Diagnose me! Save me going to doctor for the 6th time....

[pooka]

Obviously am not expecting a diagnosis online, and if I feel worse I will go back (sigh) to doctors......

28th October - raging tonsillitis. Spotty, pussy, massive tonsils. Emdoc. 5days amoxycillin. Started feeling better after a couple of days.

7th November (so 2 or 3 days after course finished) - Spotty, massive, pussy tonsils again. Went to GP - 7 days Penicillin-v. Felt bot better after 2 or 3 days, and then much better after that. Swab taken. Came back no action.

17th November (so 2 or 3 days after penicillin finished) back to GP. She said probably viral (huge tonsils and soreness swallowing). Blood test that afternoon. Query glandular fever.

20th November - emdoc again. Hideous pussy tonsils, fever (as before all times) and enormous painful neck glands. Awful discharge from throat. Emdoc prescribed 10 days penicillin-v. Blood test back - not glandular fever. Lots of white blood cells specifically related to fighting bacterial infection. Felt better (though upset stomach now, no wonder) after a few days and fully better (though knackered) by the end of the 10 day course.

2nd December - GP again. White spots very low in throat. Fever, soreness swallowing. Glands up like hardboiled eggs. 7 days co-amoxiclav (augmentin). Started to feel better within a couple of days. Was not as sore or uncomfortable as with the previous occurrences. Swab taken. Came back "normal, no action".

TODAY - so again 2 or 3 days after finishing the antibiotics, woke up with large glands. Tonsils are swollen but not spotty. Throat a little sore but is more a sensation of blocked throat - tonsils feel big. But I'm concerned that the same cycle is repeating itself again.

I don't know what's wrong with me!!! Is it possible that glandular fever bloodiest might be wrong? But then the abs seem to work but just not get completely shot of the infection. I've had enough of antibiotics. I'm not ill enough to go to the doctor. Nothing to show or tell really. Though have suspicions that will in a couple of days. But am starting to wonder whether this is psychosomatic or theres something more sinister at fault.

Sorry for the essay - just wondering whether anyone else has had this. Incidentally, before this past month or so, have only ever had tonsillitis twice and then not until 5 years ago.

Thanks if you;ve managed to read this screed. :)

Sounds like strep throat to me. My room-mate at University used to get this all the time. I'd get back to the doctor.

You could try having a hot drink of Manuka honey and lemon to help your throat. Manuka honey has a natural antibiotic in it that can help. Your local health food store can point you in the right direction. (My son was prescribed this when he had tonsillitis and it helped, you can also put it on toast or in porridge.)

Hope you feel better soon.

Thanks mumof4sons. :)

Will definitely try the honey and lemon. I just want it gone, and I don't think I can tolerate any more antibiotics - have had enough to last a good few years!

Have taken some nurofen and am just going to keep an eye on things. Will obv go back to docs if temp rockets like before of if becomes any more uncomfortable. Horrible taste in my mouth -yuk.

Yes you need your tonsils out!

In the interim, have they actually taken a swab and then selected an antibiotic based on what they found?

Manuka honey, echinachia, vitamin C, propolis, a good multivitamin supplement - ask at your local health food store. You may already do this but make a special effort to eat as healthily as possible, no junk food, smoking alcohol etc. Especially cut out sugar as it is bad for your immune system. Don't have your tonsils out - my husband had his out as a child and he reckons he gets more throat infections as a result. There was a time when doctors used to take tonsils out a lot for throat infections but now they have realised that tonsils are actually protective and taking them out is treating the symptoms and not the cause.

get thee back to gp....

you need this sorting, sounds horrendous.

What the vicar said ^

Ask your GP to do a throat swab for microbiology, that should show if you have strep A back there (primary agent for 'strep throat). For something that's been going on this long asking for an ENT referral might be a good idea too. Poor you, not nice :(

Thanks for advice. I'm so torn - have had TWO swabs in last 6 weeks and nothing interesting (don't know whether that means nothing unusual, or just that the swab matched the antibiotics at the time.

And then the bloodiest showed no glandular fever and bacterial infection likely by virtue of the type of white bloodcells working hard.

I feel better while on the antibiotics. And then back to square one afterwards.

I don't feel any better today - tonsils big and I think I might have tonsil stones - look a but like strawberries, only bigger. No temp. Feel like have come down with heavy cold rather than the tonsil only pain of previous bouts.

