Anyone get tonsil stones?

[MissFormosa]

I've got one now that is driving me nuts and I can't seem to "pop" it out. It's killing my ear and my tonsil is swollen, giving me a terrible lisp. I tried gargling too. Anyone else have these darn things? It's awful. Advice!

[wigglesgiggles1]

OMG Me too! I thought I was the only one. They hurt like heck and I constantly have them and my tonsils just look all white. I have a sour throat now from them. I just gargle. My doctor said for me to get my tonsils out because of the stones and mine are big.

[Onetwo]

I am so sorry for your issue. I have been affected by those darn foul things forever. I thought I was the only one as no one knew what the heck I was talking about. Then about 2 or 3 months I saw on The Doctors they were talking about it. There was someone who had an almost as bad a case as I get and they took a radio wave and smoothed her tonsels so she couldnt get them anymore. I thought that was a great idea. I wish I could do that. She said it hurt like a sore throught. So I hope one day to have this procedure. Because of all the issues I have had with them I have no gag reflex and just carefully take them out with my finger. Gargling never seemed to help me. I would just recommend trying to pop it out with your finger or a q-tip. Good luck!

[wigglesgiggles1]

That could help! I will try that.

[MissFormosa]

I've never had one like this before! I have a doctor's appointment at 2pm, I can't wait! I am miserable! It won't come out.

I think we think we are the only ones because it's not exactly something you would want to bring up in conversation. And they are foul! I mean, how do you explain to someone that you have stinky calcified bacteria and dead skin in the pockets of your tonsils that you pop out without feeling gross about telling them! And most people look at you with amazement, like you're a freak or something.

I've had them since I was maybe in Junior High. I've never been to a ENT doctor because they have never been too bad, just annoying. I've just been popping them out now for about 20 years with no real trouble and like you Onetwo, I have no gag reflex now either. A few times I've gone to the doctor, but that is rare.

But, this darn thing is stuck and trying to push out of the smaller holes near the back of the tonsil, instead of the large pockets in the front. I tried getting it out last night with a swab, but they just bleed after a few trys. Now my tonsil is swollen and purple around where the stones are pushing the smaller holes and I can't talk or swallow too good. My lymphnodes are swollen and tender. My head hurts terribly on one side all the way down my neck and to my collarbone and my lips are slightly tingly. I've never seen this with a tonsil stone before! It definitely is one though! Kinda scary.

The thing that bothers me the most is when I go to the doctor and they look inside and announce that it is strep throat and send you home with a prescription for antibiotics. I just want to tell them, no, those white patches are tonsil stones and get them the heck out of my tonsil because they are driving me crazy! If I had strep, I don't think it would be just one tonsil that is swollen with white patches.

I'd love to get some sort of procedure done to end my misery. I'd love to get a tonsilectomy, but I have read conflicting reports one whether it helped or not. I'm going to look into that smoothing thing for sure! I guess, would I go to the ENT for that?

[Peggysu]

Luckily I have no tonsils because they caused me a lot of problems as a very young child.

[MissFormosa]

Peggysu, you're very lucky! When I was a kid, they stopped taking tonsils out. My brother, sister, and husband don't have tonsils and they rarely seem to get throat infections.

Here's my update:

By the time I got to the ENT doctor yesterday, I had a fever and couldn't stop shivering. The pain on the left side of my head, ear, and neck was unbelievable. I have a bad case of tonsillitis. My one tonsil is so swollen that it touches the uvula in my throat and it's turned nearly white. I guess I spread the infection along trying to get the tonsil stones out.

I've never been to an ENT before and it was quite the experience. They put a camera up my nose through my sinuses! Talk about uncomfortable! I just kept telling myself, hold on, it's not as bad as natural childbirth!! The doctor said he could tell I have deep crypts in my tonsils and once the tonsillitis is gone, I can talk to him about my options for ridding myself of tonsil stones! He talked about the shaving off of the tonsils to lessen the depth of the crypts or to remove the tonsils all together. He thought the tonsillectomy would be better, because I get a lot of sore throats each year and have such deep crypts. Finally, a doctor that doesn't tell me they don't like to do tonsillectomies anymore because the tonsils supposedly have a beneficial purpose.

I'm at home on a heavy duty antibiotic called Cleocin. There were a lot of warnings about it upsetting the G.I. tract, but so far (knock on wood), it hasn't affected me that way yet. I am still having a low-grade fever, am in a ton of pain and feel generally crummy. I wish I could eat some real food! I hope I don't get in trouble at work for being out sick too much. I used up all my time off earlier this year when I had the two cancer surgeries. And TV during the day is the WORST! I was flipping through the channels...court shows, Jerry Springer, people giving birth, animal cops (traumatizing!), and weird food shows.

I've been keeping a distance from the pigs, I don't want to spread any germs. My hubby has been cleaning and feeding them. It's so cute. He was cutting the baby carrots lengthwise because he thought they could grab the carrot easier. He also now knows the difference between parsley and cilantro! I'm proud of him! At least I can see the pigs bouncing around in there from the couch. And of course, I can always log-in here and talk about how much I adore those little guys without anyone giving me a look like I am some kind of crazy pig lady.

[wigglesgiggles1]

Feel better!

[twiztedlilfae]

Really? I've never heard of a doctor saying that they wouldn't perform a tonsilectomy. I had really bad tonsilitis for 9 months. I was on antibiotics on and off those 9 months, under the care of my ENT (chronic ear infections, and a hole in my ear drum since I was a baby), and the antibiotics were not working on the tonsilitis. I was so miserable that I would go to school for half a day. My ROTC and choir teachers thought I was dead for half the year. When I did manage to stay all day I was practically miserable.

