What's this on my tonsil? [GROSS PIC]

[EwwwTonsil]

Disclaimer: this isn't my photo, it's one I found online which looks exactly like my tonsil. I couldn't get a clear photo of mine so googled and there was someone else wondering the same thing. So apologies for the random gross throat!

Woke up with a sudden, stabbing pain in the left side of my throat on Friday morning, didn't think to check it til Saturday when I started feeling lousy generally, and saw something like this. There's also a few other whitish spots dotted around both tonsils.

DD is a teacher and there's lots of Strep A in her school at the moment so called 111 to be on the safe side as I'm immunocompromised. They immediately diagnosed Strep (without actually seeing my throat!) and put an urgent prescription for Pen V through. I've been taking it since Saturday night and while the pain has lessened (as have other symptoms like fatigue and slight feverishness), the gungey tonsils remain gungey.

Now scaring myself witless that I have throat cancer (I have HA and it's driving me barmy at the moment). It's the blood vessels over the white bit that have me worried. No GP appointment available til goodness knows when. I was at the dentist a fortnight ago however and keep trying to tell myself that if there were anything untoward he would have noticed it.

Can anyone put my mind at rest, or offer any advice? How long would the penicillin take to clear the pus if it was actually strep? And do I need to bother my GP?

TIA 💐

What's strange though is in all the photos of tonsillitis/quinsy I've seen, the tonsils look swollen and inflamed, but mine don't. No redness or swelling at all, just this bigger slightly veiny patch of white and a few other white dots which aren't veiny. And a scratchy, slightly raw 'feeling'.

I really hope nobody is eating!

A quinsy can be really nasty - my relative was hospitalised with one.
Definitely talk to your GP and send them this photo.

I've almost convinced myself it's either quinsy or something even more sinister!

I'm trying to get through to my GP but it's like pulling teeth. Also I feel bad about potentially wasting their time given I've already been prescribed ABs.

The idea of being in hospital over Christmas though... Ugh.

I had quinsy when I was 16, I was hospitalised for a week. It’s very serious and the worst pain I have ever experienced, even worse than childbirth. My whole throat was swollen so much so I was struggling to breathe and I could barely open my mouth. I was extremely sick- vomiting, raging temperature, as I say in absolute agony (my whole head felt like it was going to explode). If you had quinsy, you wouldn’t be sitting on Mumsnet so I highly doubt it’s that.

Oh I'm so sorry you went through that, it sounds horrendous. I have a high pain threshold but I can safely say that I'm in no way as poorly as that. Can I ask, did it come on suddenly? Or did you have tonsillitis which turned into quinsy?

Still trying to get through to GP!

I have a GP appointment at 2.40pm. I'll report back!

Thanks all 💐

Mine was Tonsillitis 3 times in a year then developed into Quinsy. Like pp I struggled to breathe within a few hours, couldn't open my mouth much at all, saw GP and was taken straight into hospital. I have never felt so terribly ill.

I had no idea what it was - thought it was flu and awful tonsillitis. It was only afterwards and I described it to my dad that he said that's quinsy. Think I was lucky, as he said his mother had it (in the days before antibiotics) and it affected her hearing.

Well, it's now six weeks on and it's still there!

The GP told me that it was an infection and if it hadn't cleared I should have another short course of ABs, which I did. A week later I went back because it was still the same and a different GP told me it was nothing to worry about but if it was still there in six weeks, 'if I wanted' I could go back and get an ENT referral. It's now six weeks and I'm wondering if I need to bother? There's absolutely no pain (just a very occasional scratchiness) and it's not causing any issues.

Thing is I'm now convinced it's cancer and am actually a bit terrified to go back. I had another health scare over Christmas (totally unrelated) and it's made me even more edgy re my HA.

I've googled obsessively and it looks like a cyst of some sort, the only difference being that the edges are a bit uneven. I also have a couple of what look like tonsil stones around the 'main' cyst thing - in fact the second GP I saw said straight away that's what they were, so I'm not too concerned about them, although they're a bit 'veiny' too which I didn't think stones could be?

Sorry for the ramble. Just very worried at this point!

I'd go back. It's not normal and even though the GP is happy it's not sinister it's going to play on your mind. I'd want to know what it is and if that requires an ENT referral so be it!

I've never seen a tonsil stone with veins on it.

Go to ent. You have good reason to seek reassurance. They will have seen more manky throats than the GP!

Sporners corner will help you deal with this OP

Thanks for the advice, you're absolutely right, I need to get it seen. I've an appointment at 3pm.

I've also noticed as I was getting dressed today a largeish fleshy lump above my right collarbone, so I'm going to ask them to look at that, too. Of course Dr Google says fleshy lump above collarbone = lymphoma. Not going to lie, I'm shitting myself - the non-healing throat is one thing but a lump as well has sent my anxiety off the scale.

Will report back.

OP I hope you get reassuring news. Please let us know later.

Thank you 💐

I got a fleshy lump above my collarbone after my covid vax. It went on its own eventually.

Try not to panic. Hope appointment goes well.

Hope the appointment went ok, OP. If nothing has changed and the GP hasn't been able to convince you not to worry, has to be worth getting checked. Hopefully ENT will put your mind at rest, and if not they can treat accordingly.

Thanks for the replies 💐

GP said that throat definitely isn't tonsil stones (she tried to remove one and it was going nowhere) and she didn't know what it was. 'Some sort of cyst' was her verdict! She's referred me to ENT so they can decide what it is and hopefully remove it.

As for the lump, she says it also feels like a cyst, not a lymph node. She's referred me to the hospital for a scan.

She said both referrals would take a couple of months, so clearly not a huge concern - when I had a breast lump a few years ago I was seen within ten days. I also asked her several times if either could be cancer and she said no, definitely not and nothing to worry about. But now I'm convincing myself she's only told me that to stop me worrying.

Worse thing is I can't take my RA meds while I have any kind of infection so I've not taken them for months now, and probably won't be able to for months more. Ugh.

Should I be worried or does this all sound pretty positive?

Is it an infection though? If it's a cyst, you may be able to take the RA drugs. Can you ask the RA team?

I'll give them a ring tomorrow. When I had a skin cyst a few years ago I wasn't able to take them so I just assumed this would be the same. You're right, best to check.

That is very good news.

If it doesn't hurt and there isn't lots of inflammation then presumably it isn't an ongoing infection. If it had been, I think GP would have tried to get it dealt with faster.

Would be good to clarify with GP and RA team so you can take meds.

What was your outcome then? As I've just noticed a smooth white roundish mark on my left tonsil. Doesnt hurt, little itchy but it's anxiety kicking me in.

Lurker here, I’d like to know aswell.