AIBU to not leave the GP without antibiotics

[Turtlegurl888]

I suspect I have bacterial tonsillitis. I've had a raging fever of between 39 and 40 even when maxxing out the daily allowance of paracetamol and ibuprofen. I can hardly open my mouth or turn my head/neck. My glands are like painful golf balls. Yesterday and the day before, my tonsils were covered in white and yellow patches, but that seems to have lessened today. I was awake every hour last night in sheer agony. I don't know how else to describe this pain. It's like being stabbed in the throat and neck. This started on Friday and its been worse every day since. I can't even speak today.

I have had tonsillitis MANY times, I'd venture to say on at least 100 times throughout my childhood, I really suffered. This feels different. The pain is next level. I can't eat or even drink. I am forcing myself to sip water but I'm screaming internally every time I have to swallow.

I know the Dr will say its viral and to wait it out but I can't. I need something. I have my 15 month old all week with no childcare or another adults help and I'm not going to be able to cope like this. Can I be like, I'm not leaving until I have antibiotics? Or at least a swab test for bacterial? I'm usually a massive pushover and willing to accept a doctor knows more than I do but it's so bad I think I need to stand up for myself.

If you've got white and yellow spots then you need antibiotics. Surely a GP wouldn't say viral when it's in that state. I've never had an issue getting antibiotics when I've had tonsillitis. Good luck OP sounds miserable

You can insist on treatment, I'd say but not specifically antibiotics. But I'd be surprised if they didn't give you antibiotics considering your symptoms and that you've had it since Friday.

Absolutely stand up for yourself.
I was amazed a while ago I was in a similar situation and was prepared to stay until I got antibiotics, and then was offered them. Totally blew me away, I'd hyped myself up to say I need them and wont leave until I get them, and they were just offered.

This doesn't really make sense. You aren't in a negotiation to extract what you want with from a deal. Unless they're incompetent, which is a different question altogether, they'll prescribe antibiotics if antibiotics will help what you have. If not the antibiotics will be useless, or actively harmful.

Can you ask/ push for a swap? To get the proof?

Edited - read your op again. I would definitely be asking for a swab.

They'll likely give you antibiotics
I was like that with a temp of 40, shivering and my throat was full of pus and they couldn't give me antibiotics quick enough as she backed away from my throat----

I know the Dr will say its viral..Can I be like, I'm not leaving until I have antibiotics?

No you don’t know . Go and ask them for their diagnosis rather than go in looking for a fight.

Why would you think your GP will say it's viral? And why assume he will withhold treatment?

Has the doctor mentioned glandular fever in which case they shouldn't give you antibiotics for that but should offer alternative treatment also would need to swab to rule it out because that sounds like it is bacterial and would need antibiotics with a temperature that high.

So sorry you feel so unwell. It's awful for you with childcare to worry about as there's no break however poorly you feel. I've been there so my heart goes out to you. If the GP says it's viral then antibiotics will not help but it does sound like full on tonsillitis though I'm not a GP. Just a mother of a DS who has tonsillitis at least 3 times a year and always v ill with it ( and 42 years old,). To help himself he uses an antiseptic spray on his throat and lots of ice-cream or iced water. Rest when you can and sip fluids through a straw if necessary. Good luck at GP .

It's a tricky one. If it's viral, antibiotics won't help and you'll be taking a medicine that isn't good for your body. Usually my doc gives me a prescription and tells me to wait a day before going ahead with treatment, but you may not be able to wait that long.

Get some hydrogen peroxide from the chemist. Dilute as per instructions and gargle. If it fizzes up in your throat it's the bacteria oxidising and dying.

Had mine out eventually as antibiotics didn't work in the end and I got it each month with period and this method did clear it up.

Antibiotics only work on bacterial infections and will do nothing to destroy/remove a viral infection. If you do not have a bacterial infection, then antibiotics would be useless. Incorrectly prescribing antibiotics in this way contributes to the overuse of antibiotics and encourages and speeds up the antibiotic resistance process, rendering the antibiotic eventually ineffective at treating anybody. This is one of the biggest health issues of today: bacteria are developing resistance to antibiotics at a faster rate than new ones can be created. Unless we use them appropriately, diseases that were once killers and then became curable by antibiotics, will once again be untreatable. Obviously, if antibiotics will help cure you, it sounds like you need them. But if you have a viral strain of tonsillitis, they wont help and it would be negligent of any GP to prescribe them knowing they wouldn't help. I hope you get better soon.

You can use online pharmacies such as Superdrug/boots and they will prescribe you antibiotics and you can pick them a couple of hours later or they will post them to you next day delivery.

OMG do NOT pour a bleaching agent down your throat!! Insane advice.

You can threaten all you like but if the GP deems it is likely to be a viral infection, they should not be prescribing you antibiotics. Ask for a swab, although things are likely to improve by the time the results come anyway.

If you’ve got all the sympotoms of a bacterial infection, as you describe, the doctor will probably give you antibiotics. Why would you assume otherwise?

Hydrogen peroxide is widely used on many tissues during surgery. It's not insane, just needs to be properly diluted.

https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-4570/hydrogen-peroxide-mucous-membrane/details

Can’t you now get antibiotics prescribed by a pharmacist?

There you go, sore throat

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/pharmacies/how-pharmacies-can-help/

Your GP is the expert, if it looks bacterial (tell them about the white spots) they will give antibiotics.

You say this throat pain is on a different level, I too have had tonsillitis++ through my life. I had the worst tonsil/throat pain a few weeks ago, with a fever. I tested and it was Covid. Might be worth testing. I bought some local anaesthetic throat spray as I couldn't cope with the pain.

This is a known symptom of covid so worth considering.
Either way, I hope you feel better soon.

Not insane. It just has to be properly diluted.

You could use pharmacy 1st to assess you.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/primary-care/pharmacy/pharmacy-services/pharmacy-first/

If you meet the clinical threshold for treatment then they can prescribe.

Demanding a particular treatment never goes well - especially when you do not know whether it is viral or bacterial.

Requesting a swab for microbiology seems a very fair request and will identify the bacteria if it is bacterial. It will take a few days for the results though.

Most tonsillitis is viral and gets better on it's own in a week. Height of fever is not relevant to bacterial/viral differentiation.

We should all be very worried about the overuse of antibiotics and resistance, but it's fair to say that the use in livestock is a bigger issue.

It could be strep throat, a bacteria, and antibiotics will be prescribed.