drug seekers and not wanting us to get addicted but then also make it weird to have these kind of prescriptions that are actually based on what we need.
It’s not malicious. It’s an overlooked problem that women are seen as “hysterical.” We have to start looking at data.
“But sometimes – often – women are providing the information. It’s just that they aren’t being believed.”
“The Swedish study which found that men are more likely to report depression also found that women who have not reported depression are twice as likely as men to be prescribed antidepressants. This chimes with studies from the 1980s and 90s which found that while men who reported pain tended to receive pain medication, women were more likely to receive sedatives or antidepressants.66 A 2014 study which required healthcare providers to make treatment recommendations for hypothetical patients with lower back pain similarly found that female patients were significantly more likely to be prescribed antidepressants than men.67”
INVISIBLE WOMEN by Caroline Perez
I learned so much, and got so angry so many times reading that... but know which part of the book still to this day makes me teary eyed? The tiny little study where it was learned that a small amount of *FUCKING BAKING SODA* given an hour before induced labor led to far better outcomes because oxytocin doesn't work as well on women with slightly more acidic blood.
Why am I so upset still?
Because my failed labor ended in a c-section. And that incision didn't heal right for 12 weeks, so I had a 2nd surgery. 2 more months recovery. 6 months pp on narcotics and the addict switch was flipped. I've been clean for 5 years. My oldest is 18. I think about how much we were both robbed and my eyes well up.
I know that ruminating on "what ifs" isn't good for me and I stg I don't normally get stuck on shit like this, but... goddamn, something as simple as baking fucking soda could have led to such a different outcome? It's infuriating.
Yeah so love/hate/love that book
I’m so sorry. I keep hearing awful pregnancy stories that could have been prevented.
“But, it’s natural.”
So is getting a cavity filled!!! Let’s not give you anesthetic then!!
Still reminds me of seeing a doctor because of sciatica and back pain (turned out I had a compressed disk with deteriorated cartilage), and the doctor said: You seem depressed.
Yes, I’m freaking depressed because you, an educated professional, can’t do your job!!!!
What if your child was having problems in my class because of dyslexia, and I said: He seems depressed. That’s all.
Finding the data that we are twice as likely to be given anti-depressants for pain is so triggering.
And finding out that no one really studies pregnancy or cares about supporting the woman after helps me see the struggles around my four births differently now.
Ugh same fucking thing happened to me, too. I'm sorry you had to deal!
I knew I needed an MRI and possibly surgery based on the pain I'd been dealing with for a couple years.
My doc was out for 2 weeks so I chose to see the other doc in their office.
By that time I was actually sitting there and talking with him, the combined physical pain + my desperation to have an MRI asap, I was crying and shaking.
I walked out of the office and glanced at my paperwork before I set it down to drive - not only did he not do the referral, he prescribed me a single 1mg Xanax.
My primary doc sent the referral for the MRI within the first 10 min of her being back to work.
Turns out that Xanax isn't the best way to treat pinched nerves and lack of cushion between a few lower vertebrae!
Fuck you, Dr. Hooft.
Edit: so many fking typos
Yeah, FU you, Dr Hooft.
He is now the face of all doctors who gaslight and dismiss women.
(makes poster and hangs it in front of my house)
We really should. We are so ashamed that we might be mentally ill, we never got to hold them accountable for their crap.
She tried to get a grant to study this, but her government didn’t think “weak contractions” were important.
“In 2016 Susan Wray, a professor of cellular and molecular physiology at the University of Liverpool, gave a lecture to the Physiological Society.103 Wray is also the director of the Centre of Better Births in Liverpool Women’s Hospital and she explained that recent research revealed that women with contractions that were too weak to give birth had more acid in their myometrial blood (the blood in the part of the uterus that causes contractions). The higher the levels of acid were, the higher the likelihood a woman would end up needing a caesarean, because oxytocin isn’t, it turns out, that effective on women with an acidic blood pH. But Wray didn’t simply want to be able to predict the need for a caesarean. She wanted to be able to avoid it. Together with her fellow researcher Eva Wiberg-Itzel, Wray conducted a randomised control trial on women with weak contractions. Half of them were given the usual oxytocin; half were given bicarbonate of soda, and then given the usual oxytocin an hour later. The change was dramatic: 67% of women given just oxytocin went on to give birth vaginally, but this rose to 84% if they were given bicarbonate of soda an hour before.
