Sobbing with the pain, sore throat?

[Strawberrysauce3]

I have 0 experience with sore throats or ears but just need some advice

I’ve had some sort of virus for the last week. I’m mostly over it now but have a horrendous sore throat. It has been a 6/10 painwise for the last few days and then over the last 24 hours has genuinely shot up to around a 100/10. I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve never felt this level of pain before in my entire life. I’m basically climbing the wall with it. Cocodamol/strong nurofen (ibuprofen 400mg) was keeping the pain manageable but over the last few hours it’s become horrendous and nothing is touching it. I’ve genuinely never been in this level of pain before. I’ve looked in my throat- my tonsils are not swollen, no white spots, no quinsy. So it’s just viral. Does that mean there’s no point contacting nhs24 since antibiotics etc won’t help anyway? I really don’t have it in me to go through the whole contacting and waiting for a call back and to go along to an appointment and then for them to say it’s viral just give it more time

the worst part is I still have a bit of a cough (I’m asthmatic so the virus to my chest) and I keep needing to cough but everytime I cough it’s absolutely horrific. I’ve been sobbing all afternoon with it. And I can sort of feel the pain through both ears now too

has anyone ever had this before and got any advice? The closest I’ve ever had to this was a massive deep dental access which was excruciating but this is far far worse

You need to be seen.

My temperature was around 37ish but I’ve been taking regular cocodamil and paracetamol so not sure if that affects it? X

I gargle with salt water for the regular tonsillitis I get. It makes it go down quite quick. I think years ago whennit was really bad I could stagger painkillers, so something every two hours instead of four. Parecetamol and Ibuprofen but do check as I'm not sure of the doseage. I used to write diwn exactly what i'd taken to make sure i was within guidelines.

Yeah I’m sort of worried about that- I’m on a MART regime and it hurts my throat SO much to actually inhale and draw in from the inhaler, and then when I have to cough it’s like ripping the skin out my throat

Honestly, the level of pain you're describing sounds like you need to get some medical advice.

Can you dip your chin to touch top of your chest?

Please contact 111 who at the least will be able to offer an out of hours doctor. The last thing you want is to panic about the pain and struggle to breathe, setting off your asthma.

Tonsillitis is really painful, I’ve had it properly, as an Adult, once .. and yep in tears.
Throat Numbing spray (tastes vile but is marvellous), the anaesthetist Strepsils, ice lollies etc .. it does pass.

None of them are working 😭

Yeah I can do that. It doesn’t seem to make it hurt any more or less x

Yeah I think I’m going to. I could just cry at the thought of no doubt waiting 10 hours for a call back and having to speak over the phone because it’s so bloody painful, and the online option doesn’t cover Scotland 😭

I think you need to be seen, especially if it means you’re having difficulty swallowing. I had something similar this year and ended up in A&E, partly because I was dehydrated which was causing issues with my heart rate and blood pressure. I ended up off work for a month recovering.

The being unable to speak or swallow makes it sound like quinsey. Please do go and see someone medical asap. Can someone call 111 for you? I had quinsey and found it so hard to speak that I couldn’t really explain to 111 what was wrong and it was only when I saw a doctor at the hospital that I got sorted out. I had the abcess drained and was then admitted for a night to have IV antibiotics. I felt so so awful and went from that to being completely better within 24 hours. But if it bursts it’s bad news so please go and get checked out at A&E or a walk in centre. If 111 can refer you so you get seen quicker that would be useful n

That's something at least, I was worried about meningitis. Keep an eye on that though x

I had Hib Disease a few years ago which started with a horrendous sore throat and developed into a cough. It needed antibiotics. I would contact 111 this evening or GP in the morning.

The worst sore throat I ever had was when I had flu. I crawled to the doctors and begged them to help with the pain. He swabbed my throat and said it was weird I didn't even flinch but I was just outside my own body with the pain of it. It was influenza A. They couldn't do anything but at least I felt vindicated. I ended up coughing up blood from how irritated my throat was. Shit times.

Ah I am so sympathetic as a chronic tonsillitis sufferer, throat pain is horrific! It sounds like you need to be seen. In the meantime, have a hot steamy shower and try and keep your throat warm and moist, and if you have hot water bottles then lie your throat/ cheek/ ear on a warm one and sandwich your head with another warm water bottle on the other side - warmth was the only thing that would ever bring any relief x

Please go and get yourself checked - when this happened to me it was a quinsey and if I’d waited another few hours it would have been emergency surgery

Second this. I had constant sore throats as a teen because of smoking and those sprays were the only thing that numbed it

You really need to go to an actual proper doctor, not a bunch of online random. Gargle with some soluble aspirin in the mean time, bit for goodness sake, go to a real doctor in the morning.

Is there someone with you who could talk for you on the phone if you give the initial permission? Then you can write responses?

My daughter had this last week. Went to GP who said it was throat infection (right at the back of the throat- not tonsils) and gave her antibiotics. It cleared up very quickly. I thought the GP would say it was a virus and they couldn’t do anything Worth a go?

Just to add, hers was on the back of a virus too- fresher’s flu style illness.

i had these symptoms when I had covid. The sore throat was awful. Like tonsillitis but no swollen tonsils. It passed in time with a load of strepsils and paracetamol. Hope you feel better soon x

Would echo suspicion of a quinsy - I saw a GP on a Monday morning who said it was viral tonsillitis, I went to A&E in desperation as I couldn’t swallow saliva or speak 3 hours later and I was admitted with a quinsy and had it drained and 24 hours of IV antibiotics and IV steroids (followed by 10 days of tablet antibiotics).

I assume my experience means you can’t always see a quinsy yourself (or even a GP, in my case) - and a quinsy is a medical emergency so consider A&E.

This is really good and for some reason more effective than other soluble painkillers