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Really concerned... one swollen tonsil and other symptoms.

Dani22
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Hi all,

 

I'm new here…

I don't really know what I am looking for coming on here to chat, as I know none of you will be able to diagnose me… I guess I'm just looking for somewhere to vent and see if anyone can shed any light at all on my situation and what I am experiencing. It'd be great to hear from others who have been in similar circumstances :)

 

I'm 22 years old, and have been suffering for the past 2 months with an array of symptoms, which I believe could be either lymphoma or tonsil cancer. I have no risk factors for tonsil cancer (I don't smoke or drink and I am well under the age bracket) however I do for lymphoma (I had gladular fever when I was 18 and my great aunt has had lymphoma, although I realise this is not an immediate family member)

 

 Firstly, I noticed one day whilst brushing my teeth that my right tonsil was hugely larger than the other. It takes up I would say a third of my throat, and is hard to the touch. At the time, it was not painful and this was the only symptom I had experienced. I had been aware that my tonsil was larger than the other a few months before I started worrying about this so I have no idea how long it has been this way (although the first time I noticed it, it wasn't as big as it is now.) So of course as many do, I took to my best friend/worst enemy Google, and immediately found all sorts of horrible things this could be. Everything pointed at tonsil cancer or lymphoma due to the asymmetry in my tonsils… and so I then went to see my GP straight away.

 

He sent me away for a week to see if it went down on its own… it did not. I went back the week after and he put me on a course of antibiotics which did nothing to take down the swelling apart from making me really sick. He then took some blood tests and all my blood counts came back fine, except I was low on iron and B12 which he has prescribed me a 6 month course of tablets for. He referred me to an ENT however, as he could see how worried I was about this.

 

I do not have private healthcare so this referral was through the NHS, unfortunately after 3 weeks the appointment had still not come through, so I decided I really could not wait any longer and so booked myself in to see a private ENT consultant whom I used to see when I was younger for ear problems. I decided to pay for this. During this 3 week wait, I started to develop some more symptoms. My ears are very painful, and I feel like there is a constant pressure on them and on my neck and jaw (it is hard to explain). It has been quite intense and painful and difficult to ignore. I also keep feeling like my heart is stopping? (I know its not) as though someone is sitting on my chest and I cant catch my breath quickly enough. My GP said this could be due to my low iron however as this is a symptom of anemia. I have no swollen lymph nodes, however I did have one that was quite painful under my arm but that seems to have gone down now...

 

The ENT took a look at my tonsils and asked me lots of questions about my symptoms. He also felt my neck and head for swollen nodes but said they felt normal. He said I did the right thing by going to see him, and that he did not think my tonsils indicated anything sinister but that I should schedule a tonsillectomy just incase. I am due to have my tonsils out in 3 weeks, and they will send them for tests which will take a week to know if it is malignant or not.

 

I am super worried, and this is causing me unbelievable amounts of anxiety and stress. I am constantly miserable and cant help but think the absolute worst, especially now the pressure on my ears and jaw is constantly there, it is a constant reminder of how ill I feel. Whilst I know that realistically, the pressure and soreness in my ears, throat and jaw could be unrelated to my tonsils, I cant help but think that this is definitely cancer. I also realise that I do not have the classic symptoms of any swollen lymph nodes either so I could be overreacting for nothing.

 

I would just really like to hear from anyone who can possibly relate to how anxious Im feeling waiting to find out what is wrong, and anyone who has been in a similar situation. I cant talk to my family or boyfriend about how I feel as they just tell me im being crazy and fob me off. They're not interested at all especially my mum. :(

 

If you made it all the way through this horrifically long post, thank you! I wish you all the best, and thanks in advance for any help. :love:

 

Danni xx

  • Offline in reply to danielle30
    quick update, got my follow up appointment for 2nd Feb, seems an awful long time to wait Danielle
  • Offline in reply to danielle30

    Danielle

    glad to hear that the tough days of your operation are over now .... more toast please

    the delay in your appointment is most probabley due to the Christmas period and nothing else ... everyone is on catch up after Christmas

    good toe hear you are on the mend though

    have a great new year and all the best for 2017

    dont forget to keep us up to date with stuff though

    vatch

     

  • Offline in reply to danielle30

    To the other people worried/in the dark after reading this forum... Tldr: Similar symptoms to OP (described in paragraph directly below) turned out to be QUINSY apparently caused by a streptococcus infection following tonsilitis. If you suspect you have something similar, please go to your GP now, pain is subsiding very quickly. I developed similar symptoms to those described by the OP: large swollen tonsil on one side, constant painful tonsil/behind ear/jaw getting gradually worse over time, even more painful when swallowing, restricted jaw, swelling of neck (lymph node) on problematic side, fatigue, fever etc.