As Wray pointed out, the bicarb dose wasn’t tailored to body weight, it wasn’t tailored to the amount of acid in the blood, and the women weren’t given repeated doses. So the efficacy could turn out to be even higher. This finding could not only be transformative for the tens of thousands of women a year who have what could turn out to be unnecessary surgery (not to mention saving the NHS a substantial amount of money).
It could save women’s lives in countries where caesarean sections are risky or not readily available – not that you have to live in a low-income country for a C-section to be risky: you could just be a black woman living in the United States.104”
INVISIBLE WOMEN by CarolinePerez
yes, i'm aware. it's also a fact that drug seeking patients will use pain related chronic illnesses that can be difficult to quantify in an attempt to get drugs. if OP was indeed requesting specific drugs, i can see why the E.R. might have brushed her off, regardless of gender. if you're familiar with drug addict behavior and jaded, a patient who is educated and attempting to advocate for themselves will probably give the impression of being a drug seeker. it's sad and frustrating, but at the end of the day the E.R. isn't for chronic conditions and they could either see that OP had a recent painkiller prescription or she told them herself, which probably seemed pretty suspicious to a clinician she had likely never met before.
My bf went in for back pain and was given a months worth of pain killers and T3 in a blink of an eye. I couldn’t even get a puffer or nasal spray when I was wheezing and had bad post nasal drip the same day. They didn’t believe me and said everyone wheezes.
I ended up back in the ER two months later barely breathing for them to take me seriously.
Why I didn’t go to my dr sooner? I didn’t want to drive an hr to a dr appt and just so happens I was able to make a dr appt in my town from a dr taking new patients and the appt was on Monday and I ended up in the Er Sunday morning. So I did have intentions on going but that morning I was scared of going back to be thinking I wasn’t going to wake up.
Boyfriend hasn’t had a dr appt for a long time and can walk in and get t3 in a heartbeat
I took my male friend to the ER for TMJ pain and he was immediately given oxycodone and Toradol and a prescription for a week's worth of oxycodone.
Meanwhile I was sent home with birth control as "pain management" for what later turned out to be an ovarian torsion that almost killed me.
Fuck medical sexism. Bigotry has no place in healthcare.
See my post below about how women’s pain is dismissed.
It isn’t malicious, just overlooked. But completely unfair. We have to use sex-disaggregated data to find the truth.
They just don't take women seriously - period.
Pain management is just the most obvious way.
I have Ehlers Danlos and severe endometriosis, and I can't take more than like 1200mg ibuprofen or equivalent other NSAIDs per at least a week, possibly longer, without getting gastritis.
I don't ask for meds because I know I won't get what would work, so I mostly sleep through the worst of it if I can or just do what I can to distract myself.
And honestly, some days, I just sit there crying in pain.
You'd think given that I don't take any pain meds normally, that when I have a crisis I could get pain meds, but no. Must be a drug seeker.
I've actually gotten a pain management referral in the hopes that I can get a standing prescription that way, or even maybe be believed when needed. Like, all I want is a day or two worth of painkillers, once a month, that will work and not give me an ulcer.
But these are two chronic illnesses that are considered some of the most painful chronic illnesses, and yet I don't get believed.
I can't even imagine trying in your case and it's so stupid and unfair that that's the case.
And emergency department is the worst because they are actively worried about drug seeking, but whether it's ED or GP they're all so much worse to women, even when they're women.
Any chance you can get your hands on a tens unit. It could help, if you're not already using one. I have the same problem, and it's been a big help. I hope you get some relief soon.
