To ask gp for different painkillers

[SuziSecondLaw]

Posting here for traffic, but please please please help me.

This is just details, can skip this.. woke with sudden bad sore throat when swallowing on right side 5 days ago, also had chills, fever, body aches, huge swollen glands in neck etc, called 111 2 days later as couldn't eat or sleep due to throat pain, sent photo of throat, they said strep or tonsillitis, gave me antibiotics. Today (2 days after that) called 111 again as no improvement in throat at all. Went to see a doctor he said possibly tonsillitis and glandular fever (at this point pain has swapped sides but actually even worse), he's prescribed me different stronger antibiotics, and full strength cocodemol.

Here's the issue, the cocodemol does NOTHING 😩

I have tried everything and nothing even vaguely dulls the absolute searing agony every time I swallow. It's unbearable. What can I do?? Is there anything stronger I can take? Should I ring Dr yet again tomorrow and ask for anything?

I've tried: paracetamol, ibuprofen, Co codemol, difflam, gargle salt, gargle tcp, that numbing throat spray, all the lozenges.. Ermm I think that's everything. But nothing touches it, not even slightly. Please say I've missed something magical?!

Glad you've had a bit of progress at least.

Co codemol no longer reducing the pain at all, just making me nauseous on top of everything else.

I'm not sure there's anything else I can do.. I do now have some alka selzer (sent eldest child to shop for dissolvable aspirin, and this is apparently the same?) so I'll try that as soon as I can stomach it.

I don't get the impression there's anything seriously wrong with me, apart from the pain I feel OK.. But 6 days of this.. How much longer will it last 😔

Have you managed to eat? I find codeine very nauseating too, but a bit of toast lining your stomach might help? Or soup, milkshake, anything a bit sturdy but liquid if you can't do solids.

The antibiotics might make you feel queasy too....

Yeah I think it was probably the empty stomach. There's no point taking the Co codemol or anything else again though as they don't work.

Try gargling and then swallowing whisky. It'll sting like a bitch but might help it a little.

I did consider this yesterday, but then thought I probably shouldn't add alcohol to my system right now, considering how many tablets I'm taking 😬

I swear it's getting worse. There's a deep throbbing pain in my throat and ear, on one side. Swallowing still feels like daggers, but I'm pretty sure it felt OK when I wasn't swallowing before. Pain also in ear when I swallow.

Tried gargling aspirin, no affect.

It feels to me like the pain and swelling (I can feel the swelling like a lump!!!) is further down my throat, which would explain why nothing I gargle has any affect.. But Dr Google can't suggest what on earth that could be, and I'm aware that just because it lower down doesn't mean it is.

How is it getting worse?!?

You are at risk of quinsy. You would not be at all unreasonable to go to A&E to be assessed.

Agree with PP - probably time to get checked again, specifically for quinsy.

But the Dr checked my throat, no sign of quinsy. And I've looked at Google images of quinsy and it doesn't look like that..

I'm tempted by A&E but pretty sure I'd be a very low risk patient so probably waiting there all night. Seems I may as well to go to the Dr in the morning?

The Dr checked your throat a little while ago. Quinsy can progress quickly. If you are getting to the point where you have no relief from pain at all, can’t swallow, can’t open your mouth easily then assessment may well be needed. It’s your call whether you wait until morning and try with your GP but if it is quinsy you will likely need IV abx. I’d say you’re likely to go either way overnight and if you’re feeling really awful it might make sense to go tonight.

I'm in A&E. Will update later

Just reading through this as a Paramedic and must say I'm glad you've gone in to be seen at A&E with it worsening despite good analgesia various antibiotics.

You've tried well with the standard care bundle but if it's as severe as you say then a review at this point seems reasonable to make sure it's not developed into quinsy or epiglottitis.

You could ask for Diclofenac - it’s excellent for pain like that ime.

Sending sympathies to you OP. I still vividly remember 10 years later the terrible throat pain of glandular fever and had to be admitted for IV treatment as I just couldn’t swallow. Hope it gets better soon.

How are you doing, OP?

Thank you @SleepyRich ..I really appreciate you saying that.

I'm home from hospital. Saw triage nurse who was absolutely lovely, he asked why on earth I'd left it so long to go A&E, and I explained that I didn't want to waste people's time. He said 'I'm sick to death of time wasters here, but you are absolutely not one of them darling', and honestly, it was so nice to hear that that I bawled my eyes out 🤦🏻‍♀️.

He took bloods, left the thingy in my arm in case I needed to go on a drip or iv antibiotics or something (I can't remember exactly).

Waited in the waiting room, maybe only an hour, which I thought was great considering it was packed.

Unfortunately the Dr I saw was extremely unpleasant. He said from my bloods I've definitely got an infection, but as I'm on the strongest painkillers and antibiotics, what did I want from A&E? I explained how long it had been going on, worsening pain etc, he had a look in my throat and said all he could do was liquid morphine (which I actually turned down in the end because the cocodemol made me very nauseas, so the thought that morphine might make me vomit was way too scary - it would be excruciating to vomit with my throat like that). Anyway he prescribed naproxen (?) and anti sickness stuff to collect from pharmacy tomorrow, and sent me home. Which is totally fine! But he was genuinely unpleasant.. Really made me feel I'd wasted his time. Felt really crap after that 😔

Anyway, sorry this is so long!!! On the way back from hospital we stopped and I got a bottle of cold diet coke (was seriously craving one for some reason) . I swear to god, it was the best thing in the world (obviously I was a bit dehydrated, starving and sleep deprived but still..) it made my throat feel SO MUCH BETTER. It was like magic! I could literally neck it with hardly any pain, yet tiny sips of water (or my own saliva) was agony.. How is that possible??
So I've drank two bottles so far, and I feel better than I have since Wednesday.

Now, obviously it could be a massive coincidence (I know, it probably is), but is there any reason why it could have helped it this much? Regardless, I now absolutely love cola.. Never been fussed on it before!

Sorry that was so long!! Thank you all for your messages and concern, if nothing else all this provided a lovely distraction from the pain!

I'll update again tomorrow.. I'm feeling very optimistic right now, but we'll see 😁

It was honestly worse than childbirth, which I've done twice without pain relief. Thank you for your sympathy, I feel like I've needed some! 😊

The pain is about 90% better (have had some ibuprofen, but since that wasn't touching it before it can't just that?), I can't believe it. I feel like running down my street singing 😂
I've eaten toast, and a yogurt, barely any pain. Amazing.

I'll shut up now and go to bed 🤐

Sleep well OP. Glad you're feeling a bit better 😊

Should have gone for ‘full fat’ coke - you’re probably low on sugar anyway. Hope you’re feeling better today.

its a tough one - I think people do go to a&e right before the abx work with this kind of tonsillitis, but some of those people do have quinsy or even sepsis and should be treated. I’m sorry the dr was horrible to you, I’ve had it in paeds in the middle of the night (and I almost waited too long with a child with sepsis because I couldn’t face going back to a&e at night). The nurse was right, ignore the dr.

So sorry you are suffering, I've been through this, constant ice pops really helped.
Hope you feel so much better really soon x