At what point does a sort throat warrant a trip to the doctors?

[TheProvincialLady]

I have had a sore throat/swollen glands etc for about 10 days now. A couple of days ago I thought I was getting better and started to resume normal life, but today I feel awful again. Feeling faint and exhausted. Glands hurting. My mouth, tongue, the inside of my nose and even my flipping eyes hurt. But I don't have a temperature.

Is this just a virus? How can you tell when to see the GP? I really wish this would just stop now.

Feel free to tell me to pull myself together, etc.

Oh thanks Pixie. DH has just got home and said the same as you, but he has a tendency to try and send me at the slightest sniffle so I don't tend to pay much attention!

I will do as you suggest. I'd do anything to make this go away TBH.

Worth getting seen by your GP to rule out tonsillitis which may require antibiotics. A mild sore throat with a runny nose is almost always viral and can drag on for a few weeks - no point seeing a GP about that but yours sounds more severe so I'd make an appointment.

jybay(GP)

I would say now.

Sounds like a throat infection of some kind.

Last time i felt like you described the gp was i had waited so long and promptly gave me 2 weeks of work at the very least, some antibiotics and said it would take a while to recover from and return for an extension on the sick note if required. She also said it was the worst sore throat she had seen for a while and shame she had no med students in to observe and surprised i could talk at all or eat food.

I had been feeling bad that morning about not making it in to work because of a 'sore throat' could not imagine one could make me feel so bad. But it did make

10 days on and still feeling properly ill - I'd see GP. Or, put it this way, I'm a GP and I'd be v happy to see you!

OK you've convinced me and I have made an appointment for 10.15. Thanks so much, it's good to know that I won't be wasting the doctor's time. I grew up with my mum thinking that you have to be pouring with blood or unconscious to go to the GP, and now DH who would go for a paper cut if I let him, so it is hard to judge what really warrants a trip.

I'm home now with antibiotics, a nasty throat infection and a clear conscience! Thanks for your advice everyone.

Would say for next time, if GP hasn't said already, if you feeling faint or 'flu-ey' with a sore throat then its prob due to an infection. Would only give it about 3/4 days of that & if no better then to docs.

Thanks, I'll bear that in mind. Though I am a bit of a fainter even in good health, so that in itself is confusing.

Very helpful thread, though I'm sorry you had to suffer to start it, TPL (and glad you saw the doc!).

I've had a sore throat for two weeks now, but as I've had/have shingles I suppose it could take weeks for me to feel better overall...I had an ulcer in my throat and a huge gland behind my ear, as well as shingles rash on forehead, scalp and eyelid. Was better yesterday, overdid it a bit (rushing round after dds) and feel dreadful again today.

But, if anyone knowledgeable is still reading, after shingles I suppose thats more par for the course than warranting trip to docs?

Oh that sounds awful, poor you. Hopefully one of these knowledgeable ladies will be able to shed some light.

Shingles can make you feel rubbish for weeks, I'm afraid. There is no specific treatment but do tell your GP if you're getting pain that is not controlled by paracetamol etc - there are some specialist painkillers for nerve pain (the shingles virus lives in your nerves) that can help.

Hope you feel better soon - it's horrid.

PS I should have said there is no specific treatment for shingles at this stage. If anyone reading this has developed shingles in the last few days, do contact your GP as there is a medication called aciclovir that can help but only if you start it within 72 hours of the rash coming out.

Thanks, both. I took acyclovir for 7 days, it definitely helped - the rash stopped developing.

I think its the throat stuff thats confusing me, though my GP thought it was probably all part of the same virus.

Will be more patient

And I hope you're feeling better, TPL.

I'm hijacking shamelessly

One other thing - I've been taking nurofen and paracetamol since it started, and codydramol for the first week at night. Definitely need less than I did, and am getting stomach pains so stopped the nurofen. But had wondered about needing to take the paracetamol ongoingly at this stage...sounds like thats normal, though?

Fine to carry on with paracetamol as long as you need - we have patients with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis who are on it for years.

Never go over 8 tablets containing paracetamol in 24 hours though (and remember that co-dydramol contains paracetamol). Paracetamol is incredibly safe in the proper dose but even a small overdose is dangerous.

Thanks

Yes, the only good thing about the codydramol is that I only need one, and it lasts longer than paracetamol alone - thereby reducing my overall paracetamol intake! I was on interferon for a year, many years ago, and must have taken 8 per day for nearly the whole year. I suppose this is a short time - I just keep being shocked at how long shingles goes on for. I had no idea.

Appreciate your time and knowledge, jybay, thank you.

No worries. I'm afraid pain at this stage is perfectly normal and may go on for some weeks.

See your GP if it starts getting worse again though.