How Long Does Tonsillitis Last?

I'm 38, male, healthy,...and I get Tonsilitis about twice a year.  Last month I had an extreme case which lasted almost 20 days,...6 days of which were pure knife-swallowing pain.   Anyways, I just got it AGAIN,...though luckily this time I don't seem to have a cold/flu along with it,...but it hurts like bloody hell to swallow.

I've NEVER received antibiotics for tonsilitis since I'm terrified of hospitals.  And even though I'm terrified of hospitals, I would still get a tonsilectomy in a heartbeat.  This is brutal pain.  I don't understand how I could survive Tonsilitis in my 60's, 70's, or 80's.  I have asthma too, which kicks in everytime i have tonsilitis,...so narrow breathing accompanies pounding headaches, ear aches, fevers, swallowing pain, swollen throat glands the size of golf balls.

I have no help or suggestions,...but I don't understand why tonsilectomies are banned here in the US if your older than 10 or whatever.    Good luck everyone.

Hi all my God am I suffering from this tonsillitis, I had this 5 years ago and ended up in hospital due to dehydration and was put on antibiotics straight into my veins also with a drip, it took 9 days for me to be well again. But this time is different it started with sneezing and a little bit of a cough, then day 2 well felt like I'd been hit by a train, I had really bad shakes I couldn't get warm no matter what then eventually got hot sweats where I woke up dripping wet, the next morning rang doc's got antibiotics after 4 days seems like its worse I've got puss all over them it absolutely kills me to swallow every 4 hrs taking ibuprofen and paracetamol but no good tried honey and all the obvious strepsils etc. I can't sleep without waking up in pain, I wouldn't wish this on my enemy. I hope everyone that typed here is now better.

Tonsillitis sucks. Ive had it too many times in my life. So my uncle told me to get all my teeth fixed, and that seemed to actually do the trick. Ive had a tooth get really bad in recent months and after 6 years, Ive got tonsillitis once again. So soon as this bout goes away, Im off to the dentist to get this tooth fixed so tonsillitis will stay away from me again. Hope this helps some of you all.

Just wanted to reply for anyone stumbling upon this later. This is the top Google response I got when you search 'tonsillitis antibiotics not working'. My son woke one morning with a very high temp and sore throat. He's had tonsillitis before so I knew what it was. Checked his tonsillitis- red swollen with white spots. Had to get a home doctor because it was Christmas Eve. He prescribed cephalexin. My son had no improvement actually seemed to get worse. Took him back to different doctor on the 6 th day as he was still having high temps and generally unwell. Regular go said the antibiotic was too broad spectrum and not a good choice for tonsillitis. He prescribed amoxicillin+ clave ax. He said tonsillitis with no symptoms other then high temp and sore throat is almost always bacterial and will require antibiotics. He said after starting antibiotics you should see improvement within 24-48hrs. If no improvement or worsening the antibiotic is not the right one and you should return to your doctor.

So to summarise you don't have to suffer! If you don't have an improvement in symptoms within a day or 2 of starting antibiotics you need to return to your doctor! because it's not the right antibiotic.

Quite remarkable I started this thread one night when I couldn't sleep over 3 years ago and now all these posts, tips and hints!...

A case of good to be able to read other people's thoughts as I'm suffering with a throat infection with ulcers on the back of my throat and also further down. I've never had a repeat of my original tonsillitis but instead once or twice a year get similar symptoms and that involves the usual intense pain tying to swallow when your throat is covered in ulcers but of which aren't actually on your tonsils.

Antibiotics back in full flow and all the usual meds to help; Strefen and Tyrozet lozenges along with some decent ibroprufen, but in reality it is all about time and waiting for it to clear whilst you get more and more tired because of the lack of sleep at night etc! Only 6 days into the New Year and hoping this is the last episode for 2017!

Best wishes to all and hope all finding this thread still get some comfort and use out of it as I have done over the years since starting it one horrid night over 3 years ago.

Just came across this. Your experience appears identical to mine.