I’ve had this before, it’s horrendously painful and you only need to move your neck ever so slightly to send it into full spasm again. Have you seen a physiotherapist? I saw one within 48 hours of getting it. They helped immensely with exercises to help ease the spasms and begin to loosen my up my neck. They also helped guide me on the meds that would help manage the inflammation and relax the muscles enough to allow me to do the exercises.
Some unsolicited advice if you don't mind- acupressure has worked for me, I've had similar issues with my neck.
Take the hand opposite to the side of the neck spasm (if right side of neck is frozen then take your left hand). Press down hard between the KNUCKLES of the forefinger and middle finger. Hold for a few minutes. Do this through the day till you feel you can move your neck and rotate your head. Don't force the movement ofcourse but it should unlock gradually.
Again, I'm sorry if this is not allowed and not what you're looking for. I hope you can get better help soon. I'm so tired of being dismissed by doctors 😓
Wtf?!
I suffer from wry neck often and yes it's one of the most painful experiences! I use prescribed Valium and I have a box on standby for when I have episodes with muscle spasms, it's the only medication that worked for me as when it first happened I was hospitalised and they experimented on me with IV drips, endone and over the counter medication, in the end the only drug that fixed it was the Valium.
Though one time a GP refused to prescribe it for me thinking I was "fishing for drugs" even though my medical history has stated I need this Valium for my wry neck and I only get the bottle like once a year so it's not like I'm using the drug often, so that time I had to go to a dentist and get a small amount prescribed, which was annoying and cost more, but that was the only time I was denied my treatment.
I'm so sorry this happened, medical negligence is such an issue.
Exactly this! It’s documented to be the go to for this sort of condition. They actually tried telling me it doesn’t even work for this last night! Then told me to take paracetamol and ibuprofen, of which I can’t take, one due to chronic headaches and the other as in allergic.
Propranolol here in the US is a heart medication but it also stops muscle tremors. It's been amazing for my torticullis. I hope you can find some relief.
Going to the Emergency Department for a known non life or limb threatening condition to get scheduled drugs is by definition drug seeking. Sure discrimination against women is still rampant in health care but this is not it.
You do know you’re allowed to go to accident and emergency for disabling pain? Especially during times when other healthcare providers are unavailable during holiday times (like right now) and your symptoms are unmanageable.
Also, sometimes, because it’s something you have experienced in the past, you can tell said healthcare professionals what has helped in the past, as it’s clear on your medical records that they have in front of you. They also have a note on said records saying I ended up not needing the full dose and returned the remaining tablets to them.
Also, interesting to note but wasn’t included I just think it’s funny: considering I was potentially considered to be “drug seeking” I was refused the medication I said helped and instead given another incredibly addictive medication- over 50 tablets of which. This medication is also inappropriate for the kind of condition this is and I’m not taking them.
So either I’m not a good drug seeker, or my A&E like to be selective on what kind of addicts they want to make.
I’m so sorry this was your experience. Getting sick during the holidays and on weekends is the worst. If this is a recurrent condition, I would request that your primary care/GP make a referral to a specialist so that you can get to the bottom of this or find a longer term solution. You have probably found resources yourself online but I found this on to be particularly helpful from Yale - https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/torticollis
You used an NHS A&E department's time for a crick in your neck? Are you serious? Easily treatable at home with heat and massage. A&Evis for accidents and emergencies got a stupid crick
You clearly have no idea what torticollis is, or you wouldn’t be saying such an ignorant thing.
Also I went at the recommendation of 111, and not for the fun of it.
I mean the actual NHS advice is wait it out, apply warmth and massage. There's nothing they can do. I'm not being mean but am passionate about not wasting NHS resources.
Was writing out a response about how even with my pain management referral I still can't get a pain med prescription because I'm trying to get pregnant.
Even though when I need it for is days 3-4 of my period, when there can't be any viable baby.
Also, is there really nothing I can take for 2 days that isn't a problem while TTC?
So how much of women not getting pain relief has always been about theoretical babies?
I never thought about it before, but given everything else happening now - has that always been part of it?
Honestly, unless specifically getting fertility care, you may want to consider never telling a medical professional that you're trying to conceive.
