"Signs of infection? Speak to your doctor."

I'm on injected MTX (20mg) and leflunomide (10mg). I woke up a couple of days ago with a chesty cough and sore throat. It could be viral or bacterial, I have no idea. Technically, it is a sign of infection but I'm not sure it requires a GP appt. I'm loathe to take antibiotics and I have systemic thrush which is horrific at times and exacerbated hugely by antibiotics. On the other hand, I'm due to start cimzia in the next couple of weeks and I don't want anything to delay starting the treatment.

So, when do you see the doctor - at the first sign of a cough or you do you wait and see?

[Hidden]

Our doctors so a phone consultation - can you do that? My rheumy told me to get treated sooner rather than later when we have RA.

Hope you feel better soon!

[summer32]

Good suggestion Pauline, you cant take any chances with Cimza coming your way x

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Hi, I recently saw my GP as I had a sore throat & cough (am on Mtx & Sulfa). He said I did need to be extra cautious nowadays, did a blood test to check immunity & put me on antibiotics for one week. I can understand your reluctance to take antibiotics due to thrush but I think you should get checked over.

Luce x

[earthwitch]

Its not really something you can second guess, so getting advice through an NHS phone line of some sort would probably be well worth it if its too difficult to get a doctor appointment.

I would also always ask a doctor to do a culture before taking antibiotics (unless I had a raging fever with it) just to make sure it was a bacterial infection too, though they don't seem to want to do that anywhere near as often in the UK as where I used to live.

[lorann in reply to earthwitch]

You are so right, Earthwitch! (I am a Microbiologist(retired) and have noticed since I have been here nearly 2 years, that there is a lack of supportive testing when it comes to infections.

The doctor has physical factors to help him decide if it is viral or bacterial, but dispensing an antibiotic without knowing what organism is present is not a good idea. Might work with some broad-spectrtum antibiotics, to wipe out whatever is there, but at the same time can sensitize other normal flora organisms and wipe them out too, and what is left is usually the yeasts and fungus to flare.

Doing culture and sensitivity testing selects thecausative organism and then it is exposed to small amounts of several antibiotics, to determine which one do not allow growth of the organism, so thAt is one to use. It's a bit more complex than that, but that is the idea. Often, a very inexpensive antibiotic can be used, rather than using the much more ewxpensive, broad-spectrum ones.

:)....and that is the lesson for today, there will be a quiz on Friday Loretxxx