Recurrent tonsillitis?

[roughtyping]

Hi,

I had tonsillitis at the end of May, waited too long for antibiotics and was completely floored by it. Slept for days and barely ate but recovered fine. End of June (actually the day before we were going on holiday), throat started the same. GP gave antibiotics early as we were away and throat looked suspect. Cleared up no problem and felt ok, just a bit tired. Tonight my throat has started again 🙄

Is there anything I can do to prevent this? I've had antibiotics 5 times in my life, 3 times were for tonsillitis (3rd time was Xmas 2022). I really hate taking them, I'm allergic to penicillin so take one that tastes like sick. I dont want to keep taking them.

Also - is there a reason this has started happening or is it just chance? Never got it as a child, or at all up until a couple of years ago.

Should also say - when I had it badly in May I also had a Strep A/B skin infection. So don't know if this has triggered something? Highly irritating!

Have a look at your toothbrush. It's a common cause of infection when you dig through Google.

We sterilise ds's every single day now. He's 5, waiting for tonsillectomy, catches tonsillitis 10-20 times per year, plus strep 2-5 times per year. His started during the strep a outbreak maybe 2 years ago (?), seems to have done a number on his immune system.

I hadn't even thought of that! Your poor DS. I change mine regularly but hadn't thought of sterilising. How do you do it?

Sorry to read about your tonsillitis.

I’ve had recurrent tonsillitis since I was a teenager. Generally I have it under control but find if I’m run down I get totally floored by it.

I would recommend the following to help prevent but ultimately if you know you’re prone getting antibiotics that you tolerate well ASAP is best thing. I also find I need w longer course than standard so my Gp will always give 10-14 days (not 7). I take doxycycline as I’m allergic to penicillin but if you get lots of side effects you can ask for an alternative?

things that help me:

• multivitamins and immune boosters
• cordysol mouth wash
• hydrogen peroxide (dilute first to make a mouthwash)
• salt water rinses

Also I have to take co codomol for the pain, paracetamol barely touches it

@AmusedRoseCrow I'm sorry to hear you get it so regularly. No fun! I do salt water rinses but will look up the other stuff, thank you! Think we have some Corsodyl actually. It's Clarithromycin I've had, it works ok but the taste is awful. Especially when my mouth doesn't taste right anyway being ill!

I was at a wedding yesterday so still keeping my fingers crossed that maybe I've just talked too much 🤞😂

I can’t take clarithryomycin or erythromycin it makes me so bloody ill.

might be worth trying doxycycline next time

Good to know @AmusedRoseCrow! It actually doesn't feel so bad today which is good. Going to keep a wee eye.

I do wonder if the skin infection has just triggered it. Also 'immune stress' from tiredness - I'm a teacher so end of term is always very tiring then went straight on a very active long haul holiday. But that's just general life stress, nothing new 🤷‍♀️

How are you feeling now OP?

Hi @Cloud44 thank you for checking in! I'm ok, fairly certain it's tonsillitis but it's nowhere near as bad/sore as last couple of times so won't bother the GP. Just a total pain!

Hope it clears for you soon @roughtyping . Do you mind me asking if you’ve got white spots on the tonsils?

@Cloud44 I have one spot on one tonsil but it's not bothering me. First time both tonsils covered (could see in mirror easily), second time GP could see them

I start gargling with baking soda every 2 hours at the first sign of trouble. Bacteria produces acid as they multiple, baking soda is an alkaline, that's the science behind it. The solution should taste fairly disgusting for it to work, that's downside. Also it needs to be baking soda, not baking powder

How are you feeling OP?

Hi @Cloud44, I'm feeling ok, it hasn't got any worse at all. Had a slight temp for a couple of days but ok. Are you also unwell?

It was definitely going around. I'm prone to it anyway but I've never gone down as fast as I did this year as I did in May
Felt a bit tired and grouchy but was working. Suddenly started shivering uncontrollably and took my temp to find it was 40c
Next thing my throat is absolutely full of white gunk and I went to the GP. Took 2 lots of antibiotics to get rid and I was floored for a week

Oh goodness @spikeandbuffy , hope you have been ok since? Yes @roughtyping currently got my third dose of the year! Trying to get through this one without antibiotics if I can. There does seem to be a lot around this year.

I've got it for the first time and it's horrendous. I'm 10 days into my illness and On day 3 of penicillin now and not seeing any improvements. Can't do anything.
Watching TV or being on my phone for more than 5 minutes makes me so sick too, not sure if that's happened to anyone else?

I would go back to the GP
They changed my antibiotics after 3 days as I remembered penicillin didn't work the last time

So the sore throat/tonsillitis symptoms went away on the penicillin. However I'm now in hospital incredibly unwell, the other symptoms got worse so they've put me on something else but on drip.

@Petesdragoness poor you! How are you now?

@Cloud44 how are you?

@Petesdragoness how are you now? I know it's a few months on but keep thinking of you.

Sorry @roughtyping I didn't see your other check in message, thanks for checking in.

I'm not well tbh. I spent 2 weeks in hospital at that point, the infection spread to my whole body including my heart and liver. I'm still unfortunately very unwell and I've ended up disabled due to the infection hitting my muscles. Ive had a fight on my hands with the GPs and Hospital to get help as I now can't walk more than 2-3meters without agony or my legs collapsing plus sickness and fatigue. I think I've now got something called fibromyalgia.All this from a virus and tonsillitis. Very scary and no Drs seem to understand what's happened or what the virus was (it wasn't flu or COVID)

How are you doing? Are you still having issues?

Oh @Petesdragoness that sounds really tough. Someone I work with developed an autoimmune disease after a virus. Actually someone else I work with developed type 1 diabetes and her doctor think it's a virus that has triggered it. Incredible that these things happen.

Funnily enough I'm thinking fibromyalgia for myself too but I've thought that for a while. Have had tonsillitis a couple of times further but didn't need antibiotics. However have developed an eye twitch (approx 8 weeks now) and have had repeated periods of numbness/odd sensations across my face. GP now talking about getting an MRI but don't know if that will happen. I've got lots of other symptoms that have been going on for 2+ decades though and have been on daily painkillers for at least 15 years, so it's not out of nowhere. Feeling really odd and fed up at the moment!