Sore throat remedies

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I've had a horrendous sore throat for 3 days. The first day I had congestion in my nose and head and felt like I was starting with a cold. Thats eased but overnight the sore throat started. I'm drooling loads, have a horrible taste in my mouth, very red tonsils and swelling. Just noticed that there looks like there are white patches starting to show. Not defined but looks like the beginnings of tonsillitis.

I've tried to get an appointment at the doctor the past two days and there's been nothing. I'm not sure if this is an antibiotic job or something I need to ride out? Any tips for easing it in the meantime? I've been gargling with salt water and taking paracetamol often.

I gargle with soluble aspirin for as long as poss, then swallow. Just dissolve two in about 50-75ml of water or squash. You can also make a salt water rinse and do the same but don't swallow.

Sipping honey and lemon hot water really soothes both a sore throat and cough. Honey in general is a fantastic natural remedy. Also sore throat sweets with honey help temporarily. I never used to eat honey ever but I’m converted. Feel better soon Op.

OTC co-codamol, or benzocaine spray or difflam throat spray and many many strepsils. Sorry you're unwell I just recovered from the worst sore throat I've ever had in my life and it was a horrific week.

I also are a lot of ice-cream and sorbet with soothed it a lot!

Difflam throat spray

Cream together butter and sugar. I usually do a tbsp of each and add in about a tsp of vinegar and mix into a thick paste. Works wonders for a sore throat

Thank you all. I'll definitely be trying some of these, I'm so tired and headachey too I can't get anything done. Does it sound like it'll need antibiotics to you?

Two cures.

1-
Table spoon of honey
Table spoon of cider vinegar
Hot water stir gargle and drink.

Literally a miracle cure you can feel it working instantly

2-
Get yourself a bottle of Drambuie gargle and swallow.

Both really work

Sounds more like a really nasty cold virus or flu unless you're hacking up any yellow/green phelgm it could be a bacterial infection but more likely to be a virus. It's unlikely the doc would hand out antibiotics without listening to your lung and hearing a definite crackle.

@GooglyEyeballs if I can avoid it I'd rather not have antibiotics anyway, they massively upset my digestive system!!

I always thought that white spots on the tonsils indicated bacterial infection and needed antibiotics. But I'd be happier to ride it out if possible. I've got myself worked up over the possibility of it being strep throat I think, which does need treating in order to clear up.

Gargle with diluted tcp. Absolutely disgusting but does help.

I have the exact same thing, hideous! Get well soon us!

I’ve had the worse sore throat this week and boiling water with a big chunk of fresh ginger, fresh lemon juice and a very generous dollop of honey has really helped. A spoonful of pure honey sometimes too when the cough was at its worst.
Gargling with salt water a couple of holes a day helped a lot too.
Hope you feel better.

Ice cream or lollies will really help. I gargle with dentyl ph mouthwash (the one you shake), lots of honey.
If you’re really worried about strep (and can afford it) a lot of pharmacists can do a swab for about £15 and tell you in five minutes.

Chloraseptic spray. There's nothing like it.

I have exactly what you described for over a week now. The throat pain was nothing like I ever experienced. Am now part way through 10 days of antibiotics. Still feel awful and the coughing is relentless also. I hope you get well soon.

I had white spots on my tonsils last week and they went away after a week without antibiotics. I think they were due to a virus. I just did a lot of salt water gargles and kept my mouth very clean, flossing etc. I think there is research that shows even if it is bacterial antibiotics only cut the duration of symptoms by 1 or 2 days.