Mouth/Tonsil stone panic - please help

[Dissolved girl]

Hi there

OK, i am shaking and feel nauseous and sweating a lot.
This is so ridiculous.

Basically for people who don't know there are these things called tonsil stones. It's basically where little bits of food collect in the pockets of your tonsils and go bad. Sometimes you cough them up. They smell pretty foul. Sorry but there is no other way to explain it.

I know about these and i get them occasionally and i am freaking out about it.
It's so stupid! I have slightly panicked over them before but gotten over it but for some reason this has just suddenly come over me. I thought i could 'taste' one stuck in my throat and all of a sudden i'm having a panic attack. I was even watching something when this happened so it's not like my mind was focused on that one subject

I think i'm scared because i have this fear that these things are 'trapped' in my my mouth and i can't get them out.
My first really bad panic attack was brought on by toothache and so things to do with my mouth scare me a lot and cause me to freak.

I haven't drank, i'm not hungover and haven't missed any medication. No other worries on my mind. I just took some valium.

I just don't understand where these irrational fears come from. It's horrible. I just don't want to be panicking every time i think i might have a trapped tonsil stone.

Does anyone else have similar fears?

[Fishmanpa]

Hi DGirl,

The fact that you had them before and didn't really have an issue with them is something to draw on here. Tonsil stones are actually a combination of things but mostly calcified "gunk" for lack of a better word. They're not unusual nor dangerous. Yeah, they're a bit on the nasty side but that's all.

My fiance' gets them chronically. She spoke to her doctor and he told her it was most likely due to allergies and the general makeup of her body. He told her to start taking a generic Claritan once a day. Well guess what? Within a month of starting them, she doesn't have any tonsil stone issues anymore. As always, check with your doctor but that may be a solution.

Positive thoughts

[Dissolved girl]

Thank you. I think i will go to the doctors and see if there is anything they can do. I know deep down they won't harm me but I've now had four panic attacks which is causing even more panic over it. It's so ridiculous.
I am scared to death over this. I can't go through week long anxiety again over irrational phobias. I did it before and got through it. I don't have the energy to do it again. I'm trying to be rational but then my brain thinks of something like 'there's that taste again' and i get that pit of dread in my stomach and the following anxiety. I think i will take some more valium and try to get a good nights sleep.

[Rennie1989]

I used to get reoccurring boughts of tonsillitis with those calcium stones in my tonsils. They used to feel like hair stuck at the back of my throat. Detached or not they are not harmful, they just stink and taste bad.

Do you know why you're scared of these stones. Is it a fear of choking, infection etc?

[Dissolved girl]

Hi

I think its just the fact that I think I can taste something horrible in the back of my throat and I can't escape it. I thought I was ok but I am once again panicking over it. I took valium, had a nap and was fine for about an hour and now I'm freaking out again. I have had this 'taste' before but I've never panicked so much over it. I just don't want this to develop into another irrational phobia 😞

[Fishmanpa]

The bad taste is part of the deal with tonsil stones as is halitosis (bad breath). My fiance went in there with a Q-Tip and dug those puppies out. Nasty for sure. Truly though, nothing to be freaked about. Just make a call to your doctor. It's not a serious thing and can be treated :)

In the mean time, gargle with some mouthwash or suck on an Altoid to help with the bad taste.

Positive thoughts