White Bumps In Throat _{Page 60 of 90}

Hi,

Thanks BettyCV and Kevhed and whoever else...I am 9 hours post-op and doing quite 'peachy'. IMO. They definitely knock you out, and they actually put a tube down my throat while 'out'.

Took about 1 hr for prep (IV, questions, etc...) and about 1.5 hrs recovery, pain meds, etc...my blood pressure was up some so that might have held me up some.

I feel as tho I have a bad case of strep. I've got Tyl-3 and Oxycodone (which I took about an hour ago-it is time released and should last 12 hours.) Tyl-3 is every four hours and a Z-pac (anitbiotics). I am up on the computer, just had some chicken noodle soup (very luke warm) and I've put a serious dent in the popsicles. Oh, and lots of water.

So, right now, this is not nearly as bad as what I expected. I believe tho that days 2 thru 5 may be somewhat rougher, but if it is not too much worse than today, I will be pleasantly surprised.

It was scary, but so far, I feel I did the right thing. (Until the bills start rolling in...Ugh!).

Bye for now. Gonna rest a bit. BTW (I am no spring chicken, I am 38).

after 22 years with the bad breath and tonsil stones and trying everything, except the tonsil surgery, which, i am thinking to do soon, i can tell you the thing that had worked the best:
peroxide+baking soda arm & hammer tootpaste, teatree oil, flossing, scrubing th tonge, sugarless gum, peroxide+baking soda in the toothbrush, warm salt water in the nostrils, and the hope to find a permanent solkution.

hey, i have had those for about a year and went to the doctor for it a couple of months ago. go only to a ear, nose, and throat specialist though because otherwise regular doctors dont do much. anyways, my doctor said some people can get rid of them with antibiotics. this didnt work for me though, so i got my tonsils out just one week ago and i can already tell that it was the best thing to do to get rid of the tonsil stones. now i wont have to worry about them at all so definately consider a tonsillectomy if you have them!

Day 3 post op. Just checking in. Not any better and not any worse. Seems as tho the drugs are catching up with me today cause all I've done is sleep.

Not miserable, but certainly do not feel like going anywhere or doing anything. Groggy, tired, blah...

Pain is managable.

I had my tonsils out since July of this year. I had only been suffering from tonsil stones for a year, but I had bad breath my entire life. I go to the dentist regularly and talked to the dentist about my breath. He suggested I brush after every meal. My breath would still smell even after I brushed.

I found this website after having the tonsil stones and decided to have surgery. I made an appointment with an ENT. I told her that I would have a sore throat several times a year and I had stones. She suggested that I have my tonsils out.

I was in pain for 2 weeks after my surgery. My throat hurt when I yawned, but after 3 weeks, I had no pain. I am so glad that I had the surgery.

I am giving a breakdown of the cost of my surgery. I am from Texas, so the cost may be different for you. I have Aetna insurance. The first amount is how much the provider charged and the second is what the insurance actually paid.

Surgery
Labs - $220; $165
Anesthesia - $750; $750
Surgery Center - $6,200; $764
Surgeon - $1,000; $332.72

Pre-Surgery Appointment
ENT appointment - $165; $88.61
Labs - $127.25; $24.87

I hope this helps!

ASIgirl, hope you start feeling better soon. I'm the kind of person that can't stand being down for very long so hopefully I will be able to come out of it quickly.

tlc11, do you still notice that bad breath?

2 weeks until I get mine out!! Woohoo!

Hey guys:)

I have decided to try the laser procedure before I get my tonsils removed. I talked to doctor who will perform it and he said that it is the best option to try first, and if you don't like the results you can always get a tonsillectomy. I think it should be interesting to have another approach to this problem on here. I'll keep everyone updated. My appt. is on Dec 15!

Katherine,

I wish I would've had a Dr. that would've tried the laser route first. I asked my ENT about it and for some reason he said 'No' and that a true tonsillectomy was the only way to go.

Maybe he figured if I was gonna suffer, I may as well just go for the real thing. Or maybe it had something to do with money. Who know's.

I am still glad they are out, but I am ready to be healed. Tired of laying around and being bored.

kevhed,

My bad breath is gone! I noticed the difference right away. Now if my breath is stinky, it's because I need to brush. Before, the smell came from the back of my throat and I couldn’t get rid of it even though I brushed and used Listerine.

My fiance told me that my breath has dramatically improved since the operation. I would really recommend the tonsillectomy surgery. The paid was bad, but not horrible. The doctor gave me liquid pain medicine. I refilled the medicine 3 times and still have half a bottle left. I was able to paint my bathroom when I was recuperating. I am sure you will be fine. Good luck!

