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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

This cannot be normal.

33 replies

monkeymamma · 31/10/2013 19:20

Tonsillitis every. Single. Month. Right after my period. Last month it was horrendous - more like flu, with shaking, sweating, shivering, temp at 40degrees and unable to lift my limbs or swallow. Started feeling a bit throaty today (literally one month to the day since last time) and now feeling exactly like before.
The horrendous thing is that ds (20m) caught it off me last time round and we ended up in out of hours at the hospital panicking that he had meningitis because he was so bloody ill. I was ill for about 5 days and ds for over a week. So we are only just back to normal when this starts up again.

I know there are way worse things that can happen, I just want a moan cos this is really bloody getting me down. And if any of my fave vipers have any tips to stop this happening or sage advice please please help :-(

OP posts:

Absolutmum · 31/10/2013 19:29

Get them taken out! I used to have this and felt so much better after the tonsils were removed, painful experience, but worth it!

Quoteunquote · 31/10/2013 19:30

Have them out? I can't say I have ever missed mine.

hope you feel better soon.

BigWoooooo · 31/10/2013 19:32

Get them taken out. A friend of mine had them done with a laser I think. Also, if this is fairly new you should probably be tested for glandular fever.

mousmous · 31/10/2013 19:36

are you anaemic?
enough vit d?

MikeTheShite · 31/10/2013 19:36

I have had exactly the same problem, I had mine out at 21 after 4 years of hell.
The thought of a sore throat used to get me upset! Not the dreaded T again. I've been great since

HearMyRoar · 31/10/2013 19:49

Absolutely get them out. I am sure you will feel much better in general nice they are gone. Also tonsilitus is horrible, I had it loads as a child and it was really awful.

YouTheCat · 31/10/2013 19:51

I didn't think you could catch tonsillitis from someone?

I went through a phase of terrible bouts of tonsillitis - all caused by festering, semi-erupted wisdom teeth.

MrsHowardRoark · 31/10/2013 19:53

As most people have said, get them out!

I had mine out as an adult and it was horrible for about 3 weeks and since then I'm hardly ever ill.

You could have a lingering infection in the tonsils so it will just continue to come back.

wildflowering · 31/10/2013 19:53

Do you see your GP everytime this happens because if so he should be referring you to get them removed.

I had mine out at 22 more similar reasons.

I doesn't really hurt and if you have a persistent problem the answer is getting them removed

Littlefish · 31/10/2013 19:54

I had mine taken out when I was 18. I had had glandular fever a year earlier, and every time I had tonsillitis, it seemed to bring back the glandular fever symptoms too.

As soon as I had them taken out, I was so much better - not only did I not get tonsillitis but I seemed to also avoid many of the milder sore throats etc. that I used to get. Perhaps the germs were just harbouring in my tonsils?

Anyway - go and see your GP. Explain the impact the monthly infections are having on your life, and ask to be referred to a consultant. Good luck.

VacantExpression · 31/10/2013 19:54

Its not normal. I had exactly the same through my teens, my attendance at school dropping to 50% some years because I was so bloody ill all the time. Get the buggers taken out- changed my life!

jammiedonut · 31/10/2013 19:55

Get them removed, i did at 20, best thing I ever did after two years were blighted by constant bouts of tonsillitis. Had to battle to get drs to agree but wore them down eventually!

sleeplessbunny · 31/10/2013 20:01

I used to get this in my early 20s, not quite every month but very regularly and always awfully ill with it. In the end the verdict seemed to be that they were basically permanently inflamed through repeated infection so they would flare up more easily, and it was a vicious circle. I had them out, which was a bit of an ordeal in itself (apparently it is worse for adults than kids) but it was all over in a few weeks and was well worth it. I have been much healthier since, and it stopped my snoring!

Ask your GP to refer you. It might be necessary to go to the doc's every time you get it for a while, to get them to realise just how bad it is.

tinyturtletim · 31/10/2013 20:05

Make sure you go to the drs every time and each time ask to have them out.

