To complain about this Dr (and order antibiotics from a dodgy online pharmacy)

[Chwaraeteg]

I'm relatively sure I have a UTI (I've had a handful of UTI's previously - 2 of which have spread to my kidneys before I have managed to get treatment, so I'm familiar with the symptoms). All I want in the world is for someone to dip my bloody urine! Shouldn't be difficult, right?

Well, here is what I've been through in the last 24 hours:

Went to boots to use their private UTI service I had read about online. They told me their pharmacist hasn't had the right training for this yet. Advised goung to another branch. I don't drive, so I devides to phone 111 instead.

111 are great. They tell me I need to see a Dr within 2 hours. They acn't find me an apt, so pass my details onto OOO Gp.

OOO GP calls 4 hours later. Bad phoneline, extremely thick accent, gets angry when I ask him to repeat anything, during the call it becomes clear that he has a very limited grasp of spoken English. GP doesn't ynderstand basic words such as 'waist', 'navel' or 'side of body'. Doesn't understand where I am experiencing pain. GP tries to tell me I have Costochondritis!!! Tells me to take paracetamol and phone back in a weeks time if this hasn't improved. I query this and ask why I would be experiencing diziness/seeing stars with this. He tells me it's dehydration, probably caused by loose stools 😮 and I should drink more. I haven't mentuined loose stools. I don't have loose stools and I'm 90% sure I'm not dehydrated. Baffled by this and concerned about the level of miscommunication, I ask if I can see him face to face, or even drop in a urine sample. I'm told no.

Next step - Phone 111 and complain. I'm told to attend an OOO 60 miles away as I nees to be seen by a Dr within 2 hours. I decline, obviously, as I have no transport and it's the middle of the blooming night!

So, I try the Lloyds pharmacy online cystitis service. They decline to treat me, saying that my symptoms mean that I need to see a GP face to face and advising I call 111!!!!!!!!!

By this point I've had enough. I go into e-prescriptions online or some bollcks, fiddle around with the form until they get the answers they need and order myself some antibiotics (probably made in china and full of cyanide).

I mean, it shouldn't be this hard to get a fucking urine dip test, right?

I understand your frustration. You can also buy test strips online.

I’ve used on line doctors for cystitis for a few years
Never ever had a problem with any of them . They are proper antibiotics
In fact I keep a supply of antibiotic for cystitis so that if I get it I can use it straightaway
I have used these companies with no problems
When I get cystitis ( which isn’t often ) I can’t wait for the doctors to give me a script
Health express
DR Fox
Online pharmacy

You can buy Trimethoprim or Nitrofurantoin easily online, Superdrug are great and you can get them next day I believe.
Hope you’re better soon.

I did see some of those strips online but wasn't sure of my ability to accurately interpret them or if they were trust worthy 😐

Thanks, it's very reassuring to know that online cystitis services are legit. This will be my first port of call from now on. Such a faff with the NHS!

@Helendee

You can buy Trimethoprim or Nitrofurantoin easily online, Superdrug are great and you can get them next day I believe. Hope you’re better soon.

You can often get same day pick up from Superdrug pharmacies, which is even better.

I get frequent UTI’s that have also landed me in hospital after turning into awful kidney infections due to a lack of understanding or even desire to see me by OOH (and occasionally even my own GP). After the last time I landed in hospital with a kidney infection, the doctor told me next time just come straight to A&E. She’d rather see someone for an antibiotic prescription on a Friday night than be admitting them for an antibiotic drip on Monday morning. Only works if you’re within walking distance of your local hospital though if you’ve no transport available. I really bloody hope you’re seen ASAP, UTI’s and kidney infections aren’t something I’d wish on anyone

Ah, I wish I had tried superdrug then!

Do you have a walk in centre or sexual health clinic near you? They can both prescribe antibiotics for a UTI also.

Do you have a walk in centre/urgent care centre near you?

On line antibiotics? No wonder the world is down to the last few reliable antibiotics if people are buying them indiscriminately.

We’ll be back to dying of sepsis from infected scratches soon, let alone increasing the danger of infection post surgery.

You have my sympathy - I had it once, was told there was only a nurse available not a GP - fine I thought, not like it's rocket science to diagnose, least they can pass me onto the GP if nothing else. Oh how wrong I was! Nurse decided I must be pregnant (?!!), despite me telling her there was 0% chance of that, and that if I wouldn't admit that was the case, there was nothing she could do so go home and take paracetamol! I was fuming. Took over a week to finally get a proper disgnosis of a kidney infection and get some antibiotics.

On line antibiotics? No wonder the world is down to the last few reliable antibiotics if people are buying them indiscriminately.

OP clearly cannot trust the doctor who did the consultation, so what do you want her to do? Wait until it flares up even more so them she'll need stronger ABs?

AB resistance is also caused by farming, take it up with them.

Honestly....

www.livi.co.uk/

@viques This was a last resort for me. I absolutely wouldn't have ordered antibiotics indiscriminately if I could have seen a Dr. I actually hate antibiotics. They always give me thrush and digestive issues. However, having suffered a serious kidney infection previously from a uti that suddenly worsened - I would never risk that happening again.

@viques

On line antibiotics? No wonder the world is down to the last few reliable antibiotics if people are buying them indiscriminately.

We’ll be back to dying of sepsis from infected scratches soon, let alone increasing the danger of infection post surgery.

Of course, people should simply tolerate kidney damage and further complications instead...

I feel your pain op... Last time I had cystitis I was pissing blood and had a raging temperature before I was "allowed" antibiotics. Apparently that's because 'it might clear up' the few times I've had it before it has never done so. I probably visit my GP once a year so I'm hardly a neurotic demand an antibiotic for every sniffle kind of patient. So I wonder if it is yet another gender inequality in medicine thing.....

@Chwaraeteg what antibiotics have you bought? They need to be the right ones for a UTI. By this point I'd probably go to a walk-in centre or wait till the morning and call your own GP. Buying abx online is not good for many reasons (though I do understand why you've done it)

May I ask your age @Chwaraeteg ?
We treat suspected UTIs with abx as a precaution in our surgery.

I should add in people of certain ages.

I have lost use of a kidney through infection and now only have one. I also make kidney stones. I have been told by hospital to go directly to A&E if I suspect stone/infection and not to bother with gp. I think in your particular circumstances, I would do that since you can't get help from gp and are prone to utis. . I would just go and say you have pain /abnormal-looking urine whatever and worried about kidney infection.

Contact gp surgery directly. Tell them youve experiences this before, it’s getting worse and you need antibiotics. You shouldn’t be able to get antibiotics online so I wouldn’t take them I’m afraid. That raises red flags for me! Tell them that you’ve been to pharmacy dialled 111 and if you can’t be seen, ask whose name is refusing you care so you can pass it in when you go to a and e. I’m sure they will see you.

Perfectly reasonable
To go to ED in this situation. It is an emergency. I am a doctor.

By the time you actually receive these “antibiotics” surely it would be quicker to speak to your own GP tomorrow, get a urine dip and they can send the sample off for culture. They will usually start you on antibiotics in the meantime and if there is resistance they will switch it.

By just ordering random antibiotics you are basically pissing in the dark. UTI’s suck balls but if you can’t get to a walk in centre then I would be on the phone to the GP at 8am tomorrow.

Also, my urologist told me to drink at least 3 litres of clear fluid every day, which has greatly helped me stay free from infections and stones, so after this bout is over, try that if you don't already.