Herpes reoccurrence- AIBU To not want to tell every receptionist I have it

[theshameofstds]

Contracted genital herpes in 2009
This will be my 3rd reoccurrence.
For anyone who's never had it - it's painful
And I always feel ill with it (think flu like)

All I want is a prescription for acyclovir. I can't have one until I've spoken to a doctors. The surgery don't have any appointments to allow me to speak to a doctor today. The receptionist also doesn't have any slots available to see a doctor tomorrow- but insists I call back at 8am again. Because they might have a slot then.
In the meanwhile I've called the pharmacy- multiple sexual health clinics - and 111 on advice of the doctors receptionist.
I could either not get through to speak to someone - or the call was cut off due to 'extreme busy periods'.
I have spoken to at least 5 people and HAD to inform all these strangers I have genital herpes. Yes I known these people are all professional-BUT it's awful having to keep saying you have it. And it's our local doctors and local Tesco pharmacy- I know these people
Why can't the pharmacy give me a prescription? Why can't the receptionist ask the doctor for one for me!
The longer I don't get the medication the worse all the sores will become. And the more ill I will feel.

Why can't I just get my meds 😢

I just have ‘normal’ cold sores and have a repeated prescription for alclovir tablets. Which I can order online. So when you do get through ask them to do that.

@WonderingWanda
I haven't had this medicine in almost 3 years - that's what seems to be the issue

@Nospringchix
Thank you for your kind words and I've downloaded the app. I'll have a look in a minute x

You can get aclovir for cold sores just tell the secretary that and the doctor the full truth - cold sores can appear both on your mouth and your genitals poor secretaries are probably saying in their head I don’t know to know where you have them think you!!

And I got a aciclovir cream at Asda today for £1.50! Bargain. Those bastards selling it for £5 can piss off

Hello again, I’ve just looked up the Sexual Health clinics in your area and the Axess Clinic in Macclesfield seems to offer a walk-in service; their Wednesday hours are 9-7. They close at 4 on a Tuesday so perhaps your call didn’t get passed to the right person before they closed for the day. Hopefully if you walk in there tomorrow someone can help

Be prepared for a no re medication. Often they won’t prescribe it now and expect you to ride it out. Total bastards.

Who has refused you meds?

Aciclovir is only effective in the first 5 days of a primary outbreak and in the first 48 hours of subsequent outbreaks; it has no effect if taken after this time as the body has already started to heal. That might be why you’ve not been given aciclovir in the past, but that is the only reason I wouldn’t issue it. If someone presented on day 4 of a recurrence, I’d still give them aciclovir to keep at home for future outbreaks but I would make it clear that it wouldn’t be effective to treat this one as it’s outside of the window period for treatment.

Just wanted to respond to you OP, to say please don’t be embarrassed, the receptionists will have heard a whole multitude of ailments and (speaking for myself and my colleagues at least!) will not be batting an eyelid.

The reason it can often feel like you’re getting the 3rd degree is that on the day appointments are generally reserved for urgent cases, hence the patient advisor/receptionist trying to find out how best to direct you. At our surgery you can ring at 830 or 2 to get an on the day face to face, or telephone appointment, but we have to allocate them as they come in, and children often get priority over adults, so some days our morning slots are full by 1030. If you call as soon as your surgery appointment line opens in the morning, you should be able to get an urgent morning clinic slot, either f2f or a phone call where you can request the prescription. Does your surgery have an in house pharmacist or paramedic? We often use both as back up to the duty doctors, and they are both able to prescribe meds.

Don’t say it’s a gynae issue, be very clear what you’re calling for - it makes it easier for the receptionist to try and allocate the emergency appointment, or direct your call to someone within the practice who can help ASAP

I know it’s frustrating, our next non urgent routine doctor’s appointments are in the 2nd week of January now, and we’ve been swamped every day this week and last with parents bringing in children because of the scarlet fever/strep A publicity, so our appointments are stretched to the limit! Yours would, and should be classed as urgent, so call again in the morning.

Do t say herpes, say HSV if you have to speak to receptionists. It's much easier (as a sufferer for over 30 years).

Sorry to pipe up again, ask to go in a daily preventative dose. That way you won't run out, you may have exaggerate the frequency or the pain, but it means you'll not have to go through this again.

Just call and say you are desparate for prescription and could it be arrange rather than take up appointment hopefully they will do it - sexual health normally have walk in clinics.

@WetBandits GP. They will only prescribe if you have multiple outbreaks in a short period.

After speaking to a receptionist again she sent a 'task' to their on call doctor to write me a prescription. But I still have to call at 8.00 am to see if I am one of the chosen few lol...
it's not possible to book an appointment in the future.

I suffer with terrible cold sores and have done since childhood. I now take Acyclovir daily as a preventative and haven't had them for a very long time. Please ask your GP about trying this. I had to take 2 a day for a year, then 2 a day for a year and touch wood its never been a problem since. Good luck. If you were local I'd try and get you some but I'm SW uk

Knew it’d be a bloody GP. Many seem to be woefully inexperienced in anything to do with genitals. I had a GP refer a patient with ‘herpes’ to me which turned out to be warts would never bother going to a GP for any genital issue again.

I’d never leave a patient to struggle through an outbreak on their own, we encourage our patients with HSV to get bang on the aciclovir at the very first hint of a tingle!

@WetBandits if only!

Thank you all. For your helpful tips and kind remarks. Quick update - I called the doctors at 8.00 - finally got through at 8.22 and they confirmed the request to the on-call doctor for a prescription for tablets and cream had been sent to the chemist late last night.
Such a relief. OH is going to collect it now.

I know Zovirax says not to use on genitals but unlikely to do any harm.

Glad you got sorted with the medication, hope you feel much better soon. What a relief!