I want my antibiotics!

[harllee]

Over a month ago I caught a cold. In about a week it morphed into a sinus infection (I had one about 4-5 years ago so I knew what it was) I felt awful and it was the weekend so I went to the urgent care. The doctor at the urgent care would not prescribe antibiotics because I was not sick enough--had not had it long enough, only a week, no fever, otherwise healthy, etc. The urgent care doc told me a bunch of OTC medications to try. I bought them to a tune of about $100. I used the OTC for another week, felt worse. So I get an appointment with my GP. Same story--will not prescribe antibiotics, it had only been 2 weeks, no fever, not sick enough, too many antibiotics are being prescribed.

Another week goes by (I have been sick now for 3 weeks). Still no temperature but I feel even worse. I have used every OTC medication recommended, spent a lot of money on them. I am at my wits end. I go to see my doctor again and I feel so bad I am sobbing in his office and I tell him I am NOT leaving without an antibiotic prescription. He finally calls in the prescription for me. I have now taken the antibiotic for 2 days and already feel so much better --almost normal. I will, of course, finish the 10 day prescription.

I realize that antibiotics have been overprescribed, there is concern about antibiotic resistance, etc. But I was sick for almost a month and getting worse, very miserable and it was obvious what was wrong with me and that I needed an antibiotic.

Are any of you running into this problem with a reluctance of doctors to prescribe antibiotics? What should I do the next time this happens? (I don't think changing doctors is the answer, I am hearing from friends that most all the doctors in this area are taking the same approach). Is there a black market for antibiotics?

 

[braumeister]

My understanding is that so many people demand antibiotics for a severe cold (they do no good since colds are viral) that the bugs can develop resistance to the common antibiotics and then where are you?

 

[Teacher Terry]

Here you have to be sick for 2 weeks to get them. If I know I have a sinus infection versus a cold I will just say I have been sick that long.

 

[Cessna152]

Did they diagnose you with a viral or a bacterial infection?

Antibiotics only work against bacterial infections, but because they also are anti-inflammatory they can provide some relief of symptoms caused by viral infections.

 

[athena53]

I swear if things were that bad I'd go to a pet supply store and buy erythromycin- I once read a post from someone on a personal finance board who said she did that when she was poor and uninsured and got a sinus infection.

I haven't had a problem. I'm VERY conservative about using antibiotics but went to an Urgent Care last April because I was about to leave on a cruise in Central America (very small ship, no medical facilities) and had gotten a very persistent cold after wiping my granddaughter's little snotty nose too many times on my last visit. I wanted to make sure it wasn't morphing into something worse. The doc didn't think so but gave me a prescription for azythromycin in case it did get bad. Thank heaven, I was fine and never needed it. I still have the pills- I'm taking them on my trip to India and Nepal in March!

 

[harllee]

Did they diagnose you with a viral or a bacterial infection?

Antibiotics only work against bacterial infections, but because they also are anti-inflammatory they can provide some relief of symptoms caused by viral infections.

I don't know that I was ever definitively diagnosed. I had no blood test. The doctor asked a lot of questions, checked my ears, eyes, nose, throat, chest. He said it was probably bacterial since it had been going on almost a month. What test could be done to determine it was bacterial? All i know is that after taking antibiotics for 2 days i have gone from a miserable, sick, snotty human being to a normal person.

 

[harllee]

Here you have to be sick for 2 weeks to get them. If I know I have a sinus infection versus a cold I will just say I have been sick that long.

I guess around here you have to be sick for a month, start crying and state you are not leaving without a prescription because that is what I had to do.

 

[harllee]

I swear if things were that bad I'd go to a pet supply store and buy erythromycin- I once read a post from someone on a personal finance board who said she did that when she was poor and uninsured and got a sinus infection.

