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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To go to the gp again even though I went yesterday?

53 replies

tinyterrors · 05/02/2016 07:34

I had an appointment with the nurse practitioner yesterday for a very sore throat. I can't eat or drink without a lot of pain, even breathing through my mouth hurts.

The nurse said my throat was very inflamed with yellow spots but because my temp was 36 I didn't need antibiotics.

The thing is I very rarely get a fever, even when I've had a raging chest infection needing steroids. My normal temperature is 37.5 and when I'm ill it tends to drop to 36.5 or less. I tried to tell the nurse this but my throat hurts to talk and she wouldn't listen.

I've hardly slept the last two nights because my throat hurts so much and it s swollen it feels like I'm choking. TMI alert but it even hurts to swallow spit so sometimes I've had to spit into a tissue and this morning there's streaks of blood in it.

Would ibu to try and see a gp today even though I saw the nurse yesterday?

OP posts:
Original poster
tinyterrors · 05/02/2016 09:23

Thanks everyone. I've managed to get an appointment later this morning.

pupsiecola I haven't had any dental work done lately.

I've been taking strong cocodamol and ibuprofen and it barely takes the edge off. I tried an anaesthetic spray and it made the feeling of not being able to breathe worse.

It feels like there's something blocking the back of my throat. The last time I had that feeling was before I had my tonsils removed and it was because they were so swollen they nearly choked me.

OP posts:
TattyDevine · 05/02/2016 09:23

Yep dont feel bad about going back.

I had tonsilitis once and it felt the same as the bacterial sort I'd had a year earlier, and looked the same to me. I went to the nurse practitioner, and she said it was viral.

I was in so much pain I went back the next day and insisted on a GP who confirmed it was indeed bacterial and gave me antibiotics.

No disrespect to nurse practitioners though, I think it was just a random difference of opinion. Of course I think the doctor was right and I started feeling better once the antibiotics kicked in - for all I know the nurse practitioner may have been right and I started feeling better after 3 days because of the passing of time! Hard to know for sure. But I digress...by all means go back!

Original poster
tinyterrors · 05/02/2016 09:29

cakey that must have been so scary. I can't believe a nurse thought a temperature that low was nothing to worry about.

Normally I have to be dragged to the doctors which is partly why I needed steroids for a chest infection. I just can't stand the feeling of being choked.

OP posts:
Howaboutthisone · 05/02/2016 09:33

Glad that you're going back op. Sometimes the reaction you get from hcp can be worrying. My dd had hugely inflamed spotty tonsils and was crying in pain. Nurse told us that as he had a cough as well it couldn't be tonsillitis! Ended up in out of hours as it got so bad and had antibiotics for acute tonsillitis.

3luckystars · 05/02/2016 09:44

Definitely see the doctor.

When I was in France last summer, my daughter had a sore throat and they got a cotton bud thing, and dipped it like a pregnancy test. The doctor said "if a line shows up, she will need antibiotics" and the line came up, so there was no guessing. It was such a simple little test, I was very impressed with it.

I hope you feel better soon, best wishes for today and mind yourself.

KittenOfWoe · 05/02/2016 09:53

YADNBU OP, glad you've managed to get an appointment. If you feel like the nurse wasn't listening or if it's got worse (ie the blood being a "new" issue as a PP mentioned), then you are completely within your rights for a second opinion.
Good on you for being so conscientious to ponder about not wanting to waste their time etc but you absolutely aren't. Hope you're okay asap

MaryGrace · 05/02/2016 10:00

I do not know if someone mentioned it already but you could call NHS direct for free (111, I think). They will openly tell you to visit a doctor and would make an emergency appointment for you. At the very least it sounds like you have something that I had, called Quincy. I could not talk/swallow and had to spit into a bottle. I went to A&E, they injected me with a high dose of painkillers, gave me a very high dose of Penicillin and I got well. It might be Quincy for you, or something more sinister. Your signs are not typical and you definitely need to be seen by a doctor, no doubt about it.

