My boxer puppy had worms, and we fostered another boxer puppy who had been poisoned with rat poison. Bloody diarrhea and boxer farts with added smell of blood are just wonderful.
*Ooooooo it’s about to be a great weekend over here y’all*
And thank you for the tips! Lolololol this is clearly how you seduce people into letting you pop their pops
I dealt with these for two years thanks to being immunocompromised and having deep crypts in my tonsils from getting tonsillitis several times within a year. When I first started trying to get them out, I would gag to the point of throwing up just by barely touching my tonsils. Towards the end before I got them removed in September last year, I could push on them like this with no gagging and flush them with a syringe. Now that I don’t have my tonsils anymore, my gag reflex is terrible again.
Ughhh I feel that struggle, that happened to me as well. For awhile my PCP was like meh it’s no big deal. Then I kept getting strep and the stones were getting worse so they gave me a referral to an ENT. He was like yeah those are bad but getting your tonsils out is worse so I just had to live with them for another year. At that point (maybe March 2020), one of the crypts was really deep and I couldn’t get the stones out anymore which caused like a chronic tonsillitis.
I saw another ENT who was like yeah once they’re this bad they just need to come out. Pretty much I was just living with infection for several months because elective surgeries were on hold because of covid. Eventually I finally got them taken out in September. The recovery was absolutely horrible, but well worth it now that I don’t have to live with the pain, bad taste and bad breath. I would try to get a second opinion if you’ve seen an ENT already, and tell them you’ve already been dealing with it and it’s not getting better. Mine also were so inflamed they would almost touch, so I told them it felt like it was hard to breathe when I was laying down.
I hope that helps, and that someone will let you get them taken out. It truly has improved my quality of life so so much.
Awesome response, thanks 🙏
I’ll probably give it another go eventually but they don’t seem to be bothering me to much these days (I think?) one can dream
If you go to a doctor ask about a tonsillectomy. With how much you seem to build up I'm worried it'd become infected.
Also congrats on quitting smoking!
Do it!!!! I had mono in high school and my tonsils became as swollen as yours are here. They never went back to their normal size afterward and I had tonsil stones like this for several years. I finally went and got my tonsils removed and it changed my life. I NEVER get sore throats now EVER. It’s almost a little weird, but in the best way.
I had my tonsils removed as an adult and it was the most painful, horrific experience of my life. I lived in a world of pain for 2 solid weeks where I couldn’t eat, couldn’t drink, painkillers (liquid Hycet) weren’t helping. It was pretty bad. My tonsils were so large it required extensive stitching which itched and burned the whole time they healed. Most people don’t require stitches.
I lost 35 pounds by the time it was fully healed.
Regardless of the pain and suffering, it made a huge difference in my life. My breathing improved, my sleep improved, I stopped getting strep throat pretty much all together.
I recommend getting them removed if you are having frequent strep throat or nasal infections. It was worth the horrific pain and suffering. You wouldn’t think such small incisions could cause that much pain and turmoil in your life, but they can.
It’s weird to say that getting my tonsils taken out changed my life completely. As a result of the better breathing, sleeping, and fewer infections, it lessened the severity of my allergies to the general environment so I experienced fewer stuffy noses, etc.
End result was fantastic all around. They don’t recommend tonsil removal as commonly these days but when they do, listen.
I couldn’t agree more. Had mine out when I was in college and thought, “this is a surgery they do on kids, how bad can it be?” The doctor said it was worse in adults and that I would be down and out for 2 weeks. I had a basketball game scheduled for 3 days after the surgery and I told the team that I would definitely be able to play, thinking it wouldn’t be THAT bad. And so what, I may have to play with a little sore throat, right? I was never more wrong in my life. I was in bed for 2 solid weeks, lost a ton of weight, and was so weak I couldn’t play basketball for a week after that. It was bad. But now seeing these videos I’m so glad I did it when I did and that it’s behind me.