I contracted aches and pains first on Wednesday, the mouth and throat problems came on Friday, it's now Monday and it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Let's hope the next few days see it off. Thanks for the post it has given me some hope.

Hi everyone. I have been suffering from tonsilitis since I was a kid, but never had a chance to get my tonsils removed. So now, I am 23, and is suffering some intense pain on my throat with fever, shivering, light cough, blurred vision, and muscle weakness. Today is day 3 and I went to see an urgent care doctor and received a shot of toradol. I have received this shot last year, but for some reason, my body is not reacting to the shot at all. I am still in pain, feeling extremely cold, and just want to sleep. As everyone is aware, sleeping with tonsilitis is the most difficult thing ever. 

Hope the antibiotic he will prescribe tomorrow helps lessen the pain. I no longer have any paid sick leave.

Hi everybody, I am 16 and currently having my first ever bout of tonsillitis, I noticed a week ago that I had started on a cold and 2 days later my throat was red raw and my temperature was up more than usual. On the 3rd day of throat pain I visited my local doctors to have it checked out as I was in tremendous pain. When I went in the doctor did a visual examination of my throat but did not do the rapid strep test which concerned me if I'm honest. She immediately came to the conclusion that it was tonsillitis and prescribed me 10 days of penicillin. I'm on day 3 currently and there is still white gunge on my tonsils and I have shown no particular signs of improving. Should I ring the doctors again? Also I have had a serious congested nose and have had to breathe through my mouth which is causing a big problem that is my mouth gets all dry but this means my tonsils get dry too, causing more pain. I hope the antibiotics will reduce my symptoms so I can leave the confines of my bedroom. If anyone can tell me how long it will take for the penicillin to kick in I would be grateful. Thanks.

Hi. I started to take a sore throat on the Tuesday which I thought was maybe just an ulcer on the back of my tongue. As the day went on I started having the shivers and could not get warmed, this continued throughout the night then the fever and high temp started. On the Wednesday I couldn't swallow and the pain has been horrendous, i would have happily went to hospital this stage. so on Thursday I gave in and went to the doctors who confirmed I had tonsillitis. Both tonsils completely inflamed, red and swollen and covered in white pus, I was prescribed Clarithromycin as I'm allergic to penicillin, a diflam spray and Stefen lozengers. Nothing is helping the pain at all, not even paracetamol. I'm now on day 4 and the pain is not easing. I have never felt pain like this and now sympathise with anyone going through this.

Hello. Can't begin to explain the impact this post had on me while I had the worst case of tonsillitis in my life. I was staying up at night because the pain was unbearable, and even when I took some ibuprofen, I had to deal with the phlegm that was forming in my throat every few minutes, hence no sleep. After reading this I realised i wasnt alone. I love in Uganda, and here you could walk into any pharmacy, without any prescription and get most medicines, so sometimes that helps with accessibility, though it was hard explaining to pharmacy attendants that there is tonsillitis caused by virus. So every one of them was giving me their favourite antibacterial.

Anyway after 5 days of unbearable throat, ear and headache, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. the pain is reducing, and last night I sweat so much. Usually that happens when I'm recovering. Thanks for going through this with me.

Doctor I went to see proscribed me Mordin 4mg. Its a steriod... Regained the ability to swollow with little pain ,compared to the extreme pain before, the very next day. Swelling is going down slowly. Now i jist run into the problem of anything i try to drink trys to come back up the left side of my nose.

Hey I'm 16 and this is the first time I've ever had tonsilitis. I've had a saw throat for several days and I went to the doctors yesterday as I have been in a lot of pain and had to explain to my foster mother that I believe I have tonsilitis as I have had trouble swallowing, speaking, breathing and eating. Also terriable ear aches and feeling down. I am currently taking my gcses which started yesterday and I need to be as well as possible to do them. The doctor took one look and said "defiantly tonsilitis" prescribed me penicillin 2, four times a day for the next 10 days. And I'm taking paracetamol too and there has been no physical change or change in pain. Can anyone give me advice or tell me what to do to help ?