    Timeline: I contracted Tonsilitis on Christmas Day, which ran its course and was almost 100% recovered by New Year's Eve, then woke up on New Years Day with a mild version of the symptoms I mentioned above. This progressively got worse until today (6th Jan) I saw my GP who suspected it was QUINSY. Referred to ENT doctor in A&E who arrived at the same diagnosis then drained the giant puss ball in my tonsil and gave me 10 days of Penicillin and a few days worth of Codeine. Now making recovery progress.

    To all with similar symptoms, go to GP and suggest Quinsy if their treatment results in no recovery. Hope this helps a few people. Best wishes to all. Have a great 2017. Ed

  • Offline

    Hi, 

    I'm also a 22 year old woman and I'm experiencing something like this too. My left tonsil is a bigger than my right, not like it is taking 2/3 of my throat but there is a significant difference, the right is barely visible. I also feel pressure in my throat and jaw, the pressure has started like a week ago. I don't feel anything when I swallow but I do feel like there is something there continuosly, maybe it is the tonsil, the feeling disappears when I drink something and comes back when my throat is dry again. I am worried about it too that it's tonsil cancer. because I don't think it's tonsillitis because I haven't been ill. Setting my mind off of it is difficult because I'm in my exams right now and I'm studying a course ENT so it constantly reminds me off it. I'm going to see a doctor in 10 days because my exams will be over then and maybe it cleared up on its own. I just needed some venting because it makes it hard to focus right now. 

    Thank you Dani for posting your whole story, it is nice to hear that there are also stories like this that end well. Dr google is a scary thing :)

  • Offline in reply to NGblgm
    Hi have there been any updates on this Dani? Hope all are well.
  • Offline in reply to zoer82
    Yes!! It was all clear! Sorry I've been meaning up update but I've been mad busy with exams and so on! So relieved, thanks for your concern. Danielle.
  • Offline in reply to danielle30
    That's great news! So did they give you a reason for the swollen tonsil? Are you back to normal now? X
  • Offline in reply to zoer82
    Hello! He said there was no underlying conditions or reasons for the swollen tonsil or any of the symptoms I had. He said because I have a multinodular goitre the symptoms where more than likely heightened! Such a strange experience and I'm really grateful I had good news. Pretty much back to normal now apart from my thyroid which is huge. Danielle.
  • Offline in reply to danielle30

    My 6yr old has the same problem with hers and moans that they are very painful we are currently waiting for them to be removed but longer she's waiting the more food she is going off and losing weight which she has a problem with anyways she finds it hard to swallow water just complaining all the time including stomach pains her dr refuses to do any more swab tests for infection so I dont even know if the Infection has gone all this over someone passing scarlet fever November 2015 though I couldn't be more greatful as I realise that there could be something more worse and if she was healthy all the time we wouldn't find it and it being worse than it actually is, I am very anxious about the results but life is life and no one can change it unfortunately.

  • Offline in reply to 19jackie93
    Hi, I've been following this thread for a while because I've had the same symptoms, one sided throat pain with enlarged tonsil. After antibiotics and nasal steroids didn't work I was giving a priority hospital referral. My ent consultant did an endoscopy through my nose which was rather uncomfortable due to inflammation. He said he couldn't see anything that looked cancerous (I think they know by looking, they see cancer all the time) but as my right tonsil was large he wanted to take it out to be 100℅. So two weeks later I had my tonsils out, my goodness it isn't an easy recovery for an adult, ask your GP for more pain relief if you need it, I did just so I could eat and drink. Anyway I'm two weeks from that now and had my histology results yesterday and the tests show I was chronic inflammation. So hopefully I will all settle down now. I just wanted to post because not many people put good outcomes online and I was worried unnecessarily thinking I had cancer. Anyone with similar symptoms please push to get properly check but try not to worry.

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