to be annoyed that GP has prescribed antibiotics after THREE days?

[brownmouse]

DD14 has tonsilitis - was very poorly two days ago but much on the mend now. She says she is now fine but just has a sore throat.

Her dad (exH) came and took her to the GP today and she has returned with a prescription for antibiotics. I am so gutted as she used to have a poor immune system and has done so well to fight this on her own.

I rang the GP to check if we could wait another day or two before giving them, and he said that she could develop an abcess overnight and die in the night, and he wouldn't take responsibility for it. He always prescribes for tonsilitis.

WTAF? I am so cross. She hasn't had a chance to fight this herself.

AIBU? I really hate this sort of over-prescribing and I feel as though I've just been talked to by the GP in a really inappropriate way.

Yabu. If the doc prescribed them then she needs them, its good your ex stepped in and took her. I have repeatedly suffered with both forms of tonsillitis, they are reluctant to give abs unless needed. Poor kid. Hope she gets better soon.

She is fine. I have just told her to stop singing High School Musical songs. She is really not that poorly.

Sorry it's Pitch Perfect (she's is not)

My cousin has this whilst young. Ended up bringing up liver like chucks in a&e because her throat was that raw. Thankfully they are now out and she's fine

Just realised my post sounds like I've never had this- yes I have, but are refusing to have them out at my age (almost 40)

Although superbeagle according to our GP currently the advice on ear infections is 24 hrs on calpol only and if pain doesn't resolve in that time then antibiotics. Most cases do clear up in 24hrs apparently.

Unfortunately brownmouse I'm guessing your ex will now claim it was the antibiotics that did the trick...

bestpractice.bmj.com/best-practice/monograph/598/diagnosis/criteria.html

Sounds like antibiotics were in order.

My DD has recurrent tonsillitis, and we SOMETIMES need antibiotics. She used to get them every month until the GP suggested a wait and watch approach. For months she went without ABs and the tonsillitis always cleared. Until last week, I eventually took her on day 5 with a 40C temp causing dehydration, and urine infection. She needed the ABs then and is currently on a 10 day course.
For me if it doesn't get better itself within a few days ABs are usually needed so it doesn't get worse and cause problems.
I think your husband WBU for taking her when she was already feeling better TBH.

I really don't get this....

If you disagree with the GP, don't give her the antibiotics, see how it goes and hope she recovers naturally.

If you agree that the GP may be right and that you should give the antibiotics, what are you complaining about?

I tried to manage my last bout of tonsilitis without recourse to the GP/antibiotics. A week later I had the worst case of sinusitis ever - couldn't lie down - and was begging for them. They were bloody marvellous.

Recurrent bouts of this since I was op's daughter's age have left me using antibiotics about once a year now....decided recently to fight it off, with the good support of my gp. Four days later, I was admitted to hospital with a dangerous infection from a quinsy and have never felt worse. Took me weeks to get over and I've just had another. I don't believe in random prescription either, but believe me, when my recent, small quinsy burst in the middle of the night - I was bloody glad to have them. Hope she's back to singing something loudly soon.

Er no, I am not remotely like that. She was NOT seriously ill. She just had a sore throat - no fever or any other symptoms. I would have expected a swab at the very least tbh which is what our previous GPS always did with no other symptoms. Or at least a polite response from the GP.

It is like getting blood out of a stone getting antibiotics out of GPs now, understandably. So i would tend to respect his learned opinion. As long as she follows and completes the course it won't do any harm.

She doesn't HAVE to take anything. The doctor gave the best advice of which he is capable. The rest is up to her.

YABVU because you have wasted NHS time/resources multiple times here and somehow think you've been poorly treated.

Firstly by taking up an appointment when you don't think your dd needed it. Then again by calling up the GP and making them waste time explaining to you why they have prescribed a straightforward medication and forcing them to deal with you telling them you don't think it's needed. In which case, you also wanted to waste the time and resources taken to prescribe and dispense your dd the drugs.

Sort out your parenting with your Ex and don't make a GP play piggy in the middle.

I have had antibiotics prescribed unnecessarily. My daughter had a persistent cough, and we were worried it was asthma, she was coughing all night for weeks. On the advice of a doctor friend, I took her to get checked out, and the doctor said it was probably viral, but they would give me a prescription for antibiotics in case it didn't clear up. She wasn't at all unwell, just had a nasty night time cough (turned out to be a dust mite allergy). I said we didn't need the prescription, but he gave it anyway. I never filled it out, obviously.

This is called safety-netting. Like when you make someone an appointment to come back for review in 2 days/a week but to cancel if if things have resolved. Or when you get discharged from A&E with advice to come back "if X,Y or Z" red flags. Etc etc

Safety-netting is A Good Thing.

You're pissed off with your ex not the GP. He's her parent too and he's entitled to take her to the GP if he feels you are not taking it seriously.

My DSis has Quinsy and almost died thanks to our "DM" not being arsed to take her to the GP when she was 14. That is not something you want your child to go through, it was awful. She was in hospital for a fortnight and very ill for a month after that.

YABVU because you have wasted NHS time/resources multiple times here and somehow think you've been poorly treated.

Firstly by taking up an appointment when you don't think your dd needed it.

That was her ex, not the OP.

OP is not being very unreasonable to question the use of antibiotics in this situation and the fact that the GP said she could die over night. If he thought that was likely I'm sure she would have been admitted. Some GPs do hand antibiotics out willy nilly, mine still does. She was getting better, so in these circumstances OP is fine to question it.

WTF????? Your GP, having examined your child, has formed the conclusion that she is so seriously ill there is a good chance of her dying overnight without immediate treatment

what an odd response! I don't know, but wouldn't a GP who thinks a patient who is so seriously ill that there is a good chance she will die over night actually admit the patient for IV antibiotics and observations?

Damned if they do, damned (even more!) When they don't. Poor gp's!

I feel sorry for your GP. Damned if they do, damned it they don't. I can't see what your ex has done wrong here either

Tonsillitis needs to be treated with antibiotics. That is my experience.
I think your GP might just have the edge when it comes to medical expertise.