Best of luck to you. xxx

Jibberjabberjooo · 05/02/2016 10:21

Quinsy. You don't have Quincy in your throat. I hope. Grin

Original poster
tinyterrors · 05/02/2016 11:52

I've been to the gp. He told me I had a temperature of 35.5 and my tonsils are very swollen, when I said squeaked I haven't had any for over 20 years he looked quite shocked. He said it could just be very inflamed or the start of quinsy and gave me 500mg penicillin four times a day for a week and to go straight back if my breathing gets worse.

Hopefully they'll kick in soon and I'll feel able to breathe properly again.

OP posts:
Original poster
tinyterrors · 05/02/2016 11:54

jibberjabber that made me laugh albeit silently, my voice has pretty much gone now.

OP posts:
3luckystars · 05/02/2016 11:56

Your tonsils can grow back you know!

Glad you got sorted, get well soon.

Penfold007 · 05/02/2016 12:21

My tonsils have grown back, it's no fun Sad. Get well soon

Obs2016 · 05/02/2016 12:32

Goodness yes. I have been very ill. I thought it was just a sore throat and wasn't going to 'bother' the GP. But I have a chest infection and I have to say I don't think I've ever been this ill.

FairiesAreReal · 05/02/2016 14:02

Your tonsils can grow back?? Shock

Hope you feel better soon OP Flowers

Jibberjabberjooo · 05/02/2016 16:46

Yes your tonsils can grow back, and your adenoids. It doesn't happen too often.

Jux · 05/02/2016 16:52

I had a quinsey years ago, and left it until it had almost engulfed my airway - not good. Blue lighted to hosp! I had had 3 different courses of anti-biotics leading up to this. That night, I couldn't lie down as the saliva kept dripping down into my lungs as I couldn't swallow. I propped myself up in a chair and drooled and spat into a bowl. Drinking soluble aspirin helped a bit until I went to hospital and was treated.

Howaboutthisone · 05/02/2016 17:53

Op I'm glad you went back and got medication. I hope you feel much better soon. Thanks
I was a bit alarmed to read upthread that tonsils can grown back. Both myself and dd are waiting to have ours out. Hers are really causing havoc at the moment.

Jibberjabberjooo · 05/02/2016 19:41

Tonsil and adenoid tissue can regenerate but it's not very common. And they don't fully grow back.

TolpuddleFarter · 05/02/2016 19:50

Glad you got sorted op!

I think the nurse practitioners at our doctors are solely employed to trot out "it's a virus". It's very frustrating!

Whatdoidohelp · 05/02/2016 19:55

I think you need to make a complaint about that nurse practitioner.

Libitina · 05/02/2016 19:57

I had quinsies 20 years ago, they popped and had been fine since, until a year ago. Got very poorly then and have a 'milder' version atm so I think mine have grown back too. Sad

inlectorecumbit · 05/02/2016 20:01

As a nurse practitoner the thing that jumped out at me from your post was " yellow spots" -rarely viral.

Original poster
tinyterrors · 05/02/2016 20:37

I hope my tonsils haven't grown back and it's just swelling from the infection, before I had them removed I had tonsillitis roughly once a month and I still remember the pain.

My mum's tonsils grew back and had to be removed again, she also had chickenpox twice and I Hooe I haven't inherited that from her.

The nurse practitioners at our surgery are usually really good, it was a new one I saw yesterday. I made sure I timed taking painkillers half an hour before the appointment today so I was able to talk a bit better than yesterday.

I've sent dh out for some soluble aspirin, I can't stand the taste but I'll try anything to numb it a bit.

OP posts:
Penfold007 · 05/02/2016 20:49

Tiny I find soluble Solpedine (must be a generic versions available) really helpful. I try to gargle but settle for holding glugs of it in the back of my mouth for as long as possible before swallowing. Its utterly disgusting but does seem to help.

Hissy · 05/02/2016 21:06

Can you get some difflam ? Magic stuff that!