To use an 'old' antibiotics prescription without visiting my GP?

[JemimaPuddlePop]

So just to clarify first of all, I'm no Doctor but I do know the basics - antibiotics only work for bacteria, nothing viral etc. I don't go straight for antibiotics at the first sign of illness.

Anyway...I have a 7 day course of amoxicillin in my medicine cabinet, which was prescribed in December. At the time I'd had a terrible sore throat for a week and was about to go away for a fortnight. Went to the GP who said it seemed like a virus, tonsils were huge but 'normal', no pus or temperature, but gave me the prescription because I was going away...with advice to take them if my symptoms got worse/didn't clear, if I developed a temperature or pus etc.

So I got the prescription but my symptoms cleared literally the next day so never used them.

I've now had a sore throat for about a week again but over the last day it's gotten much more painful. Woke up this morning feeling shivery and have a (mild) temp. Looked at my throat this morning and my tonsils are now covered in white spots.

Wibu to just take the antibiotics I have?Dh thinks I should book an out of hours appointment today but it seems a little pointless as I'm pretty sure the GP would prescribe anti biotic anyway...the dc have had a couple of throat infections in the past and white pus usually means the GP gives antibiotics.

Aibu?

tyw is why I automatically assume most qualified doctors are wankers

Patients too

I know enough of "the basics" now to double check when I am prescribed something.

I also know enough of "the basics" to trust I know my own conditions and body and query advice to make sure the advice fits me.

Some doctors don't like that. Given the breadth of what they have to cover in their careers I can see how patient queries might be taken personally as a slight against their knowledge (it's not, people just like to understand what is happening to them) but after a very near miss when I was 30, "the basics" are comforting.

Tywy I know the basics about my complex health condition, probably more than my GP surgery who freely admit that I am the expert. I also knew that I shouldn't be prescribed a certain antibiotic but my GP insisted it was fine. I later phoned my specialist nurse who confirmed my thoughs. Fortunately, my surgery were very gracious when I wrote in and highlighted my concerns and they changed their practice.

In social care, we work on the principle that service users and their families are experts of their own experiences. We recognise their strengths and their knowledge. I see many medics are also following this line of thought and becoming more person led but clearly we have some way to go!

it is true that patients are the experts in their OWN experience of their complex health condition.
Also if its rare enough, they MAY know more than a specific GP... Altho the GP may be an expert in your rare condition.
Expert patients and their programmes can cause a lot of misinformation, with some non- qualified folks insisting that others do or dont do as their own personal experience dictates. The plural of personal anecdote is not research evidence... On many people...

There is a reason why doctors train for such a long time.

I would totally do this - in fact I would consider that my first thought rather than get an appointment. You think you have bacterial tonsillitis - you can look online at pics of bacterial vs viral as both sometimes have white spots although I am sure a GP here will correct that if wrong! - so take the amox.

Hope you feel better soon! I hate tonsillitis - had it every ten minutes as a kid.