To be honest I'll accept shonky anecdotal internet forum advice.

I've got tonsillitus, not too bad this time, just a sore throat and feeling rough for last few days, I had a couple of chronic cases when I was younger (could hardly breath couldnt swallow etc) Mrs has got it bad and her doctor prescribed antibiotics. Seeing as how me getting an appointment will mean a full day off work I'm reluctant to go in unless I need to. So do I need antibiotics to get rid of it or will my body just fight it off? Wiki says antibiotics just speed up recovery.

Oh yeah, I got kielder in 11 days what are my chances of being ok for it?

Not a dr just used to be a sufferer. I imagine it depends how badly you get affected (obvious statement of the day!) – with me, it used to be awful every time and got progressively worse after each attack. No way could I have shifted it without antibiotics, it went on for weeks otherwise, but it sounds like you may well be able to. I would be worried about Kielder though – it used to proper mess me up for a few weeks afterwards. Just don't overpush it soon afterwards.

Lots of water too.

Best thing that ever happened to me (apart from meeting my mrs) was having them removed.

I was told I only got antibiotics as I had puss coming out of a tonsil. if you dont you wont. Just gargle salt water lots of salt water…

Advice I got from a chemist was to suck a Tyrozet before food so your throat was numb so you could eat and gargle with soluable asprin disolved in a water bottle. This did numb the pair enough to eat and drink.

just a sore throat and feeling rough for last few days

This probably ain't tonsillitis, this is a viral sore throat, but since you ask:
Most cases of tonsillitis are caused by viruses so antibiotics won't help.
Even if it is bacterial the benefit of taking antibiotics is marginal (you probably get better 1 day quicker than if you don't have antibiotics) so no you probably don't "need" antibiotics.
Things that would make me prescribe antibiotics are: a high fever (over 38.5) tender glands in the neck, and lots of pus on the tonsils.

So I assume tonsillitis simply a broad term for swollen tonsils, not a specific infection that is treatable by a specific drug?????

Well I got swollen glands like before so I assumed it's tonsillitus again just not as bad as usual.

Tonsil-itis = inflamed tonsils of non-specific cause, so M_F would be correct…..

DrP

M_F, Yes, Literally from the latin- anything that ends in "itis" just means inflamed.
So tonsillitis means inflamed tonsils. Swelling is one sign of inflammation. Others are pain redness and warmth.
The problem is knowing what has caused the inflammation. Could be one of many things- infection- viral or bacterial; chemical- cigs or alcohol; traumatic- swallowing razor blades or fire etc.
Back in the real world, most sore throats, whether the tonsils are enlarged and red ("tonsillitis") or not (therefore just "pharyngitis"- latin for sore throat) are caused by minor things like viruses and get better on their own without antibiotics.
We don't yet have a simple quick test we can do that tells us which ones are likely to respond to antibiotics, so have to do what seems logical and only give antibiotics to what seem like the worse cases….
Then of course there is glandular fever which looks and feels absolutely aweful but is caused by a specific virus so isn't helped by antibiotics….
Hence the "come back next week if you're no better" safety net…

Ok back to work now, people with sore throats need seeing.

🙂

Quick Q docrobster – you don't work in Dorset do you…?

DrP

Yeah thought so – I once accidentally listened in school I think.

Well twice actually – I also know how an ox-bow lake is formed but that won't help here.

🙂

No DrP I am oop norf

Well twice actually – I also know how an ox-bow lake is formed

yeah but 30 seconds on google at work a few years later could tell you that. Your time would have been better spent eyeing up that fit bird in your class 🙂

im no dr. and had it numerous times (not over the last 2 years though – so touch wood)..

i could physically tell when i was getting it, first have an off tummy then legs start to go achey with a slight sore throat, within half a day of the sore throat starting my throat would go mega red and tonsils swell, at this stage i always immediately got to a docs, and MADE him prescribe antibiotics, i always catch it at this stage (luckily never falls on a weekend), and the antibiotics have stopped it mutating into full on tonsilitus (where you are stuck in bed with white spots on your throat and failing to eat/drink a thing)….honestly get to the docs and ask for some before it settles in! ive done this the last 4 times i had it, learing from the first 2 occasions where i didnt go the docs until i was bed bound and off work for nearly a week :(, catch it earlier and the worst you should get is a bit of a sore throat and achey body, but i managed work on all those occasions since catching early!

edit : before anyone states it wasnt probably tonsilitus – it was on all occasions, i had tests at the time and i had tests to see which anti-biotics will work on me – i guess my doctor is quite easy to get them out of 🙂 worked though!

Yeah but it wouldn't help if it was the question asked in a pub trivia quiz would it?

(Still waiting after 25 years for it to be asked, but I have the information waiting…)

🙂

Donk – thought you'd been quiet for a bit. 😆

Pfft! That Google link doesn't even mention meandering rivers – that's what you get for believing The Google.

I used to get it bad like didzy mentions but this time not so bad, started friday morning, saturday night was worst, not as bad sunday, bit better monday so I thought it was on it's way out but no better today and I want to get shut of it ASAP.

admit it you just dont want me to rip your legs off tonight ….there is no shame in bening slower than me 😉

sounds like lemierre's disease to me

or ebola, maybe