What are the criteria for antibiotics for a (very) sore throat?

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I've been ill for about 10 days, started off as a normal cold and then seemed to get better 4 days ago, had one okish day and then woke up with big swollen glands, very sore throat (difficult to swallow water), and what feels like some kind of ..discharge dripping down the back of my throat. My temp suddenly jumped up to 38-9 deg C (I v rarely get temps, my resting temp is low, around 35.6-36 deg.)
I don't like going to my GP but wondered if something bacterial was going on as it felt similar to strep throat I had a few years ago. Especially with Christmas coming, I wanted to knock this on the head as quickly as possible.

Anyway, the out of hours doctor phoned me as the surgery was closed today, and told me that my symptoms were normal for a cold, that I didn't meet criteria for antibiotics and that I should up my painkillers and let it ride itself out.

It made me wonder what the criteria for antibiotics are? When I had strep throat before I was in France and they took a swab there and then at the GP practice so they could make a diagnosis. I've not been prescribed anti-bs in the UK except for mastitis, and obv the criteria were very different for that!

The other thing she said is that antibiotics would not speed up the recovery time even if I did meet the criteria. Which I didn't know.

Anyway. I'm glad she told me I could take more painkillers than I had thought I could, as that's helping. With any luck it'll pass in the next couple of days..

I thought temp meant antib's needed? Had tonsillitis recently and was prescribed but never collected as it turned out to be viral- no temp.
Doc did explain that the antib's normally kick in and make you start to feel better (if bacterial) about the same time you would feel better if it was viral if that makes sense?!

Hope you feel better soon.

Bacterial tonsilitis = Fever, no cough, pus on tonsils, glands up

Hmm, from what you've both said it fits with a bacterial thing... it's difficult doing it over the phone, I guess she couldn't see I look like a hamster, and she didn't ask if my glands were up (and I forgot to say, I think). DH is annoyed as he'll be doing most of the cooking and present packing if this sticks around, and he was convinced I'd need antibiotics.

I don't want to be annoying and phone back, though I'm no better than I was this morning. She said to ring if I could no longer swallow water, and I'm not that bad.

I know GPs have to be cautious about prescribing antibiotics, but it does sometimes feel like reluctance more than caution. Our GP surgery seems to have a standard response of 'come back if you are still bad in 2 weeks' whatever you go there with. Last time that happened with ds we ended up going in to hospital for him to have IV antibiotics for pneumonia.

I'd get a second opinion if I were you, especially as you didn't give the full picture on the phone - and I'm dubious about getting diagnosed over the phone anyway.
I also in the past got told to come back in two weeks and ended up with pneumonia...

I was told even with bacterial as log as you are otherwise healthy. Anti b only shown to improve recovery time by 1 day.

Get to boots they do a numbing throat spray. Also gargle with salt water and lemon (google for exact qtys) hope you feel better soon x

Can you go to the walk in centre tomorrow? Well assuming that your temperature is still high. Throat numbing spray is marvellous stuff though all chemists sell it.

Google Centor criteria. You could get a swab done but you'd probably be better by the time the results were back! What painkillers are you taking? Try chemist for co-codamol and ibuprofen if you can take them. And agree that Difflam spray would be helpful.

Dh gone out for throat numbing spray
Chops ah that makes sense, she asked about my general health & fitness.
If I'm not any better tomorrow morning I might go into a walk in.. Though the idea of sitting in a waiting room for hours is not a happy one!

Looking at the Centor thingy it looks like it is bacterial but that even then guidelines are only immediate antibs sometimes.
You learn something every day..

I was told even with bacterial as log as you are otherwise healthy. Anti b only shown to improve recovery time by 1 day.

This is true, in fact it may be even less than a day. Even the centor score has been shown to be less than reliable. Even with all 4 centor criteria present the likelihood of a bacterial infection is only about 50%.

I wonder what the swab was, that was used when I had strep in France? It gave a result immediately(doctor dipped it in a liquid & it changed colour, he said sometimes it takes a few mins but the more aggressive the infection the faster the reaction)

I wouldn't use France as any kind of comparison. There is a pharmacy on every corner for a reason, they hand out pills like sweeties there.

It was the swab I was curious about rather than the use of anti bs - presumably it makes it less likely that meds are prescribed unnecessarily? Unless the swab test is crap, that is.