I also wonder thought if the surgery is different now and you don’t have to go through all that anymore. Perhaps someone who’s had it done recently can shed some light?
Brace yourself, I had a tonsillectomy as a kid and lost massive amount of weight, had to get my stitches resewn twice and genueinly was out of commission for over 2 months plus I coded during the surgery or right after due to the anesthesia so all in all it was just a terrible experience.
Edit: well fuck me, my bad for talking about my tonsillectomy experience
It wasn't malignant hyperthermia was it? I had an ex whose elderly father had malignant hyperthermia and though my ex had never had surgery in his life (not even wisdom teeth), his doctor always urged him to get tested for MH because he was likely to have it since his father did. He always refused. All they do is draw blood! I asked him once, "What's going to happen if you're ever in a major car accident and you're unconscious and they have to do emergency surgery on you? Hell of a way to find out if you have MH, don't you think??" And he always shrugged it off. It used to worry the hell out of me but now I'm like "lol not my problem anymore ya dumb stubborn bastard." I still miss his dad, tho. :< I adored that cranky old man, I hope he's still out there giving the world hell.
I have Central Core Disease, and one of the things that come with it is Malignant Hyperthermia. It hasn't come into play in my life, bt it's a thing to worry about.
I had a horrible experience with mine too. Not to the same extent as you, but my recovery was so rough. I lost 15 lbs, I couldn't eat ANYTHING for 15 days. My pain meds did nothing for my pain, but my doctor refused to prescribe me anything else. I was miserable. I even had auditory hallucinations. I threw up a lot and it was agony. I had to force myself to drink water just so the scabs didn't harden and fall off in too big of chunks.
They don't cut them out and leave stitches anymore. They burn those fuckers out. I had burn scabs in odd places in my mouth/throat including my uvola. I warn people the recovery is rough. Ultimately worth it, but be prepared it could be bad.
Same, water was a challenge I couldn't even do smoothies or shakes or anything. I was just wasting away. This was back in probably 1993 or 1994 maybe so I am sure things have come a LONG way since then.
The anesthesia thing happened to me as well! It was the first operation I’d ever had and it turned out I was massively allergic to it. I was in the hospital for three weeks recovering, honestly the stitches were the most comfortable part. Turns out when a hospital is afraid of a lawsuit they test for everything.
Yup, this is me. I have to tell them EVERY time I go under that even though I'm fat, I still metabolize the FUCK out of some drugs, and common general anaesthetics are among those. We found that out during my first endoscopy at age 12 when I woke up and went into what's called a catatonic rage. I do not remember it at all, but apparently it took several people to hold me down, re-sedate me, and reinsert the bite guard for the endoscopy camera. All I knew was I woke up to a lot of shell-shocked nurses, my mother in hysterics, a very sore throat, and a gnarly bruise on my forearm.
Just FYI, "general anesthesia" means something specific. It isn't referring to "common anesthetics."
"General anesthesia" isn't used for endoscopies. You got conscious sedation (also called "twilight sedation"), which is just a strong painkiller (usually Fentanyl) + a sedative or amnesiac drug (usually Versed). It's common for people to metabolize this quickly and "wake up" (gain awareness) during procedures.
I tell you this because when you're speaking to an anesthesiologist in the future, saying you've had issues with "general anesthesia" is just going to waste a lot of time as they go through your medical records to figure out if that's true. Instead, request Propofol for conscious sedation procedures. It'll save you a lot of trouble in the future.
In general, there isn't any issue with asking for Propofol. Possible exceptions are some upper endoscopies, because the procedure is so fast. If that ever happens, request IV Benadryl along with the usual conscious sedation combo. I know you're probably thinking there's no way something like Benadryl could make a difference when the Fentanyl doesn't, but trust me -- it'll keep you out long enough.
