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.

Most people would rather see a doctor, but getting through on the phone to a receptionist, let alone getting an appointment, is so difficult that they often have to seek treatment elsewhere.

Yes - I have experienced exactly as you describe. Had recurrent mild ish- pretty bad tonsillitis my entire life- hundreds of bouts. Normally it goes away on its own but twice in my life it was way way worse than normal. I had to go to hospital on both occasions and I had to have antibiotics to clear it up and they worked.

antibiotics should not be overused but sometimes they are necessary

I agree entirely.

If my surgery were better funded, we would be able to employ more reception staff to improve phone waits. We would also be able to build an extension and employ more GPs and ANPs to provide more appointments. It would be great to be able to do this.

Instead, we have to make do with what we have, meaning stories like this are more common.

Not really. I sail offshore and it could mean death without self treatment. But you carry on in your little ideal world.

I sincerely hope, and do believe this government will improve things, but it will take time.

have you been to the gp yet? At ours you can send them a photo of your throat coupled with a telephone appointment. It saves the face to face appts for people who don’t have that option, and prevents spreading of strep etc.

Absolutely this.

A GP is trained and experienced.

GP's do need to ''gatekeep'' antibiotics for the sake of us all.

If they believe it's bacterial, they probably will prescribe appropriate antibiotics.

Overprescription of them in the past, and people not taking them correctly

were/are part of the problem.

Eg not completing the course.

Bacteria are already becoming resistant to antibiotics..and that's frightening.

I was advised for a painful sinus infection to buy a Neil Med saline sinus washer, and the GP even showed me how to use one {By mime} -

I bought one, and it worked -cleared out loads of gross muck after a few days, the pain and 'smell' in my nose was gone.

If @Turtlegurl888 has a quinsy, it will need to be drained. No amount of sending photos is going to help with that. A quinsy is an abscess near your tonsils

You're not being dramatic OP, I know that pain and it's awful. To answer your questions:

• it's possible for one person to need AB in the household and not others. Everyone probably has the same bacterial infection but it's possible to recover without AB (Everyone in my household always does apart from me).

• as you mention the muffled voice, I'd definitely consider quinsy as others have said. The AB will still help but you may find it returns once you finish the course (5 days absolutely doesn't sound enough, I would bet it will return!)

Don't be like me and suffer on and off a few weeks just to end up having your throat drained in A&E one night and end up on IV AB!

People keeping stashes of un-prescribed antibiotics are definitely part of the problem.

Advising others to do the same is grossly irresponsible.

I really feel like I should have insisted the pharmacist take a look at my throat. It did seem like she didn't want to get too close to me, if I'm honest. I do experience health anxiety, especially since becoming a mother, so it's not doing wonders for me mentally to think I might have something that could cause me to become seriously ill. This is sort of what I mean about being a pushover, I'm usually very willing to accept that I know nothing and the medical professional knows what to do and will help, but can't help feeling fobbed off recently.

I've already taken one dose of the antibiotic so I'm going to wait until my GP contacts me from my online form, and tell them my concerns, and see what they say. I very much do not want to go to A&E. I have no one to look after my son who has chicken pox/tonsilitis himself/chest infection and I am not dragging him back up there to wait for hours to be seen.

Very frustrating situation all round.

Years ago doctors seemed to whip out tonsils and adenoids- for some reason this isn't done any more.

Lots of mum's generation are minus their tonsils. {They still do get sore throats though}

In covid era, I had mysterious red rash and blisters in a line

Showed pharmacist who said it was a plant allergy. ''Contact dermatitis''

{It was the hot covid summer and I had been gardening}

When the pain got so bad {like a burning fire and wasp stings and a deep gnawing ache, and the red rash were tracking in a line I phoned GP who just from description alone said ''That sounds like shingles''.

He prescribed antivirals, but said ''It's a bit late for those, but worth giving them a go''.

HAD the pharmacist said ''That's shingles'' I could have been spared a lot of pain by taking antivirals in a timely manner.

It's not my 'ideal little world' I happen to think that viewing antibiotics as a miracle cure all is grossly irresponsible. People not finishing their prescribed course because they feel better haven't necessarily killed off all the bacteria the antibiotics have been prescribed to fight, meaning they start to develop resistance.
Agriculture routinely dosing their animals with them so they can keep them in close proximity (for profit) while reducing the chances that they pass infections to each other further increases this.
Without effective antibiotics we may end up back in a world where people routinely die due to secondary infections after operations such as transplants or caesareans. This is a global problem not a UK one so I would say it is you that is in your own ideal world. Not me.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance

@Turtlegurl888 Hopefully the antibiotics you have been prescribed will kick in soon.

