Tonsillitis - How long can it last for?

[reddevil]

Hi,

I was out all day Friday, helping my brother in-law move house. During the day, my throat became very dry as I was worrying about something, which was on my mind.

By dinner time, I could not swallow, food or water as it hurt, but I just carried on helping to move furniture because I thought it was anxiety and got home at 9pm, which then I asked my wife to take a look for me.

She took a look in my mouth and was shocked to what she saw as the dangling thing at the back of my throat had doubled in size and looked very red. My wife then phoned the NHS direct in-case it chocked me during the night. (If I leaned forward I can feel it on my tongue etc). The NHS direct told me to go straight to the A&E, which got me panicking after hearing this.

I got to the A&E and the doctor took my blood pressure, oxygen levels and pulse, which was fine apart from my pulse, which was high as I was worrying..

He told me that my left tonsil was very infected and that dangling thing had swollen.
He gave me 625mg of AUGMENTIN, 1 to take 3 times a day and I should be better the next day.

I have started to worry today as it is Sunday and my throat is still not better and I was wondering if Sunday is to early for it to show signs of getting better?

Red

[joannap]

hi. i consider myself somewhat of an expert on tonsillitis!

i suffered as a child and then started again when i was 21 until i was 27. a nasty case of tonsilitis can last at least a week - maybe two and antibiotics take at least 48 hrs to get into your system - you probably won't see a dramatic improvement for another 4/5 days so try not to worry about it. i ended up with chronic tonsillitis for about 6 months and then they removed them but they only remove them if you get 4-5 attacks a year. i was on constant antibiotics for 6 months before i had mine out but that was because they were already so scarred from when i was little - op wasn't pleasant but glad to be rid of them to be honest - haven't had a sore throat in years. lots of rest and fluids is what you need. :yesyes: jo x

[Dying_Swan]

Hello.

Another resident expert on tonsillitis! My big ole' diseased tonsils are still sitting there waiting to be lopped off.

Anyhow.

Augmentin - will take a few days to kick in. I believe Penicillin V is the anti-b of choice when it comes to tonsillitis, but Augmentin should be just as good. Make sure you take the whole course, and space them as evenly as possible. I'd be surprised if you were better already to be honest. Tomorrow you should see a small improvement, and it will gradually improve over the course of the week.

You can try a spray from the Chemist called Difflam to help ease the pain. Or, dissolve some soluble Aspirin and gargling with it should help. Neither of these will cure the tonsillitis but will reduce the inflammation and make you feel a bit perkier.

Get well soon! xxx :flowers:

[reddevil]

Hi,

Can Tonsillitis affect that thing which dangles in the back of the throat (not sure of its name)?

Red

[joannap]

hi

- its called something like the uvula? tonsilitis can affect that area so yes - if your tonsil is inflamed then the inflamation can spread to that area.

dying swan - why haven't they taken yours out - are you on a waiting list? i was terrified of having mine out at 27 but i knew they had to go - they just got constantly infected at the end and full of horrible white lumps!:ohmy:

[Dying_Swan]

Hello :)

Yes - the Uvula. It can become inflamed and I'm sure it's just part of the same infection.

Joanna - I was meant to have them out twice last year but....er...cancelled the appointments because I was too scared! So I was taken off the list! I might go for another referral soon and see what happens :blush:

[looking4answers]

Actually Tonsillitis is a very weird thing...They used to just cut them out send you home or freeze them out and send you home and now they have found that.. well possibly you could need them in the future for some reason so they give you antibodies and etc to make it go away..

I have had tonsillitis for almost 30 years off and on..really .. no kidding..I have.. It comes and goes and I run fever and they swell and I just garlgle with warm salt water ,take some over the counter throat sprays or something like a cough drop..that you just take and put in your mouth for awhile..also something I have found that is most excellent..peppermint candy.. just let it stay in your mouth till it melts.

I am not a real firm believer in lots of antibodies and im a survivor of 30 years of the thing you are going through with your tonsills so ..really.. not a biggy .. the warm salt water does miricles for it.

[reddevil]

Hi,

I had to go back to the doctors Thursday, the sore throat feeling came back.

The doctor said my throat is very red and looks sore and the Uvula has swollen and is red again.

I asked the doctor if it was anything serious and he said he can not see anything growing and he told me it could be another infection, which I have caught or the same one as before and he did not mention my tonsills and I never thought of asking.

He has put me on ERYTHROMYCIN, which is for seven days.

This time, I can swallow food without pain but today, the Uvula appears as though it is choking me, but if I look in the mirror, it does not look as big at it did last time.

So worried, obviously thinking negative thoughts again.