It is hell on earth having them out but the best worst week of my life if that makes sense

GoldiChops · 31/10/2013 20:06

I had mine out at 24 after years of hospital stays due to dehydration- they'd get so big I couldn't swallow any liquid at all. Final straw was developing a quinzy and having it lanced, I was in screaming agony but couldn't vocalise it to the Dr, she was horrible and actually called me a baby for flinching away! After that I begged and begged and finally got an op. Phew. Never looked back!

kali110 · 31/10/2013 20:09

Have them out!i did at 21 as i was getting it neay every month, as bad as you and my work were threatening to fire me.

hollyisalovelyname · 31/10/2013 20:10

I had them taken out years ago but there is still tonsil tissue left and I het horrendous throats every year still. Dd1 will have to get hers out. She had strep throat once and it looked like white fungus was growing on both sides of the back of her throat. Unbelievable!

Original poster

monkeymamma · 31/10/2013 20:10

Thank you so much for all the replies! That's made me feel a bit better. I see a different GP every time I go but if I can get an appointment with the practice doctor I'll ask about having them out. I'd like this anyway as they are full of holes (or 'crypts' as the doctors charmingly refer to them as) which get full up with crapola and I'm sure give me bad breath (no one I will confirm this to me though. Bless them.) the thing is, dh is not keen for me to get it done because of the childcare angle and recovery time being so long. I am a massive wuss too (although I have given birth lol). He will stand by me whatever I decide but he's not really in favour. It's very very helpful to hear from so many if you that it's a good thing.
I am in my 30s so very unlikely to grow out of it now :-s

OP posts:

heartshape · 31/10/2013 20:11

my doctor said my dd has to have had tonsilitus 6 times in 6 months before they will look at removing them , sounds like you are a good case for that , good luck.

Original poster

monkeymamma · 31/10/2013 20:11

Holly your poor dd! Mine look like that pretty much one week in every four...

OP posts:

HearMyRoar · 31/10/2013 20:16

Childcare wise I think you have to look at how much problems it is causing you with childcare being I'll every months and also you DC being ill. You will have a pretty short period of recovery but you can plan for this and after that you will feel so much better.

Finola1step · 31/10/2013 20:23

I went through a spate of tonsillitis last year. Had it 4 times in 8 months. I felt awful. Had loads of time off work. Went to the GP each time. Had blood tests, swabs taken. GP was very understanding but did say that the local hospital protocol was that they would consider me for tonsil removal if I had 6 bouts within 12 months! Otherwise no funding.

I felt so rough that I even considered going private to have them out, which we really can not afford. My GP told me of a very useful study which has been given very little attention because it was not funded by one of the big drug companies. The study showed that people who gargle with Listerine twice a day significantly reduce their visits to their GP with tonsillitis, even those who have a history of getting it regularly. So I tried it. Gargled with Listerine morning, after eating and last thing at night for a month or so. No tonsillitis since. So now as soon as I think there might be something going on, I go back to the gargling and it goes within a day.

I have also increased my vitamin c and zinc intake to boost my immune system.

So, you must go to your GP each time you have it so that it is recorded in your notes. Try the Listerine, it really did help me.

YoureBeingAnAnyFuckerFan · 31/10/2013 20:26

Is your dp objecting to you having the op because he doesnt want to be arsed picking up the slack while you recover??

Btw- he doesnt actually get a vote in what you do with YOUR tonsils.

Finola1step · 31/10/2013 20:27

X posted!

The childcare thing is very short sighted. If you keep getting it, there will come a time when he will have to do more childcare anyway because you are too damn ill.

If you do have them out, at least it will be planned and you can work out he childcare. There were a few days when I had it, that I could barely lift my head off the pillow. It is rubbish.

Hope you feel better soon OP

Musicaltheatremum · 31/10/2013 20:39

Make sure you are getting a decent length of antibiotics. At least 10 days of penicillin V at 500mg four times daily. Another good antibiotic is augmentin (co-amoxiclav) which you normally wouldn't give first line in tonsillitis in case it was glandular fever. One of my work colleagues (also a GP) had loads of tonsillitis and was all ready for reluctant removal but. This stopped her getting more infections and now several years down the line she still hasn't had another attack. I persuaded the GP in Canada to give it to my daughter after she had an attack lasting on and off for 6 weeks. Amazing results and the GP gave her it again a few months later and she has had virtually no problems since.
I think it is because the augmentin goes for the bugs that live in the dark crypts in the tonsils which penicillin by itself just doesn't help.
It might not cure you but it might help reduce the attacks and you will have to wait a while for surgery anyway so you might as well give it a go.

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