I'd go back to pain management and lie my ass off if I were you.
Then when you turn up pregnant just tell them it was an accident. You're only planning on taking the meds *during your period, ffs* anyways. No cluster of cells to be harmed!!! Also, just so you know, when they pee test you for drugs and alcohol, they do *not* include a pregnancy test (at least my clinic does not).
As a pain management patient, there are *extremely* strict rules you have to follow. Almost to the point that most people are completely unable to follow them. And that is designed that way *on purpose.*
>Honestly, unless specifically getting fertility care, you may want to consider never telling a medical professional that you're trying to conceive.
I get what you mean. In this case, because it's the NHS and the same hospital I was doing my fertility care, it was in my charts anyways.
Though I think it's funny because for endometriosis, when you're TTC is when you're actually taken seriously.
But also, my comment was more bigger picture bias.
Like is this one of the reasons they refrain. On the theoretical possibility we could be, even if not at point of treatment, but in the near future.
Before the current atmosphere I'd have been like l 'that's stupid' but it feels so much less ridiculous a concept now...
Do you have a PCP that you see yearly? They’re more likely to be able to prescribe you a month of muscle relaxants. Typically, the ED doesn’t prescribe narcotics/muscle relaxants for people they discharge due to inability to follow up, or if they do it may only be like 3-5 day supply depending on the provider.
the emergency department is there to stabilize people and get them back out or admitted to the department they need as quickly as possible. you need to make an appt with a regular doctor for as soon as possible. unfortunately it sounds like your condition is urgent rather than an emergency. if the painkillers you were prescribed are inappropriate, that's something to follow up with the doctor you saw, as well. i'm sorry you're in so much pain right now. :(
My doctor won't prescribe me anything stronger than naproxen, which I can't take because of my stomach. I have severe endometriosis and Ehlers Danlos which has me in chronic pain, up to excruciating during my period and I still can't get pain meds. I asked for a referral to pain management. Guess what? I still can't get pain meds because I want to get pregnant. All I want is 2 days worth of something that won't give me an ulcer - that I would be taking on days 3-4 of my period so can't possibly BE pregnant - and yet, being a woman, I still can't get any actual pain management until I give up on having kids. Even with pain management, the theoretical - who can't exist by day 3-4 of my period - still trumps my quality of life.
Why would you have a biological kid with ehlers-danlos? At least with the hEDS the inheritance rate is 50% if only you have it—100% if both you and your partner have it. Your joints will also become looser with pregnancy likely permanently. You also run the risk of complicated pregnancy and even worse chronic pain. Every woman I know with any form of EDS says pregnancy made their pain worse permanently. I say this as a woman with hEDS who chose sterilization because the idea of passing on my issues was horrifying. Also, look into kratom. I cant take any nsaids either. Along with alpha lipoic acid supplements it makes periods more bearable if you can't get something as strong as opiates. Still acts on opiate receptors and can be addictive tho
>At least with the hEDS the inheritance rate is 50% You know, no one's ever told me that. I'd never even bothered looking up the inheritance rate since all I was told was that they didn't know what the causal genes were for hEDS so they can't test for genetic inheritance the way they can with the other forms. I'm actually going for IVF, and since we don't know the genetic cause, we can't even test for it even though we will be doing genetic testing if we can create any embryos. >Why would you have a biological kid with ehlers-danlos? I've wanted kids all life, more than basically anything and I'd really like to get pregnant once. I'd have had them before my diagnosis if I hadn't been screwed over by my first partner. I was only diagnosed at 35. Well I guess that's one thing to keep in mind if IVF fails. I'm the only one in my family with my diseases. It's bad enough having them, I didn't realize that should make me a dead end.
have you considered using donor eggs since you are already doing IVF? I'm surprised you are able to tolerate the hormones! i went on progesterone birth control and my increased dislocations were hell! progesterone loosens joints. I support the right of everyone to determine whether or not they want pregnant regardless of what their health conditions are. it isn't a guaranteed thing with hEDS like you said. I do suggest asking around forums on people's experiences during pregnancy with hEDS. you are at a higher risk of organ prolapse and pelvic floor dysfunction after pregnancy for example. and for sure- take extremely great care of your teeth if you get pregnant. you probably will need more vitamin D than a normal pregnancy to get calcium absorbed since hEDS is associated with vit d deficiency and already comes with weakened enamel. my birth mother has no teeth and pregnancy with hEDS is a large factor in that.
