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Tonsil Stones/Tonsiloliths and Bad Breath

Posted , 42 users are following.

KJJ
KJJ

I'm really surprised there isnt anything on this forum about tonsil stones. I've suffered with them for years.

They are little yellow or white stones that form in the cavity of your tonsils. Some people have really big tonsils that have holes and food and saliva mix together and form these stones which smell foul and cause halitosis or bad breath.

People suffer from these for years without knowing what they are. You can cough them up or you sometimes may feel like there is something stuck down the back of your throat.

I used every mouthwash on the UK market and even used to try and poke them out using a cotton wool bud. I googled tonsil stones and found a company in the US called Therabreath and they treat people with tonsil stones. They also have a product range and these products can be used at home.

In the UK, the main company selling these products is inpeakcondition but over here they are called California Breath. Basically the products claim to suffocate the bad bacteria and even though the products are a bit pricey, but tongue is now white and my tonsil stones occur less and less.

There are other products out there too, one is based on pro-biotics (its all about having the right bacteria). Think one of them is called Bliss or Blis12 or something, worth googling.

Hope this helps someone.

0 likes, 101 replies

101 Replies

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  • kms59245
    kms59245

    Posted

    Hi. I've also been having problems with bad breath and a foul musty taste in my mouth when I swallow and

    can smell the musty smell when I breathe out through my nose. I wondered if I might have tonsil stones and

    tried pushing around my tonsils with a cotton bud and found nothing. Then I watched a you tube video

    'gnarly tonsil stone removal' and it really helped me see exactly what area to push around and how to

    remove them. The girl in the video has huge stones and you could see them immediately. Mine weren't

    visible at all, I just felt certain that I had some in there so perserved for about 10 minutes before any stones

    appeared and then finally one did and even though it was tiny it smelt horrible. I managed to get about 3

    more out and then gargled with diluted TCP. My breath was great for about 2 days and then the musty smell came back. I tried again with a cotton bud and 2 more stones came out. I've been gargling with diluted TCP

    2-3 times a day partly incase there was a bit of an infection in the tonsil cavity and partly because my tonsil

    was a bit sore after all the poking! Fingers crossed my breath seems fine and its about 3 days now. It took a

    bit of getting used to when removing them. I would advise you not to eat for a bit before you try it because

    with the gag reflex I thought I was going to be sick a few times! But after a while my gag reflex wasn't as

    strong and it became a lot easier. It is such a relief not worrying about my breathe when talking to people and its great not to have the foul taste when swallowing food. It sounds dramatic but I really feel a weight has

    lifted off me!!! I'm presuming that they will eventually build up again but at least I now feel I can get rid of

    them.Really hope this post is helpful.

  • kms59245
    kms59245

    Posted

    That was my first post on this site. Not sure why it has all the spaces between the lines. Sorry!
  • KJJ
    KJJ

    Posted

    Hadn't thought about TCP. Problem is it contains alcohol which dries the mouth out which then causes bad breath. Thats why I have been sticking to the California Breath range, none of their products contain alcohol.

    I too try and poke my tonsils with cotton buds and have a sore throat for a few days afterwards. I am actually going to try diluted TCP for a few days and see what happens. I get a funny taste and smell through my nose too, particularly when I am eating ssomething and have to breathe through my nose. Thanks for the tip, will get down to Boots later!

  • kms59245
    kms59245

    Posted

    I'm planning on using the TCP for another couple of days and then stopping doing it so regularly. i might just use it once a week to hopefully help keep on top of the stones. Its worth a try and at least its cheap! Hope it helps KJJ.
  • reha
    reha

    Posted

    I am suffering from same problem once i though of surgical removal of tonsils. But my doctor recommended some medicine course for reducing infection temporarily.
  • Guppy007
    Guppy007

    Posted

    Claire...its been interesting to read your journey with tonsil stones...I used to get them a lot, and its a serious problem as it really give you foul smelling breath, enough to put off anyone wanting to talk to you in fact! I also used to prise them out, actually I used a nail file, fresh and new from the packet, as they bend and are easy to manipulate, then I would gargle with salt water afterwards, taking care not to eat anything for an hour or two afterwards, they soon cleared up, but sometimes they would reappear. I haven't had them for quite a while now, but I always have to check every now and again to make sure they haven't come back.
  • Guppy007
    Guppy007

