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Original poster

Can I see the dentist about a potential throat infection?

29 replies

Lacie86 · 21/12/2021 13:23

Hi

My doctors are rubbish and have put me on 2 different types of antibiotics as I have had a bad throat for 3 weeks. They told me they don’t do swabs and don’t know why the antibiotics aren’t working. They gave me a blood test for glandular fever which I have already had so I know it’s not that. I have small white spots on my tonsils and my mouth is very itchy and sore.

Could I see a dentist about this? I’m wondering if it’s thrush of the back of the mouth/throat? The doctors won’t see me and are telling me to wait till the bloods come back. I feel like it’s getting blood out of a stone!

Bad timing and really don’t want to go to A&E as partner is ECV high risk.

Thanks

OP posts:
Porfre · 21/12/2021 13:24

I sont think dentists treat throat problems

Porfre · 21/12/2021 13:24

Dont

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 21/12/2021 13:25

I had something similar and went for a routine dentist appointment and asked them to look… he said my tonsils were swollen but he’s not an expert so see a doc!

Fastforwardtospring · 21/12/2021 13:27

Well DS got diagnosed with tonsillitis when in fact he had salivary gland stones, we didn’t know where to turn as he was in agony, out of hours emergency dentist diagnosed with X-ray.

QuestionableMouse · 21/12/2021 13:31

Could be oral thrush. I think you can get the spray from the pharmacy.

Burgerqueenbee · 21/12/2021 13:32

If you suspect thrush get some daktarin gel from the pharmacy, if it is thrush it will sort it out and you should start to see a difference in a few days Flowers

actiongirl1978 · 21/12/2021 13:39

Get an oral thrush tablet from cansten. It's for vaginal thrush but it's always worked for me on oral thrush too.

GingerbreadandJellytots · 21/12/2021 13:41

Go see a pharmacist

HappyGreen · 21/12/2021 13:42

Sounds like you'd be better off speaking to a pharmacist. Likely oral thrush due to the antibiotics!

GingerbreadandJellytots · 21/12/2021 13:44

They can advise on throat spray, thrush etc but also IME pharmacists often have good knowledge of minor illnesses, and also often good local knowledge of what bugs are going around. I often find pharmacists are better for things like rashes, parasites and viruses than GPs.

Original poster
Lacie86 · 21/12/2021 18:10

Thanks everyone I am unsure now after having a closer look one of my tonsils is bigger than the other? Not sure if I should be alarmed by this? I have attached photos I’m sorry if I grossed anyone out …

OP posts:
Original poster
Lacie86 · 21/12/2021 18:11

Could this be tonsil stones? I’m really worried now … @Fastforwardtospring is this what your DS was like or both inflamed ?

OP posts:
Babyiskickingmyribs · 21/12/2021 18:41

Hi OP. I’m one of those unfortunate people who gets tonsillitis multiple times a year. I’m not any kind of medical professional so do bear that in mind.
Tonsillitis can be caused by a viruses as well as by bacteria. If your tonsillitis is viral that would explain why the antibiotics aren’t doing anything. Viral tonsillitis will go away by itself once your immune system kicks the infection. It isn’t usually dangerous. I can see in your photo that your tonsils are a little bit inflamed and have a little bit of pus on them. It could be tonsil stones I guess but it’s probably just pus. Tonsil stones aren’t dangerous so you don’t need to worry about that either.
As long as you feel ok, so no raging fever, pain you can’t control with over the counter drugs, feeling faint, then A&E is probably overkill. Your dr will have given you the usual antibiotics for the bacteria that generally cause tonsillitis so if they didn’t do the trick it’s probably not bacterial. (Probably. If you feel like you’re developing signs of sepsis or you feel like you’re throat might close up because of the inflammation then definitely go to a&e. Looking at your photos I think this is unlikely though). Speaking to a pharmacist is a good idea. They might have ideas about if it could be a fungal infection (thrush) or just advice and options to control the symptoms.
Stuff you can try at home that might help and definitely won’t hurt: eating toast or bread can help scrape off the pus. Gargling with salt water can help kill off bacterial colonies in your throat. Drinking fizzy water can help clean things up too. Warm drinks can soothe your throat, as can cold milky things like icecream or just a glass of milk. If you take your normal painkillers in a soluble drinkable form you’ll get a topical painkilling effect as well as a systemic effect (disprin or lemsip for example - lemsip is parecetemol based so you can’t combine it with panadol or calpol and disprin can’t be combined with asprin or ibuprofen if I remember correctly - read the packets)

Original poster
Lacie86 · 21/12/2021 20:59

@Babyiskickingmyribs ah thank you for this this is helpful! I’m worried as I had a reaction to penicillin and clarythromycin then they told me last resort is doxycycline which is least affective and that hasn’t worked. So I could potentially have an infection left untreated. Is it common for only one tonsil to swell? I find it weird one is lots larger than the other. (Sorry I am panicking over here as you can tell!)

