Tonsillitis 5 times in less than a year - should I go to GP?

[mrscog]

I'm 29 and have never had tonsillitis in my life until this year when I've had it 5 times. The severity of the sore throat varies, but it's the accompanying extreme tiredness, aching and swollen glands (and aching lower back?!) that are hard to deal with. I've just self treated up until now but I'm wondering if I should go to my GP? I don't like to be a bother so if they say to just carry on then I'll be embarrassed for wasting their time. Anyone got any thoughts?

Yes, I would see the GP. Since you haven't taken antibiotics, there may be an infection that isn't quite going away & flares up from time to time.

You won't be bothering them at all. Tonsillitis can be very nasty.

I would definitely say see your GP and get them to swab the back of your throat. It may be just a viral tonsillitis and you've been unlucky, but it could also be something else entirely, so definitely get a proper diagnosis.

Thanks both - typical that it's the weekend I'll probably be right as rain by the time I get an appointment!

should go to gp every time. it needs to be on their records that you get it reoccurring before they can refer you for removal. I got mine out last year, best thing ever once all healed!

How do you know you had tonsillitis if you never went to the doctor?

Trinity that is a very good question - self diagnosed the first time - had sore throat, difficulty swallowing, white spots all over my tonsils, temp, swollen glands and severe lower back ache in adrenal region. The same illness has repeated 4 times since with an identical presentation so I've just assumed that's what it is . The thing is it's severe for 2-3 days but manageable with painkillers (just wish someone could create a pill for lethargy) so it never seems worth going to GP for.

If you had gone to a health professional the first time you probably would have cleared the infection the first time rather than it reoccurring.

Sorry Trinity but that is a bunch of bullshit! The first time you go to a GP or the second, or the third with tonsillitis like symptoms, they would tell you it's most likely a virus, take over the counter remedies like lozenges and paracetamol until it clears. They would view it as a waste of their time. I agree with mrscog that it is only now it has recurred in a short space of time that it is worth investigating.

How did you manage tto self medicate with tonsillitis? I would say you have had a virus or sore throat of you were able to not go to the drs for antibiotics. Tonsillitis would have you unable to move in bed with a temp feeling like you were dying!

Back2basics I think you are confusing tonsillitis with something else! It is often caused by a virus, is rarely treated by antibiotics and its quite possible to still go to work/function normally whilst you have it!
Tonsillitis just means 'inflammation of the tonsils'. Nothing more nothing less.

No I really am not. 3 times this year I have had it and 3 times I've been in bed for at least 4 days, very high temp and feeling feint everytime I stood up. I couldn't even get on the bath on my own. Oh and 3 times diagnosed with swabs taken for confirmation tonsillitis and had antibiotics every time. My ds also had it his started with a virus that don't need antibiotics and it turned into tonsillitis which he was given antibiotics for.

My best friend also gets tonsillitis 4/5 times a year and always gets antibiotics to.

Maybe your confusing tonsillitis with something else persuit

Sorry, but your anecdotes of tonsillitis involving all of what, six cases? is not anywhere close to a proper medical definition.

This link explains tonsillitis in an easy to understand way.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/tonsillitis/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Yes ok please tell me how you know so much more then a dr. LOL no really there's no need

I am a DR!!!!!!!!! Admittedly, not a GP, I specialise in anaesthetics. But one of the operations I regularly anaesthetise for is tonsillectomy in children. I do know what I am talking about here.
If you are going to try and insult people, please get your information correct first.

Well when I had a raging sore throat a few years back, I got an appointment with my doctor, they looked at my that, diagnosed tonsillitis, gave me drugs and sent me home. Within a few days I was cured and it hasn't come back.

Why do you think that a GP wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a regular sore throat (needs just pain killers etc) and tonsillitis, I'm sure that they are much more used to this type of thing than a doctor who specialises in one thing only.

Bullshit if you was a dr you would know exactly what I was on about and the symptoms of tonsillitis.

OP please don't let people on a keyboard diagnose you, go to your drs and get your infection properly treated so it doesn't come back. No one can diagnose you online and most probably the dr (a real one) will take swabs to confirm it.

If I thought I had tonsillitis once I would go to the Doctor.

There are three things that differentiate sore throats and viral tonsillitis from bacterial tonsillitus and I'm buggered if I can remember what the other two are, but one is white spots.

I suffer from sore throats a lot, and only once in the last five years has it been bad enough to go to the GP, he diagnosed bacterial tonsillitis right away, prescribed anti-biotics and it hasn't come back.

So OP, go to the Drs!

differentiating viral and bacterial tonsillitis. The NHS also has pages on symptoms. Though perhaps it is more fun to watch you all argue about it.

Except, (according to my latest Minor Illness training update,) that information is about to be discounted as even with all 4 of the signs only 50% of the infections will be bacterial!

I'm in bed with bacterial tonsillitis right now and it's a bitch. I've had it worse in the past, involving hallucinations, but even so I'm on my third day of lots of bed rest, no appetite, fever, vomiting, aching joints and sore skin. It's like flu with pretty white tonsil spots. No way could I go to work in this state. I cannot wait until the antibiotics kick in and I can move onto the sofa rejoin the human race.

DH, who has never had tonsillitis, doesn't see the problem.

Oh I forgot about the hallucinations open hope you get better soon I know exactly how your feeling. The aching joints as well, ffs your bringing back awful memories

Thanks! Actually, two nights ago I had the words to all the verses of O Little Town of Bethlehem going round and round in my head and it just would not bloody stop for what felt like hours. It was Sylvia Plath when I had tonsillitis as a teenager: shows my preoccupations, eh?

What'll it be next time I get it this badly? Wendy Cope? Dialogue from The Archers on a loop?

So, not hallucinations, but some kind of weird brain shit. And tonsils do this because? Pass the erythromycin.

Oh good, DH is back with the DC.

I went to Dr a fortnight ago with symptoms of tonsilitis. I was told it was the tail end of a virus I had had.
Two days later I was having a Peritonsillar absess (quinsy throat) drained and on antibiotics for 9 days.
Go to your GP if infection doesn't clear up.

Always go to the dr if you suspect tonsilitis. I never suffered with it then once I had a bad throat, got some antibiotics, cleared up. Then suddenly it came back really really bad. Turn into a quinsy (abscess on tonsil). I Wanted to die. I was on holiday in the usa at the time. Hospitalised but let out with just oral antibiotics(in uk would of been iv). Two weeks later it came back. One week in hospital. They didnt take my tonsils out then as they thought it was a one off as i had never had tonsilitis before. Then about a year later it came back again. Agony wanted to die again. Got taken into hospital again. They treatment for a quinsy is basically them slicing your soft pallet/tonsils open with a scapel with no pain killer and the you leaning over a sick bowl with blood and pus pouring out your mouth. Then a week stay in hospital on iv antibiotics and a drip. You can die from a quinsy.

Get some antibiotics if its bacterial!