I have bacteria! [1]

[baratron]

Went to the doctor today. Woke up at 9.45am because I couldn't breathe, and rang up for an appointment. Of course, all the "book on the day" appointments had gone - you have to ring at 8.30am for them. Never mind that when a person is ill, they often sleep later & heavier than usual, and it's somewhat crazy to have to set an alarm to get up on a day when you know you won't be working because you're sick! Took my inhalers, checked my peak flow - found it was crap (330 on the EU meter, when my usual is 430) & rang back for an "emergency" appointment, citing asthma & peak flow as a reason. Got given an appointment at 11.50am, finally saw the doctor at 12.40pm.

Apparently my lungs are gunked up, which implies a bacterial infection - I'd thought this was likely from various TMI symptoms, which is why I went to the doctor on the second day of being ill rather than leaving it a week. I have the standard delicious Amoxicillin antibiotic,and also some friendly bacteria capsules to take so I don't get a completely upset stomach (because antibiotics seem to be excellent at clearing out the bacteria that are supposed to be in the body, and lousy at fighting the invaders). Hopefully I will be feeling more human soon.

My brain is mostly working today, which is an improvement on yesterday.

[1] Yes, I do recognise that's a stupid title considering that even in a healthy person, the number of bacterial cells is usually around 10 x the number of human cells. I mean that I have extra bacteria to usual, and they're the wrong sort. :P

Comments

[barakta]

I wish they'd use co-amoxiclav (augmentin) instead of amoxycillin as first line antibiotics for chest gakk. If you don't have significant improvement by Friday, phone back and ask for another script, they might just fax it to a pharmacy for you.

Get better soonest. Bacterial gunk for the lose!

[baratron.livejournal.com]

*googles it and ahhs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Co-amoxiclav)*

Yeah, Richard did say he couldn't understand why they were still using amoxicillin considering how old it is and that every single bacterium on the planet must be resistant to it by now. I mean, it was the stuff we were given as kids in that weird vanilla/banana-flavoured yellow suspension! And that was back when most GPs would give out antibiotics for colds because people expected to leave the surgery with a prescription. (Mine, fortunately, never would - so you knew if you got antibiotics that you must be REALLY ill.)

He also speculated on whether the kiddie doctor today gave it to me for its placebo effect. I said "I'm not the sort of person who WANTS to have antibiotics as a placebo", and he pointed out that a kiddie doctor wouldn't know that. Bah.

I suppose I should stop calling them kiddie doctors, because after 6 years of medical school they are trained, & stuff. It's just disconcerting to be seen by someone who's younger than I am - especially a shiny new GP registrar who I've never seen there before.

[barakta]

My A-level chemistry teacher was obsessed with beta-lactam rings and co co-amoxiclav or more accurately clavulonic acid competitively inhibited the bacteria from breaking down the beta lactamase ring in antibiotics or something... I didn't understand it then and I don't remember it now ;)

As for kiddie docs, I do know what you mean. The last one that I saw tried to explain that augmentin was new and magic and clever and how it was and wasn't the same as amoxycillin. I think I said something about beta lactamase and clavulonic acid and that my ENT guy started using it in early 90s and kim's microbiologist bastard doctor (medical) dad was using it in 1987 damnit! New my arse!

Placebo effect is known to work on people even who know it isn't the real thing. These days they seem to throw amoxycillin at anyone, cos if it's real they come back for something real! I'm not convinced this is clever.

Then again I'm not convinced that we shouldn't be doing microbiology as a matter of course on stuff, or at least microbiology + antibiotics and a 2 day check like they did with my 2nd head hole infection. I had to phone the secretary of my doc and check what I was taking was worth it. Sodding fluclox, they used to dole that out like sweeties as well. Everytime I had snot surgery they'd give me amox and fluclox - syrup - until I started refusing to eat anything orange and tasting of aniseed.