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Original poster

Tonsillitis

21 replies

Itstheprinciple · 14/02/2022 14:14

I need relief. I am in so much pain. I am alternating paracetamol and ibuprofen. Since this morning I've also chucked some codeine in there. I've got difflam spray, salt water gargles, ice lollies, milk shakes, honey and lemon. Nothing relieves it for longer than a minute. I need a break from this pain. I haven't had any substantial sleep for two days. I went to our walk in centre this morning and a nurse literally told me an algorithm on the computer would decide if I needed antibiotics and unfortunately 'computer said no'. I'm at the end of my tether with the pain every single time I swallow.

OP posts:

powershowerforanhour · 14/02/2022 14:23

Oh gosh. I know that pain. It's horrendous. I went into the GPs with a handwritten note, explaining that I hadn't phoned as I couldn't speak but that I had tonsillitis again. This was pre covid. She saw my pleading face and got me booked with the GP that morning. I didn't take any paracetamol or ibuprofen because I wanted to be maximum swollen/pyrexic/awful looking just in case GP decided abs not necessary. Lovely GP took a look at my tonsils, asked in sympathetically horrified tones what I'd already taken for pain and when I croak-whispered nothing and why, hastily wrote the script for abs and ushered me home to take alll the drugs.

powershowerforanhour · 14/02/2022 14:29

Jeez the pain. Leaning forward to try to get saliva to drool out of my mouth so I wouldn't have to swallow it, bracing every muscle in my body and clenching my fists ready every time I did have to swallow. Near-scalding water relieving the pain for only the length of time it was actually in contact with the back of my throat plus a few seconds. Crying with pain.

Would clove oil help? I think you really need antibiotics though. Go back to docs and burst into tears in the reception area.

DoubleChinWoes2 · 14/02/2022 14:35

You need to go back and get antibiotics

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lopape · 14/02/2022 14:38

Wtf, you need antibiotics! Go there and make them give them to you. I don't know how, cry, threaten to sue them, anything !!
I had tonsillitis last summer and it was absolutely awful, I had a bowl to spit my saliva because it was too painful to swallow. Can't imagine not getting antibiotics for it. Did they give you another reason other than the computer thing? What does that even mean?

Notlostjustexploring · 14/02/2022 14:40

Did the nurse even look at your throat???

Can you even swallow properly???

Hoardasurass · 14/02/2022 15:07

If you pop into a chemist you can get thorozeen (sp) lozenges they have lidocaine (a local anesthetic) it won't help with the tonsillitis but will ease the pain until the antibiotics work, which you need.
Hope that helps as tonsillitis is not pleasant

Original poster

Itstheprinciple · 14/02/2022 15:13

I can swallow but I have to do the dramatic bracing thing that @powershowerforanhour described. He did examine me and reckoned my throat doesn't look 'too bad' with mild to moderate swelling. It looks like a shit show to me and there are definite areas of white. He had already told me they rarely give antibiotics for throats before he even examined me so I wasn't hopeful.

He asked me questions and filled in the computer to generate a 'score'. Given that I have been religiously taking ibuprofen and paracetamol as often as possible for the last 24 hours, he asked me if I'd had a fever or any other aches and pains. Well I had to say no, but who knows if that's because I'd been so drugged up?? I did explain that. I will phone my GP in the morning. I went to the walk in as I really couldn't face the repeated pressing of redial that happens at our surgery especially on a Monday morning, only to be told someone would ring me back. I just wanted antibiotics ASAP so I could get cracking with them. I've had tonsillitis enough times to know once the antibiotics get started, I begin feeling better very quickly, although I haven't had it for several years.

DH has just been out for soluable paracetamol which I'm going to gargle with but I am losing my tolerance for the pain very quickly now. I don't think it will be too hard to cry to the GP as I keep bursting into tears anyway. At least its half term so I'm off.

OP posts:

Notlostjustexploring · 14/02/2022 15:20

I think you should go back!!! According to the NHS website says that if you have difficulty swallowing you should be going to A&E!!!