Hmmm. I'm not sure why your doctor would say no! That seems a little silly. I probably will end up getting a tonsillectomy anyways, but I figure I might as well try this first to see the results. And it will probably be helpful for others here who might not want to fully remove their tonsils. I hope your healing process goes well!

Tlc11 - Thanks for the price breakdown. I just found out today my Dr's charges are $1,400. I don't have the other charges (surgery center, anesthesiologist, etc.). Since I have no insurance I am very concerned about the costs but not concerned enough to not have the procedure done.

MsBlase,

That's great that you don't have any other fees you need to pay. I was worried about the cost of the surgery since no one would tell me the cost. Luckily, the insurance covered everything and I didn't have to pay anything out of pocket. Good luck with your operation!

Hello all,

It's been a while since i've been on here because i stopped coming as much as i did after i had my surgery. It's good to see everyone is getting their tonsils out, because quite frankly, its the only way to cure the stones. I'm doing well. I'm fully recovered from my tonsillectomy and appendectomy. I don't have bad breath anymore, weird spots on my tongue, pain in throat, and im not yacking up a stone everyday, this is the life :) For those of you who have recently gotten them out:
Sleep/Rest as much as you can, the codine obviosly helps you do this. Try to take the meds only when you feel pain. Also, i put ice packs on my throat and it made it feel better, drink as much water as possible, and dont eat mac and cheese! I almost had to go to the E.R. to get a piece of macaroni out of the pits of where my tonsils were while i was recovering! It takes about 2-3 weeks to heal completely, maybe a little more or less for some, so just relax and stay calm. As for the cost, my insurance plan covered the cost completely, the only thing i had to pay for was the medicine, I had an antibiotic (15$), and tylenol w codine (10), so i only payed 25 dollars for the whole ordeal, but before you decide on getting a tonsilectomy, definately look into the cost, you dont want to kill yourself with the doc charges.

Wishing you all the best of health,
Tim

katharine1, my son's ENT said the same thing to us. He basically said he didn't do laser anymore because it wasn't effective. Believe me, I wanted that to be our way to go, but after discussions with him, we felt like it was not going to be 100%, like we were going to get w/ the tonsillectomy. But it will be interesting to see how yours goes, and if it helps you in the long run. My best to you!!

Does anyone know whether just getting the 'problem' tonsil removed is an option? I have weekly stones on my left side and have only ever had one stone from the right side. I'm thinking about just getting the left one out, to speed recovery and cut down on pain, but I don't know if doctors will do just one at a time. Anyone else know?

here's a question i don't believe has been asked yet . . .

when you get your tonsils out, they give you a script for pain medications afterwards. has anyone been given a script for medication that isn't a benzodiazepine (oxy) or opiate (codeine)? i can't take either, but i'm assuming i would need something for the pain.

Herb...I would imagine your ENT or Dr. would advise against just getting the 'problem' tonsil out. Even tho you think you don't have any on the right side (or very few) you still probably do. It's just more pronounced on the left side because that is where most of them come from. This was my exact situation and after they came out, the ENT told me that the left one was by far the worst, but that the right also had slimy yellow stuff all around it. I was also told that if you only got the 'one' out that more than likely the stones would eventually navigate to the remaining tonsil.

I really think your Dr. would advise against you just doing one. I am 8 days post-op and still cannot eat a whole lot and still in some pain, but the whole thing was not as bad as what I thought it would be. You will have just as much pain with one, it'll just be on one side. I would advise just 'biting the bullet' and getting them both out. Chances are your right tonsil is also infected, but it just doesn't seem like it because all the stones are in the left one. This is just my thoughts, and you would definitley have to ask your Doc.

And Kmoeller, about the meds..I really can't help you as I had both Oxycodone and Tyl-3 w/codeine prescribed for me and had no trouble with them at all. I'm sure that has to be some alternatives out there, tho, for people that cannot tolerate the above meds.

I was back to work yesterday. (After being off a week). I think I came thru everything 'w/flying colors'. It really does depend on the individual, but I am pretty much feeling ok except for a sore throat and not being able to eat a whole lot.

