To please ask what you would do? A/E

[Lamplightlady4]

I’m an adult but hate wasting anyones time so I’m asking mumsnet for their opinions. AIBU for considering a and e?

I’ve had an ear infection for eight weeks: my ear is incredibly swollen, leaking pus and blood daily and smells like fish. (sorry TMI).

In the past 6 weeks I’ve has 5 doses of antibiotics, and steroid drops and it’s remained the same. My ear is still as it was eight weeks ago.

My GP has done an urgent referral to ENT but this is nine weeks away even as urgent referral.
I went to my GP a few days ago and was given another set of antibiotics and sent on my way.

But the issue is I’m getting even more poorly over the past day, my glands in my mouth have now swollen, saliva glands and it’s hard to swallow, my ear is still swollen and red and bleeding, and I’m shivering and clammy, waking up with wet hair and a wet back with sweat. I’ve also slept 15 hours but I can barely keep my eyes open at work. I don’t have a temp however.

im just a loss of what to do, I’m feeling so unwell within myself I can hardly function and do my normal activities but I cannot bear a 6th sent of antibiotics, and without a temp, I doubt they’ll do anything:

Does anyone have any advice? Even ibuprofen isn’t touching the sides.’

Read your first post with a sinking heart, sounded awful so very glad you’re okay and you are being treated.

Our NHS is in such a bad place it’s actually scary.

Thank you for your update, I hope you are feeling better soon with no knock on effects from the delays

God love you. I hope you're rapidly on the road to recovery. A&E is worse now than I've ever seen it. Hours and hours of waiting, full A&E departments with not even a chair to sit on sometimes. Awful.

Thank god you went OP, you poor thing. Hope you're ok and they've started some treatment now.

Thank you for updating. So glad you went to A&E and that you’re finally being treated. Get well soon 💐

Really hope you're starting to feel better now, horribly scary thing to have happen to you. You really should make a complaint about your GP's treatment.
Our GP's practice missed the fact that my DH had heart failure on two visits, it was picked up by a locum at his third appointment. He'd previously been prescribed throat sweets and sprays for his persistent cough which was apparently a very obvious symptom, along with his breathlessness.
He had seen a senior partner at the practice who was subsequently forced to take early retirement.

Go to A&E. You may end up with sepsis!! Good luck you poor love!

Given your worsening symptoms, I would go to A&E. Unfortunately, A&E is usually taken over by people who have over indulged on alcohol over the weekend. Your ailment seems more deserving.

RTFT.

Or at least read the op's posts before commenting 🙄

There's excuse, is there?

Not only can you literally highlight the OP's posts but you can press a button which wheedles the posts down to JUST the OP's.

I'm pleased you have a diagnosis and are getting treatment. It sounds awful.

I know A&E are terrible places, thanks to government underfunding for years. I imagine it's frustrating for the staff as well.

Very glad you’ve been admitted and that you know what you’re dealing with now, OP.

FWIW, I went to A&E with sepsis in 2010 (south London) following a serious operation. Was triaged quickly then left in a corridor for six hours, sobbing in pain and fear and begging for help. Every member of staff just walked past me.

Eventually the porter came over and asked if he could help - I asked him to get a doctor because I couldn’t bear the pain any longer. Later found out they wrote ‘patient is hysterical’ on my notes. I ended up in hospital for two weeks.

I have panic attacks now due to that experience and at the time I hoped it was very rare. I’m horrified to see how much worse it’s become in the decade since.

I am a nurse. Go to a&e asap
hope you get on ok

The OP posted yesterday to say she was in hospital.

Hope you're feeling OK and get well very soon!

someone whom i know and was with at the time, had sepsis, which was ignored, in A&E inside cubicle, not in waiting room. i was begging for hours. no action and nurse falsified notes, trying to get rid of patient to a ward.
another passing nurse noticed state of patient and said we need to stabilise before going to ward. then rushed to resus where a doc asked if they had a protocol for sepsis, and rummaged in a drawer for a booklet. if i had not seen all this i would not believe it. it was touch and go. she was told that she might not make it. several tense hours ensued.
eventually went to HD ward in early hours. few hours later breezy therapists dragged her out of bed for exercise. she could hardly stand, heart rate, etc shot up. i tried to say but she was critical just a few hours ago, is this really right.
her nurse came back from break, said what are you doing, patient on point of collapse. therapists scuttled off.
it is like a lottery.
some good people trying to do good work, among chaos.

SO glad you went in, I’ve been checking for your updates, get well soon xxx

I had this and my ear drum burst and no one could fix it for 6 weeks and I was a telephone operator and lost my voice every shift and my ear hurt so bad. I was very young. Call the opera house or concert venue and ask where they send performers who are losing their voice. This is the doctor you want to see and they will fix it asap.

That is horrendous

HelenMWB, i know how you feel and fully sympathise.
by the way what i saw was in north london 3 years ago.
could be anywhere i guess.
hands across the thames.

So glad you went to a and e , when you feel well enough please make a complaint against your gp. Mastoiditis is a serious infection of the mastoid bone behind your ear, your gp should have suspected this and sent you to a and e .(I’m an ex nurse) I had sepsis nine years ago from a tiny cut in my finger , it takes hold very quickly. I was in hospital ten days and was told I’d have to have my hand amputated , thank fully two operations and a cocktail of antibiotics pumped into me saved it I had called 111 for advice and they sent an ambulance , my consultant said had I gone to sleep at home that night I wouldn’t have woken up , . I was on abs for six months and took a long time to recover. I’m so glad you are in hospital but sorry to hear about your a and e experience 😞

You really should go to A&E urgently OP as this has become a serious bacterial infection that may lead to sepsis. Trust me you don't want that😮

The problem of an ear infection plus that due to the infection and swelling the ear is under pressure and that can permanently damage your hearing if it persists for too long. The question does it hurt? I’m guessing yes as you mentioned ibuprofen and Can you make your ears pop? This happens when you yawn or when you hold your nose shut and press the air up. The popping or clicking opens the channel which links the ear to the back of your throat and regulates pressure.

If it hurts and you can’t pop then you need to go to A&E after it persists for more than 5 days. You should also not go to work.
A&E can pierce the ear drum and let the infection run out. The drum will heal again.
im not a doctor but just had the same.

She's already in and being treated thank goodness!

My first thought was acute mastoiditis, which can be extremely dangerous. I’m glad you have been seen and treated. Please, please look after yourself and take things really easy for the time being.