To go to urgent care (or am I a drama queen)?

[fashiondevotee]

Just wondering what other people would do in this situation...

Been ill for almost a month now. Started with one heck of a sore throat, which I croaked through for about a week, now a cold and suspected chest infection. Coughing up greenish mucus (sorry, TMI!), chest pain, dizziness, the works. Went to the doctor on Thursday but she didn't seem that concerned, I got some antibiotics and went on my way. I'm still not feeling much better though, antibiotics haven't worked at all. I've been too tired to get out of bed and my heart keeps racing erratically.

I ended up ringing 111 who told me I needed to see a GP immediately, but my surgery has absolutely no appointments and said there was nothing they could do.

Would you go to urgent care for this...? I don't want to waste the doctor's time but I'm also getting a bit anxious.

Just to echo others Totur, I had pneumonia last year and recovered at home too with 2 different sets of antibiotics.

Hope you're keeping well, OP

OP if your breathing gets too fast or slow, your temp increases, you become more wheezy or just generally feel really shit then do please go straight to A&E.

Basically if you get any worse than you are right now in any way go to A&E.

If in any doubt watch 'Starfish' on Netflix.

Your heart rate will go up dramatically if stressed or worried. You need to assess it several times to be sure. However, I would certainly go to urgent care. My husband had a throat infection. Then developed severe flu like symptoms, was extremely tired and had chronic diarrhoea. 111 said to see Dr urgently. Drs said no appointments. Ended up getting him an appointment at his old surgery. He was seen by a triage nurse who decided that he had a virus and so didn't refer him on to the dr but sent him home. Twelve hours later he collapsed and was blue lighted to hospital where he ended up on a life support machine in a coma for weeks. He had Sepsis.

I'm not saying that you are this bad or have it, but conditions do and can change. If you feel like you have deteriorated or symptoms have changed since your last drs appt, then you need to get another assessment. You need to trust yourself. That said, if your concern or the advice from 111 centered around your high heart rate, personally I would monitor it over the course of an hour.

Oh, I see that I am late to the game. You've now seen the Dr. However my advice about changing symptoms/deterioration stands. And, I would urge you (and indeed anyone) to familiarise themselves with the symptoms of Sepsis! There are thousands of unnecessary deaths a year from it.

Unfortunately I was also one who developed pneumonia. It really deteriorated within 6 hours I'd say where I went from vomiting and feeling like I had a chest infection to not being able to either sit nor lie down with pain. I was losing vision and almost fainting and paramedics couldn't understand how I was still conscious given my stats when they eventually arrived. I too ended up in a coma culminating in my organs all shutting down and my family being called in as I was dying.

The OP has improved so all seems well. If you do go downhill, you know to call 999. Just rest and I'm sure you'll be fine.

Don't mind some of us being drama queens - it's impossible to tell how bad you are, but we're just trying to help.

The other symptom I had was that my skin felt stingy/sore to touch - I'd never felt that before. I had no clue how ill I was but I went from 100 to 0 within a few hours, so just be wary of any DRAMATIC downward spiral.

Appologies 'Starfish' is on Amazon.

Worth watching by everyone it may well save someone's life.

How are you today, OP?

Totur - poor you. My husband's kidneys also stopped,his lungs collapsed and he went into cardiac arrest. How are you doing now? Have you fully recovered? X

I know of such a depressing number of missed cases of septicaemia and pneumonia in the UK, esp younger fitter people seems to not be taken seriously, hope you are recovering and can update, OP...

Yes, I've made a full recovery thanks!

another one saying that you might (possibly) have bacteremia (precursor to sepsis) or sepsis - have you had any procedure (dental or investigatory ie colonoscopy, dental, gynie, urinary tract etc) in the last month or so? have you had any ops for bones or heart in the past? close family member landed up in hospital for 6 weeks 4 hourly iv (2 different antibiotics) do you have aches in arms or legs & have you had felt feverish even intermittently? please go to hospital a& e & ANY strange symptoms you have had - report!!!! doctor needs to see & examine to diagnose - the worst that can happen is that you check all is OK.

I hope you're beginning to feel better, OP.