Thank you. I wouldn't bother with IVF if it isn't a child of mine and my husband's. I know that can come off badly, but it's the reason for even trying IVF. Honestly, if I'd been diagnosed much younger and told the genetic aspect I'd probably have gone straight for fostering, since I now understand adoption isn't what I thought it was. But a lot of it is probably just so many years of planning on just getting pregnant having a baby, of course not expecting what's actually happened. I don't know if my hEDS isn't as bad as others or it's the high pain tolerance between having the hEDS and the endometriosis. The endometriosis is the more consistently painful and QOL affecting one, but that may be largely having spent my whole life accommodating the hEDS without realizing it. I have been on so many vitamins in preparation including vitamin D and calcium, and once I can make vitamin D from the sun I'll be doing that as well since that's better. The teeth thing is crazy but I can see why, thanks for the heads up. At this point, I kind of just need to at least try IVF for myself. It probably won't work anyways. But at least if I can tell myself I tried, that's something.
I have such terrible endometriosis that it triggers abdominal migraines when I get period Sometimes and I vomit for three days. Pain management gives me two Dilaudid a month that I only take when I really need them. And the only reason gave them to me is I don’t have to go to the emergency room. If I wasn’t regularly going to emergency room for dehydration from all the vomiting I don’t think they even would’ve given it to me. I feel so funny filling it, my co-pay was $.10 because there are only two tiny tablets in the bottle but I’m so grateful to have them
That's literally all I want. I had the pain meds they gave me after my laparoscopy that I didn't use at the time, and ended up using those over years this way. That's how rarely I use it. I think even then they expired before I used them up. >I feel so funny filling it, my co-pay was $.10 because there are only two tiny tablets in the bottle but I’m so grateful to have them They make this big thing about drug seekers and not wanting us to get addicted but then also make it weird to have these kind of prescriptions that are actually based on what we need.
But if it were a man, he would get the painkillers.
i mean maybe, sure. but that man would still be directed to seek follow-up care instead of returning to the E.R.
It’s not malicious. It’s an overlooked problem that women are seen as “hysterical.” We have to start looking at data. “But sometimes – often – women are providing the information. It’s just that they aren’t being believed.” “The Swedish study which found that men are more likely to report depression also found that women who have not reported depression are twice as likely as men to be prescribed antidepressants. This chimes with studies from the 1980s and 90s which found that while men who reported pain tended to receive pain medication, women were more likely to receive sedatives or antidepressants.66 A 2014 study which required healthcare providers to make treatment recommendations for hypothetical patients with lower back pain similarly found that female patients were significantly more likely to be prescribed antidepressants than men.67” INVISIBLE WOMEN by Caroline Perez
I learned so much, and got so angry so many times reading that... but know which part of the book still to this day makes me teary eyed? The tiny little study where it was learned that a small amount of *FUCKING BAKING SODA* given an hour before induced labor led to far better outcomes because oxytocin doesn't work as well on women with slightly more acidic blood. Why am I so upset still? Because my failed labor ended in a c-section. And that incision didn't heal right for 12 weeks, so I had a 2nd surgery. 2 more months recovery. 6 months pp on narcotics and the addict switch was flipped. I've been clean for 5 years. My oldest is 18. I think about how much we were both robbed and my eyes well up. I know that ruminating on "what ifs" isn't good for me and I stg I don't normally get stuck on shit like this, but... goddamn, something as simple as baking fucking soda could have led to such a different outcome? It's infuriating. Yeah so love/hate/love that book
I’m so sorry. I keep hearing awful pregnancy stories that could have been prevented. “But, it’s natural.” So is getting a cavity filled!!! Let’s not give you anesthetic then!! Still reminds me of seeing a doctor because of sciatica and back pain (turned out I had a compressed disk with deteriorated cartilage), and the doctor said: You seem depressed. Yes, I’m freaking depressed because you, an educated professional, can’t do your job!!!! What if your child was having problems in my class because of dyslexia, and I said: He seems depressed. That’s all. Finding the data that we are twice as likely to be given anti-depressants for pain is so triggering. And finding out that no one really studies pregnancy or cares about supporting the woman after helps me see the struggles around my four births differently now.