Good luck to all that is going to have this done!

herbuveaux -
For a while I thought I only had one problem tonsil, but many months later discovered that the other tonsil was indeed proucing tonsil stones. That's why I would reccomend having both removed since it is very possible for tonsil stones to appear after a period of time.
:)

Is anyone else in here starting to worry about Byron? For those who don't remember, he posted a while back and described the pain he was going through, even considering suicide. He hasn't posted since and I am getting worried...
Any thoughts?

hi all. i'm glad i googled and found this place because you guys have provided a wealth of knowledge and experience. thank you! years ago when i started noticing the tonsil stones appear i thought it was just food because i use to eat raw cauliflower ALL the time. they were large and smelled awful. i didn't think anything of it because no one ever told me my breath was bad. fast forward to at least year ago i began noticing people's faces when i spoke. boy was that embarrasing. i tried everything on the block including the therabreath products and i didn't seem to get any relief. naturally i can't smell my own breath so i don't know what it smells like (that felt crazy to type) so i can't tell if it's a gastric issue or what.

on countless times i've asked my boyfriend does my breath smells bad and he tells me no, but i've noticed the pinched noses and the faces and sly comments. i don't know what to do and don't know if he's just trying to spare my feelings...even though i've asked him about it. my dental hygiene is great. i'm always brushing and flossing (so much so that the hygienist gave me compliments on the shape my teeth and gums were in) yet i still suffer from bad breath. it's so depressing and embarrasing and the jokes i hear makes me so angry because people just assume that you don't brush your teeth!! i'm really considering a tonsillectomy and hope that's the solution to my problem.

i've read quite a few of these pages, but for those that's had the procedure done or had it done for your child, are you confident that it solved the bad breath issues?

ASIgirl,

i can tolerate benzodiazepines and codeine-based pain meds, but i prefer not to take them due to other reasons. if i absolutely needed to, i would, but i would just as soon stay away from them. thanks for your input, though!

Hey Guys,

Figure I would check in for all those who are still 'on the fence' about surgery...

It's been over 6 months since my tonsilectomy and not a day goes by that I dont say to myself: 'wow, so that was it... the tonsils!'.

I used to get the stones multiple times a day for a period of about twenty years and it came with the bad breath as well. Since the surgery. NOT ONE STONE HAS RETURNED!!

My breath is finally 'normal'! Actually, I just got a wonderful compliment from my dentist the other day about how hygenic my mouth was (and I didnt brush before the visit either, ooops).. but really, you can taste the diffference!

Your mouth feels so much fresher and there is no more setting aside that awful time in the morning to SQUEEZE AND GAG those little monsters out!

PLEASE DO YOURSELF A LIFE FAVOR... GET THE SURGERY!!!

You can go back to some of my post-op posts... i was pretty high from the medicine... but i was online just hours after the surgery writing in this forum.

PLUS... no more sinus problems! GONE... JUST LIKE THAT. I usually have my bout with colds and sinusitis this time of year... but... NEVER FELT BETTER!

TO ALL MY STONE BROTHERS AND SISTERS: JUST DO IT!!! PLEASE!!

Hello Everyone!

I've been reading a few posts here and I thought I would share my story in hopes of feedback or a suggestion for treatment. Like all of you here, I am also suffering from tonsillitis and those terrible tonsoliths as well.

Just a little background to start: I've been healthy all my life until about 2001. My mother tried to put me with the sick kids (they had chicken pox or what have you) when I was only 4 or so and I never caught anything. I've pretty much been healthy as a horse- and have gotten really sick maybe all of about 5 times in my life.

I believe that 2001 was when my health went downhill. I had moved the previous year from the Northwest to the East. I experienced a lot of stress over work, school and even my boyfriend at the time. I remember at one my point my boyfriend had stated it seemed as though I was starting to get halitosis- although, I couldn't tell at all at that point (I had moved from a smoke free home into his parents home and they smoked).

Then everything sort of went downhill. I started noticing I was a little stinkier in about 2003, so I upped my toothbrushing regimen. I remember at one point I think I was directly in contact with a guy that I was sure had extreme halitosis (I never swapped anything with him, it was just that I was near him).. It dawned on me he may have had tonsillitis at that point (not sure if it was bacterial or viral).

Not long after that I remember specifically one day driving in my car feeling as though I was having a sore throat and I coughed up a little ball of funk that smelled horrid. I realized then that I must have been getting something.

One side note: I was very stressed (and still somewhat am) between 2001 and 2004, for many reasons. Since I've been on the east coast, my life has been flipped sideways. I truly believe that stress has played a crucial part in this.

