Should I go to emerg? Should I report this doctor?
December 24, 2007 6:52 AM Subscribe
A doctor at an after hours clinic told me I have "a massive chest and throat infection" and prescribed Apo-Clarithromycin (250mg) which I've since taken 5 doses of at the prescribed time. I'm feeling better in some ways but MUCH worse in others. Should I go to the emergency room? Also, should I report this doctor? Pathetic details inside...
First off I was at the clinic on Saturday, which was the 22nd. I was wheezing, having trouble breathing, coughing like crazy, and vomiting up white bubbly bile.
The doctor examined me and made the prescription. I said, "I'm supposed to work on the 26th. Will I still be contagious?" and she replied "Well, it's only the 12th, so no." and I said, "Um... no, it's not." and she said, "Well, I'm not from around here."
WTF?
I'm kind of worried she misdiagnosed/prescribed me as she was clearly a loon or far overworked (though the clinic was dead--I only had to wait 5 minutes). Here's the health scenario:
On Wed night I started feeling sick (sore throat). Thurs was worse, didn't feel like eating. Had some bland soup that was just broth. Threw that up a few hours later. Started coughing like crazy all day Friday.
Sat went to the clinic and told her the symptoms and she gave me this scrip which is for a med that must be taken with food (even though I was clear I was vomiting). On the way home from the clinic (I walked so I could pick up the prescription) I vomited the bile about 15 times.
Have been taking the prescription (2 pills every 12 hours). The bile is completely gone and I haven't thrown up once. However, my cough has gotten massively worse. My ribs and lungs feel severely bruised from all the coughing and day to day there doesn't seem to be any change in that regard.
I'm wondering if I should go to the emergency room of a large hospital. However, I'm very concerned about getting others sick at this time of year and ruining their holidays. If the doctor was correct about the pills and I just have to wait it out then fine, I'm just wondering if anyone can comment in that regard.
Also, should I report that conversation with the doctor to the hospital? Even the pharmacy commented that my prescription was made out 2 weeks ago.
First off I was at the clinic on Saturday, which was the 22nd. I was wheezing, having trouble breathing, coughing like crazy, and vomiting up white bubbly bile.
The doctor examined me and made the prescription. I said, "I'm supposed to work on the 26th. Will I still be contagious?" and she replied "Well, it's only the 12th, so no." and I said, "Um... no, it's not." and she said, "Well, I'm not from around here."
WTF?
I'm kind of worried she misdiagnosed/prescribed me as she was clearly a loon or far overworked (though the clinic was dead--I only had to wait 5 minutes). Here's the health scenario:
On Wed night I started feeling sick (sore throat). Thurs was worse, didn't feel like eating. Had some bland soup that was just broth. Threw that up a few hours later. Started coughing like crazy all day Friday.
Sat went to the clinic and told her the symptoms and she gave me this scrip which is for a med that must be taken with food (even though I was clear I was vomiting). On the way home from the clinic (I walked so I could pick up the prescription) I vomited the bile about 15 times.
Have been taking the prescription (2 pills every 12 hours). The bile is completely gone and I haven't thrown up once. However, my cough has gotten massively worse. My ribs and lungs feel severely bruised from all the coughing and day to day there doesn't seem to be any change in that regard.
I'm wondering if I should go to the emergency room of a large hospital. However, I'm very concerned about getting others sick at this time of year and ruining their holidays. If the doctor was correct about the pills and I just have to wait it out then fine, I'm just wondering if anyone can comment in that regard.
Also, should I report that conversation with the doctor to the hospital? Even the pharmacy commented that my prescription was made out 2 weeks ago.
go to the emergency room and explain everything. you may actually be getting better and just coughing more to bring up the last of the gunk, but check with a real doctor first.
posted by thinkingwoman at 7:11 AM on December 24, 2007
posted by thinkingwoman at 7:11 AM on December 24, 2007
You don't trust the original doctor (and with good reason I'd say) - you owe it to yourself to act on that feeling and see another doctor. Whilst worrying about getting other people sick is good, not going to hospital because of it is being far too self-sacrificing.
posted by muteh at 7:13 AM on December 24, 2007
posted by muteh at 7:13 AM on December 24, 2007
Go to another doctor or emerg. En route, stop at a pharmacy and pick up a surgical face mask and some hand sanitizer. Those should help prevent you from infecting anyone else--it's very nice of you to be thinking of that in your current state!