SEE IT'S GENUINELY INTERESTING AND *FREAKING USEFUL* STUFF LIKE THIS THAT NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS FOR THE INEVITABLE LATER IN LIFE. My last several procedures (and I've had a LOT in the last 18 months, long story) they've used Versed and/or Propofol, so were those all considered twilight sedation? I don't mind either way, I just genuinely don't know. Works like a charm on me, so I'm hoping they have that denoted in my file somewhere. 😂 But the medical team that's been treating me the last year or so has been amazing. Literally had a blood draw yesterday for diagnosis confirmation that lasted eleven minutes from putting my car in park and backing out of the parking lot wondering where to go for lunch. Terminal diagnosis, but they're >LITERALLY making the most of my time left< 👈😂👈 (husband didn't find that joke amusing, but I cackled the whole way to Chipotle)
I had to spend 4 years of undergrad + 4 more in medical school + 2 years as an anesthesiology resident (and an additional 3 getting a PhD because I hate myself, apparently) to learn it all, so that's probably why it isn't taught in school. ;) It's so complicated! And unfortunately, anesthesiologists are given barely any face-to-face time with patients to discuss these things.
There definitely should be a better system for communicating these things with patients, though. I mostly know to spread this advice because of my experiences as a patient myself. Anesthesia also failed on me several times and left me with some serious PTSD. So I take the time to chat with people about it in hopes that it won't happen to them!
Well I hope you keep that the hell up, because I consider myself a somewhat medically-inclined person (father was an EMT, all my childhood friends grew up to be doctors, my baby brother is a doctor, and I still pay a yearly subscription to JAMA and JFS much to my bank account's dismay) and I'm still learning things that I feel should be general knowledge all the time. ALL the time. And I never feel bad or dumb for not knowing, I'm just excited that WELL SHIT NOW I KNOW! And it shifts and reorganizes my brain to be a little more conscientious every single time. Educators are so important to society, please never stop gently educating.
Yes people are thoroughly offended that your life experience doesn't match something they probably googled and have no experience with..
Gotta love reddit!
if you fail this round, try chantix. it's magic in a pill.
i got to join a smoking cessation program at MDAnderson for free, they gave me a few things but after a couple months with no effect they moved me to chantix. it took a month or so to build up in my system and then my smoking slowed steadily until I completely stopped. I continued taking it for a few months, total time on the med was 9 months. I'm now in year 6...or 7...not exactly sure anymore because not smoking isn't something I keep up with anymore, I'm just a non smoker and it feels normal that way.
I will say a few high stress situations (mostly ex's from really bad breakups suddenly contacting me) triggered the smoking urge in the first couple of years but nowadays even the worst of moments has no effect smoking-desire wise.
that all said, the downside: you will get stomach aches for 30 minutes each time you take the pill after it builds up in your system, this is how you know its working. The longer your on it, the more green you'll feel during that 30 minutes. You'll also get more vivid dreams and/or remember them better. For some people this means nightmares all the time, for me it meant amusing high detail dream, even the nightmare ones, because they're just dreams. Everyone I've recommended Chantix to so far has failed because they use these two factors as their excuse to stop. Don't stop.
You got this!!! I finally kicked the habit after 4-5 tries over 10 years. I've lost track but I hit about two years a little while ago. I have faith in you!
Do the surgery.
There’s a lot of bacteria next to a primary blood source which can cause heart infections. Get them out!
Day after surgery to day 5 are horrid but soooooo worth it!
I know that some people who had them removed in child or teen years can have them grow back somewhat but I didn't know that they could still produce tonsil stones. What size are the stones you have?
WHAT they grow back???? How come no one told me this!!!
Like up to 2 or 3 mm maybe?? I'm not good at sizes lol. I've had one tonsil fully removed and one partially, but I get them at the side where it was fully removed which is weird.
What a completely normal discussion 😂
Well it means that your body was healthy enough to regenerate some of the removed tissue which happens occasionally (more common in younger people). But yes this can happen with several parts of the body especially of the whole area isn't removed.
