Will I be given Antibiotics in this situation? Any doctors around?

[fuzzpig]

It appears I am getting a chest infection. :(

I have always been prone to them but keep getting different opinions from doctors - some had given ABs, others said it was pointless, same with inhalers. Some have been sympathetic, others have made out I'm making a fuss over nothing. Normally they'd clear in about a week.

However. Last CI I had was in June, and I had it for seven fucking weeks! It took 3 lots of ABs and some steroids to shift it, I also ended up being xrayed for suspected pneumonia (it was clear luckily, but it shows how bad it'd got for them to consider it).

I don't know why that one stayed so long but the upshot of it was, it seemed to trigger ME (my usual doctor, who has unfortunately left now, thinks I've had it mildly for 18 months but that the CI triggered this very bad phase). I have been in pain and exhausted for months - and now I have this again, presumably because my body is weaker from the ME.

I know the way colds progress with me, and have already coughed up a bit but I have a feeling if I go to the doctors now, before I get 'rattly

Oops

Meant to say, I have a feeling if I go now before the CI has really progressed, they will send me away, and I don't have the energy to get myself to town and wait for hours at the walk in centre for nothing.

I am terrified I will be left unable to breathe properly for another month or more, what do I do?

Anyone?

I'm prone to these too and my GP is now happy to give me AB's on a wait and see basis, so I only take them if I start getting worse.

Sounds like you need an appt today before the weekend?

With your history I would go to the GP asap

In the end I phoned up the GP surgery and the receptionist wrote down what I told her (basically what is in my OP), turns out they had a duty doctor who phoned me back and gave me an appointment.

She said my chest is clear - as I'd expected, as I know I'm in the early stages - so she didn't want to prescribe anything, but as I looked like I was about to cry said I knew it would get worse she wrote me a script for amoxicillin. She did say I should wait a couple of days to see if it progresses but since I know I will get worse (it follows the same pattern every time) I'm afraid I already took the first one.

The walk there and back has left me very weak especially as the air was really cold, but I'm glad I have the ABs - hopefully it'll nip it in the bud.