    Posted

    I forgot to say, I would gargle, three times a day with salt water, the last gargle before getting into bed being the most important one I think.
  • Claire58110
    Claire58110 KJJ

    Posted

    Thanks for the advice someone posted about the salt water it really seems to help saliva production keeping the mouth more clean

    Still having similar problems, have started to brush the tongue much more carefully especially down the sides towards the back which seems to help stop the stones building up. However it seems to have upset the flora of my tongue and now i keep getting this white build up on the surface a few hours after brushing. I have ordered some oral pro-biotics as thought maybe it was a good idea to start trying to put something good back into my mouth rather than constantly killing the bad. I have ordered a pro-biotic lozenger with Blis K12 in, there seems to be a lot of different companies manufacturing them so not sure which is best. People are rating the results quite highly and apparently the good bacteria can help inhibit tooth decay and ear nose and throat infections so seems like a great idea. I'll let you all know how i get on with that.

    I am also using CB12 which is a fresh breath mouthwash that isnt really worth as much as it costs but it does keep breath fresh for a couple of hours by killing the sulfer compounds that cause the smell. Unfortunatly i noticed it does contain alcohol.

    Tried rinsing with tcp and it helped a little bit but think my mouth flora so upset everything i do is making it worse in the long run.  (I know...its my own fault for the dodgy antibiotic experimentation..if anyone is thinking of trying it then i really advise against it!)

    I am also really looking into post nasal drip as the doctor suggested as i have since discovered that the smell is really bad on the very far back right hand side of my tongue and I have had a sinus problem some time ago in the right hand side I am rinsing my nose every day with a saline solution but nothing bad seems to be coming out so not sure. Shame the antibiotics and the steriod spray the doctor gave me had no effect.

    The problem is still only located to one tonsil but i put that down to better cleaning and not allowing the problem of post nasal drip bacteria spread further.

    I will let you know how I get on with the good bacteria, I really think it could help keep our oral health in better shape which for some people might really help there tonsil stones and bad breath.

    Hope everyone is getting on ok and are at least managing to keep the problem under control so they can enjoy life.

  • Claire58110
    Claire58110 KJJ

    Posted

    just to let anyone know who is having a problem with a coating accumilating on the tongue or random bad breath during the day and on a morning the oral pro-biotics have really helped with it. I think that it might be worth trying for tonsil stones too as even though the lozenges wont remove the stones they do promote healthy bacteria in the mouth and crowd out the bad bacteria.

    I have been brushing (especially the tongue), flossing and rinsing before bed and removing any stones then sucking on two of the lozenges. Each morning when i awake my breath smells better (its usually horrendous on a morning). I've been using for about 5 days, didnt seem to have much effect the 1st night but now I am really noticing a different. Also seems to help a lot during the day as think the bacteria balance in my mouth was all messed up. I dont have a tongue coating all the time now either.

    The specific strain of good bacteria that is supposed to help best with the mouth is Streptococcus salivarius. The one I'm using has Blis K12 which seems to just be a fancy name for this strain of bacteria.  You can buy as a pill or a lozenger and i have both but lozenger definatley seems more effective.

    I really think these are a great thing for people who have bad breath from various causes as we all spend a lot of time cleaning all the bacteria from our mouths including the good bacteria which can lead to further problems.

    They are also supposed to help fight mouth and throat infections and maintain healthy gums which is a plus.

    I really think they work best if you totally clean the mouth before using and also continue to use every day as they dont seem to work instantly, seems to be a gradual improvement.

  • Claire58110
    Claire58110 KJJ

    Posted

    Forgot to add, you must keep them in the fridge or apparently the bacteria dies! I didnt for the 1st couple of days and they still seem to be working but maybe if they get very warm they die.

     

  • laura44v
    laura44v KJJ

    Posted

    I'm so glad to have found a group of people discussing this. I've had tonsiloliths for almost 4 years now. I also have regular congestion and sinus pains, reading the information online about post nasal drip - it sounds as though someone is describing my exact symptoms. I am even notorious amongst my family for sleeping with my mouth gaping open!

    I've known about the tonsil stones for a long time but didn't realise they we're connected to my issues with my sinuses. I definitely have PND, I manage my tonsil stones by just removing them on a daily basis but think I will go to my doctor and discuss a better treatment plan that might address all symptoms. I have read PND could be caused by the oral contraceptive pill or by pet allergies. Both could apply to my situation, not that my dogs will be going anywhere!

