I have had tonsillitis 6 times this year- what is it like to have tonsils out???

[mummy2olivia]

Further to my thread earlier, have been to see GP and am on yet another course of penicillin. I mentioned how often I had had tonsillitis this year and he said that the only thing they could do is whip them out but he really didn't recommend it at my age. On average I have had it every 2 months this year and have had to have at least a day off each time I have had it purely because when I do get it I can't function- its putting my job in jeopardy. I have got yet another sickness review when I return to work after this bout.

I explained this to him and he said that obviously it was getting out of hand and getting to the stage where it is affecting my life and well being- he said that he would give me a referral to an ENT surgeon but he wanted me to try Ecinachea and high dose vit C lozenges over the next couple of months and see how I get on and give the surgery some careful consideration but in his opinion it should be avoided at all costs.

has anyone here gone through this? What did you do? What was the surgery like? Is it all that bad?

I'm so confused and I just want to be well!

I had tonsilitis many times as a child and started to get it again about three years ago. My GP explained that the scar tissue (from childhood bouts) gets infected. She suggested gargling with salt and this has really worked for me. I have only had tonsilitis once since doing this..worth a try maybe?

Dh had his tonsils out about 18 months ago. He is a singing teacher and performer and it was really affecting his work. The last time he had tonsillitus he was on the verge of being hospitalised as they were touching and they were concerned they might have to put a breathing tube in.

each bout was worse than the one before.

He went private for the op so that he could have it done at the start of the 6 weeks school holidays. It was a long recovery but he doesn't regret it one bit.

I had mine out last year at 23. I had been suffering for 10 years and my doctors had always refused to refer me for a tonsillectomy. In the end I got an infection so severe I ended up going to hospital in an ambulance with a terrified dd on my lap as my tonsils and whole throat were so swollen I could barely breathe. They said if I had left it a few more hours the infection would have spread to my brain I had to stay in hospital for 4 days and it took a long time for me to recover (just when I was meant to be writing my disertation as well)After that I was put on the waiting list, but it was a whole year before I had the operation. I had never had an operation before so I was very nervous. I didn't know I had been put out until I came round, as the anasthetic goes in your hand, not in a mask as I had expected, and for the first 24 hours I felt fine, apart from coughing up black blood a few hours after surgery which apprently is quite common. The next 2 weeks were horrible though, and jelly and ice cream definately not allowed. It doesn't help that they send you home with paracetamol. I was back in a few days to get codine. I would say though that it is worth the discomfort- as much as it hurt I will never forget the panic of being unable to breathe and now even when I get throat infections they are nowhere near as uncomfortable as they were before.

I too kept getting ill with my tonsils going bonkers at every opportunity. I couldn't bear being ill so often anymore. It was total waste of my time.

I had them out at 22. The op was fine except they didn't cauterise the wounds properly so I had to go under a GA again twelve hours later. I think there's perhaps a bit of a casual approach to tonisilectomies?

And then I got an infection and was miserable with a high temperature (alone!) for three weeks. A GP finally made a home visit and prescribed antibiotics.

Finally, I got well. But I felt very shaken by the whole experience, I have to say.

I've not been ill like I was with my tonsils since though. I'd do it again in a shot but I would be much more assertive with the doctors who mucked up the op in the first place and those witchy nurses who didn't take my concerns seriously. And insist on proper aftercare even if it meant my looking neurotic. Avoid post op infections at all costs!

Hiya M2Olivia, please try taking some zinc supplements. It was suggested to me once when I was feeling down because of my seemingly constant throat infections / toncillitus. It's worked an absolute miracle for me - anytime a feel a tinge of a sore throat coming I take a zinc tablet along with max strength vitamin c for a couple of days and I've not suffered at all in the two years. Its really helped me and it might well work for you too - its worth a try, good luck

I had mine out 18 months ago at the age of 38. Had tonsillitis a few times every year but then it became every couple of months and then literally once a month. I had so much time off work. Taking antibiotics all the time just wears you out and kills off all the nice bacteria that you need.

It will only get worse. It will not get better on its own. You must persuade your GP to refer you for the op. They dont like referring you because NICE dont recommend it, but you must beg and plead. It took me two years to get my GP to refer me and when he did the consultant took one look and said they definitely needed to come out.

Zinc, Vitamin C, homeopathy etc will do NOTHING when they are as bad as yours. Your tonsils are infected and you cant fight it, they need to come out. As for beeper suggesting it will give you cancer!!??**!

My operation was fine. I was off work for two weeks and yes, it was very painful, I wont deny that. And you have to eat normal food, not just icecream! But it was no worse than a particularly bad bout of tonsilitis. And then you never have to have it again! So it is well worth it. In the last 18 months I have had two colds but no sore throats. I feel so much better and have been able to build up my immune system again.

Also tonsillectomy technology has moved on a lot now, and they dont cut them out with a scalpel anymore, they use a laser wand. This massively reduces chances of infection and bleeding etc.

Sorry to be so direct, but my friend said all this to me and I didnt believe her and took no notice for two years, but she was right! It is well worth it.

I had mine out at 18, the op was fine, ate a sarnie a few hours after, went home next morning.

Had very few probs eating but stayed in bed for a day or two and then fekt much better. I had them out on the Tue and was in the pub on the Friday!

I had the laser wand too.

Hi, I've been searching for answers to my problem for so long now, it seems as if no-one can help me :( As a child ( I'm now 47 ) my brother and I suffered with chronic tonsillitis. It became so bad that our G.P put me on daily penicillin for 18 months :( Back then no-one knew the risks. Ever since I have had low blood platelets, and spontaneous bruising... Recently I saw an ENT doctor as I cannot breathe properly ( terrible nasal congestion, and post-nasal drip )He said my septum is slightly deviated. He also said I have a lot of stomach acid, and gave me Lansoprazole capsules. I took them for maybe 2 weeks but decided to stop. Almost as soon as I stopped my glands all over my body began to swell up :( A month later they are still swollen. I must say that I am also premenopausal. My GP is totally useless, and if anything she makes things worse. So I have been reading a lot of books on the subject, and taking vitamins.... I am also in a highly stressed state and haven't slept through a night for 5 years! I wonder if anyone can tell me if prolonged antibiotic use in childhood can do all this damage? Thanks