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 7:17 AM on December 24, 2007
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 7:17 AM on December 24, 2007
Off to the doctor with thee.
Hard call on whether to report the first doctor -- did she write the prescription date as the twelfth before or after you corrected her? If after, then I'd report it. Otherwise I would treat her statement as a failed joke to cover for her embarrasment at having forgotten the date.
posted by tkolar at 7:33 AM on December 24, 2007
Hard call on whether to report the first doctor -- did she write the prescription date as the twelfth before or after you corrected her? If after, then I'd report it. Otherwise I would treat her statement as a failed joke to cover for her embarrasment at having forgotten the date.
posted by tkolar at 7:33 AM on December 24, 2007
You've been vomiting and coughing hard - your ribs and muscles are going to be sore. Some pain killers and a topical muscle cream will probably help that, but I'm not a doctor.
Either go back to the clinic or visit your local ER.
posted by Kioki-Silver at 8:05 AM on December 24, 2007
Either go back to the clinic or visit your local ER.
posted by Kioki-Silver at 8:05 AM on December 24, 2007
Did the 1st Dr. do any cultures? How the hell does she know which antibiotic to prescribe? Hie thee hence to a 2nd opinion.
posted by Gungho at 8:23 AM on December 24, 2007
posted by Gungho at 8:23 AM on December 24, 2007
MDs are not created equal or infallible. If you feel significantly worse, you absolutely have the right to go get a second opinion. If you are having trouble breathing, it's an even better idea.
If you have a significant beef, you can report to the medical disciplinary board. How that works varies by state. If she got the diagnosis correct and just didn't remember what day it was, I probably wouldn't.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 8:52 AM on December 24, 2007
If you have a significant beef, you can report to the medical disciplinary board. How that works varies by state. If she got the diagnosis correct and just didn't remember what day it was, I probably wouldn't.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 8:52 AM on December 24, 2007
Being ten days off is odd - I'm occasionally a day off, never ten; but it doesn't sound like there were any other major botches by the MD here.
Definitely drop into the E/R, get your chest X-ray, find out why you're still sick after a course of antibiotics. The idea isn't so much whether you're still contagious as whether or not you have something requiring more or different treatment.
posted by ikkyu2 at 9:24 AM on December 24, 2007
Definitely drop into the E/R, get your chest X-ray, find out why you're still sick after a course of antibiotics. The idea isn't so much whether you're still contagious as whether or not you have something requiring more or different treatment.
posted by ikkyu2 at 9:24 AM on December 24, 2007
I don't think any of us can give you qualified medical advice. It does sound like it might be routine, but then again, she probably should have mentioned that?
I think a second opinion is good, not just for your health, but for deciding what's going on with that doctor. As others have said, if she was just off on the date, she's just a spaceshot. But if her diagnosis was wrong, I'd definitely report her. (You may also be able to ask the doctor what he thinks about reporting her?)
The "I'm not from around here" is also distressing, although I'm hoping tkolar is right and it was just a bad joke. I'm also not familiar with Canadian medicine, but I'm willing to bet that you can't just waltz into the country and begin practicing medicine.
I'm left hoping she doesn't celebrate Christmas. Otherwise, her kids are going to be sorely disappointed on the 25th, and downright confused when the presents finally appear in early January.
posted by fogster at 10:01 AM on December 24, 2007
I think a second opinion is good, not just for your health, but for deciding what's going on with that doctor. As others have said, if she was just off on the date, she's just a spaceshot. But if her diagnosis was wrong, I'd definitely report her. (You may also be able to ask the doctor what he thinks about reporting her?)
The "I'm not from around here" is also distressing, although I'm hoping tkolar is right and it was just a bad joke. I'm also not familiar with Canadian medicine, but I'm willing to bet that you can't just waltz into the country and begin practicing medicine.