I think if I feel the same tomorrow, I'll go back to the GP - you're all right, I do need to find out what's going on. I mean, it is unusual isn't it for a virus to go on for 6 weeks? Or for bacterial infection to not shift fully after 4 lots of antibiotics? Don't want to make a fuss though. (and secretly terrified of having tonsils out - have blood matching issues and it sounds like it hurts like buggery which I'm about, considering dd aged 8 had her's done in JUne and sailed through).

I may be completely wrong so any docs do correct
I had glandular fever as teen.
All the antibiotic and penicillin can mask it in blood tests or so I was told back then about 1990

I had tonsils out mid 20's as I missed so much work and whilst a hideous op, I am generally now far less ill. Mid 30's

Hope you feel better soon
Get corsadyl mouthwash and difflam spray on a practical level

If you do have to have the OP don't be scared. Yes it hurts like hell for a couple of days but painkillers work. You'd then feel much better

Had mine out 2 years ago and although I have had the odd sore throat since I felt loads better only a week after the op after years of low grade cronic infection and inflammation

There is more than one cause of glandular fever. Usually a virus called Epstein - Barr. But can be other viruses eg cytomegalovirus. I suggest you get a second ie ENT opinion.

Well, went back to docs. Cried feebly. Have had another blood test, this time specifically for glandular fever antibodies. Gp also referred to ENT because she's concerned that have had persistent sore throat for 7 weeks now.

I have BUPA so have made private appointment for the 29th, but the gp said that if I wasn't able to get an appointment within 2 weeks, I'd qualify for urgent appt on nhs so not much more than 2 weeks anyway.

Which is good - but am now worried by urgency of the appointment (never happy, me) particularly as made mistake of googling last night and now worried about sinister ailments. And therefore hoping to goodness that it is glandular fever!

God I hate this. :( super snappy with the dcs because am tired and scared and feeling grotty. And then worry that is awful illness and should be being super nice to them so they have happy memories - ridiculous I know. Somebody slap me please.

No slap from me but lots of sympathy. You poor thing. Having my tonsils out made such a huge difference to my life, I used to be ill all the time. Glad you've got a referral. Now for the slightly sterner tone:-

DO NOT GOOGLE!

I'm not saying that because I'm a sensible person who hasn't googled. Oh no, I'm not one of them. I am one who, according to google, has had...

motor neurone disease..... which was actually just being a bit tired
bowel cancer..... which was actually coeliac
ovarian cancer.... which was coeliac
brain tumour.... which was coeliac
heart attack... which was too much coffee
degenerative eye disease which was going to lead to blindness.... which didn't lead to anything in particular really.

. I'm deeply embarrassed about all of this of course. It's insane, but I think almost everyone is tempted to google. But don't. Honestly. You're tired, you're ill, you're emotional. Cup of tea with honey, kids in front of TV, get yourself something absorbing to read to take your mind off it. Hope you feel better VERY soon, it sounds horrid.

My dd had repeated bouts of tonsillitis when she was v little, turned out up be bilateral quinsy. Normal antibiotics do not get close to getting rid of it. Needed specific one & for at least two weeks ( though think it was for longer).

I had a chest infection a couple if years ago which wouldn't go away. As soon as I finished ABs I would be rotten. I ended up with 8 lots of ABs (including one lot for a month), 2 CT scans and various x rays and blood tests and a camera up my nose and down my throat. Just gradually got better. Consultants couldn't understand why I couldn't shift it for months. But it eventually went away and I'm sure yours will too. Take care.

Thanks so much for sympathy.

Becstarsky your post made me smile - so true! I was very pleased that managed to come out of gp surgery without seeking reassurance that I don't have acute myeloid leukaemia. Or munchausens, which was the alternative. Though I did say "it does look sore doesn't it, it's not me imagining it". She said my glands were huge (proud) and no wonder I was crying. Passed a box of tissues, bless her.

Mumof3teens - that must have been so scary.
Hope your dd recovered well, aftereightsaremine. Poor her - sounds horrible.

Lemsip and honey for me now. Very very hot drinks seem to help.

Soluble paracetamol is your new best friend - gargle it, keep it on the sore bits as long as possible, then swallow it.

I had a period like this a few years ago re: tonsilitis (never had it before or since!)

Hot honey drinks, lots of painkillers - soluable ones you can gargle with!

(solpadeine, co-codamol, asprin etc)

I had this about 7 years ago, and it turned out to be an abcess in between my tonsils and neck. I was poorly for about 4 months, kept getting prescribed antibiotics, it would go away for a couple of days then come back even worse. i ended up not being able to swallow at all and couldn't open my mouth I ended up on iv antibiotics for just over a week in hospital and came close to an operation to remove it. It took me about a year to get my strength back up.

An old remedy which is horrible is a salt water gargle, might help ?