Help during flare?

[Radiogirl]

My Rheumatologist told me last week it is not unusual for his RA patients to go to the ER during a flare (I'm in the US so it might be different in the UK.)

I had mentioned to him how horrible my last flare was and that my pain doctor stopped doing "Prior Authorizations" with insurance companies so I couldn't get my pain medicine. It felt like my only option was to go to the ER, but with Covid-19 I was too afraid to go that route. Instead, I just suffered terribly for a good 4-5 days at home.

It got me thinking, though. I was surprised to hear my doctor say that often his patients do go to the ER.

Have any of you gone into the ER or hospital during a flare? How did it help you? Would you do it again (if the threat from Covid-19 wasn't an issue).

TIA!

[helixhelix]

I think this must be a US thing....for me the ER (or A&E) is for life threatening emergencies, bleeding that needs to be stopped, severe breathing difficulties or bone breaks. The staff are trauma specialists, and you don’t need that amount of training to write out a pain prescription, so odd to me to think of them used in that way?

But don’t worry to much about Covid if you do need to go as most hospitals seem to be separating out areas, all the people who may have Covid are channelled through specific areas.

[girli1111]

I’m in the U.K. and no, I would not use our Accident and Emergency provision for a flare. They are intended here as life saving emergency provision.

[Boxerlady]

We're very lucky here with the NHS that we don't have problems getting medication when we need it so we are able to leave A&E visits for emergency treatment. However, I can well imagine being in pain with no medication feels like an emergency and if that's the way it works in your country I suppose that's what you need to do. We are also lucky here that they're working very hard to keep Covid cases away from the usual A&E department so theoretically it should be pretty safe.

[Mmrr]

I would not attend A&E during a flare, they are for accidents and medical life threatening emergencies. I also doubt if many A&E staff would have sufficient knowledge of RD to make an accurate assessment ?

[Pippy25]

Thanks for posting Radiogirl, in the UK it is a different system and as others have already mentioned ER or A&E over here is for Accidents and Emergencies only and whilst they would not turn you away per se if you did turn up, you would not be a priority and would end waiting many many many hours before you were seen (or politely advised that the wait will be very long, this putting the desision back to you to continue to wait or go) and I am sure they would not be happy about you attending an A & E department, when there are normally other channels and systems in place you could have gone to. I hope that you can get someone who is in the US or with a similar health care system to help you with your question and am so sorry to hear you have been suffering. RD is so challenging at the best of times and I send you my best wishes, take care

[helixhelix]

Coincidentally I’ve just started watching the first series of ER. I never watched it at the time, and C4 has all 15 series on replay. This is what lockdown does to you!

I was rather surprised that the ER was full of of people with earache, and minor issues like that, but the explanation seemed to be that it was depicting a US county hospital that treated people who had no medical insurance or no access to a primary doctor.

[Boxerlady in reply to helixhelix]

We're working through the entire ER oeuvre (!) atm for the third time - we bought the DVDs years ago. We find it relaxing as it's so familiar and usually watch an episode each night just before bed. We've got several familiar box sets and usually have one on the go - maybe I'll start a new thread... 🤔😉

[medway-lady]

In the UK its commonly said the A&E is for blood coming from an orafice or pumping out a wound, a leg or arm hanging off or broken or you can't breath (my sister is a nurse) so I don't think they'd like you going for an RA flare. Having said that most hospitals have GP units attached or here in the SE of England we do and it can be a quick way of seeing a GP in an emergency or if not registered with one. I've never heard of it as an idea here sorry.

[Radiogirl]

I've never gone to the ER before for a flare or anything ridiculously minor. I just was surprised to hear my rheumy discuss it as common to go there during flares. I've felt so helpless with my pain doctor's new policy on not doing Prior Authorizations for meds with the insurance companies.