I'm left hoping she doesn't celebrate Christmas. Otherwise, her kids are going to be sorely disappointed on the 25th, and downright confused when the presents finally appear in early January.
posted by fogster at 10:01 AM on December 24, 2007
Either see another doctor or go to the ER. This is just anecdotal, but your symptoms are very similar to those I had when I first got pneumonia. (I've had it 11 times since.) But I had the vomiting, the coughing, wheezing, chest that felt like all my ribs were broken, etc. I didn't have a regular doctor at the time and went to a clinic where they gave me antibiotics. A few days later I had to attempt to sleep sitting up in a chair because when I laid down I just coughed and coughed. Went to the ER where they ran blood tests and took chest X-rays and determined I had pneumonia. Gave me different antibiotics, some other kind of pill and cough medicine with coedine that completely (and blessedly) knocked me out. I stated feeling better the next day. So do get another opinoin.
posted by Oriole Adams at 10:22 AM on December 24, 2007
posted by Oriole Adams at 10:22 AM on December 24, 2007
Yeah I'd go back to the ED or to a walk-in and let another doc have a swing at it.
But please do everyone a favor and either get a surgical mask before you walk down there (if you have one), or ask the receptionist for one as soon as you walk in. Some hospitals are better than others about giving one out to anyone displaying cold or flu-like symptoms while they're sitting around in the waiting area. But definitely go.
posted by Kadin2048 at 11:19 AM on December 24, 2007
But please do everyone a favor and either get a surgical mask before you walk down there (if you have one), or ask the receptionist for one as soon as you walk in. Some hospitals are better than others about giving one out to anyone displaying cold or flu-like symptoms while they're sitting around in the waiting area. But definitely go.
posted by Kadin2048 at 11:19 AM on December 24, 2007
Yes, go to the doctor. Immediately.
As someone that spent 3 days in the ICU with double pneumonia once, you don't want to take chance here. You really, really want to avoid multiple IV drips and catheters...
posted by Argyle at 12:21 PM on December 24, 2007
As someone that spent 3 days in the ICU with double pneumonia once, you don't want to take chance here. You really, really want to avoid multiple IV drips and catheters...
posted by Argyle at 12:21 PM on December 24, 2007
Wait, if the Dr. was off by ten days because she's not a native, is it possible that you have different date formats? Because is she was used to DD-MM and saw 12-22, or vice versa, and wasn't paying attention, you could see where the problem would possibly arise from. Just pointing out that this Dr. is perhaps not, in fact, insane. So, though that doesn't help with the decision to go to the ER, it does possibly help your "WTF?" question.
posted by internet!Hannah at 12:34 PM on December 24, 2007 [3 favorites]
posted by internet!Hannah at 12:34 PM on December 24, 2007 [3 favorites]
I assume that dobbs is on his way to the ER NOW, if he isn't there already.
My sister had a similar shitty virus a couple of weeks ago and had it caught before it did turn into pneumonia. She was told it was an adenovirus. There's a particularly nasty strain of it going around this year. Most people just get a particularly nasty cold, but some people have actually died from it.
These are not symptoms to fuck around with at the best of times, and given how well they map onto adenovirus, don't trifle with them (and yes, try not to infect other people if you can).
posted by maudlin at 1:01 PM on December 24, 2007
My sister had a similar shitty virus a couple of weeks ago and had it caught before it did turn into pneumonia. She was told it was an adenovirus. There's a particularly nasty strain of it going around this year. Most people just get a particularly nasty cold, but some people have actually died from it.
These are not symptoms to fuck around with at the best of times, and given how well they map onto adenovirus, don't trifle with them (and yes, try not to infect other people if you can).
posted by maudlin at 1:01 PM on December 24, 2007
internet!Hanna's explanation for the "it's the 12th" issue is exactly what came to my mind. The doc wasn't 10 days off, she just misread a numeric date.
posted by onshi at 10:57 AM on December 26, 2007
posted by onshi at 10:57 AM on December 26, 2007
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posted by 45moore45 at 6:56 AM on December 24, 2007