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

Looks like a bad case of strep throat. Thats what my tonsils looked like when I had strep throat and it was hellish but nowhere near as bad as yours visually. Why havent you gone to a doctor yet? I'd go to A&E at this point in that much pain.

That looks so painful time to get professional help and a Course of action.
Hope you get sorted soon.

I had such a sore throat recently with Covid and swallowing shaved ice helped numb it a bit- maybe worth a try. Yours seems much worse though and that picture of yours looks so so sore. I feel really sorry for you- absolutely horrible thing to have. Def get it checked out

Sorry I might be looking at completely the wrong thing but which bit are the tonsils? Is it the red bit at the back? I tried googling pictures of swollen/red/inflammed tonsils but couldn’t see it in my own picture and I think I’m just completely looking at the wrong bit! Is it the red bit at the back? Or the bits at the side?

Yep, I had this last year, tested negative for Covid but the Dr had the same and said I must be asymptomatic as hers tested positive. I’ve had tonsillitis many a time but this was way off the scale, drinking water was painful. Completely buggered up my M.S and triggered one hell of a relapse that I’m still not over. It’s really nasty and shitty.

I ended up constantly sucking on Riccola sweets, I can’t stand normal throat sweets. It will get better, try not to cry, it will make the pain way worse. The pharmacist sold me a spray that kind of numbs your throat, tasted crappy but helped. Not a lot that you can do about it unfortunately.

I would definitely get to a doctor OP. This sounds totally miserable.

I would call 111 because you probably need antibiotics.

I had this earlier in the year - tonsillitis for me, antibiotics cleared it up pretty swiftly. Literally couldn’t eat / drink / swallow until they started to work, I’ve never experienced pain like it. It came hot on the heels of what I think was a very nasty flu / Covid that floored me for about 6/7 weeks.

Call OP, seriously, that is off the chart pain you're describing so you need something. It doesn't look look tonsillitis (that ive ever had anyway) but as someone else said, I have had pharyngitis (and laryngitis) which was awful. On one occasion, i had an unhappy mix of those. There's no way I could've tolerated it as much as you have, the help is there so take it. Good luck OP.

And for the poster that said strepsil...honestly wtf, you cannot have had a bad sore throat in your life

After years and years of suffering with tonsillitis and strep throat I finally had my tonsils removed in my early 20’s.
Hopefully you can get antibiotics if needed.

But to possibly help with the pain I was told lukewarm liquids are easier to tolerate than hot or cold,
Alternate pain meds and to have dissolvable if possible.
Gargle with tcp/salt water - again with lukewarm water.
I know you say you’ve tried Difflam spray, but honestly it was the best thing ever whenever I had a bad throat. Or Chloraseptic (I preferred Difflam though)
Also, it always felt at its very worst a day or 2 before it got better.
The pain when swallowing would send shooting pains in my ears, just horrible.
Hope you feel better soon.

people keep suggesting that you gargle with salt water but if you're in so much pain that you can't swallow then you definitely won't feel like gargling either!

i had a quinsy for the first time recently, and couldn't see it at all. i couldn't swallow anything - couldn't even sip water - which is why i sought medical advice - my throat was badly swollen as well as incredibly painful.

if yours is swollen at all, and you don't have the normal range of movement on your neck, it could well be a quinsy that's hidden from sight.

i could hardly speak, but luckily had someone who could come to the doctors (and then the hospital - emergency ENT admission) with me - do you have someone who can help you make a phone call to 111?

i saw that you're in Scotland - if you're in Glasgow, the ENT department at the Queen Elizabeth hospital is open for emergencies 24 hours a day (and is supposedly the biggest in the country) - they say they get an average of 2 quinsy patients every day so they're very familiar with it.

if you go to hospital, it's very likely that they'll keep you in overnight, and for up to a week, so take what you might need (including whatever you might want to eat and drink when your throat becomes less sore!)