Red

[celia davies]

I always suffered with swollen tonsils an swollen uvula so i had mine out when i was 17,where my tonsils were is still red an swollen im always suffering with sore throats an swollen glands an worrying about it gives me a choking feeling the amount of times ive been the doctors is unbeleivable an they just say the same thig virus or infection,but some people am just prone to infections and worrying dont help the situation
celia xxx

[reddevil]

I always suffered with swollen tonsils an swollen uvula so i had mine out when i was 17,where my tonsils were is still red an swollen im always suffering with sore throats an swollen glands an worrying about it gives me a choking feeling the amount of times ive been the doctors is unbeleivable an they just say the same thig virus or infection,but some people am just prone to infections and worrying dont help the situation
celia xxx


Hi,

Well, I have woken up to the uvula being swollen again, it is touching the back of the tongue, which makes me feel sick and a choking feeling.

Why it keeps coming is worring me.

Red

[celia davies]

when i look in the mirror its touchin my tounge,i have a constant lump in my throat when im thinking about it its worse! Go an c your gp if it stops you worrying but if he says theres noting wrong will you beleive him? celia

[louie]

Red I had the same issues with my uvula sweling this was and on going problem. dont panic i did and it will do you no good talk to a throat specalist. I ended up having mine removed no big deal good luck and dont panic it will be ok,:D

[muzz]

I had tonsilitis on and off for a year before they were loped off. It was pretty much constant I don't think that there was a fortnight where I felt well before the next bout would start. spotty tonsils with lots of green stuff, brown stuff and even a bit of blood sometimes.

Problem was delayed appointments meant that that my symptoms were always put down to allergies. I eventually turned up without an appointment and after some ooh-ing and ahh-ing from my gp things started happening.

post surgery, the pain was extreme (I was 23 at the time) the nurses kept me up to my eyeballs on morphine to shut me up. highly recommended. my gp who did the surgery also showed me how it was done and the tools used. interesting, but not for the squeamish

top tip too - one of my friends was studying medicine at the time and said to have a chat with the anethetist and ask for the white stuff which he agreed to. great dreams but I recall being very lippy to the nurses for having woken me up in recovery!

[layladakota]

hey, i get tonsilitus 1-2 a month and for 14 years the doctors refused to refere me, it became very sever to the point where i couldn't breath, my tonsils where covered in huge white lumps filled with puss my uvular was swolen double its normal size and bright red, it goes down after about a week and it is incredibly painfull. But if you begin to get it frequently go to your gp and he/she may consider you being refered, i currently have tonsilitus and was at the doctors only yesterday and i saw the nurse and she tolld me because i have had tonsilitus more that 4 times this year after christmas they're going to refere me, hope this helped. Layla xx

[WolfBite93]

I went to the doctor and they told me that I have a bad case of tonsillitis caused by strep. They put me on azithromycin, a liquid antibio because my throat was so swollen and painfull i couldnt swallow any solids. I was told that it woukd be cleared up in five days, but its day 6 amd while i can now breath, talk, and swallw, and the redness is gone, Instill feel some of the effects of tonsillitis. This is the first time i've ever had it but my grandmother had it many times. I still have a little bit of a sore throat but mostly on the right sife cause thst side was the worst. My tonsils are not swollen anymore but my neck is still stiff and im still having mild headaches. I'm a couple months pregnant and I dont know if that makes any difference since my doctor couldnt be bothered to answer that.
Anyone know if this is normal? I'm really worried.

---------- Post added at 04:33 ---------- Previous post was at 04:31 ----------

And my glanda are still pretty swollen, not ad big as they were but should they take a while to go down?

[doggylover]

Hi everyone. I've had tonsillitis now at least 7-9 times a year for the past three years, but my doctors do not seem willing to allow me to have my tonsils removed. I usually manage to struggle on, but it has got to the point where it is literally unbearable. I am constantly on antibiotics- 500mg 750ml 4 times a day, and haven't been on them for 6 months straight at the moment. Usually dosing up on paracetomal or ibuprofen helps to ease the pain, but this time it really isn't doing anything (nor the antibiotics!) I was just wondering if anyone had any advice either to do with helping to ease the pain, or how to persuade your doctors to remove the tonsils. I'm going to Corfu in July and really don't want to be ill whilst I am there. I am really missing feeling healthy and joining in my day to day life- we really do take swallowing pain free for granted! Thanks!

[Charlie2]

I'm currently suffering with sever case of toncerlitis, now I've had it numerous time but never this sever. I was in hospital because my temperature was very high and the swelling of my tonsils, I couldnt breathe properly. I was also very dehydrated. I've been on 2 tablets of paracetamol & 2 tablets of ibuprofen every 4hours and 2 tables of antibiotics every 6hours.. very painful.. all I've done is sleep. I was told will take 10-12 days for them to be complete infection free.