White spots on tonsils?

[TylerJaysMummy]

When I was pregnant (DS is now 13mo) I took antibiotics quite regularly as I had many water infections, late on in pregnancy I noticed white spots on my tonsils, but they were hard. I assumed they were down to the antibiotics? They started to irritate me, felt "scratchy" so I kind of... picked one and it came straight off. So I got it all off. THAT hasn't returned. But I sometimes get this white "stuff" in the crease where your tonsils meet the inside of your mouth.
I KNOW this sounds really grim, I have good dental/oral hygiene and visit the ortho every 8 weeks (who has never spotted anything or commented!!) but I just don't think it's normal to collect stuff in your tonsils?? Could it be food getting trapped? Anyone else get this?

Tonsillitus. And shudder at you picking it off! Before I had my tonsils out last year I used to get this so frequently, and I could always tell they were infected when I saw the white stuff. Is it painfu;? In my experience, anything to do with tonsils will really require you to pester your doctor- it took more than ten years of constant infection which ended up with an infection so bad I was rushed to hospital before they would agree to remove mine, and even then I had to wait a year for the surgery.

Another quick thought- could be quinsey, which is an infection of pus behind the tonsils. This is what I was taken to hospital and I will never forget having to be held down while they lanced my tonsils to drain them off . THis kind of infection can be very serious if its allowed to spread (I was told very casually that had I left it another day the infection would have spread to my brain. Nice )

This sounds like it could be a tonsil stone (tonsillolith). If you google it, there is quite a lot of information. try here

YES!!!! Tonsillitus. I hadn't even thought of this (How daft am I?) I searched it on wikipedia and that's exactly how it looks when it comes. Although now, I just have holes where the white spots where and just get it collecting in the crease.
Sigh.

oh.. maybe it's tonsil stones. they look familiar. i feel so disgusting. i haven't told anyone irl

I think if you're able to pick them off, it's more likely to be tonsil stones. I can't imagine you could actually scratch off the white spots from tonsillitis without really hurting yourself?
Don't worry tonsil stones are fairly common, I think, and there's things you can do to prevent them

littleladybird, yes, very much looking like tonsil stones.
all i can say is.... THANK YOU... at last, I know!! i may have a disgusting problem but now I can stop convincing myself I have some life threatening mouth DISEASE.
the things we get into our heads!
so.. thank you!!!

tonsillitis is painful, you have a sore throat and a temp
quinsy also you are ill

it could be thrush because of multiple antibiotic use, and also it could be normal

get your GP to have a look

Well, I'm glad to have finally been able to answer someone else's question on here!!
I've only posted a couple of times before.

Thanks littlelaydbird!

I have these for years - I use a strong mouthwash (Oraldene) and try and stay off Dairy, as they are more numerous when I eat cheese, yoghurt etc.

I also scrape the back of my tongue and scrub it everyday with my toothbrush.

I also use a high powered saline 'jet' to sluice the crypts in the tonsils, called Sterimar.

I have discovered I have a dairy allergy, (and I also get bad hay fever if I eat a lot of dairy).. Aparently food gets trapped there in the tonsils, and sulphur producing bacteria grow in the food and create the foul smelling tonsil stones.

Peanut butter and cheese - any food that is 'tacky' basically will 'seed' or start one off, as it gets trapped in the tonsils.
Gargling with water after eating will help dislodge the tacky food.

my acupuncturist says that it's also a mucus problem - damp heat - coupled with the fact I have big crypts (holes and caverns) in my tonsils. So another incentive to stay off mucus forming foods - dairy, milk cheese, and peanut butter, and unripe bananas.

Lovely isn't it!?

I used to get embarrassed with my tonsil stones and it's good to know I'm not alone!!!

zazen - wooohooooooo!!! I'm not the only one on MN! I never imagined it would actually have a name! I thought I was just a mingerlol