Ongoing throat issues please give me some hope?

[summer rain]

I've always had problems with my tonsils and throat but been told that this is not enough to have my tonsils out. In the past few years I haven't had it as much, though I've had a couple of fairly nasty sore throats linked into a cold or flu. About 10 weeks ago I developed a horrendous sore throat, enlarged tonsils and swelling to one side of my roof of my mouth and throat, tried to get a GP appointment with my husband calling them because I had completely lost my voice. My OH seems to know how to speak to them to get an appointment but this time the receptionist point blank refused to give me an appointment anytime saying sore throat is minor and home treatable no matter what. Eventually this sore throat did go away but it was horrible. Over the next 6 or 7 weeks I'd have like a low grade sore throat which got worse and got better and then about 4 weeks ago I suddenly started getting a really nasty sore throat while out with the children, it felt like I had pieces of glass stuck in my throat. Over the next few days it got worse and worse and worse, until by the Tuesday I was struggling to breathe, couldn't swallow (even a few tiny sips of drink only drips would actually go down my throat) and was speaking really muffled. Also my neck swelled up so it was larger than my head.

I made a GP appointment and told the GP (a locum) everything and she kept saying oh it's just a normal, mild viral sore throat and you'll just have to live with it. She just didn't care that I was a complete wreck at that point. Fast forward to the next day and I was extremely unwell my neck swelled up even more, I was drooling, I couldn't swallow anything at all, my skin became sallow and blotchy as I was so dehydrated. I went to a&e and the doctor there said it was Quinsy and it was very serious and could be fatal in some cases. He gave me antibiotics (penicillin vk) and strong painkillers and told me if it comes back to come back to a&e.

Well at first I felt much better, I took the whole course of antibiotics as directed even though after two days my throat was virtually back to normal. It was wonderful, but it wasn't to last as two or three days after stopping the antibiotics I started getting a low grade sore throat again, it stayed like this for about a week not really getting any worse or better until two days ago when it rapidly got worse and worse, again the same symptoms occurred except now they were worse on the opposite side than before. Ordinarily I do have problems with fatigue and neurological problems but they aren't a shade on this, I feel utterly disabled and helpless. Hospital doctor this time prescribed augmentin and yet more painkillers of a different type, as he said he couldn't see an abscess but my throat and neck looks badly infected. I've been told had the GP seen me in the first instance this probably could have been avoided now it's like I have some superbug which won't go away. Has anyone had similar and got rid of it once and for all? Xx

 

[summer rain]

Anyone?

 

[readytotry]

No advice sorry but feel for you as I have only had tonsilitis and that was pretty bad. I do know from an appendicitis abcess that they do have very powerful antibiotics that they can use if need to wipe out really nasty infections but they don't like to prescribe them... wish I could remember what they were called...

Please make a complaint about your gp's surgery, I am so fed up with phone triage (was told no point coming in for stomach pain - two hours later appendix ruptured and nearly died). Even worse if it is a receptionist deciding whether or not you need to come in rather than a doctor.

I also get oh to make appts for me... he doesn't take no for an answer. Is there a walk-in centre near you? - I'd rather have a nurse look at me than a doctor diagnose me over the phone. I have also found that nhs direct will often give you "permission" to make a doctor's appt and are quite risk averse.

 

[summer rain]

Thanks. I have made a written complaint to the practice manager of the surgery (supposed to be the first step before getting the health authority involved) and they have completely ignored it. Next step is the health authority/NHS trust but my computers down at the minute so cannot access my original letter as a point of reference. I wrote a letter complimenting the a&e staff and the hospital management responded back very quickly and said a copy of my letter will be put in the file of the staff concerned. I'd change GP in a heartbeat but out of the two other local ones, one is full and the other one has similar complaints levelled against it on the NHS choices website so would probably be out of the frying pan and into the fire. Nope no walk in centre near me, they're all in the very south of the borough and we're in the very north, the A&E are good as they have urgent care GPs who see you within around 20 minutes as well as the usual A&E systems in place for people with heart problems, broken bones etc. Now apparently the NHS bill your usual GPs surgery for this and my GPs surgery has letters up on the boards saying don't go there but sometimes they really give you no other option if they refuse to take potentially deadly medical conditions seriously at all. I think the antibiotic they've given me is one of the very strongest oral ones available, after that you're looking at IV ones that aren't very good for your kidneys and liver, hopefully don't have to go down that road xx

 

[summer rain]

Well *sigh* after 3+ weeks after finishing the other antibiotics I feel a sore throat looming again . The GP surgery did respond to my complaint although they kept reiterating how it's NHS protocol not to see patients with sore throats and rather patronisingly sent a booklet made by the NHS showing this to be the case. Well there is something called common sense lol. Anyway the last a&e doctor I saw said he was faxing over a request for a referral to an ENT specialist should it return again and he said the GP is not allowed to ignore it. Just want rid of this once and for all, it's like I have some kind of secret hidey holes in my throat somewhere. I just don't understand it I take loads of vitamins including fairly high doses of vit D and C and have plenty in my (mostly) healthy diet as well xx

 

[readytotry]

Poor you! Hopefully you'll get the referral now as there is clearly an underlying problem. It could be something really simple but the GP is not diagnosing because they are not taking it seriously.

 

[summer rain]

Thanks . Thankfully it has gone away again (whew!) but if it returns I will definitely ask for the referral xx

 

[comotion89]

just to say I had this for months I really could have cut my own head and neck off at that point I had bloods done and was diagnosed with glandular fever ! to which I have recurring bouts its sucks but at least it give you piece of mind when you have a diagnosis