Adult Tonsillitis sos

[Orangelover]

Sorry, it's another not covid-virus one.

DH started to feel rough last weekend, PCR negative. Went to work Monday thinking he was ok but developed a sore throat and came home. Just got worse and worse since. Saw GP yesterday who said viral tonsillitis, paracetamol, brufen, water and sit tight. However I can see loads of white spots round his tonsil and his throat looks literally ulcerated?

Poor bloke can hardly eat and drink, has barely eaten anything in 4 days because it's so painful to swallow. Can't get his temperature below 38 and he's been sweating and rigouring like crazy. He's not one to be ill, literally never! It's the first time I've ever known him to go to the doctors in 9 years together. He didn't even take proper painkillers for long when he broken his ankle so not usually a wimp with pain. I was thinking to start with he was being dramatic but how long do I reasonably let this go on for before he needs to see someone else?

I once had a really bad throat, swallowing my own spit was like swallowing knives, I was spitting out onto tissues.
Finally got to the GP and he said I needed antibiotics. I burst into tears with relief, tiredness and pain. He proceeded to ask if there was anything else bothering me. I just said that he’d be crying if he couldn’t even swallow his own spit !!!

I have this right now! Except I don’t have tonsils… I rang 111 at 5am yesterday morning and was at out of hours within an hour. The doctor didn’t say much but gave me antibiotics on the spot. I’v spent the past 2 days just crying on anyone I (try) to speak to and have been signed off work for a week.
I’d get him back to the GP if you can.

Someone told me that tonsils can grow back!
(They may or may not have been medically qualified)

I had it a few years back, had a fever of 40 whilst at work for 3 days as couldn’t work out what it was, started feeling delirious, like spaced out... managed to get to the doctors as were loads of white spots and they gave me anti biotics straight away, with in 2 days I started feel8ng loads better.

@3luckystars

Someone told me that tonsils can grow back! (They may or may not have been medically qualified)

They can if all the tonsil tissue isn’t removed.

Phoned 111 last night who weren't that excited told him to carry on as he was and try GP again today if no better. GP nightmare to get through to and they don't open til half past 8 so he's popped on down the walk in centre this morning that opened at 7am so we'll see what they say. But another night of no sleep and temperature barely responding to paracetamol and spitting in a bowl I've looked in his throat and can't see any swellings on one side like a quinsy. It's more his tonsil and the back of his throat that is a mess.

@Orangelover I really feel for him. This was my 3rd night with it and I was waking up constantly, in agony. Hope the walk in centre helps him.

Sorry 111 weren’t helpful. I’ve never been as unwell as when I had horrendous tonsillitis. I hope the walk in centre are more helpful. I had to have 3 lots of different antibiotics to clear mine and my tonsils literally turned black and purple! Horrible.

I've just had antibiotics for bacterial tonsillitis. The doctor knew it was bacterial rather than viral due to the sudden onset and lack of any viral/cold symptoms. They worked a treat, I felt better in 48 hours (left me with raging thrush though).

Bear in mind, if it's bacterial it's highly contagious for up to 3 weeks without antibiotics, once you start antibiotics you are no longer considered contagious after 24 hours.

Frequent sufferer here.
For me three things help -

Anti biotic
Strefen tablets help a bit
Difflam gargle helps a bit

Quinsy led to emergency tonsillectomy for me but still get it as tonsils were in such a mess couldn’t breathe. Still have scraps of tonsil ffs.

Good luck op.

@Orangelover

Phoned 111 last night who weren't that excited told him to carry on as he was and try GP again today if no better. GP nightmare to get through to and they don't open til half past 8 so he's popped on down the walk in centre this morning that opened at 7am so we'll see what they say. But another night of no sleep and temperature barely responding to paracetamol and spitting in a bowl I've looked in his throat and can't see any swellings on one side like a quinsy. It's more his tonsil and the back of his throat that is a mess.

Hope he's OK. I think the spitting in the bowl is a warning sign for quinsy. I'd never heard of it when my son had it, once he had it lanced and iv antibiotics he improved really quickly but he got it again before they removed his tonsils. It was quite scary at the time.

I don't think quinsy is that rare to be honest
My DH and our DD have both had it once
Hope your DH is feeling better

Nothing acidic to drink/eat
Warm drinks. Loads. Then more
Salted crisps scrape the crap off your throat and the salt helps
Gargle with soluble paracetamol or aspirin then swallow it and take painkillers as directed, even overnight set an alarm as morning is often worse
Difflam spray

Yes, I get tonsillitis a LOT

I always have antibiotics for tonsillitis. They take one look at my throat and think “fuck” then I take 2mg penicillin daily for a week.

Bollocks to all this “it only saves a day” malarkey, shortly after the first dose it’s like having a fire in your throat put out. I do wonder if any of these drs have actually had tonsillitis themselves.

@Fluffycloudland77

I always have antibiotics for tonsillitis. They take one look at my throat and think “fuck” then I take 2mg penicillin daily for a week.

Bollocks to all this “it only saves a day” malarkey, shortly after the first dose it’s like having a fire in your throat put out. I do wonder if any of these drs have actually had tonsillitis themselves.

Agree with that Last time I had "why do you think it's tonsillitis?" I opened my mouth, he recoiled and went "ah, prescription time then" I don't get viral tonsillitis, just the bacterial pus everywhere type

I used to get tonsillitis loads (until I had my tonsils removed a couple of years ago). Difflam helps a little bit and gargling with salty water. I also used to put ice cubes in my mouth and freeze both mouth and throat, it would slightly take the edge off the agony. But in reality, only antibiotics will clear a bacterial tonsillitis. Hope your DH is better soon, it’s a horrid illness.

@Munchyseeds

I don't think quinsy is that rare to be honest My DH and our DD have both had it once Hope your DH is feeling better

It is potentially very serious though.

Ring 111 - he needs anti biotics and co-codamol.

How is he doing, OP?

I had my tonsils out years ago but used to get tonsillitis after drinking (booze).

They had to go

Could be bacterial. I used to get tonsillitis (viral) a lot and thought that was bad then I got bacterial tonsillitis and it knocked me off my feet. I never felt the need to go to the GP for normal tonsillitis but did for this and was given antibiotics.

As well as the sore throat I had flu-like symptoms - a temperature and chills, and no energy for weeks after either.

Your poor DH tonsillitis is horrible, I used to suffer terribly so I know what he's going through.

I used to use Diflam, it's a liquid you can gargle with and really tells with the pain and to reduce the inflammation.

I'd buy him some as it will give more relief than just paracetamol or ibuprofen.

www.boots.com/difflam-sore-throat-rinse-200ml-10205095p

He got antibiotics from the walk in centre yesterday morning and is slightly better today thank goodness. Temperature has come down and stayed down and he managed to swallow a small bowl of soup last night and his drinking more now.

Very relieved! He also had a much better nights sleep which has made a big difference.

Thanks for all the advice, think I pretty much tried everything said on here which is was extremely helpful