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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Not taking these antibiotics?

25 replies

PuffPants · 10/08/2012 12:15

I had keyhole surgery recently and a small infection developed in my belly button. Very slight, the nurse hesitated but sent a swab off and it did come back showing infection. She got the doctor to give me a prescription for erythromycin. To look at now there is no infection, just redness - but not very noticeable.

WIBU not to bother getting the prescription and just to let it fix itself? It already looks a lot better. I'm loathe to take antibios, especially as I have read on here that erythromycin makes a lot of people sick - I can really do without that!

OP posts:
SlightlySuperiorPeasant · 10/08/2012 12:16

You can take or not take them as you like; as an adult you can make that choice :)

wankpants · 10/08/2012 12:18

Hmm yabu

Musomathsci · 10/08/2012 12:19

Why not wait and see what happens for another day or two? If it's clearly getting better on it's own, then you aren't coming to any harm by not taking the ABs, are you? If it flares up again, you know the answer...

thisisyesterday · 10/08/2012 12:23

no harm giving it a couple of days to see if it clears up IMO.
however I guess you do run the risk that the infection is just inside and making things worse, so you might be better off taking them and clearing it up now rather than waiting and it being worse and taking longer to clear up?

wankpants · 10/08/2012 12:26

Blood poisoning anyone?

thisisyesterday · 10/08/2012 12:35

actually OP I would ring the surgery and ask for a GP/nurse to give you a call when they have a moment
then just ask if you should take them. explain that it looks as though it's clearing up, and ask their advice.

that would be the most sensible thing to do IMO

raspberryroop · 10/08/2012 12:36

Take the anti biotics back if you dont take them !

saintlyjimjams · 10/08/2012 12:38

Watch and wait if it's getting better.

I've been given a number of prescriptions and told to delay using them if I want (ie see if it gets better first).

rainydaysarebad · 10/08/2012 12:50

YABU. You've just had surgery, it's not a case of taking ab's for a small cough. Just because it looks ok, it doesn't mean it is. Please take them.

squeakytoy · 10/08/2012 12:52

I would go and check with the GP. You have had surgery, so it isnt just a shallow cut, it was a deep incision, which means the infection could be deeper than just on the surface.

rainydaysarebad · 10/08/2012 12:55

Also, erythromycin is a stronger ab than amoxicillin, which means your infection may have looked quite nasty when tested.

eurochick · 10/08/2012 12:59

I would wait and see what happens over the next day or two in your shoes but I am loathe to take antibiotics unless they are really, really needed.

Original poster
PuffPants · 10/08/2012 13:49

Thanks for your replies Smile

Don't want to put myself at risk, obviously. Redness is better described as pinkness today really - can I take that as a sign of the infection going away? Bit sinister to think of it being deep inside - worse still to imagine giving myself blood poisoning!

OP posts:
GetOrfMoiRing · 10/08/2012 13:52

I had an operation about 18 months ago where I had an infection in the wound in my belly button - it was very nasty indeed, and took 3 lots of antibiotics. It smelled awful, I felt I was rotting from the inside. Wasn't particularly sore but was very mucky looking.

In the end the wound granulated as it healed and needed to be burned off.

It wasn't particularly joyful, I would take those antibiotics if I were you.

Dawndonna · 10/08/2012 14:49

The problem is, mrsa lives in the belly button area. This is just one of the areas, taking the antibiotics would a) put you in the clear and b) ensure you don't infect anybody else.

Salmotrutta · 10/08/2012 14:56

I know this is going to sound patronising but I'm going to say it anyway:

If you do end up taking the antibiotics please make sure you finish the course.

I was amazed to read a thread on here a while back where someone was saying they might not finish a course of antibiotics because the infection had supposedly cleared up.

And some people agreed with them IIRC! Shock

Forgive me if I sound condescending Smile

Original poster
PuffPants · 10/08/2012 14:56

But does anybody know whether the fact that it is no longer oozing (yuk, sorry) puts me in the clear? Can redness alone without an open wound or any pus still signify infection?

Thanks.

OP posts:
saintlyjimjams · 10/08/2012 15:50

It sounds to me as if it is clearing up. Overuse of antibiotics is a problem (and whilst one course isn't going to make much difference multiply by a million) so if something appeared to be clearing up alone I wouldn't be very keen to take the antib's. I have no idea whether a hidden infection is possible.

Can you ring and ask your doctor or nurse and ask over the phone (it's not the sort of thing NHS Direct can tell you unfortunately)?

ChunkyPickle · 10/08/2012 15:58

I would ring them before just not taking them.

Is it warm and pink - ie. warmer than usual? Because that's also a sign of infection (without ooze)

5madthings · 10/08/2012 16:04

i would also ring and speak to a nurse, (handy that my mum is a nurse!) if the redness is going away, its not painful or yucky looking i would give it a day or so and if no improvement then take them.

Lizcat · 10/08/2012 16:54

So you have been given erythromycin which means the bug is probably resistant to penicillin type antibiotics. You had abdominal surgery so the wound goes into your abdominal cavity where infection can hide out for ages till it builds up to life threatening levels. This antibiotic hasn't been prescribed willy nilly, but on the basis of a swab and culture excellent clinical practice preventing overuse.

LesleyPumpshaft · 10/08/2012 17:07

OP, it is up to you whether you take the antibiotics at the moment. If you have been given erythromycin, as others suggest, you are probably growing funny bugs.

I had a terrible infection from keyhole surgery to remove a kidney stone and was on IV antibiotics for 5 days. I had many kidney infections, sometimes with a fever of 40 degrees. So, I know all about infections!

Keep an eye on your temperature. If it starts to go up you have a systemic infection, and these can lead to blood poisoning if you are not careful. Very unpleasant indeed! If you do get a temperature and it gets up to 38, get yourself to hospital! That is not me being melodramatic btw. You can deteriorate very quickly if you are not careful.

I know antibiotics aren't nice to take and can give you thrush and make you generally feel crappy. If you want to wait and see then do so, but I would strongly advise monitoring your temperature.

Dawndonna · 10/08/2012 18:20

I'm sorry, but redness alone doesn't put you in the clear. The likelihood is you got the infection because you were already carrying the bug. You are still carrying it. Take the antibiotics.

Groovee · 10/08/2012 18:25

My surgeon prescribed me antibiotics after keyhole when my temperature wouldn't go down because it could be something we couldn't see further down or inside.

Lizcat · 11/08/2012 16:59

You should also watch for low temperature really life threatening infections often go with low temperatures as the body focuses on fighting the infection.

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