To think phoning 111 for this is ridiculous?

[vcfhmj]

I had a sore throat that began yesterday morning and has gotten progressively worse. I am grimacing when I swallow, it's absolute agony, have a temperature and a headache and have been up able to get up and on with it. It feels like tonsillitis to me but I haven't even looked at my tonsils as that would involve sitting/getting up.

My mum thinks I should call 111 and get an out of hours GP appointment. I said no, I'll just wait and phone GPS tomorrow.

However, she is saying the quicker you start antibiotics the better. I haven't been Ill in a long time and I actually started to call 111 then decided it was ridiculous and embarrassing to call about a sore throat so I hung up (before being answered obviously).

So I am asking the good people of Mumsnet. It's clearly not life threatening, I will survive, is it best to wait till tomorrow so as not to waste anyone's time?

Well if that’s not an advert for not taking advice off mumsnet I don’t know what is

I have never bothered the gp for tonsillitis. It lasts max a couple of days this bad, then starts to pass by itself. I’d leave it till Wednesday and see how it is then.

Suck ice cubes & let the ice water trickle down yr throat.
If glands are swollen, put external ice packs on them.
Take pain killers as now.
Rest as much as you can.
Buy Diflam throat spray tomorrow.

I was really ill with an horrendous sore throat during last Christmas. It lasted 10 days. All of the above worked for me.

Get well soon.

Possibly pp meant chlorhexidine hydrochloride i.e. antiseptic mouthwash like Corsodyl.

Unless you want to dye your tonsils blonde...

I think people here are mixing up viral and bacterial tonsillitis. Viral, yea will pass in a few days. Bacterial, not so much and an infection like that close to the brain is actually quite dangerous. The doctor decides if you need antibiotics, not fuckin Sandra on MN who thinks cos she’s fine with it you have to be too

Hydrogen Peroxide is an antiseptic perfectly safe to gargle with.

www.superdrug.com/health/first-aid/antiseptic-creams-gels/hydrogen-peroxide-solution-9-30-vols-200ml/p/225338

This! 👏🏼👏🏼

@Mangogogogo 🙌🏻

Your mum and the PP mentioning soluble asprin are right!
Tonsillitis is an infection - won't go away on its own. And it's miserable. I got it for the first time aged 25 after never having it as a kid - was like swallowing glass even when drinking water.

You don’t win prizes for suffering and not utilising appropriate medical support. You have slough, you likely need ABX.

I ALWAYS end up with tonsillitis at the weekend every time I get it. I've had to phone 111 for it so many times - never had an issue. Don't feel silly, it's what they are there for

Thanks all. Waiting for out of hours to call me.

I've had tonsillitis a ridiculous amount of times but mostly just viral. If viral they will be swollen large and sore and inflamed looking but no discolouration. If they are bacterial they will look red and white marbled, you can Google bacterial vs viral tonsillitis. This is different from a single visible spot which is more likely to be a tonsil stone which people who have previously had tonsillitis are more likely to get due to scarring on the tonsils plus dry mouth from not drinking enough when sore. Hope 111 get back to you soon and you feel much better soon. They will look at what your tonsils look like + if you have had a fever + if your lymph nodes are swollen + if you have any other viral symptoms and make a decision based on that.

Regardless of outcome get some difflam throat spray. It's a game changer.

As you're in Scotland, if there's an out-of-hours pharmacy open anywhere close you, they may able to prescribe you antibiotics.

(Not tonsillitis but I got antibiotic eye drops for a crusty, sore eye within 10 minutes of visiting my local pharmacy: they can access your medical records)

Could be strep throat, that seems to be going round. If it’s that bad then ring.

Ive recently discovered that grinding up a bit of fresh thyme with honey and lemon works well. You could buy thyme honey syrup on the continent but I’ve not seen it here.

White spots on tonsils? Worth seeing a dr is my rule.

Or it will get worse and led to other complications, resulting in the op becoming very unwell and needing hospital treatment.
I take it you've never dealt with someone with fairly severe bacterial tonsillitis.

Me and my DD have the exact same thing. It’s awful.

I don’t plan on ringing 111 unless I can’t cope with it anymore.
As last time I did that I rang at 8am and wasn’t phoned back until 2:30am the next day and had to wake my DD and drive to a hospital 30mins away just for the out of hours gp to tell me he can’t prescribe me antibiotics and to book it with my regular gp in the morning.

Do you actually think that? I can’t tell if you are joking…..

I think that in Scotland pharmacists can dispense antibiotics without a prescription. Phone either Boots or an independent and ask.

Antibiotics aren't magical, in the vast majority of cases they will only shorten the lifespan of the illness by 1-2 days anyway. Most tonsillitis is viral, not bacterial.
Painkillers, lots of fluid and rest and seek help if it starts developing more one side or you have uvula deviation. As long as your airway is clear you'll be fine.

100%

I ended up in hospital once with tonsillitis...

That's not your call to make, stop sharing dangerous medical advise on the internet