Any miracle cures (please!!) for Tonsillitis? (or any help for severe throat pain)

Lifeforms

I have tonsillitis
Thursday woke with a slightly annoying throat. Thought it might be start of a cold or flu, so just ignore it most of the day. Come evening and it's like it's on fire inside.
Friday I couldn't even swallow properly, even with the extreme pain. Friday early evening ended up at the Minor Injuries Hospital Unit, who confirmed it was Tonsilitus, and gave me some penicillin (fun!)

On my 6th dose, so I know I need to have patience, but it is far far worse today. I can't eat full stop. I have extreme pain upon swallowing. Enough to make me feel ill itself about swallowing. ( have the urge to swallow and heart sinks type thing) My neck even looks swollen!

I've tried toast, but can't force it down at all. Just retch and choke. Gag at gargling with salty water. Anaesthetic sprays don't touch it, neither does tyrosets, or things like strepsils.

By some amazingly random chance, does anyone have a miracle cure, or something that I can make up at home (not buy, easter holidays etc) or something that is from the kitchen that works a treat?

I've stopped eating, haven't eaten since Thursday evening pretty much, but am still trying to drink reasonably well, however that involves swallowing, and currently am packing my way through ice lollies, so that if i can get through the first few swallows, it's gone a bit cold enough to carry on with less pain.

TLDR? Tonsillitis = the desire to rip out my throat already, can't eat, trying to drink as much as possible. ANYONE GOT A CURE?! I luffs long time if so

ruby_eskimo

When I had viral laryngitis it felt like I was swallowing razor blades constantly. The only things that worked was liquid paracetamol every 5 hours (you know the kiddies one, mine was orange flavoured ) and Tyrozet throat lozenge things. They numb the throat and make it easier to swallow for a few hours so you can get something down.

Lifeforms

I am currently taking Dihydrocodeine, along with 2 paracetamol during this because my head is extremely painful (chronic headaches and an Acquired Chiari Malf, always made worse with any other head problem) and it is like swallowing razor blades!

jenniewb

I had a nasty infection during Christmas, apparently it was something that was going round and several people had been admitted to hospital and put in drips as a result! (So I didn't have a regular slightly painful sore throat, this was bad!)

I didn't realise it was bad at first, I tried to self medicate and also tried many OTC and on the shelf pills and lozengers. None even hit the spot. Many things like lozengers have such a low amount of medication in them you have to take them several times a day all day to get what they think is relief and actually all you end up with is fluctuating blood sugar levels.

I did find an OTC cough mixture for night time helped me sleep which I thought was great because I found it even harder then normal to sleep with the chest issue but codine was a big part of this and I did become a bit hooked which was not so good as when I stopped I wasn't able to sleep very well at all so maybe bear this in mind. (Dihydrocodine is a type of codine)

OP, if you have tried all the regular sorts of pain relief such as paracetamol, ibuprofen and so on, go back to your doctor and ask for something stronger. I ended up on penicillin for mine which did reduce it a great deal (I wasn't able to inhale properly as it was that painful for about 2-3 weeks and this is not good when you have a cough as well as a very sore throat!).

Have you tried sucking on ice? It feels a bit difficult if its cold outside so add a hot water bottle...or three. I was also suggested to buy a pack of "throaties" by a pharmasist, didn't help me at all but they did numb my throat so could be of use to you. Not sugar free though.

Hope you feel better soon.

Lifeforms

Thanks everyone!

I'm a bit stuck because of the bank holiday. Doc surgery was shut Friday, so it was off to the local hospital, as I'd realised it wasn't going into a cold, but when I had a friend have a look down, she could see that the tonsils didn't look too good.

I had it about 12 years ago, and I swear the throat wasn't so bad that time. It just came up very quickly from being a sore throat, to really quite pu()ssy and swollen.

I'm thinking that my chest is a bit wheezy (or something is wheezing when I breathe) But then I feel like I've got sinuses and throat, and the back end of my nose full of stodge/puss/phlegm/dunno.

But this throat pain is awful, and very hard to bear. I get pain often, I'm used to that a lot now, but this is on a new level. I unfortunately had a chronic ear infection about 3 weeks ago that made my ear swell shut (trapping the gunk inside) and that hurt, but this is the next stage up

Currently on about 4 hrs sleep today, been up since 5am yesterday, and not looking to sleep much yet. 5am is my next dose roughly anyway, and that makes it 2 full days worth. See how it is by end of sunday/monday morning, then will talk to my doctor/a doctor about t, if it's not eased up.

I just can't believe that the Dihydrocodeine and paracetamol is just not even touching it. It is thankfully reliving some of the head pressure and ache/pain which is helping somewhat. Why are humans so fallible?!

foreign_correspondent

gargle with corsodyl, it tastes bad but helps a lot, tyrozets also help it feel more comfortable instantly

Cullumpster

gargle with dissolvable asprin or paracetamal, in a small amount of water say half a glass, a good gargle and then swallow it. It tastes like poop but works wonders, my doctor told me to do it once when I had a terribly sore throat and the next day it had virtually gone, asprin works better xx hth

Molly41

Go back to the emergency doctors and get it looked at again - today. It should be responding now to anti biotics.

You have my sympathy as I used to get very bad tonsillitis in my early thirties and had them removed which improved my general health no end. It is a systemic illness so can make you very ill indeed.

Lifeforms

I think when it hits reasonable hours, I'm going to call the out of hours doc, after the trauma I've just had trying to force down paracetamol caplets! I gave up in the end. Just managed the antibiotics, but they were half the size.

I've had it before, but never like this, this is just beyond the last time, and it's now feeling even worse to swallow, which I swear simply cannot be possible! :wall:

londoner2009

Some of the advice on here is well meaning but to me shows what a sad state of affairs modern medicine has become - the majority of replies so far are people suggesting ways to mask the pain not actually solve the root cause of the problem.

Corsodyl Mouthwash is indeed a powerful antibacterial as long as it's used separate from toothpaste as some of the major ingredients in toothpaste stop it working. This is at least sound thinking in that corsodyl will help kill bacteria in the mouth and throat.

A much more easier to get hold of remedy that I'm shocked no one suggested would be to simply mix warm water and some salt in a glass and gargle with it.

The salt will also help kill bacteria and it's more then likely everyone has salt and water to hand in their homes.

Honey and warm water is also soothing to drink. And mixed in a little Apple Cider Vinegar can often help a sore throat.

A little salt in luke warm water can also be a great way to get rid of ear ache by washing out the sinuses through the nose, helps clear out mucous and kill bacteria in the sinus cavity.

Wheezing in the chest can be greatly improved by drinking several glasses of water each day with a little sea salt in it - note I said sea salt not table salt there's a big difference between the two. Natural Sea Salt has many elements i it - table salt usually only has one - Sodium + iodine added to it. Natural Sea Salt has over 60 elements to it.

Personally I can see the original poster's problems being hugely improved with just salt water, to gargle with, clean out the sinuses with and also to drink some to clear out the lungs.

SHEILA54

When I was nursing tonsillectomy patients were given soluble aspirin in warm water to gargle with to help the pain, 2 aspirin 4 times a day. If you have stomach problems or an ulcer do not use as Aspirin can cause stomach bleeding.

Penicillin V is the standard treatment but you may need a second antibiotic if it is not responding after 72 hours.

Hope it gets better soon. Are you sure that you don't have quinsy which would cause the tonsil to swell and be ulcerated?