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.

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Love your poem. I know it goes back a long way, but how far I don't know. It really works, though it might not if your throat gets used to it. I found it invaluable during the covid pandemic. Everyone was afraid of getting a dry cough. I kept it handy all through, and thought that if the dry cough goes when I take it, then it isn't covid.

There is another cure my grandmother and mother passed on: cystitis. A quarter spoonful of citric acid, have a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in a glass of water will treat cystitis. Years ago I went into a chemist to see what they had and the ingredients were the same, more or less. It works, anyway. If it didn't our ancestors would not have survived.

Go to MDCALC and search for ‘Centor Criteria’ or ‘FeverPain score’. This is how your GP should decide.

@Turtlegurl888 how are you doing? Hope you're feeling better! :)

Oregano oil works really well

Hi all, sorry to not have replied for a few days. I was still feeling really ill after a couple of days on the antibiotics, especially as the day wore on and at night (as you usually find with a lot of ear/nose/throat/chest infections, at least for me personally). I did get an appt at the GP the following afternoon after getting antibiotics and they confirmed it seemed to be a bacterial infection (although still didn't swab) but no quinsy although by then I had had over 36 hours of antibiotic doses so not sure if that made a difference. In any case the GP gave me a further 5 days so I've only got a couple days left now and I'm feeling back to normal although obviously still taking them. My partner started up with it shortly after my post and was also feeling very ill but not to the same degree. His cleared up without antibiotics. Slightly worrying I've had antibiotics when I may not have needed them after all (thinking of not having had a swab) but similarly assuming we both had a viral tonsilitis infection and mine just developed into bacterial. Either way, can't do much about it now, but so glad to be feeling better. I've never felt anything like that, truly, it was absolutely horrendous 😳

Appreciate everyone's advice/replies/experiences once again.

Slightly worrying I've had antibiotics when I may not have needed them after all

OP I mean this in the nicest way but FFS! The title of your thread is that you don't want to leave the GP without antibiotics, then you got antibiotics and are griping about that. It's always an educated guess because it simply isn't feasable to swab every sore throat that comes through the door. The NHS would be finished overnight. The truth is most sore throats don't need antibiotics. Even bacterial tonsilitis in most cases will self-resolve. However, you either have to let it run it's course or go for antibiotics if you think you're poorly enough. It's a sore throat. With the greatest respect you probably aren't going to die either way....

Don't really see how a comment of being 'slightly worried' is me griping about something but go off.
It's over and done with now!