There's fungus among us.

[baratron]

Possible medical emergency averted. My doctor looked at my throat and declared it to be thrush. I now have the wonderfully-named Fungilin lozenges, containing the even more wonderful active ingredient amphotericin. (Its structural formula is a joy to behold but should probably not be viewed by those with an organic chemistry phobia). After one lozenge my throat was sufficiently recovered for me to sing for an hour in Rock Band. Hooray!

While I'm pleased it's nothing sinister, I'm even more annoyed with the other doctor I saw. Thrush on the soft palate and/or tonsils is one of the main side-effects of inhaled steroids - especially powder inhalers. A quick survey of my medications should have shown it as a possibility. And thrush in the throat is really obvious to look at - a nasty whitish discharge that looks a bit like cream cheese (ewww). If I could see my own tonsils, I would have known it was thrush. Gah! So I've gone on being ill for several weeks entirely needlessly.

I am also going to have a blood test to check various things that are sensible for people taking carbamazepine: FBC (full blood count including white blood cell count and differential - useful as carbamazepine can cause a severe shortage of white blood cells), ESR (technically Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, but acts as a generic test of inflammation - useful to see whether I am experiencing an allergic reaction to the med) and Urea and Electrolytes (useful as carbamazepine can make sodium levels in the blood dangerously low). I'll wait until after the results are back before trying to increase the dose again, just in case it is making me ill. I'll also have a random glucose test, because I haven't had one for a few years and diabetes Type I and II both run in our family. Will try to get it all done on Monday as my earliest student comes to the house at 2 pm, meaning that I can come home and collapse in a heap for a while before needing to have a brain.

Oh yeah, and I had a flu jab. Probably sensible as Richard has lurgy from work and is sneezing a lot.

Comments

[x-mass.livejournal.com]

ack the effects of lack of sleep/stress on the ability to read. I thought I had read the earlier post when clearly I had not. I ow reeber you mentioning thrush as definite side effect of inhaled powder steroids. I'm also pleasd that there might be something easier to use than nystan oral suspension (which is a pain to use) i think i will chat to my doctor about getting some lozenges.

I have to say I terrified by the approach of virgin/tesco/HMO healthcare taking over our surgeries with their removal of individual doctor patient relationships as "inefficient" and their replacement with 10 minute cattle call access, with first come first serve doctors working of quick read medical records. I suppose doctor patient relationship sessions will be still be available as part of their paid for GP extra packs!!!

[baratron.livejournal.com]

Tell me about it! There have been SO MANY TIMES in my medical history when only my own doctor with memory of previous appointments has been able to diagnose something properly. There just isn't enough time for a random GP to read the patient notes for someone as complicated as me. I am really opposed to polyclinics for anyone with long-term health problems.

Having said that, I've been surprised in the past by how good the emergency GP service at Kingston Hospital has become. I think two things have happened: firstly, they now have access to my usual notes, and secondly, their doctors are trained to realise they don't have the full picture and act accordingly. There clearly is a balance to be struck... Mind you, when I go to the emergency GP it's normally because I have a ridiculously high temperature and obvious signs of infection. I wouldn't expect them to deal with things like depression.