I haven't had a problem. I'm VERY conservative about using antibiotics but went to an Urgent Care last April because I was about to leave on a cruise in Central America (very small ship, no medical facilities) and had gotten a very persistent cold after wiping my granddaughter's little snotty nose too many times on my last visit. I wanted to make sure it wasn't morphing into something worse. The doc didn't think so but gave me a prescription for azythromycin in case it did get bad. Thank heaven, I was fine and never needed it. I still have the pills- I'm taking them on my trip to India and Nepal in March!

That would not work with my doctor--no way would he give me a prescription for antibiotics just in case it got bad in the future.

 

[Cessna152]

I don't know that I was ever definitively diagnosed. I had no blood test. The doctor asked a lot of questions, checked my ears, eyes, nose, throat, chest. He said it was probably bacterial since it had been going on almost a month. What test could be done to determine it was bacterial? All i know is that after taking antibiotics for 2 days i have gone from a miserable, sick, snotty human being to a normal person.

Without a blood test the doctors only have symptoms and their duration to use as clues to diagnosis. Viral infections tend to run about two weeks, which is why doctors don't prescribe antibiotics for symptoms common to both causes during that time frame because the cause is more likely to be due to viral than bacterial.

 

[SecondCor521]

What should I do the next time this happens? (I don't think changing doctors is the answer, I am hearing from friends that most all the doctors in this area are taking the same approach). Is there a black market for antibiotics?

The only idea I have would be to ask your doctor to do a culture of the infected area. My limited understanding is that they can swab the infected area, rub that on a petri dish, wait a few days, and see if anything has started to grow. If so, then it is bacterial and they'll happily prescribe antibiotics. (In some cases I think they can even test different antibiotics on the culture and see what will be most effective to prescribe.)

In the US I don't think there is a black market for antibiotics. If there were, I probably wouldn't use it myself because I think there is a reasonably high risk that the pills either contain nothing useful or in fact contain something harmful, as that what happens in other black markets around the world (China and Kenya are two places that I know of).

 

[easysurfer]

Ahhhh...the needs of the many, vs the needs of the few, or one .

Remember several years ago, I had this burning fever that wouldn't go away. Went to my doctor's office but my doctor wasn't in (was a Saturday). The nurse and doctor on duty wouldn't give me an antibiotic. They told me about antibiotics are over prescribed thing. I suffered through the weekend but finally went to my regular doc during the following week (still with a burning fever and cough).

Talking to my doc, I mentioned to him that I had a similar situation years ago and he gave me antibiotics. He said, "You have a good memory" and prescribed the strong 5 day kind. I was feeling a lot better in a day or two and pretty much all wall after 5 days.

 

[athena53]

That would not work with my doctor--no way would he give me a prescription for antibiotics just in case it got bad in the future.

My feeling is that I never was part of the over-prescription problem,so why should they over-compensate with me if I get sick? I may take antibiotics once every 5 years or so, if that. Even when my son was growing up I was careful. I remember once the pediatrician looked him over when he had some kind of bug and said that he didn't think DS needed an antibiotic but he could prescribe one. Just to make me feel better? Heck, no.

It reminds me a bit of the opioid pain reliever backlash- way over-prescribed and now people they could genuinely help have to jump through all kinds of hoops to get them.

 

[harllee]

athena53, OP here, I feel the same way. The last time I had antibiotics was 4-5 years ago (also for a sinus infection.). I bet in my 66 years I have only taken antibiotics a half dozen times and each time I was very sick and the antibiotic fixed me right up.

It would have been easier for me to get an opioid or some illegal drug (probably could have bought it right down the street on the corner) than it was for me to get antibiotics. I am mad because I should have been able to get antibiotics at least 2 weeks ago and cut my awful sickness down from a month to 2 weeks. I am going to figure out some way this does not happen to me again.

 

[MRG]

I swear if things were that bad I'd go to a pet supply store and buy erythromycin- I once read a post from someone on a personal finance board who said she did that when she was poor and uninsured and got a sinus infection.

We used to buy chicks(baby chickens) online in MO. they generally shipped a pack of antibiotics with them. It cut the morality rate in half in the first couple of weeks. That stuff comes out of a different door of the same factory.

