For going to the GP - again!

[joCmummy]

Long story will do bullet points 🤪

• Jan caught flu, felt rubbish, managed to get over it but had suspected cracked rib from coughing.
• Had several colds and 2 rounds Laryngitis.
• OH got shingles

-Both kids then got chicken pox

• while Dd1 had chicken pox I got a chest infection. Crackling chest, chronic cough, fatigue etc. Mucus sample negative.

-5 weeks later still coughing in fits. Went back to gp said it was just lingering.

• week later on holiday couldn't breath kept coughing.
• on return went back to gp. Had chest x-ray. Negative.

-started asthma trial. Non conclusive (so far)

• had flu jab. Since then started going down hill to the point now nearly three weeks later I can't stand without feeling short of breath. Totally useless. Fever, chills, coughing fits, pain, aches and sweating.
• saw gp last week as I went dizzy as well as short of breath. Said O2 levels fine, keep going it's a virus.

I'm I being unreasonable to go back again since I feel no better?

Absolutely not. Go back. If this was your friend telling you this what would your advice be to them?

I would go back but maybe phrase your issue a bit differently if they’re just fobbing you off for having a “one-off” virus.

Eg show them what you wrote here with dates, but don’t include your family’s illness, so they have a more complete timeline of how long this cough has impacted you.

It depends on what you expect the GP to do? I had one of those horrible viral chest infections for nearly 2 months, I went to the GP once and it was just a case of 'sorry, you have to ride this out'. There isn't anything they can give you to help viral infections.

I think it depends on the timeline of the events you've told us of. For instance, if you had an xray 5 days ago then I would say don't bother with the GP again. If you had an xray 4 weeks ago then I would definitely say go back to GP incase it's developed into pneumonia or something.

It sounds like they have done some pretty conclusive testing for infection and all has come back negative. There is nothing they can do for a viral infection and antibiotics for a viral infection are counterproductive.

Thanks, have made appointment. They know my timeline. I realise viruses can longer but this has been going since August with only three days ish of me being myself. I just don't know if I can't fight off all the viruses coming my way for some reason or if it's something else. I kind of want the doc to explore what could be behind my continual problems. It's really getting me down now.

Yes, I would go back. There's a lot of information you haven't really given, and it may just be a crap year with germy kids or that your lifestyle needs an overhaul, but your GP should be able to assess that and decide if you need any further tests. It's not really clear what you mean by an asthma trial, still less what you mean by inconclusive. Have you been doing regular peak flow tests? If so your GP will be interested in any fluctuations. Have you tried inhalers and did they help? If so, then you probably are asthmatic, as it's basically a clinical diagnosis.

(Not sure your OH's shingles is relevant tho! It's not how your DC will have caught chicken pox or how you will have got a chest infection.)

If everything is normal, I would be looking at vitamin and mineral supplements and making sure you get enough sleep. I hope you feel better soon.

whenever I had a chest that did not go, my GP sent me for a chest x-ray after 3 weeks of coughing. Thought that was standard. did you never get an x-ray?

Thanks all. I have a bacterial chest infection and antibiotics. Lifestyle is pretty good. Sleep deprivation from kids aside. I eat pretty healthy, even grow some of our veg. I'm outside a lot, exercise,have never smoked and don't drink more than a couple of glasses of wine a week.
Chest x-ray was done 5 weeks after my first infection and that was approx 6 weeks ago.
Asthma trial is peak flow using inhalers. I've not noticed much difference but then again I'm I'll again.
I'm now not sure if this is a new infection or the only one not fully clearing and coming back!