Sore throat for several weeks

Hi everyone,

I hope everyone is well. 
Im posting for some extra advice as I've been experiencing a nagging sore throat on my left side for over seven weeks now. 
I had a throat infection mid October which seemed to go away with antibiotics. The sore throat returned and didn't get better after a couple of weeks and so I contacted my GP. Im not experiencing any other symptoms other than the pain radiates into my left ear and side of face sometimes. In the last few weeks after several phone appointments I have had two bacterial swabs (which both came back normal) a trip to the dentist to rule out anything dental, a sexual health gets to rule out anything like that, two covid tests both came back negative and a blood test to see if my inflammation markers were up (which were normal) 

they've now put me on a second course of antibiotics for 10 days and I've been told that if they don't work or it doesn't get better then they will refer me to ENT. I'm concerned though that it's already been 7 weeks along with another 2 weeks and then the time to wait for an ENT appointment - so it could be over three months before I'm even seen. 
I feel like there are weird flesh coloured patches at the back of my throat and some bobbly flappy bits (best way to describe) but only one junior doctor has had a look and said it looked normal. The only other doctor to actually see my throat was the one who diagnosed tonsillitis in the beginning... and I don't even have tonsils! (Had them removed when I was 9) 

im freaking out abit that it could be cancer and time is precious - I'm a 30 year old male and generally describe myself as otherwise physically fit. Anyone been through something similar or have any advice? 

TIA

James

  • Hi James,

    Welcome to Cancer Chat, and I'm sorry to read about the difficulties you've been having recently.

    Try not to worry about the timescales too much - if the doctors were particularly concerned then they would/will put through an urgent referral. It sounds like they are wanting to give the antibiotics time to work first before referring.

    I'm sure it must feel like a long time but overall it is not too long, and a referral appointment may be quicker than you think, if you need it. At that point you'll be able to get the thoughts of a specialist which will hopefully provide some answers, if the antibiotics don't have an effect before that.

    Wishing you all the best,

    Ben
    Cancer Chat Moderator

  • Thank you Ben 

     

    I really appreciate your reply. I try not to worry or google with things like this... but with lockdown I've had so much time to sit in my own thoughts and I think thats half the problem. Fingers crossed the antibiotics start kicking in soon 

     

    all the best 

    James 

  • Hi Ben

    So the antibiotics didn't work. Still have the pain in the throat. Soreness, sometimes it feels like I have something stuck in my throat and my glands in my neck are constantly coming up and down. 
    They have done a blood test to see if I had glandular fever at some point and if not they will refer me to ENT. 
    im just so so worried that I'll be waiting for months for an appontment. 
    the stress and worry I'm under aswell as the pain is effected my work and my sleep. I don't know what to do. 
     

    sorry to rant 

     

    James 

  • Hi James, I'm having exactly the same symptoms and have been for months. Such long waits between ENT appointments are driving me around the bend - did you ever figure out the cause?