To go to the doctors for this?

[MotherOfBeagles]

Would it be totally stupid of me to go to the doctors tomorrow with a cold that’s turned into a bad sore throat that I’m pretty sure is infected?

Bit of background I’ve had 3 severe chest infections almost resulting in hospitalisation in the last 4 years. The last one I had was about 14 months ago. After my second round of antibiotics it turned into a throat infection and resulted in two more rounds of antibiotics. This is exactly what it feels like now.

I’ve had this current cold for just over a full week now and it's just getting worse in my throat, I caught it off my mum and hers has turned into a full blown chest infection.

I don’t want to waste doctors time but I’m worried if I leave it and it goes to my chest or gets worse I could pass the scarier virus onto my 3 month old son or just not be able to cope looking after him. Would you go?

Yes. You’re unwell. You have a history of being very unwell, and you’re in charge of a small baby.

Please don’t even imagine that’s wasting anyone’s time.

Thank you for replying I know when I think about past I've put it off and put it off to the point I'm really ill and need to stop doing that. Just feel daft and going for a sore throat even though I know it's probably more than that now

Yes, ring for an appointment and if there's nothing available ask for a telephone consultation with the on-call doctor. They may well ask you to come in anyway.

Alternatively, if you're in the UK you could ring 111 and see if you can get an out of hours appointment sooner.

Hope you feel better soon!

Thank you, luckily my doctors have walk in clinics twice a day every week day where you're guaranteed to be seen. Might just go to that tomorrow morning. (That is after my physio appointment).

I hate it but I'm always ill! I have friends who are never ever ill and get quite pissy and judge with me about being sick. But every tiny cold or bug I get turns into something serious and scary and sometimes I think it must be my fault wth am I doing different? Really wish I could just not be ill all the damned time

Looking after yourself isn’t daft.
If you feel like that, do a quick cost/benefit exercise - if you are seen by a GP now, and treated early - how much money will you save the NHS? See! You’re a good person :)

No advice regarding appointments, but I have friends who get sarcy with me for how many bugs I've had. Sometimes (especially after pregnancy & birth) your immune system is run down. Taking a good multivitamin has made a huge difference for me. Also see if you can get checked if you're anemic or anything, sometimes there can be something else going on that needs tweaking.

Go and get yourself seen. You’re unwell. We’re in the middle of a flu outbreak and also scarlet fever is quite prevalent too.

Do you have a fever
Do you have white spots on the tonsil area
Do you have a cough
Do you have swollen glands
Are you able to swallow or does even swallowing nothing but saliva hurt?

If you get three yes of the above then call for help

Oh and cough is often viral btw

Thanks all woken up this morning and look like aunt Marge from the Harry Potter films my neck is that swollen.

Definitely going to go get checked. Really hope I haven't passed this onto baby boy!

designed I've always been like this since I was a kid! I take a myriad of vitamins all the time been checked for all sorts. I just have a useless immune system

Have you tried taking probiotic tablets?

Not unreasonable to go,but most of the people who tell me they have a chest infection have a cold and most of those who say they have tonsillitis have a viral sore throat.....

pigs that's usually why I wait until im so bad I'm coughing up mucus and have ripped my throat to bloody shreds every few minutes. Then I get told off that I should have gone sooner. I really hate going I feel like a time waster but I just can't seem to stop getting ill

I've heard of probiotic drinks and yoghurts and have tried them but they didn't do anything really. Are the tablets the same?

no evidence that I'm aware of for probiotics for a viral or bacterial chest infection.

I mentioned the probiotic tablets as they're supposedly meant to help boost the immune system. I think they contain more strains of the good bacteria than you would get in the yogurts.

I suffered with a sore throat for nearly two weeks before going to see the GP because I didn’t want to waste their time for just a sore throat. Turns out sore throats caused by a virus shouldn’t really last for more than 48 hours and if it lasts longer it’s probably bacterial and needs antibiotics.

I hope you get seen soon and feel better.