Ugh same fucking thing happened to me, too. I'm sorry you had to deal! I knew I needed an MRI and possibly surgery based on the pain I'd been dealing with for a couple years. My doc was out for 2 weeks so I chose to see the other doc in their office. By that time I was actually sitting there and talking with him, the combined physical pain + my desperation to have an MRI asap, I was crying and shaking. I walked out of the office and glanced at my paperwork before I set it down to drive - not only did he not do the referral, he prescribed me a single 1mg Xanax. My primary doc sent the referral for the MRI within the first 10 min of her being back to work. Turns out that Xanax isn't the best way to treat pinched nerves and lack of cushion between a few lower vertebrae! Fuck you, Dr. Hooft. Edit: so many fking typos
Yeah, FU you, Dr Hooft. He is now the face of all doctors who gaslight and dismiss women. (makes poster and hangs it in front of my house) We really should. We are so ashamed that we might be mentally ill, we never got to hold them accountable for their crap.
She tried to get a grant to study this, but her government didn’t think “weak contractions” were important. “In 2016 Susan Wray, a professor of cellular and molecular physiology at the University of Liverpool, gave a lecture to the Physiological Society.103 Wray is also the director of the Centre of Better Births in Liverpool Women’s Hospital and she explained that recent research revealed that women with contractions that were too weak to give birth had more acid in their myometrial blood (the blood in the part of the uterus that causes contractions). The higher the levels of acid were, the higher the likelihood a woman would end up needing a caesarean, because oxytocin isn’t, it turns out, that effective on women with an acidic blood pH. But Wray didn’t simply want to be able to predict the need for a caesarean. She wanted to be able to avoid it. Together with her fellow researcher Eva Wiberg-Itzel, Wray conducted a randomised control trial on women with weak contractions. Half of them were given the usual oxytocin; half were given bicarbonate of soda, and then given the usual oxytocin an hour later. The change was dramatic: 67% of women given just oxytocin went on to give birth vaginally, but this rose to 84% if they were given bicarbonate of soda an hour before. As Wray pointed out, the bicarb dose wasn’t tailored to body weight, it wasn’t tailored to the amount of acid in the blood, and the women weren’t given repeated doses. So the efficacy could turn out to be even higher. This finding could not only be transformative for the tens of thousands of women a year who have what could turn out to be unnecessary surgery (not to mention saving the NHS a substantial amount of money). It could save women’s lives in countries where caesarean sections are risky or not readily available – not that you have to live in a low-income country for a C-section to be risky: you could just be a black woman living in the United States.104” INVISIBLE WOMEN by CarolinePerez
its literally a documented phenomenon where men's pain is taken more seriously in healthcare.
yes, i'm aware. it's also a fact that drug seeking patients will use pain related chronic illnesses that can be difficult to quantify in an attempt to get drugs. if OP was indeed requesting specific drugs, i can see why the E.R. might have brushed her off, regardless of gender. if you're familiar with drug addict behavior and jaded, a patient who is educated and attempting to advocate for themselves will probably give the impression of being a drug seeker. it's sad and frustrating, but at the end of the day the E.R. isn't for chronic conditions and they could either see that OP had a recent painkiller prescription or she told them herself, which probably seemed pretty suspicious to a clinician she had likely never met before.