No, we haven't had that problem getting antibiotics. But I would take chicken antibiotics if I had to.

DW had a problem with one doc giving her ones she's allergic to! That was fun. At least it wasn't quite life threatening.

I'm a walking, talking human antibiotic experiment. I had rheumatic fever when I was a little kid. Back then the American Heart Association provided reduced cost antibiotics to be taken daily to fight off possible strep throat! I took that crap till my early twenties. Until 20 years ago I had to take a bigly dose of antibiotics before every dentist visit. Thankfully that's no longer considered a good thing

My dentist recently gave me a prescription for amoxicillin, prior to a root canal. He knew the reward was very high and possibly could reduce the number of opiods(and pain) I would experience. He was right!

 

[wmc1000]

We used to buy chicks(baby chickens) online in MO. they generally shipped a pack of antibiotics with them. It cut the morality rate in half in the first couple of weeks.

Wow antibiotics keep the half the chickens from being IMMORAL!

 

[travelover]

Wow antibiotics keep the half the chickens from being IMMORAL!

Where were the immoral chicks when I was a lad?

 

[REWahoo]

Where were the immoral chicks when I was a lad?

Probably on antibiotics...

 

[MRG]

Wow antibiotics keep the half the chickens from being IMMORAL!

[emoji23]

Sorry my phone and I love chickens and auto correct.

And yes that was pretty obvious. Does my add show?

 

[Teacher Terry]

Harlee, that really is terrible that you had to be sick for so long. Ugh! I once had an urgent care doc argue with me telling me I had a migraine and not a sinus infection. He finally said he would xray me to prove it to me. I was right and he was wrong and then he gave me the antibiotics.

 

[Cessna152]

Where were the immoral chicks when I was a lad?

I think they first started by getting laid....

 

[NW-Bound]

Where were the immoral chicks when I was a lad?

Why one has to be a lad to care about immoral chicks?

 

[LOL!]

What OTC things cost $100? That sounds pretty fishy. I had the flu shot and have had a 100-101 deg fever for the past 4 days. It's the flu and I didn't go see a doctor and I didn't spend $100 on ibuprofen either.

 

[harllee]

What OTC things cost $100? That sounds pretty fishy. I had the flu shot and have had a 100-101 deg fever for the past 4 days. It's the flu and I didn't go see a doctor and I didn't spend $100 on ibuprofen either.

The things that were recommended by my doctors that I tried:

Tylenol
Sudafed (2 different types) (around $30)
2 different cough suppressants (around $20)
2 different nasal sprays Around $20)
Netti Pot and saline packets (this alone was about $30)
I used 3 bags of throat lozenges over 30 days

Why would you say this was "fishy"? Remember I have been sick for about a month, terrible sinus headache, nasal congestion, facial pain, cough, earache, not being able to sleep.

The antibiotic I was prescribed was $60 but insurance brought it down to around $10.

If you do have the flu, you might want to consider Tamiflu, it is very expensive too but it can reduce the severity of the flu. People can die of the flu.

 

[marko]

That would not work with my doctor--no way would he give me a prescription for antibiotics just in case it got bad in the future.

I used to do a lot of travel to third world countries. My doc always set me up with a regimen in case I needed to take them, with the promise that I'd call him first to discuss symptoms

 

[LOL!]

So you didn't have ANY of those OTC things around the house? You seem to have bought the most expensive versions of everything, too.

Tamiflu is a waste. It says right on the package insert that studies shows it reduces from flu symptoms from 7 days down to 5 days. It must also be started within the first 24 hours of onset of symptoms. No one goes to their doctor in the first 24 hours.

I had a flu shot which I recommend and my symptoms are not bad at all which I attribute to my flu shot. Yes, flu can kill. I am not one of those folks that flu kills.

Full disclosure: I sit on a NIH-sponsored scientific working group on infectious diseases. In my former job, almost every major pharmaceutical company was a client.

You need a new physician if you have been in terrible pain for a month.