Tonsillitis... again! :(

[Piggywawa]

Posting for traffic.
I’ve got tonsillitis AGAIN!! 5th time this year and it’s making me miserable 😩
Does anyone have any home remedies? Or any must have meds or tips or anything!
I feel like I’ve got an angry porcupine in my throat and my body aches.
I’m taking antibiotics (reluctantly really, 3rd time this year) and paracetamol.
I have to have weekly COVID tests for work and they’re all negative.
I’ve tried difflam, tyrozettes, salt gargles, honey and lemon.
I feel all achy and grumpy.
Please help!

I was absolutely plagued by tonsillitis. I would recommend gargling with dissolved aspirin, it really takes down the pain and swelling. In the morning I would take a Berocca tablet in a little water, then a hot drink. It's miserable! People think it's just a sore throat. It's not!

I had tonsillitis a lot (like a lot a lot) as a child. Almost to the point of having tonsils out but two GPs disagreed and I kept them.

I've had it once as an adult and I felt absolutely miserable, v ill. So you have my every sympathy. When I got it, I was very run down. Stressful job, on return from maternity leave.
Therefore my wider question is more about what is your life like generally and what are you doing to help your immune system?
(Sorry no better advice - I changed my job...)

Change your toothbrushes frequently especially after an episode of tonsillitis

A tonsillectomy solved my chronic tonsillitis-one bout landed me in hospital for four days

I get it all the time and find that gargling warm salt water (whilst horrible) really helps and fixes it up quickly. I get it so often and begged my GP to take them out - he said that, in truth, if they do take them out then it won't stop the infection, I'd just get a chest infection instead and that's much more dangerous. Spoke to a couple of people who had theirs out and they confirmed they get a lot of chest infections. Guess we're stuck then.

Thank you, I’m rummaging about for aspirin to try that!
I take a multi-vitamin and eat healthily, walk lots for exercise and get decent sleep to try and stay healthy. Work’s a bit crappy but no major stressors (global pandemic aside) I can pin point!
I’ll grab a new toothbrush tomorrow.
Thanks all, I feel a bit less wimpy now!

Lots of sympathy here too! I finally ended up getting mine out at 34, which was pretty horrific, but I’ve had fewer colds in the 8 years since, and 2 bouts of bronchitis in that time is I think a fair swap for tonsillitis 4 times a year!

I used to get it a lot, until the very last dose, when I was so ill with it, I began to understand those old novels where they said someone had died of a ‘putrid sore throat’.

The GP gave me antibiotics for 2 weeks, and I’ve never had it since - this was years ago.
I can only conclude that I was a carrier of streptococcus - apparently some people are - and it took 2 weeks of ABs to finally see it off.

Whether any GP would give me 2 weeks of ABs now I don’t know - they’re so much more reluctant to prescribe them at all - at least partly because of abuse, people not finishing the course once they start to feel better, etc.

I had tonsillitis a lot growing up - one year nearly every month! My GP kept saying I'd grow out of it but by 19 it wasn't getting any better so they did take them out. My dd gets it a lot now too but they won't take them out. Last time they gave her some difflam spray which really soothes your throat. I used to be really quite poorly with it and missed a lot of school. I feel for you 😔 hope you feel better soon 😊

Only thing that helped me was having them taken out. Very painful for a couple of weeks but so much better now.
I found that a hot water bottle helped with the aches and plenty of rest. Drug wise, diclofenic and cocodamel for the pain

Loads of warm drinks
Ready salted crisps if you can manage them, they scrape the crap off your throat and the salt helps

There is a point you should consider, and your gp should, tonsillectomy.
But before you do get proper swabs done. Mine (alongside other issues) were caused by Golden staph when I was young.

You have my sympathy it's horrible. I'm another one who had them removed and I can happily say that I don't miss them!

The only thing that helped was... Getting them removed I am sure this won't help right now, but when covid is eventually over with you could consult with your GP.
I very rarely suffer from a sore throat now.

I got them removed as an adult but then suffered an infection afterwards which really was painful. The worst sore throat ever. But worth it! I wonder if they would remove them, if you wanted it?

Have you tried a strong manuka honey? Hope you feel better soon (it really is awful and I feel your pain!)

Yes, sorry, getting mine taken out was the only thing that helped. I have to say I have never had a chest infection, but I do have chronic sinusitis and have to do undignified things with a neti pot on a regular basis - but I have no idea if that's because of my lack of tonsils!

I second the suggestion of salty crisps if you can bear it, and icy cold fizzy mineral water to wash them down. And, of course, the strongest painkillers you can get hold of.

I didn’t ever think about Manuka honey, I’ll get some next shop, thank you.
I’ve just discovered some soluble co codamol in the back of the meds box so will take them next time I can have paracetamol, no sign of any aspirin, so I’ll get some of that next shop too.
I’m going to plead to get them taken out I think and just dose myself up in the meantime. I’ll look into swabs too, see if they can pinpoint what’s causing it so frequently.
Thanks all, lots of great suggestions :)

I didn’t ever think about Manuka honey, I’ll get some next shop, thank you.
I’ve just discovered some soluble co codamol in the back of the meds box so will take them next time I can have paracetamol, no sign of any aspirin, so I’ll get some of that next shop too.
I’m going to plead to get them taken out I think and just dose myself up in the meantime. I’ll look into swabs too, see if they can pinpoint what’s causing it so frequently.
Thanks all, lots of great suggestions :)

I used to get tonsillitis every 2-3 weeks when I was young, doctors could never find a cause. But I did some research and sometimes it can be down to a zinc deficiency, so I took a supermarkets own vit c+ zinc tablet every day and it kept it away for months! Worth a try!

@Piggywawa where did you get tyrosets from!! Excuse the spelling I'm rubbish. I was told at my pharmacy they was taken of the market. They were amazing!

My mum used to do priessnitz wrap for us when we had it. It helped

My mum used to do priessnitz wrap for us when we had it. It helped

Chlorosceptic (sp?) is amazing. Makes you gag but deadens the pain immediately.
Mould in a previous flat made mine worse and gum disease. Don’t get so many flare ups since we moved and I had my gums fixed!
I would second the recommendation for a proper swab though... they need to know what they’re treating surely!

@Piggywawa I get them from rowlands pharmacy, or most online places have them

It looks like you can still buy them here: www.dailychemist.com/product/tyrozets-lozenges-24-lozenges/
Hope that link works, but they're not easy to find....
They do help.
Ultimately, you might need to push to have your tonsils out, OP, but it's not a pleasant experience as and adult if I'm honest. However, I certainly don't regret it.

Chlorosceptic (sp?) is amazing. Makes you gag but deadens the pain immediately.
Mould in a previous flat made mine worse and gum disease. Don’t get so many flare ups since we moved and I had my gums fixed!
I would second the recommendation for a proper swab though... they need to know what they’re treating surely!