What’s best to gargle for bad throat?

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Got a bad throat, tonsils are swollen and feeling pretty rubbish, had tonsilitis earlier in the year, not sure if it’s that again or just a general lurgy. Feeling sorry for myself, what’s the best thing to gargle for a bad throat? Difflam? TCP? Salt? Colgate Peroxyl mouthwash? Been told various things just want to use what will work quickest?! Does steaming your face help a bad throat?

This, with half a fresh lemon in freshly boiled water, leaving it to cool a bit and 2 paracetamol.

Thank you everyone. Off to bed now. I think I may have to start the antibiotics tomorrow , feeling pretty rubbish. Have gargled aspirin 4 times today and I’ve just checked and one on my tonsils has a large white patch. Just want to cry!

TCP. So disgusting but very effective.

Morning everyone, I don’t know what to do, I’m in tears just feel rubbish. I don’t want to take the antibiotics but don’t know how long it will take to feel better if I don’t. I’m so concerned it’s just going to keep coming back, this is the third time this year and the doctors don’t seem bothered. It makes me feel so unwell.

Why don't you want to take the antibiotics? Not to overly scared you but DH once left a sore throat a bit too long (over a weekend and possibly a bank hol) and ended up having to have antibiotics on a drip in A&E

Hot water, honey, and the squeezed juice of half a lemon is soothing (to drink not gargle)

Because it would the third time this year I’ve had to take them and they also make me feel rubbish. I just don’t know what to do.

Take the antibiotics then focus on boosting your immune system doo that you become less susceptible.

I’ve really focused on boosting my immune system and it hasn’t help though, eat fruit and veg , drink water, take vitamin c, d3 and zinc . I don’t know what else to do just feel at the end of my tether with it.

Salt water for gargling.

Drink hot water with a slice of lemon, some ginger and manuka honey.

Thank you everyone, I’m trying all of these things but my tonsils look worse than yesterday. How long should it take to work? Does anyone know if I can alternate between googling aspirin then salt water ? Don’t want to do too much and it irritate them further. The Manuka honey I have is 340mgo is that a good one?

Salt water gargle (one tsp of salt in a glass of warm water)

Lemon & honey

Ginger

I was at the doctors two weeks ago with tonsillitis. It was too late for me to try natural remedies and I ended up having antibiotics; again 🥺 The doctor did recommend bay leaves though and I’ve never heard of that before!

Have you had to have antibiotics a few times @Udford ? Does it make you feel generally rubbish? I really hate tonsilitis! Don’t know why any of these things aren’t making it better.

Sorry op, I’ve just read your latest updates.

I totally sympathise with you. I’ve also had tonsillitis 3 times in quick succession along with two ear infections so I feel your pain! For me, antibiotics kick in at the end of day 2. Try and alternate between paracetamol and ibuprofen so you’re continuously covered. If they aren’t touching the sides, grab some co-codamol. You can get these in standard tablet form and also tablets that you dissolve in water first if you’re really struggling to swallow.

Gargle with salt water as often as you like or can stomach! Lots of rest and TLC. Eat a load of ice cream too, I find that numbs my throat for a brief period.

Yes I’ve had them 5 times this year so far 🙈 I’ve been on different types and some of them made me really poorly; others were absolutely fine. I had Erythromycin once and for me, they were awful and the worst of the bunch. Made me feel so much worse!

It’s terrible and I totally get the frustration of having it over and over again with no clear reason as to why. It can be so debilitating.

It will take time and patience and trial and error.
I had loads of antibiotics for tonsillitis as a kid, then recurrent and often sub clinical utis in my teens and 20s. Oh, not to mention the thrush.

I ended up overhauling everything and gradually the frequency decreased. In the beginning it was like trying to untangle a great ball of spaghetti but as I got more of a grasp on it I started to spot triggers and also things that helped.

20 years on I can spot when things are going downhill and mostly head it off.

Sometimes antibiotics and painkillers are necessary interventions to give you that break while you address the susceptibility to these recurrent inflammations.

@Udford has that been for 5 throat infections this year? Has the doctor said why it may be reoccurring? It’s so frustrating isn’t it. It’s hard not to let it affect work.

I’ve managed to get a nurse at the doctors drop in clinic to look at my throat this morning. My temperature was fine but she said she could see the tonsils are inflamed and the white spots are there, and I could give it another 24 hours until tomorrow morning before starting the antibiotics if I want to see if another day of gargling and drinking lots will help. She said she agrees that it is just bad luck and there is so much around in the local community they are seeing people getting repeat infections.

The only time I had white spots that I’m aware of, I was really ill with it*. After first ABs didn’t work, GP gave me different ones - for 10 days. They worked, and although I’d had it every single year for ever, I never once had it again and this was years ago.
I was probably carrying the bug but it was finally wiped out.
I’d def. take ABs if offered.

*and began to understand mentions in Victorian novels of someone dying of a ‘putrid sore throat’!

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER ive already taken two 10 day courses for it this year though, both times white spots, so it doesn’t seem to be fully wiping it out.

This was me in January and February!! Caught it just after Christmas, I'd take antibiotics for 2 weeks then it would come back a few days after stopping AB. I had it 4 times in 8/9 weeks. The docs would swab every time as I had white spots and it was always bacterial (streptococcus). I had different antibiotics each time and nothing helped. Unfortunately the docs said I had to have it at least 8 times in a year to be referred to ENT and it would probably take over a year to just get the initial appointment 😩

Anyway it isn't all doom and gloom as I did finally clear and touch wood it hasn't come back since the end of February! I'm pretty sure i narrowed it down to the fact it was living on my lip balm and I was reinfecting myself 🤮 I was changing my toothbrush each time as advised on Reddit and Mumsnet but then I read about lip balm and I thought oh wow I never changed that!

Also, the last time I got it I didn't take antibiotics. Please don't do this unless consulting with your GP. You need to watch out for complications such as quinsy and sepsis, but my body seemed to do better fighting it off fully itself and not replying on antibiotics. Antibiotics wipe all good bacteria which can make strep more likely to return.

I also gargled to hydrogen peroxide a couple or times a day. Not sure if it helped or not but it was recommended loads on here. Just don't swallow it!!

One thing I will say tho is that my tonsils are now very big and bumpy and full of crypts and what not. They are very damaged from having it so many times and my doctors don't think they'll go down again now. They think I'm probably more susceptible to it now due to that.

Hope some of that helps!! It's such a nasty thing to keep getting!

Thank you @jf1992x , it gives me some hope that touch wood you have been clear since!
I have also changed my toothbrush after each infection, I just can’t work out why I keep getting it. I’m trying to ride it out today by gargling and seeing how I go then will start antibiotics tomorrow if I have to. Hopefully my throat swab will be back tomorrow but I know it can take a while. I did have a throat swab in May but it didn’t show bacteria but I had already started taking antibiotics then so I don’t know if that would’ve impacted it.
Did you have white spots each time? Including the last time when you didn’t take them?

Yes I had white spots each time, plus couldn't really move my neck due to how swollen my glands were! My GP said white spots were a good indication of bacterial as opposed to viral

How long did it take for you to clear the last lot without antibiotics @jf1992x ? Did you ever gargle TCP?

Chamomille tea

Does anyone know if it’s normal for the white spots to come and go? And for tonsilitis to feel worse at night? I just want to feel better!