Sore throat for 5 weeks

Hi Everyone,

I hope everyone is well dyring this crazy time. I'm 33F and have been suffereing from an on and off again sore throat now for the past 5 weeks. I have no fever. My neck glands are swollen. At the beggining I was worried that I might have Covid-19 but then no other symptoms progressed. Now 5 weeks on I'm worried of what else it could be.  The throat pain comes and goes but for the last couple of days it has been really bad.  I have been doing the bad thing of using Dr google and this has completely freaked me out.

Usually I would go and see my GP but with the current situation they won't see me (understandable). I feel afraid and alone and I don't know what to do. My father is a GP in Australia so I have been sending him throat photo's but he says it's just viral too. But again can a virus last 5- 6 weeks? He isn't even sure. I would have great comfort if I was able to see an ENT, but I don't think that is an option in this current climate. Any advice would  be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you

 

Parents
  • Dear Help1234, I do hope that your sore throat has now gone. I can't begin to imagine how awful that must have been for five weeks. I came across your post after I had experienced extreme throat pain for 5 days. However I am pleased to say that on day 7 I am almost completely pain free. This is because I had phoned my GP (had to phone as the silly econsult system just referred me to 111) and had to speak to the nurse practitioner as the GPs are too busy (who prescribed Phenoxymethyl-penicillin). Three days after taking the penicillin she prescribed (and back-to-back paracetamol and ibuprofen) I was getting worse and unable to sleep because of the pain. The pain was just on one side and if you google Quinsy and look at the medical wikipedia page it describes the symptoms I was experiencing. Having read this I phoned my GP again in tears now and they gave me an out of hours locum GP appointment who referred me immediately to an A&E at a hospital that specialises in ENT (Ear Nose and Throat). They took lots of tests, and decided it was probably Tonsillitis not Quincy but gave me dexamethazone (the steroid that cured Trump of Covid), more Phenoxymethyl-Penicillin, Metronidazole and Dofflam throat spray as well paracetamol. Well a few hours later I was able to swallow without pain for the first time in six days. Hope this helps you and others. My advice is to keep phoning the GP. They are not just there for Covid patients.
Reply
  • Dear Help1234, I do hope that your sore throat has now gone. I can't begin to imagine how awful that must have been for five weeks. I came across your post after I had experienced extreme throat pain for 5 days. However I am pleased to say that on day 7 I am almost completely pain free. This is because I had phoned my GP (had to phone as the silly econsult system just referred me to 111) and had to speak to the nurse practitioner as the GPs are too busy (who prescribed Phenoxymethyl-penicillin). Three days after taking the penicillin she prescribed (and back-to-back paracetamol and ibuprofen) I was getting worse and unable to sleep because of the pain. The pain was just on one side and if you google Quinsy and look at the medical wikipedia page it describes the symptoms I was experiencing. Having read this I phoned my GP again in tears now and they gave me an out of hours locum GP appointment who referred me immediately to an A&E at a hospital that specialises in ENT (Ear Nose and Throat). They took lots of tests, and decided it was probably Tonsillitis not Quincy but gave me dexamethazone (the steroid that cured Trump of Covid), more Phenoxymethyl-Penicillin, Metronidazole and Dofflam throat spray as well paracetamol. Well a few hours later I was able to swallow without pain for the first time in six days. Hope this helps you and others. My advice is to keep phoning the GP. They are not just there for Covid patients.
Children
  • Hi everyone, so I have just came across this post after endless searching on the internet as doctors don't seem to be much help, but I have had a sore throat since mid August, had a course of antibiotics as thought was tonsillitis but since then nothing seems to have got better, have had a metallic taste in my mouth for past 3 months and have ulcer type looking things in my mouth and now what feels like an ulcer/abscess in my nose? Anyone else have anything like this, 

    Ive had bloods done all came back ok and ecg as it's brought on panic attacks, see the dentist 2 weeks ago to check ulcers in my mouth and she has referred me to hospital as look abnormal and it scared me so much that I quit smoking the next day in fear of the worst, now I just feel like I'm waiting each day to see how I feel and if anything else gets added to the endless list of things wrong, waited to hear back from docs about this new abscess type thing in my nose and still waiting for hospital referral to come through, but I just feel fed up of feeling ill or complaining that I feel ill, and doctors just fobbing me off, I have had the red sore throat all the way through and suspected ear infection so currently on antibiotics for that, but I just want to be seen and someone figure out what's going on? Had anyone had any answers? Or anyone with ulcer type things along with the sore throat ect? 

     

  • Hi,

     

    I have taken slight comfort from reading other people's stories.

    I too have had a sore throat for approx 5 weeks now, multiple phone calls and video calls to doctors to get told it's just viral.

    I have also go full back ache, whether this is related or not I am unsure but foolishly checking symptoms on dr google really doesn't help! I have got a lot of nasal congestion and constant need to clear my throat! I have also go what looks like an ulcer or swelling on my uvula (dangley bit in throat). I have a dentist appointment for this tomorrow and also an ENT appointment next Friday. I first thought this was something called post nasal drip but just worryingly hasn't cleared up, I spoke to a friend who also said he had post nasal drip which lasted he thought a few months and then just disappeared. 
    Has anyone had any results in what this possibly could be or had any treatment that is working?

     

    TIA 
    J

  • Hi,

     

    I too am so reassured by this post. Could have written most of your posts myself. Only real difference is that my throat has only been very mildly sore and glands are enlarged but aren't tender which has worried me. However, longer it's gone on more they are starting to ache. Clear bloods and told have to wait until I've had it 8 weeks before ultrasound will be booked, currently week 5. Dr doesn't seemed worried but also can't explain it. Got a second gland on right side of neck now. Have been really worried but hoping we're all just experiencing same thing, seems likely we've had covid without knowing and this is the 'long covid' people talk about. Had multiple negative tests but know that there's usually only a 5 day period in which you can show positive so quite possibly missed that window. 

     

    Anyway, wishing you all well and hope to see some end to it soon.