How long is too long to have a sore throat?

[mrsdiddlydoo]

Hi I'm at that stir crazy stage of being unwell so humour me here please. I've had a terrible sore throat since Wednesday. Today is day 5 of feeling like I've a throat full of razor blades and it hurts to swallow. No fever. Mild aches and pains but mainly from lumpy glands in my neck. Every night I go to bed hoping tomorrow will be the day it hurts a bit less to swallow, but so far that day hasn't come.

NHS website suggests a sore throat should start to right itself in about week. When will this pain end? What are the chances of it shifting in the next couple of days? Woe is me and all that. I've had bacterial tonsilitis before which made me so very poorly with a fever and vomiting and I couldn't swallow at all. Had to spit in a tub. This isn't that bad, but it's so painful 😭

Have you tried the throat sprays? They really do numb it and give some temporary relief.

Also try salt water gargling. And plenty of painkillers.

If you haven't got a fever I think Drs will say you don't need antibiotics. But might be worth getting an appointment if it's still there after 7 days

3-4 weeks is too long.

Are there any white spots on your tonsils? I've had a horrendous sore throat like yours for 4 days. I noticed white spots and went to the drs and I have tonsillitis. It has eased now since starting antibiotics two days ago. I found the throat spray was good for slightly numbing it to eat.

I haven't tried the sprays pp's have suggested but can vouch for disprin/ soluble aspirin rather than other painkillers.

Tonsillitis seems to be rife at the moment, there’s 4 out of 8 of my family with it at the moment. They’re all 5-14 days in now. One ended up quite poorly with an ear infection also but is coming out the other side on day 14 now.

I had a sore throat for over a week after an endoscopy. At the first sign of a normal sore throat I gargle with salt water, spray Ultra Chloraseptic, it's gone within 2 days.

I had a sore throat for about 2 weeks fairly mild and the. Swollen glands - they Took about 8 days to clear up.

Did you test for covid? It's a really common main symptom (I sympathise)

Hi everyone. Thanks for all your sympathy! I feel so stupid saying I have a sore throat and that its causing me so much pain.

Nowhere had any spray today so assuming there's no miraculous recovery by the morning I'll try again tomorrow. I've done salt water, TCP (because my mum suggested it... Oh my!) Pain killers are helping a bit but really the only thing that helps is not to swallow 🙈. I haven't anything dissolvable so will also try and get some tomorrow as well

There's no obvious white spots that I can tell but it's so hard looking in your own throat. Definitely red raw, and lumpy.

Did a covid test on Friday and it was negative.

Unmumsnetty hugs to anyone else struggling at the moment. When I feel this unwell I promise myself to try to keep my germy kids at arms length. But I never do. Love them snot, coughs and all...

Corsydal mouthwash (spelling?) is what shifted my sore throat. Unlike many normal mouthwashes it kills the sore throat bacteria. I was using it every few hours to gargle and it made a difference

Difflam gargle in a bottle from Chemist. Numbs it.
Salt water gargle too.
Suck ice cubes & let icy water trickle gown throat.
Regular Ibuprofen and Paracetamol for pain.
Mine took at least a week to go but slowly slowly it finally went away.
Use hand mirror & torch to look into throat.
Get well soon OP. Take it easy.

Took me days to test positive, so don’t rule out Covid. Could be strep throat though, there is a lot of it about.

I had one for three weeks in the past, which turned out to be strep throat and I got a telling off by the doctor for not coming in sooner and antibiotics- there were white spots there I hadn't noticed- and strep throat can have complications- so don't leave it three weeks like me!! I would say if it hasn't gone soon (by the time you've had it 7-10 days)- I'd go to the doctor's/ ask for a nurse consultation, just to make sure.
In the meantime a teaspoon of crushed garlic,honey and cayenne pepper taken every half an hour is what has helped me get rid of other sore throats in the past very quickly

Several of my family and work colleagues have had a bug (none tested positive for covid) that has the most awful sore throat as a symptom. At one point I couldn't breath ot swallow without crying in pain. I ate nothing but soup and even that was a struggle for days. Overall the sore throat has lasted about 3 weeks and was at its worst for abiut 7 days.

Def keep testing for Covid. I'm in the same boat and it's only been a couple of days but it is killing me and I'm starving but don't fancy any food.

Definitely sounds like strep ! I had it at weekend and got antibiotics and they worked with 36 hours and feel like a new woman ! I really sympathise with you, it felt like I was choking on broken glass and i was utterly miserable . Phone GP for antibiotics, they don’t swab for adults, just do it on symptoms. Mine were: it came on quickly, painful neck glands, swollen bumps at back of tongue and excruciating pain when swallowing. I had no temp weirdly . The only sign in my throat was a tiny white streak right at the back of my throat, although I don’t have my tonsils so that’s maybe why. Anyway hopefully you are already better !

Go to your doctor. I was the same last week. Awful sore throat that was getting worse not better.
Spoke to gp. Told to come in. She initially thought it might be quinsy (panicked!), spke to ENT consultsnt while I was there and did a swab
No infection so viral. I'm still not better and have been referred to the consultant who I'm seeing next week.

Please see your GP to at least cancel.out anything serious.

I have had a sore throat now for 4 weeks and 3 days… Been on an antibiotic for last 5 days and 5 days to go….still hasn’t settled so I guess it’s some viral thing , I have heard other people same sore throat lingering weeks at moment