Too many antibiotics - almost unheard of immune response, should I complain?

GlasweJen

Yeah GUM because i've developed some sort of rash all over my body but it's managable elsewhere by topical steroids which can't be used "down there" for various reasons.

Yes the doctor (who wasn't the prescriber for the first 2 courses) thinks that it was the metro that tipped my body over the edge, he thinks it was irresponsible to give me the metro so soon after finishing the other two especially when i'd expressed concern about this and the dentist hadn't even looked in my mouth to see if there was any signs of infection - all i could tell him was that it was sore and that I felt a lump.

The illness that i have is apparently only found in people on drugs after a transplant or who have HIV, I don't fit into either of these categories thankfully though the GUM clinic has offered me a blood test to see if they can find any underlying cause though they too think that it's awful to be given 3 different antibiotics in 6 weeks. From what I gather the illness is actually a complete mystery and could be viral or fungal now that GUM have seen it (went to a drop in rather than waiting for a referral to come through).

Toothsmith

I think your people are getting a bit too hung up on something to 'blame'.

Three short courses of different antibiotics in six weeks IS probably more than someone would CHOOSE to have - but it's by no means excessive. Some people are on antibiotics for months.

I think you need to be getting those blood tests and finding the underlying cause.

welshdent

GlasweJen wrote: »

Yes the doctor (who wasn't the prescriber for the first 2 courses) thinks that it was the metro that tipped my body over the edge, he thinks it was irresponsible to give me the metro so soon after finishing the other two especially when i'd expressed concern about this and the dentist hadn't even looked in my mouth to see if there was any signs of infection - all i could tell him was that it was sore and that I felt a lump.

If the dentist had a magic wand and could have made anything happen ... what would you have liked to have done given that you were in pain?

A few points to bear in mind -

1) the dentist does not intend himself to take out your tooth due to it being in a complicated position.
2) 3 different dentists have all acknowledged that antibiotics are commonly given in the management of similar problems. I am assuming there is no other problems with the tooth due to there being no immediate plans to extract the tooth - hence my questioning that it may be pericoronitis.
3) you can not give more than one of the same type of antibiotics within a month. Therefore although we have 2 dentists here differing mildly with regards to amoxicilli or metronidazole .. the fact is you could not have had the amoxicillin anyway.
4) The only other realistic management would be to extract

We have to take your word for the lack of examination but often a diagnosis can be very clear even before looking in the mouth.

I am not trying to have a go at you, I am just trying to get across a few things you need to bear in mind before thinking the dentist has acted irresponsibly

donteatthat

Sounds like you just want to have a go at the dentist here.
A bit ridiculous really - being as the course of antibiotics that you DIDN'T need was the amoxicillin...as we've said it is ineffective for sinusitis, demonstrated perfectly by your situation when it failed to clear up your sinusitis, for which you then needed a second course of a/b's. The metronidazole did clear up your pericorinitis, so whats the complaint there? Maybe focus your attention on why the amoxicillin was ever given to you by your doctor, as it did nothing for you, and if you had been given the right ones from the outset you would have only had 2 (effective) courses and from your reasoning 2 courses of antibiotics wouldn't have given you your random immune reaction for which I would be jumping at the guns to have a blood test for.

GlasweJen

Oh don't worry i'm getting the blood test, booked in with phlebotomist for Wednesday at the practice.

The amoxicillin I think was given first as it was possibly an ENT infection which was then decided to be sinusitis when the blood started running out my nose. I've been referred to ENT unit at the hospital to see if they can work it out as I've had it for months (still active now which isn't nice but getting used to sinus headaches, will be glad when it's over as it's affecting my ears and sometimes into the lungs as well). Anyway the amoxicillin made sense at the time I think.

I'm going to ask the dentist if he can find a non-antibiotic way to treat this in light of the reaction (never had metro before), I wouldn't mind an extraction but would rather the other dentist did it as he pulled the last wisdom tooth and I had no bother with it but this guy seems really reluctant to treat me - I wonder if he doesn't like people fainting on him (which is fair if he doesn't).