Strep A maybe? I’ve never had a sore throat like it. The antibiotics worked quickly though so get yourself to a doctor OP. I wouldn’t often suggest A&E but knowing how much it hurts I think you’d be justified in heading there if you can’t get in to see a doctor soon.

Have you tried hot lemon and honey? It can help.lubricate and soothe the throat. And tastes lovely too.

Oh and get seen as soon as possible. Sounds like you have exhausted the self care options.

Strep throat. I had it chronically until I was 23. You need antibiotics. I’m so sorry. It’s the worst. ❤️‍🩹

The pain sounds like tonsillitis, phone the GP In the morning and tell them you need an emergency appointment.

I had what sounds like the exact same thing last week. It was horrible. I did a couple of covid tests - all negative (other viruses are available guys!) and I was getting to the point where I thought I'd have to go to GP if it didn't feel better. I've had strep before and I knew it wasn't that.

I basically just lived off paracetamol and ice lollies, which soothed it. But it went away after about 10 days.

Gargle with either: neat vodka, warm salt water, an aspirin dissolved in water and spit out. Suck an ice cube. Sip lukewarm water with honey.

My GP said a lot of patients don't realise that viral infections can become bacterial and suffer needlessly because they don't seek professional help sooner. My mild COVID became a nasty infection. My husband's pleurisy. My daughter, strep throat. At different times I should add.

I’ve had the same level of pain with tonsillitis - antibiotics was the only solution. The only thing that could soothe the pain was drinking milkshake (yop specifically) - not very healthy but the only thing I could get down at the time. It’s so miserable so sympathies but hopefully antibios will do the job!

I had pain like that once when I was 15 (in the late 90s) and turned out to be tonsillitis, glandular fever and a quinsy at the same time. I was hospitalised for a week (luckily got my own room though as I was contagious) couldn't even drink water before I was hospitalised so really dehydrated and hadn't eaten for nearly a week so I needed to be on a drip.

However if theres no swelling not sure what yours could be, Covid could be a culprit, can you get a test? Also agree with the diflam spray, I had hand foot and mouth 3 years ago when my DC started nursery and that helped us all when we were getting all his nursery bugs.... shame co-codomal isn't touching it xx

EDIT sorry just RTFT and that you've done covid tests and tried diflam. Definitely get a doctors appointment ASAP or call 111 xx

I've only read the first page of responses. This sounds like something I had in my twenties, the pain was so incredible I eventually started hallucinating. Doctor sent me straight to hospital, and I was admitted, even had my own room as I was contagious, and immediately put on a drip in my arm as couldn't swallow a thing or sip water, and had painkiller suppositories shoved up my rear. By the next day I had a swelling in my throat and they suspected it was a quinsy though turned out not to be. Long story short I was in hospital a week and it eventually started to subside after 4 days - it actually just says 'acute tonsilitis' on my medical record. It was the worst pain I've ever experienced, worse than breaking my knee which was a close runner-up (haven't got kids so can't compare to that).

Just read the post above mine - sounds incredibly similar! I hope you can get some help, OP. Can you get someone to advocate for you if you don't have the strength? You can't go on suffering like this.

I have had tonsillitis and the pain was unbelievable. It sounds very much like this to me. You need medical advice and i urge you to ring 111.

Dh suffered with sore throat and chesty cough for 2 weeks. Tested for covid 3 times all negative. Seemed to improve, sore throat can back with a vengeance tested again immediately positive.
Warm drinks, strepsils (strong ones) cocodamol for a few days and lots of sleep.

Sending hugs OP. I have had severe tonsillitis several times and the pain was horrendous. I sobbed at the GP and begged for stronger pain relief! I was prescribed codeine which is much stronger than co-codamol. I told the doctor I could barely swallow a tablet so they gave me dissolvable tablets so I could drink it. It was the only thing which touched the pain, and had the added bonus of making me drowsy so I could get some sleep. Please try and get a doctor’s appointment. Do you have private medical insurance through your work? If so most policies include a digital GP service whereby you can submit photos and book a phone or video appointment very quickly. Hope you feel better soon x