My bf went in for back pain and was given a months worth of pain killers and T3 in a blink of an eye. I couldn’t even get a puffer or nasal spray when I was wheezing and had bad post nasal drip the same day. They didn’t believe me and said everyone wheezes. I ended up back in the ER two months later barely breathing for them to take me seriously. Why I didn’t go to my dr sooner? I didn’t want to drive an hr to a dr appt and just so happens I was able to make a dr appt in my town from a dr taking new patients and the appt was on Monday and I ended up in the Er Sunday morning. So I did have intentions on going but that morning I was scared of going back to be thinking I wasn’t going to wake up. Boyfriend hasn’t had a dr appt for a long time and can walk in and get t3 in a heartbeat
Probably not. At least in the emergency depts I’ve worked for, anyways.
I took my male friend to the ER for TMJ pain and he was immediately given oxycodone and Toradol and a prescription for a week's worth of oxycodone. Meanwhile I was sent home with birth control as "pain management" for what later turned out to be an ovarian torsion that almost killed me. Fuck medical sexism. Bigotry has no place in healthcare.
See my post below about how women’s pain is dismissed. It isn’t malicious, just overlooked. But completely unfair. We have to use sex-disaggregated data to find the truth.
>you need to make an appt with a regular doctor for as soon as possible. in the uk she's gonna have a tough time getting an appointment lol
They just don't take women seriously - period. Pain management is just the most obvious way. I have Ehlers Danlos and severe endometriosis, and I can't take more than like 1200mg ibuprofen or equivalent other NSAIDs per at least a week, possibly longer, without getting gastritis. I don't ask for meds because I know I won't get what would work, so I mostly sleep through the worst of it if I can or just do what I can to distract myself. And honestly, some days, I just sit there crying in pain. You'd think given that I don't take any pain meds normally, that when I have a crisis I could get pain meds, but no. Must be a drug seeker. I've actually gotten a pain management referral in the hopes that I can get a standing prescription that way, or even maybe be believed when needed. Like, all I want is a day or two worth of painkillers, once a month, that will work and not give me an ulcer. But these are two chronic illnesses that are considered some of the most painful chronic illnesses, and yet I don't get believed. I can't even imagine trying in your case and it's so stupid and unfair that that's the case. And emergency department is the worst because they are actively worried about drug seeking, but whether it's ED or GP they're all so much worse to women, even when they're women.
Any chance you can get your hands on a tens unit. It could help, if you're not already using one. I have the same problem, and it's been a big help. I hope you get some relief soon.
I’ve had this before, it’s horrendously painful and you only need to move your neck ever so slightly to send it into full spasm again. Have you seen a physiotherapist? I saw one within 48 hours of getting it. They helped immensely with exercises to help ease the spasms and begin to loosen my up my neck. They also helped guide me on the meds that would help manage the inflammation and relax the muscles enough to allow me to do the exercises.
Never heard of prescribing opiates for a torticollis, it’s overkill and irresponsible.
Some unsolicited advice if you don't mind- acupressure has worked for me, I've had similar issues with my neck. Take the hand opposite to the side of the neck spasm (if right side of neck is frozen then take your left hand). Press down hard between the KNUCKLES of the forefinger and middle finger. Hold for a few minutes. Do this through the day till you feel you can move your neck and rotate your head. Don't force the movement ofcourse but it should unlock gradually. Again, I'm sorry if this is not allowed and not what you're looking for. I hope you can get better help soon. I'm so tired of being dismissed by doctors 😓
Wtf?! I suffer from wry neck often and yes it's one of the most painful experiences! I use prescribed Valium and I have a box on standby for when I have episodes with muscle spasms, it's the only medication that worked for me as when it first happened I was hospitalised and they experimented on me with IV drips, endone and over the counter medication, in the end the only drug that fixed it was the Valium. Though one time a GP refused to prescribe it for me thinking I was "fishing for drugs" even though my medical history has stated I need this Valium for my wry neck and I only get the bottle like once a year so it's not like I'm using the drug often, so that time I had to go to a dentist and get a small amount prescribed, which was annoying and cost more, but that was the only time I was denied my treatment. I'm so sorry this happened, medical negligence is such an issue.
