Tonsillitis advice

[Janel85]

Hello, my four-year-old has tonsillitis and is on antibiotics, she started getting a sore throat on Monday had very high temps put 40 and laying on the sofa all day etc. My three-year-old son has come down with what appears to be a cold basically, he won’t let me look at his tonsils but he isn’t complaining of a sore throat, he’s got a cough like dd but lower temperatures so far 38.5, he’s mentioned he’s a bit tired a few times but he’s still running around playing. I’ve read loads about how tonsillitis can turn into something serious if it’s bacterial and you don’t have antibiotics but as I don’t know much about it, I’m confused if ds is likely to actually have tonsillitis like dd of if dd’s cold has turned into tonsillitis and ds has caught the cold but not the tonsillitis? He hasn’t had a temperature today so far (touches wood) but do I take him to the docs for antibiotics in case he has got this bacterial tonsillitis, we are staying with family at the moment so we aren’t near our usual doctors. Thanks

Do they have white spots on their tonsils?
Have they got a rash at all - could it be Scarlet Fever? What is the tongue like?

I had a virus last week and the main symptom was a really sore throat and high temp. So good chance it could be viral.

But call 111 wouldn’t do any harm

Get advice but in the vast majority of cases, tonsillitis, whether viral or bacterial, will resolve without antibiotics. There is evidence that recovery period is very slightly improved with antibiotics in bacterial cases. As I say, get advice, but I wouldn’t overly worry.

If it was bacterial you would know.

DS has had complications from bacterial tonsillitis as well as two other bouts of it.

He currently has viral tonsillitis and boy can I tell the difference. With this he has cold like symptoms and his tonsils are slightly swollen and red. BUT he is eating and playing and just acting a little bit under the weather.

When he has bacterial his temperature shoots up, he cant eat, he cant move and is generally completely miserable. When the complications set in he was sick, he could not walk as he had leg pain. He was not particularly rousable and hard to keep awake.

So I would keep an eye as you dont want to be giving antibiotics unneccessarily - and the differences between your son and daughter I think say that she needs them and he doesnt.

Thank you that is good advice, my son has been complaining that his knee hurts actually but then he is three and is throwing himself around jumping off things so that must be a good sign.

My DD seemed very poorly with tonsillitis and was prescribed antibiotics so they assumed bacterial. She was sick, high temp, lethargic, the works. She did not tolerate the antibiotics at all. Very bad tummy etc. I made the nerve wracking decision to stop them. It took a good few days and I kept a very very close eye bug she did improve. If you read up, it seems they pretty much don’t prescribe ABs any more and definitely not without a swab.

As a child I suffered terribly with tonsillitis and was once hospitalised as my glands were so swollen, I lived on antibiotics back then . I agree that it’s not a good idea unless necessary , tonsillitis seems to be doing the rounds my 11 year old complained of a sore throat yesterday today she has the obvious white spots on the back of her throat she’s finding it hard to swallow I feel her pain
I’ve been insuring she drinks plenty of fluids and she’s gargled salty water a few times today I understand this is difficult for a younger child . I’ve just sent her to bed & given her a children’s calpol fast melt hopefully she will sleep better tonight
I too was in two minds about calling the dr tomorrow

My daughter gets horrific bacterial tonsillitis and from my own experience of having it many times as a child it cant be missed. My daughter gets a very high temp, aching all over, constant vomiting, stomach pains (appendix area), can't swallow so drools and completely unable to eat, doesn't move from bed. She has never had a cold with it. I would just keep an eye on your son if he is up and playing and able to drink, if he gets worse take him to the doctors.

A couple of times when it has been borderline I get a prescription and wait and see over 24 hours if he gets better or worse that way I don’t have to go back

Difflam rinse and spray is very effective. I buy t asda for DD who was hospitalised with severe tonsillitis last year.

It’s so painful even swallowing saliva hurts so much .. I’ll have a look for the spray Thankyou & give the Dr a call if she isn’t feeling any better

That level does suggest bacterial/strep. Does she has other aches/symptoms. Once whenDS was being checked out viral tends to hit the whole body (think flu) bacterial hits one area

She’s got a painful neck and ears which are the same symptoms that I used to get and feels pretty rough with a head cold as well

Coughing is usually an indicator of viral tonsiltis (I have experience of both as I have a lot of tonsil problems!) it’s still pretty rubbish though!

Becareful with bacterial tonsillitus, I’ve been told you should get antibiotics after a few days as it can cause complications in some children/people.

I developed Quincy throat with untreated bacterial tonsillitis. It was absolute agony and had to be put on iv antibiotics.
Some people really don’t get the difference between viral and bacterial tonsillitis and complications that can result if the former is left.

Although I totally agree re the coughing. Bacterial tonsillitis is not like a cold, I’ve had it in summer time and absolutely no sign of a cold, no cough ever with it.