Aibu to expect a bit more urgency from gp out of hours?

[ginforthewin4]

First time ever starting a thread.

Fully aware I could be being unreasonable.

Anyway, on Thursday I started burning up, fever of 40°c, shaking uncontrollably all night, thought it was the flu.

This morning, after a really rough night, could not swallow etc, I looked in my mouth and noticed my tonsils covered in white pus.

I rang out of hours at 8.30 am this morning and I am STILL waiting for a call back 12 hours later.

I have put in a terrible day, have barely lifted my head off the pillow, sweating then freezing, cannot eat, forcing myself to drink but is very painful.

I understand that there may be more urgent calls than mine but surely if there is anything much more urgent they should go to A&E?????

I do not mind waiting but it's been 12 hours and I could cry with the pain I am in

If your partner can get out to a supermarket or late opening pharmacy, get some Peroxyl. Gargle with it - it is absolutely vile but works quickly. It’ll fizz against all the crap on your tonsils and lift it away. It sounds like you need antibiotics but in the meantime some relief is better than none

I was given Oramorph for my tonsillitis, so that I could open my mouth to get the antibiotics in. If you are struggling to swallow saliva then you need to go to a&e.

There is deff no pharmacy open over here at this time of night. The thought of even getting up to gargle is daunting to me. Going to take some nurofen (ouch to swallowing that) and fingers crossed I get a call soon

Do you have any soluble Asprin, OP? If you can, try gargling and then swallowing that. I had a horrible dose of tonsillitis earlier this year, and that did give me some relief as did gargling salt water, if you'd be able to stick it.

Hope they ring soon

It's a struggle. But I can make myself do it. I pretty much have to psyche myself up to do it and its is terribly sore but I will force myself. Tried to eat veg soup earlier and couldn't as nearly choked on the lentils. Nightmare.

Will actually get partner to check for aspirin, we might do. The hive, did you get antibiotics in the end?

Dd had similar last week and the GP she saw wanted her to go to hospital for IV fluids but she persuaded him to let her try antibiotics first and they worked enough overnight to keep her home. He said if she stopped being able to swallow enough water to stay hydrated it was A&E urgently.

I’ve had this before then my paracetamol stopped bringing my temp down so the doc sent me to hospital. The good news is that once I was on antibs I started feeling better very quickly!

Also gargle paracetamol and try not to puke after, will help!

Ahh I had this recently. It definitely gets worse as you get older, I couldn't move. Hope you get an appointment and feel better soon.

I just want the antibiotics pronto because I know they'll kick in quickly. The thought of another night of this is dreadful especially when I was on the ball at 830 this morning

You probably already know but don’t take aspirin and ibuprofen.

I had antibiotics for my last tonsillitis - same as you, fever and flu-like symptoms with the throat from hell.

The meds I am taking bring my temp down to about 37.9.

To me this isn't high but it's also not low.
As I said before if I don't take my dose on time due to sleeping or whatever my temp shoots back up to around 40. I took paracetamol 2 hrs ago and while it has put my temp down to 37.9, it has took no pain away whatsoever.

Babblebee, theres time I feel like I am on deaths door. No joke.

Gin, I really would dial 999. You must be desperate.

I did, OP. And tbh, my OOH saw me within an hour of my first call. I'm in NI as well, with an OOH setup the same as yours, so I can only assume they are under massive pressure tonight - that's absolutely no help to you though, when you need them!

The hive, yes they must be. But I really think leaving someone for over 12 hours is out of order.

So sorry you’re in this situation. I had a similar issue with 111 earlier this year when DT2 (only 2 at the time) had chicken pox and developed an infection. When I called them he was screaming the house down and hitting himself in the head (he has autism but never has done this before or since). He screamed all night - when they finally called me back at 3 in the morning he’d literally passed out from exhaustion five minutes before and they refused to assess him because he was asleep and closed the case, told me to call back and start again when he woke up! He woke about 10 mins later. He had a really awful infection in his thigh, by the time he got antibiotics he couldn’t sit up or bear weight on that leg at all. I was absolutely furious. No wonder people just go to A&E.

I know what you’re going through with the throat pain - had an infection like this a few months ago and it was brutal. I hope you get some help soon or I would go to A&E. It’s ridiculous.

I had glandular fever as a teen (Eugh, that was really bad) and proper full on tonsillitis a couple of times as an adult.

It is hideous. Brutal.

I agree, OP. I'd be inclined to agree with others and be seriously considering going to A&E at this stage. Try and gargle some salt water to see if that gives any relief in the meantime.

I missed in your posts that you were alternating paracetamol with ibuprofen - definitely don't take ibuprofen and aspirin together!

Wow. It's awful what you've all gone through especially with health professionals. I know they are under pressure but something has got to be done. Or there needs to be a cap put on waiting times. I will sit up till the early morn if needs be, I just NEED this appt. I would go to a&e but from what I hear their waiting times just as bad. I've already done 13, what's another 4 or 5

Is there anyone who can drive you to A&E? Tonsillitis needs urgent antibiotic treatment.

Yeah. Sadly on a Saturday night you’re likely in for a long wait and it’s probably better to wait at home. If you see a doctor wiki you be able to get the prescription pharmacies open tomorrow?

Hi OP, sounds rough. I hope you get the call back from OOH really quickly to avoid having to go to A&E. Not sure what part of NIrn you're in, but live average waiting times are here: www.nidirect.gov.uk/emergency-department-waiting-times

Good luck!

One of my husband's siblings is an a and e consultant she told us that if you are struggling to swallow fluid it's an a+e job (husband gets a bad dose of tonsilitis every couple of years). Hope u feel better soon.

Jeez that sounds terrible - I suffered repeatedly with tonsillitis as a child and remember the pain and just how ill I felt then - and it's worse as an adult!

When I had them out, I was given soluble codeine and paracetamol for the pain - can you still buy Solpadol over the counter? That's good stuff and easier than swallowing pills, but you really need those ABs. You'll feel better almost straight away. I'm so sorry you can't get hold of a doctor, that must be so frustrating.

I have no suggestions that haven't been made already, but I hope you get a prescription very soon and you're on the mend.