Tonsilitis - Your experiences please

[eisbaer]

My elder DS has had recurring tonsilitis for the past year and a half. He recently had a great summer where he was on top form for a couple of months, however it's back with a vengeance now, for the past four weeks. He's had penicillin five times in the past twelve months, and is now trying cefalexin to see if that works, as penicillin this time didn't seem to help it.
Basically, I think it's grinding him down. He had a beautiful rosy complexion as a baby, and now is mainly white as a sheet with dark bags under his eyes. He is 2 and a half btw.
So what I want to know from you is: have any of your kids had a similar experience? If so, did they get their tonsils removed and did it help them? The reason I'm asking is that I can't see what other options are going to be available if this winter is the same as last, and now the mantra at our GP's is "tonsil removal is ineffective, therefore pointless, therefore there's no point in referring kids". I can't help but think that it's all about the money and that I'll just have to shout louder to get it. Don't get me wrong, I'd love for my son's immune system to deal with this eventually and hate the thought of him under a GA, with the associated risks, but he's a shadow of what he is when healthy(I know as I've seen that again over the summer) and I want him to enjoy as good health as is possible.
Other question is, anyone got experiences with cefalexin and can I hope to see a better result from it?
Sorry a bit of a ramble, but am just mulling things over and a bit hacked off that that's him back lashing with sweat and miserable again. rant over!

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

You poor son. My dd had tonsilitis once in Bangkok - the doctor proposed removing them that day, based soley on one episode. I declined, then a couple of weeks ago she had it.Doctor gave her cephalexin and within two hours of the first dose she was a different child.
If your GP is so anti tonsilectomy I would ask for a referral to a consultant ENT surgeon and ask her to make the judgement. Could it be your doctor is worried about budgets? I don't know how the NHS works any more I am afraid.
Good luck and I hope it clears up soon, there's nothing worse than seeing your angel in pain. The last time mine had this, she refused all food, even ice lolly's and ice cream because it was too sore.

[Helinher30s]

Cefalexin is a great antibiotic. Its one of those general ones that can be used for all different infections. My son has had it many times for continual tonsillitas and severe ear infections (with temps over 40). Just out of interest does your son have any other problems with his health, bloating stomach etc its just you mention how white he is with dark circles under his eyes and the reoccurring tonsillitas.. you could have been describing my little boy 3 months ago... a paedritrician diagnosed milk (dairy) allergy and im not joking three months later he is a new child.. colour in his cheeks and no black circles under his eyes and NO sign of throat or ear probs.. even the glue ear has cleared. I didnt even realise there could be such a serious consequence from milk allergy.. just a thought... hope he feels better soon on the cefalexin (it tastes so much better than the penicillan so hopefully that will help getting it down him)

[BonsoirAnna]

He should have his tonsils out ASAP.

I had mine out at age 24 - far too late. So many wasted years of really quite severe tonsillitis...

Your GP sounds very useless. I got a private referral and the consultant was very clear that severe tonsillitis is still a killer disease and that removal of tonsils is very effective. It certainly was for me - no more weeks in bed every winter!

[Bucharest]

Had mine out at 22, and it was horrid.
However, dd (now almost 6) was like your son, had recurring bouts which up until last year gained in frequency with every year that passed. Last year she had 5 bouts of antibs in 4 months and my paediatrician was talking about her having them out at 6. (seemingly they like to wait until this age I think for 2 reasons, they might grow out of it, and they don't like the idea of GA if they can possibly help it.) Anyway, this past winter, she only had tonsilitis once, and we caught it so quickly with the antibs she only missed one day of school.

[SKYTVADDICT]

My DD (now 9) had recurring tonsilitis all last year and was very worn down by it. Missed loads of parties etc.

Went to GP each time, antibiotics given. Eventually say a very young GP who referred her to hospital. I thought they would tell us to go away but the consultant took one look in her mouth, said "oh yes, they are nasty tonsils - shall we take them out?". He left the decision up to us but she had them out in January and apart from a bad few days after the op has been brilliant ever since. Best thing we did. They did look at her adenoids too but said they were fine.

[saramoon]

My DD1 (4) is due to have hers out in a couple of months. She has had tonsilitus 9 times in the last 10 months and has been on antibiotics nearly every 3 weeks. The first specialist we saw was not keen and just kept on about the risks of surgery and bleeding. We went again to the same ENT uit a couple of weeks ago and saw a different doc who said straight away, well i think it is time we took them out.
Just waiting for the letter. I am nervous about her having it done tbh but i had mine out at 19 after YEARS of being horribly ill. She too has just had a couple of months of summer weather with no tonsilitus but she is now at school so i am waiting for the next bout. Ask to be referred to a specialist or see a different doctor.

[itsmeolord]

Get rid pf em! DD had recurring tonsilitus/ear infections and was exactly as you describe your son.
I asked the GP to refer her to ENT, (he did it begrudgingly), ENT took one look and booked her in for the op.

She was so much better pretty much straight away. She is 9 now and has no problems with throat or ears.

[newmama0]

hi

my ds had his out at age 3 he also had grommits and anoids out as well.He used to stop breathing in his sleep!!!!!!

i have never looked back, yes it was scary and when he came round and was crying it nearly broke my heart. but he was eating toast a couple of hours later!!!!!

he was like a different child, his talking improved, his sleeping improved and he was just so happy all the time

i say push for it, if its what you want. i was at the doctors every other week over ears, breathing and tonsils. it was just penicillin every time and in the end i demanded to see the ent departmant as i wanted to know what the problem was not just a quick fix!!

my son was the same white as a sheet, tired, every new infection took it out of him and i worried he would become immune to the antibotics.

hope this helps it will get better xxxx

[eisbaer]

thanks very much to all responses, I really do appreciate your taking the time to tell me your experiences.
The dairy intolerance one interests me, as he almost constantly has what an adult would class as the runs and severe!
I am going to take him to the GP, with my DH in tow as he's more forthright with the medical profession than I am. And I'm not leaving until something other than antibiotics is proposed. Thanks again to all for confirming that it's something other than just run of the mill childhood illness that you just have to grin and bear with the wee mite.

[MadameCastafiore]

DS had it over and over agin for years until he had his tomsils out last easter - he is a different child, sleeps, eats and is generally a lot happier as he is not inpain - it got to the stage where he had become immune to the antibiotics and nothing worked.

I really would push to have them out s I had mine out a couple of years ago and would rather push a melon out through my anus than go through tit agian where as DS was fine the next day - bit of a relapse 7 days later but nothing a nice beaker of juice and some nurofen didn;t fix.

[Sander]

As others have said if your child is suffering from large problematic tonsils the best thing is to have the op. My DS had all the problems listed, recurrent tonsillitis developing into pneumonia on three occasions, short of breath, terrible sleep apnoea (up to 30 seconds at a time), night choking, constant vomiting and on and on..it was a nightmare...all caused by bloody enormous tonsils. We went private in the end (paid for the op to have it where and by who we wanted), massive stress at the time, but really not nearly as bad as we thought. Now it?s all a different story..massive growth spurt after and just regular colds, not a raging temp every time, best best thing we could have done ..absolutely no doubt!