Get your husband to dial 111 for you if you can no longer access your GP. Don't wait until tomorrow. You're in misery now.

lopape · 14/02/2022 17:57

I would make a complaint as well. The fact that they've already kind of decided beforehand that they're not going to give antibiotics is very wierd. No one should be allowed to be in so much pain when there's such an easy solution. I bet a man would have received them real fast

Gherkingreen · 14/02/2022 18:05

I used to get tonsillitis a lot when DCs were young, it's absolutely the worst, so painful and all-encompassing.
I remember one time falling asleep, grey faced, in the waiting room once and the GP walked by, literally wrote the prescription without a question and sent me home.
I'm sorry you weren't given the meds you need. Please go back and insist on seeing someone else who will prescribe the right sort of antibiotics for you. Hope you're feeling better soon

Spectre8 · 14/02/2022 18:11

Go back! I had this with one GP at my practice. I knew it was bacterial Im so used to getting it I know early on which one is viral and which isn't. He refused to give me antibiotics it then kicked off a chain reaction in my throaat I ended up with laryngitis and then pharyngitis. I went back and saw a different GP and they were horrified I was on two courses of antibiotics which then screwed up my stomach.

I put in a complaint about that GP too.

shreddednips · 14/02/2022 18:12

You poor thing, you have my sympathy. I've just recovered from a bout and the pain is absolutely horrendous. If you've got white patches on your tonsils then it sounds like you need antibiotics, do you have a fever? I understand the reasons for not giving antibiotics lightly but it sounds like they had already made their mind up!

As it's out of hours you could try an online GP service like Livi or something if you don't mind paying. I've used them a couple of times when I haven't been able to get an appointment and they can prescribe antibiotics. I think it's about £40. If you book now you could perhaps get the first dose in you tonight.

shreddednips · 14/02/2022 18:15

@Spectre8

I put in a complaint about that GP too.

I've had a similar experience, I was refused by my GP practice and ended up in hospital on intravenous antibiotics. Bacterial tonsillitis can be nasty, I'd definitely push to be seen again by someone ASAP OP.

wouldyouplease · 14/02/2022 18:15

The score works out the likelihood it's viral or bacterial. Regardless of whether it's painful, if it's viral (as suggested by low score) abx will do nothing but give you antibiotics and thrush.

Hope you feel better.

JeffVaderneedsatray · 14/02/2022 18:32

You have my sympathy - tonsilitis sucks.
I used to get it incredibly badly - used to lie with a towel on my pillow so I wouldn't have to swallow.
I've been refused antibiotics a couple of times and ended up really ill - taking 3 weeks to recover when it normally took a week. Generally its because the DR didn't believe I knew tonsilitis was coming - as a child I could recognise the onset and antibiotics usually meant it lasted only a few days.
Hope you can get sorted quickly.

mrslimpet · 14/02/2022 18:41

If you can manage it, gargle with salt water - it really helps.

A cup of warm water, dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in it.

Gargle as many times as you can manage (spitting out the water each time) and repeat through the day.

You have my sympathy, it's horrible I know x

Narutocrazyfox · 14/02/2022 18:42

If you can't swallow saliva OP, or you start to get associated earache and a high temp, go straight to A&E. I was fobbed off by 111 and a doctor on the phone and my OH knew their advice was shonky so took me straight to hospital. The A&E doc took one look and I was admitted with quinsy while he (kindly but exasperatedly) told me off for waiting so long to get help(!) I was in hospital for 2 days and had to take a huge concoction of drugs for 4 weeks afterwards. I do not wish to scare you but if it starts to feel worse than normal tonsillitis do not take no for an answer and if the Dr is crap go straight to A&E!!!

I'm the meantime try and get hold of some tyrozets. They are very soothing when nothing else helps xxx

HettiSpagetti · 14/02/2022 18:42

I’ve had trouble at the walk in centre too. The nurse made me cry, denied there were any white spots and told me off for coming in straight away, I should wait at least 3 days in future, and I was wasting their time.

I don’t go there now. It’s better to wait and see the GP, no matter how long it takes.

Hope you feel better soon and get sorted out quickly!

Original poster

Itstheprinciple · 14/02/2022 19:16

I called 111, they told me I needed to be seen so I went to another walk in centre in the next town. The nurse practitioner took one look, said definitely tonsillitis and, although it's not quinsy yet, it could go that way if I didn't get antibiotics. I now have them and have taken my first dose. No sign of a computer, just actual nursing and listening to what I was saying instead of trying to fit me in a box on a questionnaire. Thanks for your encouragement to get it sorted.

OP posts:

Haggisfish3 · 14/02/2022 19:27

Lie. You have a fever and yellow/white spots on tonsils. Computer now says yes.

Haggisfish3 · 14/02/2022 19:28

Thank goodness op. Tonsillitis is just so awful.

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