    Chronic rhinitis is an umbrella term for conditions involving PND, others on here might find the info at this page useful, click through the various pages. http://www.medicinenet.com/chronic_rhinitis/article.htm

    I really wish this type of problem was given more pertinence. I know it's not life threatening but it certainly is getting me down and has been doing so for years.

     

    • Cindy52
      Cindy52 laura44v

      Posted

      Hi Laura. Like you, I'm sure my tonsil stones are caused by a post nasal drip. My GP prescribed a steroid nasal spray but it caused headaches and I had to stop using it. I thought the rhinitis article on your link was very good. My daughter has suffered badly with sinus headaches for a few years; an ENT consultant gave her a small syringe (no needle) type squirter for salt water nasal wash which helped her.  More recently as that no longer helped, her GP gave her steroid tablets then followed those with a steroid nasal spray (she doesn't have PND. I use California Breath nasal/sinus drops which lasts for a few hours so I use 3 times daily but it doesn't eliminate my PND completely. Steroids shouldn't have to be taken for long periods. Like you, I wish a specialist would help us all out. Even with helpful products like the CB range making the stones easier to remove, it still means a nightly investigation of tonsils and removal of the yellow stuff that has accumulated during the day. Maybe a British researcher/manufacturer could produce something less expensive for us to use. I find dairy products make PND worse. I find drinking soda water (watered down with a little tap water) helps to keep my throat less dry than tap water alone and Camomile with honey tea is less drying than black or green tea. I agree with you it does all get you down and needs more prominence. Anyone else tried sinus washes/rinses they'd recommend that are any good?
  • chris19772
    chris19772 KJJ

    Posted

    Hi kjj i know that you posted this a while ago now but i wanted to ask just how you have been managing with the califona breath products and if they are still helping.I have been suffering with these tonsil stones for around 3 years now and would love to find something which has actually helped people i am far too old to have them removed i think and also have children and know this surgery is a big risk so would never look to do it,also please could you advise just where to buy this product from i live in the uk and cannot seem to find anywhere to buy it from,many thanks.
    • Cindy52
      Cindy52 chris19772

      Posted

      Hi Chris. Not sure if you've received this information yet but I've suffered with tonsil stones for a couple of years and for the last year I've used california breath products, from a company called in peak condition. I use the mouthwash (new formula) which tastes better than the regular version also the toothpaste which is non-foaming. The tongue scraper (Gently!) and the sinus drops. I've found the products used 3 times a day help to keep the stones soft and easier to remove. Nightly I use my little finger to gently massage up the side of the tonsil (always upwards) and sometimes a cottage cheese-like soft stone just pops right out. I dip my finger in some mouthwash first and use a dipped cotton bud also to apply any further pressure if needed.
    • chris19772
      chris19772 Cindy52

      Posted

      Thankyou so much for the advice can i ask you which  mouth wash do you get as their are quite a few different ones to choose from i am going to definatly give it a try i am so fedup with trying to deal with these stones now and would love a miracle where they vanished as quick as they came.They are very annoying and it would be lovely to know this can help.Thanks again.
    • Cindy52
      Cindy52 chris19772

      Posted

      Hi Chris. I get California Breath Plus extra strength mouthwash. Click on money saving packs and top tool bar of website and scroll down to find pack of two plus one toothpaste. Or buy them individually but it works out more expensive. A pack lasts me about 20 days. It hasn't cured the stones but makes them easier to manage and more bearable. Breath doesn't smell anymore. I also cut down on dairy and wine which helps too. Hope it helps you too.
    • KJJ
      KJJ chris19772

      Posted

      Hi, sorry its taken some time to reply.   I get them from Californiabreathuk website who used to be In Peak Condition.  As Cindy said there are kits for you to try to see which products work.  I am happy with them but have moved onto their plus mouth wash with mint in it as I really miss the minty taste.  Its the "new formula plus mouth wash".  I still get the odd stone too but I refuse to change my lifestyle completely, alcohol, dairy, even fresh orange can cause problems.  Let me know how you get on.  I have also found a new tongue scraper which is better than the Cal Breath one. Can't remember where I brought it but will find out and let you know!
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