Thanks

OP posts:
GingerbreadandJellytots · 21/12/2021 21:54

This sounds like it might be Quinsy (peritonsillar abscess) which needs hospital, IV antibiotics and sometimes steroids as well. It's a medical emergency, not on par with sepsis, but it can quickly develop into sepsis so better to get ahead of it now. It usually presents on one side following tonsillitis.

Original poster
Lacie86 · 21/12/2021 22:00

@GingerbreadandJellytots would it be extremely painful though ? Or just larger than the other side? It’s been like this since 3 weeks ago when I started to get a mild sore throat that’s why I’m confused on what to do! That side has always been bigger since before going on antibiotics. Really unsure what to do now. Might call 111 but have a feeling they won’t see it as an emergency unless I’m feeling very unwell ? Sad

OP posts:
Original poster
Lacie86 · 21/12/2021 22:31

I’ve just poked it with a cotton bud and it doesn’t seem to hurt ( probably not the best thing to do I know!) I really don’t know what to do weather to go to A&E or not?

OP posts:
NannyR · 21/12/2021 22:38

IME quinsy was excruciatingly painful, not just my throat, but my jaw, ear and teeth at that side too. I felt very unwell in myself too.

Original poster
Lacie86 · 21/12/2021 22:41

@NannyR ok thanks I will probably see what the dentist says tomorrow. If my partner wasn’t classed as ECV I would feel more calm about going to A&E but I really don’t want to go and pick something up if it’s not that. I really am unsure what I should do because I have just googled it and it’s frightened the life out of me!

OP posts:
QuestionableMouse · 21/12/2021 23:55

You don't need A&E unless your symptoms get a lot worse. I never usually say that but in this case your GP would be a better call. It could be a viral infection which won't respond to antibiotics and you just have to wait it out.

Babyiskickingmyribs · 22/12/2021 07:58

In my experience, yes Î’ve often had one tonsil noticeably bigger than the other. I’m not sure why. Maybe one has always been bigger than the other? Maybe it indicates one is more infected than the other.
I can see why the antibiotics not suiting you/not working well has you worried. But remember, your own immune system is not helpless against bacterial infections. Your body can and will fight the infection whether it’s bacterial or viral. Antibiotics save lives when bacterial infections get out of control. It sounds like the gp is out of options for oral antibiotics to treat simple tonsillitis that hasn’t turned into a more severe infection. That doesn’t mean there would be no effective treatments if this is bacterial and it gets worse and you need treatment in hospital. They can give antibiotics intravenously, for example.
And remember, your tonsillitis might not even be bacterial. If it’s viral, then no antibiotics will work on it.
I do think it would be a good idea to speak to a pharmacist. They will be able to help with the symptoms and it will probably be reassuring for you.

Original poster
Lacie86 · 22/12/2021 10:33

@QuestionableMouse @Babyiskickingmyribs thanks spoke to a private gp over video link she told me I have to demand an appointment today after I see the dentist. (Dentist might be able to write a letter for me) she said walk in there if I have too she can’t believe they don’t do swabs and haven’t already. So stressful!

OP posts:
QuestionableMouse · 22/12/2021 12:01

Also there's more you can do to help yourself like gargling warm salty water often, taking appropriate painkillers or using medicated lozenges. Have you tried any of those?

LegoPandemic · 22/12/2021 12:09

Dentist here, I wouldn’t be able to make a definitive diagnosis and would advise that you see your GP.

Original poster
Lacie86 · 22/12/2021 15:34

@QuestionableMouse yeah been doing both. Salt water a few times a day and strefen lozenges. Dentist said looks like tonsillitis. Doctors have asked me to send them photos still won’t see me! Have a feeling they will palm me off to A&E… haven’t heard back yet

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