Pain when swallowing (right side)

[Linei]

I'm 38 yrs old.
About a month ago I developed a fever, lasted for 2 days, then I started having a sore throat on the ride side when swallowing, I went to the dentist and he extracted a tooth that was mildly infected, he prescribed Penicillin. The penicillin didn't cure my sore throat.
I went to the Dr today and she didn't see anything infected, she referred me to an ENT.
I have no other symptoms, just pain on the right side when I swallow, no pain when I eat or drink, feels like it's my tonsils but not sure.
She said my uvula seems to be hanging to my right side. She gave me something to gargle with 4 times a day. GP thinks it has to do with my tooth infection and that it will go away with time.

Anyone know what this could be?
Strep test they did at the clinic was negative.

[debs71]

Hi,

Urggh. I hate sore throats. I have just gotten over a strep throat myself.

I am wondering if your painful throat could just be a viral sore throat, since the penicillin didn't help it? Most sore throats are viral caused.

As your GP said, tooth infections can shift to the throat, but then it beggars the question why then the penicillin didn't help it...which sort of points to viral.

Seasonal allergies can also create a sore throat. I have this every now and again. Just a dry, sore throat that clears up on its own.

Gargling is good, as is warm salt water.

I would see how you get on.

[Linei]

Thanks for your reply!

Wouldn't viral sore throat go way after 2 weeks though? I've had this pain on my right side when swallowing for about a month.

[debs71]

Wow....yep, that is certainly a long time.

Yes, I would have thought that it would have gone by now, as generally the stock answer for a viral duration is around a week, but viruses can be stubborn to get rid of, and can go on as long as 2 weeks, sometimes even longer.

[Fishmanpa]

Viral infections can definitely take a while to resolve. My wife and I had the "crud" over the Christmas holidays and it took a good month before it was totally gone. And your GP has a point about the tooth infection taking time to resolve.

Positive thoughts

[Linei]

Thanks for all your responses, I've been sort of worried about this all day.
Doctor said she didn't see anything in my mouth, no swelling, everything seemed fine, strep test negative,
when I press with my finger on my right tonsil I can feel some pain. The same pain I experience when I swallow.
Thoughts?

[Fishmanpa]

when I press with my finger on my right tonsil I can feel some pain. The same pain I experience when I swallow.
Thoughts?

Patient: Doc, it hurts when I press my tonsil with my finger...
Doc: Don't do that!

:D Seriously, you're just aggravating it. A great remedy for a sore throat is gargling with warm water mixed with salt and baking soda. 16oz of warm water, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Use as often as needed and quite poking around!

Positive thoughts

[debs71]

I agree with Fishmanpa here.

Tonsils can flare up for little to no reason periodically, generally due to underlying viral causes. Mine are a constant nightmare. I have one sided throat pain on regular occasions, and as fast as it arrives, it leaves again. I also have one larger tonsil that also hurts if I press on it, so I let it be. I have had strep throat many times over too, and that one you just KNOW you have, as the pain is awful and you can literally see pus on your tonsils (yep...gross...sorry for TMI!)

I swear by warm salt water, as Fishmanpa says. It is an amazing cheap and natural way to treat a sore throat. My other top tip is honey and lemon tea, or just honey and lemon mixed with warm water. Honey is another amazing, natural remedy.

[Linei]

thanks for the responses :)

[Linei]

Ugh, so the pain sort of went away after 4 weeks, sort of, whenever I thought about the pain it came back in small doses, then 3 days ago my daughter comes home from school with the sniffles, and I'm sick again, stuffy nose, sneezing, body aches, and guess what, pain when swallowing again, but hurts alot and only on the right side again, no white spots on tonsils yet.

Ughhhh I hope It doesn't last another month. Should I even go to the ENT appt due on may 6th now or just let this slide again. Was hoping to avoid the ENT he has really bad reviews on RateMd's, one of the posters even claimed he was brutal during the exam and destroyed one of his ear drums.

[debs71]

Linei, how weird is this? I am also sick again, and am mightily peed off!!

My throat has been giving me problems ever since the strep throat. It keeps coming and going - pain down one side, then the other.....loads of phlegm in my throat. I too have no sign of any white patches on my tonsils, so I am thinking this may be viral......arrrrghhhh I HATE A SORE THROAT!

I am now taking my own advice and doing salt water gargles, taking pain meds, overdosing on vitamin C and just trying to get rid of it.

I would definitely go to the ENT appt anyway. You may well have a better experience than the poor 'ear drum guy', and at least you can get an opinion as to what is happening.

Get well soon. x:hugs:

[Linei]

Linei, how weird is this? I am also sick again, and am mightily peed off!!

My throat has been giving me problems ever since the strep throat. It keeps coming and going - pain down one side, then the other.....loads of phlegm in my throat. I too have no sign of any white patches on my tonsils, so I am thinking this may be viral......arrrrghhhh I HATE A SORE THROAT!

I am now taking my own advice and doing salt water gargles, taking pain meds, overdosing on vitamin C and just trying to get rid of it.

I would definitely go to the ENT appt anyway. You may well have a better experience than the poor 'ear drum guy', and at least you can get an opinion as to what is happening.

Get well soon. x:hugs:

Sounds like we have the same thing aside from the strep throat part. :( I have all the symptoms of the common cold, my daughter is coughing like mad too. I'm taking zinc, echinachea and vitamin C tablets, not really doing much though. I will gargle with salt and baking soda more, I just hate the taste but I tried that in my last cold and symptoms did sort of improve.

I think why I'm freaking out is that no Dr in the past ever referred me to an ENT they usually tell me it's viral and it goes away to wait it out, and this walk in clinic Dr did not, so I'm worried she thinks it's something worse. If she hadn't referred me to an ENT I wouldn't even worry about it. I'm baffled why she didn't just tell me it's viral, I asked her and she repeated many times she doesn't see anything wrong :( :(

[Linei]

Just wanted to come back here and let you know that it was indeed a viral infection.

It went away after a month and a week, then it came back a couple weeks later! I was very worried, but eventually went away after another month!! It was awful and very scary. I basically caught the same cold twice.

Thanks for all your help.