Tonsilitis

[DCS]

Does anyone have experience with a lot getting tonsillitis repeatedly? Ds tonsils are huge and have developed white spots. This is the 3rd case with white spots in the last 7 months. His tonsils are regularly all big and angry looking ( about 4 times in 7 months). At one point they stayed that way for about 4/5 weeks. His throat hurts and he is up half the night coughing. Is this normal? The last Dr I spoke to said she would give him some penicillin but not for a few days because she wanted him to try to fight it off himself before giving him Meds. She also said 8 times in a year is normal. That just sounds like an awfull lot to me. He is only 5. He ends up half the night then is too exhausted at school to go on and gets worked up so they send him home or I don't send him in. School have already sent me a letter about his attendance. Just curious if this is normal.


Eta it wasn't actually white spots this time. So I have no idea what I was seeing. But he had it in Jan Feb and March.

 

[sabby52]

My son gets Tonsillitis all the time, they will only treat with antibiotics if there is white spots, if they are swollen and red they dont treat it as bacterial tonsillitis Over here if they have it 5 or more times in 12 months they are referred to ENT. My son is now in the process of being referred. But tbh the criteria seems to change all the time, a few years back (my son has been suffering with it since he was 2, now 8)I was told that he had to have it 3 consecutive months before they would consider a referral, now it is 5 times in 12 months. We have struggled alot with it and my son has missed alot of school over the past few years, at one stage his attendance was 89% purely due to tonsillitis but if you dont meet the criteria there isnt an awful lot they will do for you, it is disgusting that a child has to suffer so much and miss so much school before they even consider it a problem xx

 

[DCS]

Awwwww sabby that's awfull. I can't belive your LO has had to wait to long. Hope they sort it out for him soon. DS attendance dropped to 82% he only ever has time off for tonsilitis. Actually he has 1 tummy bug but the rest if all down to this. He has white spots again today but couldn't get him into see the drs so have to wait till Monday now. Last time he had white spots but she wanted him to fight it off himself. Is it just the white spots that count do u know? Because then it's only been 3 times in 7 months if I include this time.

 

[Rósa]

My daughter has had 5 lots of tonsillitis since January , 4 were treated with antibiotics as she had white spots, if she has another case this year that requires antibiotics she will be referred

 

[sabby52]

Awwwww sabby that's awfull. I can't belive your LO has had to wait to long. Hope they sort it out for him soon. DS attendance dropped to 82% he only ever has time off for tonsilitis. Actually he has 1 tummy bug but the rest if all down to this. He has white spots again today but couldn't get him into see the drs so have to wait till Monday now. Last time he had white spots but she wanted him to fight it off himself. Is it just the white spots that count do u know? Because then it's only been 3 times in 7 months if I include this time.

I think it depends on how many is treated with antibiotics, I am in Northern Ireland so it could be different here x

 

[DCS]

Thanks ladies. I'm going to try to get him into the drs Monday. And see what they say. The surgery is a nightmare. Really need to move. He has been at a party today, he seems fine. I think he is just so used to it now. He rarely complains about it. Just gets on with it. I, on the other hand, have a sore throat and I'm sure I'm dieing. I just can't cope with the pain and discomfort.

 

[Natsku]

They can do a swab to see if its bacterial, you should ask for that. I understand why doctors are reluctant to prescribe antibiotics but its horrid for the child that's suffering.

I got tonsillitis all the time as a kid and a teenager and now as an adult my tonsils are nearly constantly swollen

 

[Twinmum87]

My DD has it several times in one year then had a really bad bout that took a few months to clear up with 3 lots of anti biotics. Her tonsils seem to be perminantly large now even when not infected. They said if she got it 6+ times a year for over 2 years running they would remove them but once she his the 18 months mark she stopped getting it. Been a few years since then and no reocurance.

 

[DCS]

Thanks. We went to the drs again yesterday. The docto checked his record, he had full.on tonsilitis in Jan, Feb and March. And has had recouping inflamed tonsils in between , he said if he was to get tonsilitis 4 more times he would refer him to the ent. It's such a pain because even when his tonsils are just inflamed he doesn't eat much. As iv mentioned in previous posts ds is a very fussy eater. Not just your average variety of fussy but a whole new level. So him not eating is not good. Plus he is exhausted from the night coughing. I guess it's something we just have to deal with.

 

[noon_child]

The white spots are a sign that there is bacterial involvement, so they will prescribe anti-biopics for it. However a lot of tonsillitis is viral and antibiotics won't help for that.

About you seeing white spots that then weren't there and then we're back again, I got a virus a few months back which gave me a sore throat and a feeling like something was stuck at the back of my mouth/throat. When I looked in my mouth this feeling was being caused by white spots on my palate. The next day they were gone and my throat felt a bit better, but the day after they were back, but in different places. This carried on for about a week but there was no treatment I could get as it was viral.

 

[sophxx]

my lo suffers with bad tonsillitis its nearly always viral. it makes him constantly sick so hes tired and worn out. ive not much advice other than hugs as its horrid my ds has it at the moment.