Hope you feel better soon.

Sore throats are horrible- Saline gargles can help.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sore-throat/#:~:text=Dissolve%20half%20a%20teaspoon%20of,(do%20not%20swallow%20it).

So you're in the middle of the ocean, no WiFi or phone signal surprisingly (sarcasm), there are two crew, and you have caught your finger in the winch and lost the end of it. 2 days later It's going red, hot, and hurts. What would you do?
Wait 3 weeks to get to shore ( by which time you may be either dead or best case, lose your arm, or do you take a broad spectrum antibiotic for a week.

What do you think people all over the world do when they can't get to a doctor or afford one?

It's only in the west that this attitude of lack of self help prevails. Most people are actually very responsible when using antibiotics and quite capable of treating their own uti and other mild infections. And it's the attitude that they can't that isn't helping the NHS.

@Turtlegurl888 I have had something very similar sounding. First time I swelled from chin to collar bones and no neck at all. I had a severely ulcerated, pussy throat. Very contagious. Like you very high temp and drinking water felt like swallowing a pack of razor blades. Had to sleep on an incline so I could breathe when sleeping.

Had the same things multiple times. Antibiotics definitely needed and Dr would be in full PPE. It would take around 10 days on the couch to be over the worst of it.

To help with the swallowing, lozenges with anaesthetic were very effective. They definitely gave relief from the pain. The pharmacist recommended them when I'd gone in to fill the AB script. She was worried about me being able to swallow the tablets.

Absolutely true.

It's a worldwide problem.

Before antibiotics, many people {and animals} died from infection.

The agricultural issue of crowded animals definitely needs looking at- it will make meat more expensive, as the animals and birds will have more space- but it's much more humane.

People without spleens take a penicillin or equivalent if allergic to penicillin every single day.

The body doesn’t get used to antibiotics.

op, pharmacists only give 5 day supply of antibiotics. Tonsilitis is a 10 day course to prevent rheumatic fever which is a heart condition that can damage heart valves.

I had a similar issue with a chest infection I had years ago, was missing days at work, symptoms were only getting worse, and I had to tell the doctor that I knew it was an infection. He seemed offended that I knew my body better than he did, and prescribed them begrudgingly. Magically my infection cleared up once I started taking them. I don’t like to take antibiotics unless necessary either. I think it does happen where the doctor is wrong. In many other countries you can buy antibiotics over the counter, but here we have a lot of restrictions.

Also had recurring tonsillitis throughout childhood and eventually got my left tonsil taken out aged 21. I’m surprised you haven’t had yours taken out yet? Anyway I hope you do get it sorted and it clears up for, it’s uncomfortable all round.

''Self help'' isn't just advising people over the internet to ''stockpile antibiotics''

Hell, why not stockpile diamorphine as well for the pain?

Self help and saves a trip to A&E.

Drugs on fishing ERRV and other vessels are responsibly kept- they wouldn't be saying ''Buy your own, online'' - to total strangers

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/644a82362f62220013a6a19a/MSN_1905_final_amendment_3_20_04_23.pdf

That's a very specific situation, one that isn't relevant to the vast majority of people in the UK and which you didn't mention in your original post.

Having recently had a quinsy, the muffled voice is a big sign.

I would recommend A&E, but if you REALLY can't, then at least call 111. They were very good and the GP who called back asked me to send a picture of my throat.

The 'good' news is that if it is a quinsy, it's treated as a medical emergency so you should be triaged quickly at least.

I feel for you op but glad you've got some antibiotics now 💐
When I was around 7 weeks pregnant last year I had it really bad too, couldn't even swallow my own saliva I was up all night crying from the pain. I went into my GP surgery with a ton of tissue it was incredibly painful to swallow. They also tried to write it off but gave me antibiotics in the end.

Glad that you have antibiotics but quite frankly I'm astonished the pharmacist didn't even examine you properly - quinsy is no laughing matter and can be dangerous.

My limited understanding is that the "training" pharmacists are given as part of the pharmacy first scheme is pretty limited. When I read the start of this thread I was already thinking "hope you don't end up relying on a pharmacist because someone needs to examine you who can recognise a quinsy". I don't like the sound of your neck swelling at all, and I hope that you make it to the GP or A&E this afternoon if not already. To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if you GP decided to send you in - so maybe think about how and when visiting A&E is least impractical/unpleasant for you and your little one. Best wishes.