Have you had your tonsils out?

[Cloud44]

Currently got tonsilitis, feeling sorry for myself as missing out on Easter celebrations! Just wondering for others who get tonsilitis as an adult have you thought about having them out? I know it’s not as common to have done now compared to years ago but I hate tonsilitis!

Yes I had them out in my 20's as my tonsils were so deformed from infections as a child I was getting tonsil stones. Done on nhs. Recovery was pretty quick.

I had them out as a child as I was getting recurrent infections. Never had problems since.

Yes, as an adult. I was working with children and sick constantly. They were massive and a bit gross! It's a painful recovery for a few days but it does pass and it was worth the procedure as I stopped getting sick all the time.

Do you get tonsillitis a lot? GPs don’t refer as much now, it’s definitely harder to get tonsils removed.

One of mine had them out aged 2, but that was for sleep apnoea.

Its considered a worse operation to have as an adult than a child, i think because a lifetime of infection leave more scar tissue on the tonsils, so they'll only do it if they absolutely must.

Yes as a child in the 1980s

I had mine out in my early twenties. It was a bit sore for maybe a week but soluble aspirin is amazing for that. I’ve never looked back.

Yes as a child in the 1990s. Don’t think it’s done as routinely these days, no idea why

I wish I had. I think during my Alevels when it was really bad, you needed 3 GP diagnoses of tonsillitis in 6 months. I only had two, possibly because I also had pharyngitis twice and was on antibiotics for that. Now I have such pitted tonsils I have to empty them of stones and pus every 2 days, although I've only ever had antibiotic worthy tonsillitis about 3 times in 10 years.

I wish I'd had my tonsils out. I get bad bouts of tonsillitis from time to time as well, so I really sympathise with you.

I had tonsillitis 3 or 4 times every single year throughout my childhood and into adulthood. The possibility of having them out was never even suggested.

Aged 20 I'd had enough, saw the GP, managed to get a referral to an ENT specialist. They examined me and confirmed I should have had them our years ago (no shit!) and that if I wanted, they could go ahead now. But also that I had to be aware I had so much scarring on and around my tonisils that there was a much higher risk of 'uncontrollable bleeding'. Which scared the shit out of me so I declined.

Aged about 25, my problems with tonsillitis just stopped...I went from having it 3/4 times EVERY year to nothing.

I'm now 37 and I've had it maybe twice in the past 12 years.

I think most of my family including myself have had them out. It was fairly routine way back when, bit sore but nothing ott. DD had to have an emergency tonsillectomy due to stones & quinsies. She could barely breathe & it was quite scary. GP kept fobbing us off despite repeated infections.

Yep.

Worst pain I've ever had, including all my DC's births which were all natural with no drugs at all.

I had mine out when I was 5 back in the 80's. I used to get tonsillitis every few weeks, I was constantly ill with it. Never had a problem since they were removed.

Yes at 26 after years of being ill repeatedly. Best thing I've ever done. About 1 week of sore throat, gradually got better but as it was local rather than the awful debilitating illness of tonsillitis it was well worth it.

Eating fish and chips the first day after the op was interesting though.

No, I never quite reached the diagnosis threshold, they said something like 5 bouts in a year seen by a GP. I think the guidelines might have changed to be more about what impact it's having on your life though, so it's worth asking.

I went through a phase of nasty recurrent infections when my children were small but it did pass. I've only had tonsillitis once in the last 10 years now.

I'm about to finally have my ENT referral next month, after waiting 1.5years, having tonsiltiis now so I feel your pain with not being up to Easter celebrations. I am hoping they will take them out!
Not sure if you have an ENT referral.apready, but current guidance is 7 bouts of tonsilitis in a year, and then the waiting list is long. Feel your pain, and hope you don't have long to wait.

No. I think the last bout of tonsillitus I had was when I was about 9 or 10. After that no more problems with them.

Sorry to hear you are also suffering with it at the moment @BookArt . Do you have antibiotics? Are you resting up or trying to do Easter things?
At the moment I don’t have a referral, I haven’t had it several times a year to date but it seems to be a weak point and a reacurring issue every year or so , so I’m wondering if I should look into it even though I don’t hit the criteria.

Dp had his out as an adult and his surgeon said tonsil removal as an adult is one of the most painful operations to have, he said it was like swollowing razor blades and dp said that was exactly like it. He was prescribed morphine afterwards too

Yes , a few years ago, in my 50s. I did not find it as painful as I expected, but I was given a lot of co- codamol and took it every 6 hours , or whatever the surgeon advised.

I had mine out in my 50s, twice! A bit was left the first time so then I had to have that removed separately. I wasn't getting infections but I constantly had tonsil stones I was having to squeeze out and low level inflammation, I had to pay, but it was making my life so miserable so I'm glad I did it.

@Cloud44 I am on my second lot of 6 day antibiotics, just can't shift this one. I am pushing through and done the Easter egg hunt, I've got someone else cooking dinner thankfully. Nap time for the youngest and me now haha!

Look into radio ablation, its a completely different procedure.

Yes but it was back on the dark ages when we got ice cream in hospital as part of the recovery.