Any tonsillitis sufferers?

[Munchlet]

Hi guys,

So for once not a HA panic, just a general question.

I used to suffer from tonsillitis as a kid and in my early twenties and after getting to the point of having it fairly regularly one of the nurses refused to prescribe antibiotics and said to see if my immune system would fight it off. It did and fortunately, I've been free for over 20 years until now!

I had a slight sore throat a few weeks ago which lasted a few days and went away and then a week ago I started to get a sore throat down one side which got progressively worse. I popped to the chemist who gave me some soluable paracetamol and some strong lozenges and told me to go back in a couple of days if it wasn't better but he thought it was viral. Especially since I'd still been going to the gym and had no other symptoms.

Yesterday I woke up feeling awful, nausea, banging head, throat no better so I went back and he took a look and said it was still viral at that stage (no white spots) but it could potentially become bacterial.

I woke up this morning, actually thought my throat felt a bit better as it didn't wake me in the night as it has been doing and I only had 2 doses of paracetamol yesterday so I figured the pain was easing. I also haven't felt sick and the headache is a lot better but my tonsils now have quite a few white spots on them.

My question is, can you get over bacterial tonsillitis without antibiotics? I'm just hoping that yesterday was everything coming to a head as I felt so rotten and I don't really want to take antibiotics if I don't have to but I'm also not sure if a bacterial infection will just go on it's own?

I'm a bit baffled as to why I've got this again after so many years but then again I guess with the easing of lock-down and me working from home pretty much the last two years, it was inevitable that going back into a school environment would trigger some nasty bugs!

So hoping there's a few tonsillitis experts on here that might know if it's ok for me to just wait this one out?

I would call the surgery but to be honest they are so busy at the moment, I'd rather just know if anyone else has experienced this and managed to get over it wiithout antibiotics.

Thanks

[Catkins]

Not an expert as I had mine whipped out as a kid. But you could try gargling with salt water or Corsodyl?

[Munchlet]

Thanks Catkins,

I've been doing the salt water gargle as well as TCP and I think it's easing. I've gone all day today without painkillers, might take some now as I have a headache but the white spots seem to be disappearing as well.

I wasn't sure if bacterial tonsillitis resolved on it's own but hopefully, it things keep going in the right direct then I may not need to contact the GP for anitibiotics. Obviously, would prefer not to but just wasn't sure if it would get better without.

[tomtom83]

Sore throat is my weak spot (runs in my family)! Had a few times as a kid & then a rough period 3 years ago when I had strep 5-6 times in a row & my wife too. I got an abscess one time (not fun) so I wasn't allowed to ride it out without treatment but with my wife that's exactly what they did, she did the same as you & was told to come back if she got high fever or it got really bad, it didn't and it got better within 5 days I think.
Was waiting to have my tonsils out but as I went 2 years without any issues they told me to wait & see.
I still live in fear of every sore throat I get (have one right now) but haven't needed antibiotics since the abscess. I've changed my diet massively & do the salt water thing too plus oregano oil (it's powerful stuff!) & throat sprays. Seemed to have helped so far.

I think it can heal without antibiotics if you can still eat & drink but definitely wouldn't do it with doctors directions.

[Munchlet]

Thanks TomTom

I did speak to a GP about another matter on Friday and mentioned to him about the white spots and he offered antibiotics. However, I said I was feeling a bit better and the spots only lasted a day so he said could still have been viral.

Sore throats are the pits, I really feel for you having to endure strep throat and an abscess! I remember my brother having quincey when he was a teenager which I think is also an abscess on the tonsil and they nearly took him in hospital because of his throat closing up.

Scary stuff!

[tomtom83]

No problem, when you've had strep as much as we did 3 years ago you become a bit of an "expert" :)

My personal view is (& in Sweden were I live now they're swaying that way more & more) to avoid antibiotics at all costs for milder things like sore throats, they say it only speeds up recovery by 1-2 days, so if I can eat, drink, sleep ok & don't raging fever I try to just ride it out. After the abscess & so much strong antibiotics it literally took me a year to get my body back in balance again (I had been hit by a car too (literally) the week before the first infection so my body was already a wreck).

[Ruby777]

I know this is an old thread but I’ve been suffering from recurrent tonsillitis / strep since July . It’s the 3 rd time I have it now . I’ve had three courses of antibiotics for that and I also had chest infection which required anti biotics a few weeks ago . I really hate having to take antibiotics and I’m at a loss at what to do to get better . I have white patches always on the same side and it’s painful although not unbearable

[Flapj]

I had problems with my tonsils for years in my early 20s. Eventually I found a good doctor who actually cultured them, identified the predominant bacteria, and selected an appropriate antibiotic to treat them. Never had tonsillitis since.

[ErinKC]

Can you just get a throat culture to confirm if it is or is not strep?

[ServerError]

Can you just get a throat culture to confirm if it is or is not strep?

If you go to the doctor with a sore throat in the UK, all they'll do is tell you you have "tonsillitis" and the most you'll get is a prescription for antibiotics. The chances of anyone taking a throat culture is slim to none.

[ErinKC]

Oh, interesting! They always do one in the US if you go in with a sore throat and the give antibiotics if it’s positive. It’s a rapid test that comes back in the office (and they can send it to the lab to double check if it’s negative and your symptoms seem like strep).

[Flapj]

The rapid test is a little wonky. It isn't as reliable or specific as an actual culture. When I finally had an actual culture done it said "Non-Group A Strep" and "Group-D Strep." They were giving me the wrong antibiotics. A course of a drug called clindamycin cured it finally. Took a long time to get that figured out. They just kept throwing augmentin and cipro at it.

Good docs can spot actual strep throat just by looking because it has a very characteristic look. It's different than tonsillitis. Tonsillitis, when its bad, causes huge "kissing" tonsils (meaning they meet in the middle of your throat) and they have white pockets on them.

Note: Strep throat and tonsillitis are not the same thing necessarily!

OP can you ask your doc to try a different antibiotic?

[Ruby777]

I’ve been givin penicillin every time and it does go away but then comes back … it’s been three times in 6 months . I’m now paranoid and looking at my tonsils constantly for white spots . I finished my last course 5 days ago and I see tiny white spots now and I’m so stressed …

[Ruby777]

Should have said they did throat culture in the summer the first time I got it and it didn’t come back positive for strep … strangely enough as it seems to be what it is .

[ErinKC]

Could it be yeast and not bacteria? You’ve taken a lot to antibiotics, which can cause an over growth of yeast and I feel like also would look like white spots. I would definitely ask for another culture before more antibiotics so they can either find the right one or rule out bacteria.