to ask any medical folk your advice - posting here for much needed traffic.

[TheChocolateTeapot]

Background; when I was travelling last Autumn in SE Asia my gp gave me some precautionary, cure all antibiotics in case of need. Happily they weren't needed and are safely at the back of the medicine box.
Fast forward to today - Easter Saturday. The cough I have been nurturing for 48 hours has gone apeshit and I am now coughing up huge amounts of nasty green mucus. The local chemist says she can't give me anything that will help as it has gone beyond otc remedies and suggested I go to a&e instead. I can't now see a doctor before Tuesday as I only get ill over holidays!
So, here's the question. Would you take the very general antibiotic (which I have googled and does indeed seem to be suitable for bronchitis) or would it make me the very worst person in the world.

Am going to crawl under the quilt now and see what tomorrow brings. Thanks all.

Please don't do that. Ring 111 and tell them your symptoms. MAKE SURE YOU TELL THEM ABOUT YOUR MEDICAL HISTORY.

i don't understand why your options are A&E, or ignore it comepletely. go to the OOH GP!

Well my very experienced consultant isn’t bothered about bacteria becoming resistant. He doesn’t believe it happens

Thats worrying, but it doesn't matter whether he believes it or not, it happens. That's a fact. You may not believe the sun will rise in the morning, nevertheless....

Well my very experienced consultant isn’t bothered about bacteria becoming resistant. He doesn’t believe it happens

I’d be looking for a new “very experienced” (? Out of date) consultant.

I can understand “not being bothered” about resistance in a specific case where long term ab use in that patient carries more benefit.

However not believing resistance happens? At all? Outdated at best.

Well my very experienced consultant isn’t bothered about bacteria becoming resistant. He doesn’t believe it happens

Well he might want to take that up with the CDC www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/community/about/antibiotic-resistance-faqs.html and WHO www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/antibiotic-resistance/en/

Antibiotic resistance is evolution in action. I'd worry if I were being treated by anyone who didn't believe these things.

History of multiple PE's.....got to be the best drip feed of the year so far

Well that’s definitely what he said as I specifically asked him about abx resistance, he told me not to worry that it won’t happen....he might have said it was over exaggerated rather than never happens. Was a few years ago so can’t quite remember his exact words. It’s a medical trial so I know it’s closely monitored by the trust board. Every patient has to be discussed at monthly meetings.

Why don't you want to go to OOH OP?

I would get seen by the dr. Could it be pneumonia

Ds takes that antibiotic long term, in his case it’s like PP said because the benefits for him outweigh the risks of resistance but the risk is of course there and the reason why people should seek medical opinion before taking antibiotics as they aren’t some sort of miracle cure for everything

I did this last year... Ended up in out of hours anyway as I weirdly developed an allergy to penicillin since pregnancy!

That happened to me as well. I was given penicillin when my baby was 8 weeks old and I went into anyphallactic shock. I can recall lying on the sitting room floor with a flying squad Dr treating me.

Sadly I then went in to develop an allergy to other antibiotics to the extent I’m glad they’re not prescribed easily nowadays because I’m quite scared of them even though it generally takes 3 doses of the medication before my allergy symptoms appear. It’s bloody nerve wracking.

I think you should at least speak to a doctor/ nurse out of hours. Azithromycin is a hardcore antibiotic and I would imagine you are also on warfarin for the PEs? I would want to examine you if you rang me.

A pharmacist wouldn't advise a+e unless they genuinely felt that you needed to be seen tonight

Please don't leave it and suffer and please don't take the antibiotics without advice from a Dr that has actually examined you

What are PE's?

Bit hard to give advice on just the few facts above. Do your repeated PEs have a trigger (like long car journeys) or are they spontaneous ( like factor V Leiden)? PEs don’t usually present with a productive green cough and I’m assuming your previous ones didn’t or you’d recognise the same pattern.

Have you got fever/temp higher than 38/shivers/sweats - which would suggest community acquired pneumonia and may need a chest X-ray?

You need to get your chest listened to by someone who knows what they’re listening for - focal signs of consolidation. You probably do need antibiotics, azithromycin is a reasonable choice. It’s not the most ideal, which was benzylpenicillin when I was in the UK, but bacterial populations change so it may not be any more!

If your sputum colour changes to a rusty red it may indicate an atypical infection with something like mycoplasma. If you’ve had flu like symptoms first it may be a superadded bug, commonly staph.

You need to see someone, get your O2 sats checked and have your chest listened to. Wouldn’t risk just starting the azithromycin - 99 times out of a 100 you’d probably be fine, but why risk it?

Starry- pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lung. Can be fatal.

Wow that's a cracking drip feed if ever I've seen one!!

OP, please get yourself checked

Back again, taken some paracetamol and had a little sleep. Am seeing a doctor in the morning. I don't believe my PE history (factor II, bit like V Leiden) has anything to do with anything bit I do know that, whenever I have anything wrong with me like this, doctors are always very cautious. Rightly so, I know, but it does mean it always turns into a saga. Sorry for the drip feed - really don't believe the two things are related but was trying to explain why I sometimes ignore shortness of breath ........ or I'd be in A&E on a weekly basis 😊. Really do appreciate the advice and the kindness - have had scary times in the past and friendly concern is always very welcome. Thanks all.