Anyway, so once I discovered I was having a problem, I started looking into the back of my throat and noticed that my tonsils were somewhat protruding- they aren't huge, but they are about a 1/4 of a inch past the flap that covers them where I couldn't even see them before. I started using a flashlight on a regular basis and poking and prodding at them until I would get something out and then I was grossed out about it. (ew)

Then it started affecting my social life. I've become a recluse in a sense because of my self-consciousness about my bad breath. I floss every day, use mouthwash, a tongue scraper/brush and brush my teeth at least twice a day, sometimes 3 times (I've tried to make a habit out of brushing after lunch). I've even tried therabreath or biotene or dentene (sp) mouthwashes and whatnot, with not a lot of luck. I've been researching the internet about this- looking at possible solutions like lymph massages, or de-stress options or immune system helpers (like medicines, etc.). I notice that when I exercise and drink lots of water and maintain a health diet, that seems to clear it up quite well too (which again makes me think it is something to do with the immune system). When I eat carbs or drink cola, I have more of a problem.

Within the past couple of years I've also been having sinus problems as well. My nose gets very stuffy and sometimes it drains, sometimes it just fills up with more mucus, but I am constantly trying to clear it.

I also think that where I live is playing a huge role- whether there is a lot of bacterial buildup either in the tap water (I've been drinking mainly filtered/bottled water since I started having the problem) or something in the air, but I think its playing a huge role.

I took a trip to another state last year and found that I could breathe SOO much better.. and that my tonsil problem seemed to diminish somewhat. I also notice that it gets better when I am at my parents house.. so I'm starting to believe that where I'm living is playing a huge part in this. Especially considering that I had never had a problem like this before and I have always been very healthy.

I went to see an ENT the beginning of this year and he diagnosed me as having chronic cryptic tonsillitis. I asked if there was any medication I could try (like an amoxicillin or something) before surgery and he had stated that I would have to have surgery. I decided that wasn't enough for me, and I was also very scared about having surgery to treat something like this. So, I scheduled an appointment with another ENT in October 2006 and was told again to have the surgery.

The funny thing is.. I didn't have any problem having my wisdom teeth out in 2005. Having surgery to remove them was nothing and I did perfectly well. But I am scared to death about surgery on my tonsils. I've talked with my mother about this (she is an RN) to get her opinion.. and maybe she is biased, but she has told me not to have it. She was kind enough to buy me an air purifier, which has helped somewhat.. and I have tried Claritin D in the past to see if that would help at all (it was only temporary relief, but I didn't want to continue it on). I've not tried any antibiotic for this, obviously because the ENTs I have seen have refused to prescribe anything. ?? Which is kind of odd, considering I haven't even had medication to treat the tonsillitis.

My honest thoughts are that there is something further that is causing this problem.. whether there is an infection elsewhere in my body, or my immune system is weakened, or something, I am unsure.. but I'm certain that having a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy is not going to completely solve my problems. What worries me even more that this is obviously a constant problem throughout people, and in knowing that tonsils and adenoids play a critical role in the body and your health (and were put there for a reason), makes me even more skeptical to take them out. Surgery is considered an absolute last resort for me.

So, I am open to suggestions from those that would like to provide an alternative solution (aside from cleaning these things out everyday and aside from surgery) to this problem. I'd also like to have more comments on those that have had a tonsillectomy and what life is like for them not just a few months down the road.. but several years (anywhwere from 10-30 years after the surgery). What is your health like now?

I have posted about this before and have seen some others post about have the holes coming back but no one ever replies.

I had my tonsillectomy about 8 years ago and the last 3 or 4 years I have noticed the white balls have come back. It seem when I eat food I can feel some of it get caught in the back of my throat. Sometime I can cough and it comes up. If I eat any kind of nuts they get caught and will not come out for months until they decay. Has anyone else had this issue?

Not trying to be rude SkeerdofaTnA but there are 61 pages all giving the exact information you are looking for. Instead of you taking the time to read all the pages you are being lazy and just asking people to repost the same information contained in the 61 pages of post. SkeerdofaTnA, go get you tonsils out and get it over with.

johnadaniels,

Is it rude if I would like to share my situation? I think it's even more disrespectful/rude to tell me to read through several pages in a forum, even after I have already done so. In all the therapies that individuals have given here, nothing really addresses the answer I am looking for- everyone has their own agenda or therapy to to promote.. with what seems to be to their own benefit. We all have a problem here that is obviously stemming from one or more things- in my example, I believe it has to do with demographics as well as diet. Is that your case? Or what do you believe? Better what, what proven method do you have to share that has been beneficial to a mass of individuals with this same problem?

Please don't call me rude because I am trying to contribute and reach out to those with my similar situation. That is just ignorant.

If anyone here, doctor or layman, has a proven or ancient remedy they can share aside from what has already been posted, please do so. Thanks.