Would it be sensible to lie to gp?

[Strawberrycornetto]

DS (2) has asthma and reflux and a history of recurrent chest infections.

He has had a terrible cold for 7 days now. The cannot breathe, thick green snot pouring from nose type. His throat looks very swollen inside and he has cracked skin across his face where his eczema has flared up. He has a bit of a cough but he doesn't have a temperature.

Given his usual pattern there is a strong liklihood he will develop a chest infection and need antibiotics. But he doesn't have one now. The trouble is we are moving house on Friday then going on holiday to France for 7 days on Saturday. I am really worried he will get sicker when I have no easy access to doctors or his medical records.

I know from our experience our gp will not want to prescribe antibiotics now speculatively, but I have also been here on several other occasions where he has got sicker and sicker. He just doesn't seem able to fight these things off.

Is it worth me lying and saying he does have a temperature to try and get the doctor to prescribe antibiotics, which I can then start if he does get worse. Or is that a dangerous game? Wwyd?

[jasmeeen]

Do you really want to go on holiday if is that ill?

[weblette]

Why not be honest with the gp about your situation and ask if they'll prescribe some dry for you to take with you.

My ds2 has asthma too and my gp is always very happy to send to do this - he knows we'll only ever use them if we really feel ds needs them.

[ThatVikRinA22]

do they do telephone consultations? or is there a more sympathetic gp you could just be honest with?
i know at least one of ours would write a script for ABs with the instructions not to use it if not needed.

[scurryfunge]

I wouldn't lie.

Tell the GP you are going away and he/she may give you a prescription just in case.

If you are worried about him in France, you can still access a doctor and they won't need medical records, they will assess him as they find him.

[MrsRhettButler]

try a different doctor? my doc prescribed me antibacs 'just in case' before the easter bank holiday, knowing if i got worse that i would be in trouble. surely if you explain about france he will understand?

[RunningOutOfIdeas]

If it is a cold, antibiotics won't work though. Your GP can prescribe nose drops which would help with the breathing.

If he has had a bad cold for a week, that is making him wheezy, I think it is definitely worth seeing your GP. However I don't think lying is a good idea. In your situation I would be honest with the GP, say you are going on holiday and ask what would be best.

If your son does get sicker in France, you would be able to get treatment there quite easily.

[paisleyleaf]

Won't the doctor just take his temperature for himself?

[Strawberrycornetto]

I don't feel we can not go - booked and we are going with my parents and in laws. If he was really sick, I would stay back with him, but that would cause a lot of trouble. I do think it's a cold but I am hoping to prevent it getting worse/am worried it will get worse while we are away. DH would never let me stay home with him speculatively, he refuses to accept DS is ever ill .

Do you think the gp would do that? He has previously been anti antibiotics.

[Strawberrycornetto]

Thanks for all the replies. Enough of you seem to think a GP might listen and I don't like to lie, it seems wrong. There is a more sympathetic doctor but we get no choice who we see. I think I will go with it and be honest. I may be on here next week asking for help with french doctors.

Runningoutofideas - he tends to get secondary bactierial infections, which do respond to antibiotics even though the cold or virus doesn't.

Paisley - the doctor would check but previously if I have given calpol they accept what I have said about his temperature before the medicine kicked in.

[Strawberrycornetto]

Thanks everyone - I was honest with GP and he gave me the antibiotics, slightly reluctantly but I promised only to use them if I really think necessary. Glad I didn't lie, even though I was nervous about the appointment all day. DS does seem chesty today and I am really relieved that I will be able to treat him if he is sick while we are away.

[suiledonne]

Very different here in Ireland strawberry at least with the GPs I have dealt with. Always very quick to prescribe antibiotics.

My dd1 has asthma, very similar to your ds in that it usually starts with a cold, then chest infection, asthma attack and, in her case, usually ends in hospital but the GP always gives antibiotics when I take her in and tells me to use them if I think she needs it.

To be honest it drives me mad because the reason I go to the doctor is not so that I can decide if she needs medication.

I hope your ds is ok and you all get to enjoy your holiday.

[Strawberrycornetto]

Interesting Suiledonne. My GP is very anti Abs - on the basis he said he will get more and more resistant to them and eventually will end up needing IV antibiotics because oral ones will stop working. Not sure if that's right really, because he's also supposed to be growing out of these problems anyway and I have to balance the risk of permanent lung damage if he keeps getting infections when I know I could catch them earlier.

My gut feeling is we won't need the antibiotics this time, he just seemed slightly better to me today, but I am happy to have them if we do need them.

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

Glad you told the truth - and got the outcome that you wanted.

Hope you have a lovely holiday and ds is ok.