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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To go to out of hours doctor this evening?

42 replies

miniwedge · 26/08/2011 17:57

supposed to be on holiday but came back early. Long crappy story.....

Anyway, I went to the doctor on weds before we went away, I have recurrent ear and throat infections. I'm waiting for an ent appointment as the last one took four lots of antibiotics to clear up and had spread into my saliva gland on one side. I have had pain swallowing for about a week and my ear was starting to get sore as well. Have had a temp but have been taking ibuprofen and staggering with paracetomol. Have been feeling worse and worse.
Usual doctor knows my history and I know when an infection is starting. I get pain swallowing and then it goes downhill from there.

Usual doctor on holiday, saw a locus. He was so dismissive, didn't want to hear the background, didn't look in my throat, took temp, said no sign of a bacterial infection and to take strepsils and come back in a week in his words if I was "still making a fuss".

Came out of the appointment feeling like a bit of a twat.

Am now in lots more pain, ear is throbbing, turning my head to the opposite side that is throbbing is really difficult, has gone all stiff and v painful. Throat has that awful I've had it sliced open and rubbed with salt feeling.

Am feeling all fluey now but am worried that o.o.h service will tell me I'm being daft as well. I'm really not one to think antibiotics are needed just for a cold/viral bugs.

OP posts:

CrosswordAddict · 26/08/2011 18:29

miniwedge Hope you are sorted out by tonight. Long weekend coming up so you need to be seen fairly quickly and get back on your feet.
Try sucking a small ice cube for the throat pain.
Don't be put off by an ignorant doctor who makes fun of you. Be guided by your instinct and you won't go far wrong. Some doctors can be very badly behaved on occasions, particularly if they feel empowered. Just override him and move on.

Tenebrist · 26/08/2011 18:34

miniwedge, did the 'locus' actually do a blood test so you can know one way or the other whether it's a bacterial infection or not?

My mum's had to deal with locuses once or twice in emergency situations who have been really shite. One told her to take a few paracetemol (subtext: stop being a whingebucket) when she was in agony from arthritis/gout, with major heart insufficiency and thyroid problems, and unable to move, and left her alone in her flat. Git.

I can't get over the way doctors in the UK (sometimes) prescribe ABs without actually knowing whether it's bacterial.

I have a bit of a dodgy immune system due to a chronic illness and tend to get bad viruses which then turn bacterial. Sometimes it just stays at the bad virus stage (which is just as bad, TBH, except that the virus does eventually get better by itself, unlike the bacterial infection), and really doesn't need ABs.

My doctors (not in the UK) would NEVER prescribe ABs without doing a blood test to check. Conversely, they would never assume a long-running virus isn't bacterial until getting the results from the blood test. Anything else is just silly. You need that treatment now - go and demand a blood test.

2BoysTooLoud · 26/08/2011 18:40

YANBU.
Best to be safe.
[My DH once was told by 2 x docs [normal surgery hours few days apart] that no antibiotics needed. Bank hol weekend and out of hours doc and he ended up in hospital for over a week].

clam · 26/08/2011 19:18

I too am from the "don't want to make a fuss and bother the doctor" school. but then I hear of people who clutter up go to A&E for a 'slight tickle' in the throat and wonder why I suffer in silence.
This sounds bad. Go and get it sorted.

whackamole · 26/08/2011 19:24

YANBU, I saw the OOH doc the other night, having suffered for 5 days with (what I thought) was a virus. I called NHS Direct, they called the docs and they had me in an hour later. It was a virus, hence nothing anyone could do but I needed to be seen. I was in pain and hadn't eaten in nearly a week.

Hope they can see you tonight.

Fuctifano · 26/08/2011 19:38

YANBU I am of the limb hanging off/blood spurting school of only seeing Drs in dire need. However, similiar to you I had an ear infection and good going nasty one at that when I saw a locum ( not faulting him) Fri am obtained antibiotics and co codamol as I hadn't slept and was pacing and doing labour breathing to manage the pain. That evening I needed a script for Tramadol !!! Ear infections hurt like f*, you wouldn't allow one of your DCs to suffer. Even if the infection is slowly clearing perhaps swabs or bolod tests need to be taken to make sure that this is the case. Oh and in terms of pain relief I normally only take one brufen.

Original poster

miniwedge · 26/08/2011 20:17

Me again......

The doctor calledbaxkand said to go in straight away. I officially have a throat and ear infection. Penicillin 4 x a day. He made me take one there and I am under strict instructions to take another at about twelve to get them started.

Apparently my throat is "a mess" and my ear isn't much better.

Moral of the story; never trust a locus.

OP posts:

Megatron · 26/08/2011 20:28

YADNBU! I really hope you see someone soon, it's HORRIBLE feeling like that. I had an inner ear infection about 9 years ago and I was climbing the walls in pain. it was NINE years ago and two kids later I still haven't been in so much pain. I really sympathise and hope you get it sorted soon.

skybluepearl · 26/08/2011 20:35

get better soon

report the locus

izzywhizzyletsgetbusy · 26/08/2011 20:39

Glad you've got some decent meds - hope they kick in soon and that you'll feel a lot better in 48 hours or so.

Please report the locus so that there will be less incompetent medics for others to mistrust.

gingeroots · 26/08/2011 21:29

Glad you got treated .
Liking the "locus"

SeymoreButts · 26/08/2011 21:40

Good news, you did the right thing, waiting until Monday for antibiotics would have been a risky strategy.

Contact the practice manager re making a complaint about the locus, it's a faff but worth doing. I remember when a GP dismissed my septic 3 week old DS, 5 hours later the lovely OOH GP saved his life. The complaint gave the first GP a much needed kick up the backside.

NessaRose · 26/08/2011 21:45

Glad you've got yourself sorted. Hope you feel better soon.

FigsAndWine · 26/08/2011 22:18

Throw that 'locus' into touch!

I'm really pleased that you got a decent diagnosis and treatment. Hope you feel better soon.

Original poster

miniwedge · 27/08/2011 17:31

Hello again!

Thanks for all the well wishing. I still feel shite but I've been in bed all day watching James bond and torch wood. Jamesbond might not have been the best idea though because all the misogyny makes me shout at the telly......

Update on the locus.... The doctor I saw last night is from my practice, not my usual gp but he had prescribed one of the four lots of antib's I had last time as they were stumped what to give me.

Told him my sorry tale and when I got to the part about the strepsils he wasn't too happy.
So, I have a feeling the locus will be relocating fairly soon......

OP posts:

learningtofly · 27/08/2011 17:47

Yanbu. Your symptoms are deteriorating and require reassessment. Hope you get better soon

learningtofly · 27/08/2011 17:48

Sorry only read the first page! Glad you got appropriate treatment :)

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