Does your GP prescribe antibiotics for tonsillitis??

[friendlymum67]

Our practice will not prescribe them, no matter how poorly you are. The thinking being that it maybe viral, in which case antibiotics won't help. I completely understand that but when its a child that's suffering and very rarely at the doctors, I don't understand why they won't?!

As you say, it might be a viral bug so no benefit in ABs. I guess it's also because overuse has a wider impact; strains of bacteria which are becoming increasingly resistant to ABs. It may also be because ABs aren't shown to shorten the length of the illness by much? ABs have side-effects which can cause probs in themselves for example upset tummies. Your docs may have done a simple cost/benefit analysis re tonsillitis.

Yes dd was prescribed it the other day without me even asking. I'd hate to give her anti biotics unnecessarily but her temperature was approaching 41 and calpol wasn't touching it & nurofen was bringing it down to about 39 for 3 hours then wore off, so I just took it!
She was loads better after just 2 doses so am guessing it was bacterial but who knows..

Mine does sometimes for me, but I've had tonsillitis a lot. I've asked if I can have them taken out but they said no.

If there are visible white spots/pus at the tonsil/throat area, then yes.

same as indigobarbie.

you could gargle with some sea salt water, with a drop of tea tree oil in it. It does help to relieve some of the pain, but if you are fevering on top of all the soreness, it is horrible. I have suffered tonsillitis a lot in my life. Had a period of several years without it - but now DS at nursery, he's picking it up and I seem to be absorbing it from him. :( Not fun. You have my sympathies.

There are the centaur criteria to judge if it is more likely to be bacterial.
If you have high temperature, spots on tonsils, tender glands then more likely to be bacterial. I also think if the swallowing is more of an ache than scratchy then more likely to be bacterial. If your temperature is under 38 it is unlikely to be bacterial.

You could ask for a swab to be taken to confirm if it was bacterial but I wouldn't expect them to be compliant as it would cost money.

Yes, both myself and DS got ABs the other week for tonsillitis but we were told we had it bad, and we were both vomiting, non-stop coughing, could barely talk never mind swallow and had fevers. We both improved after the first day of taking them so must of been a bacterial infection.

Thanks for replies. DD is quite poorly with it, temperature, very sore throat, hard to swallow. We are due to go away on Sunday so, needless to say I am somewhat on edge!