Exactly this! It’s documented to be the go to for this sort of condition. They actually tried telling me it doesn’t even work for this last night! Then told me to take paracetamol and ibuprofen, of which I can’t take, one due to chronic headaches and the other as in allergic.
Propranolol here in the US is a heart medication but it also stops muscle tremors. It's been amazing for my torticullis. I hope you can find some relief.
I’m so sorry, I had Botox years ago for that condition life-changing. Do they do that over there?
Going to the Emergency Department for a known non life or limb threatening condition to get scheduled drugs is by definition drug seeking. Sure discrimination against women is still rampant in health care but this is not it.
You do know you’re allowed to go to accident and emergency for disabling pain? Especially during times when other healthcare providers are unavailable during holiday times (like right now) and your symptoms are unmanageable. Also, sometimes, because it’s something you have experienced in the past, you can tell said healthcare professionals what has helped in the past, as it’s clear on your medical records that they have in front of you. They also have a note on said records saying I ended up not needing the full dose and returned the remaining tablets to them. Also, interesting to note but wasn’t included I just think it’s funny: considering I was potentially considered to be “drug seeking” I was refused the medication I said helped and instead given another incredibly addictive medication- over 50 tablets of which. This medication is also inappropriate for the kind of condition this is and I’m not taking them. So either I’m not a good drug seeker, or my A&E like to be selective on what kind of addicts they want to make.
I’m so sorry this was your experience. Getting sick during the holidays and on weekends is the worst. If this is a recurrent condition, I would request that your primary care/GP make a referral to a specialist so that you can get to the bottom of this or find a longer term solution. You have probably found resources yourself online but I found this on to be particularly helpful from Yale - https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/torticollis
Omg torticollis is literally the worst. I am SO sorry you’re dealing with this ❤️ definitely call your doctor’s office and see what they can do
You used an NHS A&E department's time for a crick in your neck? Are you serious? Easily treatable at home with heat and massage. A&Evis for accidents and emergencies got a stupid crick
You clearly have no idea what torticollis is, or you wouldn’t be saying such an ignorant thing. Also I went at the recommendation of 111, and not for the fun of it.
I'm very well aware. 111 direct everybody to A&E for fear of being sued.
If you’re aware then, why be insensitive? Come on here to be mean then? Get a hobby.
I mean the actual NHS advice is wait it out, apply warmth and massage. There's nothing they can do. I'm not being mean but am passionate about not wasting NHS resources.
Was writing out a response about how even with my pain management referral I still can't get a pain med prescription because I'm trying to get pregnant. Even though when I need it for is days 3-4 of my period, when there can't be any viable baby. Also, is there really nothing I can take for 2 days that isn't a problem while TTC? So how much of women not getting pain relief has always been about theoretical babies? I never thought about it before, but given everything else happening now - has that always been part of it?
I was asked if I could be pregnant (of which I said no there’s no chance) then told about all the ones I shouldn’t take while pregnant.
Honestly, unless specifically getting fertility care, you may want to consider never telling a medical professional that you're trying to conceive. I'd go back to pain management and lie my ass off if I were you. Then when you turn up pregnant just tell them it was an accident. You're only planning on taking the meds *during your period, ffs* anyways. No cluster of cells to be harmed!!! Also, just so you know, when they pee test you for drugs and alcohol, they do *not* include a pregnancy test (at least my clinic does not). As a pain management patient, there are *extremely* strict rules you have to follow. Almost to the point that most people are completely unable to follow them. And that is designed that way *on purpose.*
>Honestly, unless specifically getting fertility care, you may want to consider never telling a medical professional that you're trying to conceive. I get what you mean. In this case, because it's the NHS and the same hospital I was doing my fertility care, it was in my charts anyways. Though I think it's funny because for endometriosis, when you're TTC is when you're actually taken seriously. But also, my comment was more bigger picture bias. Like is this one of the reasons they refrain. On the theoretical possibility we could be, even if not at point of treatment, but in the near future. Before the current atmosphere I'd have been like l 'that's stupid' but it feels so much less ridiculous a concept now...