Please reassure me this is “just” tonsillitis (yucky pics)

[Iturnedmyfaceaway]

Hi there,
student son has just sent me these. It hurts to swallow but he has his voice.
is this just tonsillitis? Can it wait till Monday?

our judgement is a bit “off” since we missed a life-threatening emergency last year, so having told him it’s all fine I’m just seeking reassurance here.

thank you in advance kind people.

there's a walk in centre (open 24/7) at Addenbrooks hospital which is a 30 min walk or 10 min bus ride from central cambridge. Need to be referred by 111. Get him to ask
pharmacist about being referred there.

Looks like he needs an appointment from 111 for the out of hours clinic at Addenbrooks. Maybe ask the pharmacist if they can refer or ring 111 again.

So we’ve booked an appointment with a private gp for 8.30am.
that’s what it’s come to….
£50 for online consultation.

the pharmacist did at least look in his mouth.

My DS looked similar, GP sent him straight to a&e for IV antibiotics and fluids, hope your DS is on the mend soon

I’m glad he’s being seen. Looks like strep throat to me but I don’t know what Quinsy is, so off to ask Dr Google!

I hope it’s not mono, for his sake. My DD ended up in hospital with that.

@Iturnedmyfaceaway is there a walk in centre close to him? If there is I would suggest doing this today. If he's struggling to drink, then a&e today, not tomorrow - it escalates quite quickly if it's quinsy.

Uni student DD had it last year, persevered believing it was a throat infection. Turned up at walk in when she got to the point she could barely drink, who told her an 8 hour wait. After 2 hours she spoke to the receptionist again, showed her her throat, she literally got her the next seat free in front of the GP, who made her an appointment straight away at a&e for antibiotics via a drip. Quinsy is serious quickly.

Unfortunately she didn't learn from the experience, and an untreated throat infection did the same again earlier this year.

111 should have booked him an emergency appointment - a throat this bad, they'd have been able to hear it on the phone. I've been able to get a callback from a prescribing nurse and get a prescription over the phone before - very weird that they're not being more helpful.

If he has an appointment for 8.30, that's good, but if he gets worse overnight or this evening, if he can't swallow or breathe, he must call 999.

I had never heard of Quinsy before having it - it is horrific - he would not even be able to swallow his saliva coz of the pain

I had quinsy a few years ago and it was absolute agony to swallow. Only paracetamol would take the edge off enough to drink anything. Much worse in the morning. GP dismissed me a few times...only the Dr at urgent care centre recognised it. I had to be admitted to hospital for IV antibiotics.

Ok. I appreciate the help but I don’t think anyone is saying he has quinsy are they?

With Quinsy, you need to be admitted to hospital and put on an iv deip of antibiotics

When dd had quinsy, she sounded like she was underwater when she spoke and couldn’t even swallow calpol. How does his voice sound?

That looks similar to when I had the start of glandular fever. Looks like tonsillitis but doesn't clear up with Antibiotics and I had to have blood tests etc and have the area swabbed.

No one is saying quinsy yet and there doesn't seem to be an abscess. But those tonsils are very swollen - tonsillitis can be nasty but not necessarily a big deal if dealt with ASAP. Complications can arrise if left too long - and fairly quickly. Have your son gargle salt water to clean the tonsils a bit. Then hot water, honey, lemon.

Thank you everyone.
The latest picture of the tonsils looks better.
you may be treated to it!

How’s your boy’s tonsillitis?

Thanks for asking! He saw an online dr yesterday who prescribed antibiotics.
dr saw the same pics as you and said it was a textbook case.
the Cambridge terms are very very intense so I’m glad we’ve executed a plan.