Finally the doctor looked at me and told me they were so bad that there was no way that they weren't coming out, whether the antibiotics were working or not!

Needless to say he told me they ruptured during the surgery and he had to suck the bacteria out of my throat. They had cysts and puss all over them. One of the worst cases he had ever seen. I was SO happy to have them out! I had my adnoids out as a kid, and I don't remember much about that just that I wanted popsicles and ice cream for my dinner.

But the tonsilectomy was a 3fer deal. My eardrum was repaired and polyps removed from my nose (aka he burned the inside of my nose.) One of the best doctors I ever had. He was always so kind to me and made sure that I was taken care of. I seen him a lot growing up. LoL.

So no, you are not alone. Far worse things can happen than stones. I'm just glad that the tonsils didn't burst while I was awake, that would not have been good. And feel better!!

Warm soups and popsicles are great. I had to use the cepecal drops for mine. They didn't last very long. I would stay away from ice cream because it seems that milk creates more mucus and that's never pleasant with tonsillitis.

[vicky2]

My tonsils have been bothering me lately. They've been kind of swollen for the past week or so, I'm assuming from the cold weather?

[Seonta]

My tonsil stones are very very tiny and have not been giving me problems. I actually only started getting them or noticing them about a year ago. I actually was worried because I didn't know what they were but I was enlightened by my mother. It sounds like you guys get large ones? or do they just not come out on their own? I hope mine don't get any worse and I hope all of you get to feeling better.

[Peggysu]

I had mine taken out when I was five. I'm so glad I don't have them because I'm sure I'd be in as much discomfort as you all are now. I know I had a lot of problems breathing as a kid due to my tonsils and it was never questioned not to take them out. I had ear infections all the time and I remember them not being as frequent once the tonsils were removed.

MissFormossa, I hope you're able to get these tonsils out so that you can be comfortable.

Tonsils are part of the immune system and help fight off infections and it's now being noted that taking them out can weaken the immune system so doctors tend to try to keep them in.

[twiztedlilfae]

Well I knew that the tonsils were apart of the immune system which is why surgery is always a last resort. But then again I also see that they harbor bacteria and can be more of a nuisance than anything. It's a catch 22 because it can help but it can also do more harm than good. I don't understand how it can be so helpful and useful in some people but wreak havoc in others. If it's such an important part of the immune system then why does it cause so many problems?

I've heard in some cases tonsils can grow back.

[MissFormosa]

Originally Posted by vicky2

My tonsils have been bothering me lately. They've been kind of swollen for the past week or so, I'm assuming from the cold weather?

Maybe, I've always noticed three things about the weather...

1) I would get sore throats whenever the pollen counts were high or on a rainy day
2) My sinuses would get more painful in winter and I have more problems with them then
3) I get a bad bad pressure headache when the barometer drops

Originally Posted by Seonta

My tonsil stones are very very tiny and have not been giving me problems. I actually only started getting them or noticing them about a year ago. I actually was worried because I didn't know what they were but I was enlightened by my mother. It sounds like you guys get large ones? or do they just not come out on their own? I hope mine don't get any worse and I hope all of you get to feeling better.

Mine are pretty large I guess, but not giant stones. I would say they are about the size usually of half a pencil eraser or maybe a shriveled frozen pea. Sometimes, I would cough and they would come out...just fly right out of my mouth. Mostly, though, I would be able to just push up on the tonsil and it would pop out.

[wheekers01]

I used to get strep or tonsillitis every 3 months when I was littler. This meant nights of no sleep for my mom and I, vomiting every hour, and...well you can imagine. Sometimes nights in the hospital from dehydration... Thankfully my doctor decided to get them out so in July I had mine out. Hope you feel better!!

[Tessa Bea]

My husband used to have really bad tonsil problems. After hassling the doctors enough, they agreed to let him have a tonsillectomy this past June.

Twiztedlilfae- It took my husband a lot of hassle to convince the hospital to give him a tonsillectomy, his first doctor said he didn't need it. So yes, there are doctors who refuse to do them.

MissFermosa- If a tonsillectomy is something you'd want to do, are you sure you wouldn't be able to persuade a doctor to take them out for you? Or do you not want the surgery? Either way, good luck! I remember how much pain it was for my husband while he still had his...

[Froggirl009]

I feel your pain! I have had tonsil stones since I was 9 years old. My mom gets them too. They are horible! I had one just the other day!

[twiztedlilfae]

@Tessa Bea, wow I just never realized that it was so hard to get one if you have problems with your tonsils! I know that you have to have so many cases of tonsillitis a year (I think 7) or have it so much that you miss more than 2 weeks of school/work but I didn't realize that so many doctors wouldn't do it even if there were those issues.

Glad that my doctor realized that mine wasn't going to get any better.

Now I've had to hassle with doctors on other issues but never with my ears, nose and throat.

[wheekers01]

Tonsils can grow back if they don't get all the tissue out. This is happening to my best friend's brother. Now the doctor is retired so they wouldn't get it for a lesser price.

[Alusdra]

I never heard of tonsil stones before. I'm glad I got my tonsils out as a kid! They were constantly making me sick and I couldn't swallow anything that was larger than like a grain of rice. I've been much healthier since getting them out. One grew back but it's tiny. My mother's grew back, too, from when she had them out. I kind of like that it did, though, as sometimes stuff gets stuck in the pocket the tonsil used to be in and I have to swallow in a certain way to get it out.