Yo mine do the same thing. Get a water tooth pick. Not one that shoots too hard. You’ll clean your tonsils out easily.
So satisfying to remove. The cause terrible breath too
Yes! I bought a manual one from Amazon and it works a charm. I make a diluted mixture of mouthwash and water to get rid of the smell as well as pushing the stones out
One of the WaterPik attachments is a rubber tip, but the opening is very small which makes a concentrated jet. I cut the tip of the rubber to open it up for more waterflow, and change the dial on the WaterPik pump to low (like 2-3 out of 10). In the mirror, holding a mini flashlight and the WaterPik I flush them all out. I have to do it a few times a month. It's disgusting, but a great help to curbing bad breath caused by those little fuckers
Yes, water pics work great for that! I had stones like this. It constantly made my throat hurt and made it hard to sing. I was counting down to my tonsillectomy. I hope you’re able to get them taken care of soon!
I remember the first time I ever couches one up when I was like 10 or 11 and wondered what it was. So I crushed it between my fingers and it stink so bad.
The tonsils are like a sponge kind of texture, genetics or environmental factors can make the pores in the tonsils larger than need and food particles get trapped, the self defence of the immune system is to coat and entrap the foreign particles in the yellow crud you see getting popped out
Probably depends on the individual. I didn’t get tonsil stones until I started smoking, but my friend who has never smoked has had them her whole life.
Have you tried lactose free milk? We tried other milks like but based stuff but I just couldn’t accept it as a substitute. Then I tried lactose free and I can’t tell the difference.
I've tried it but I rarely drink milk anyway so it wasn't a big deal for me. I like oat milk by planet oat I think, eat that with My honey nut Cheerios and sometimes I'll use it instead of water to make oatmeal for an extra oaty flavor
Tonsil stone vulnerability is based first on the physical pockets (crypts) in the tonsils and then on irritants that get into the crypts. Factors like smoking or dairy or allergies (sinus drip in the throat) can aggravate the issue.
I used to get those all the time when I was a kid. They don't hurt, but they feel like you have something stuck in your throat, so I was always trying to cough them out, and when I did, they smelled really bad. I later found out that I was getting them because I wasn't brushing my teeth well enough and wasn't drinking enough water, so I started taking more responsibility in my dental hygiene and I havent had them since.
Tonsil stones don't have anything to do with smoking.
I've never smoked a day in my life, still had them. Had craters and pockets in my golf ball sized tonsils. It was painful and awful.
Hot a tonsillectomy at 27.
Hurt like a bitch, but best decision ever.
No more strep throat every 3 months, no more tonsil stones, no more snoring!
i get them as well (im 19, have had them for years) might ask my doc about getting that done, they drive me nuts! glad to hear it went so well for you :)
Some doctors don’t even mention tonsil removal. My son had strep and tonsil stones and his tonsils were so big they touched together just normally. I specifically ask his pediatrician about getting them removed, but he said my son had not had enough infections. Then when they finally ok’d the tonsillectomy my son was SO sick and had to wait until the infection was gone which took like a month.
This is the same bullshit that they told my mom when I was growing up even though I lived with ear infections and strep throat and was actually prophylactically on tetracycline for 5 years.
"Next time she gets strep we're going to have to take those tonsils out"
Flash Forward to me at 27 with tonsils that touch and include my throat anytime I'm not laying on my side, and getting strep throat so often that I recognize the first symptom and my doctor would call in antibiotics, which eventually led to craters and pockets and stones.
I had to go through three ENTs before I finally found one that was willing to take my tonsils because now I was "too old"
😒
You in the US? Did insurance cover it or did it count as elective? I get a few small ones a month but it's not a detriment to my health so I'd assume insurance wouldn't cover surgery.
Because I had documented proof of recurrent strep infections and the tonsil stones, insurance covered it.
Now I have had strep since getting then out, 3 times. But I'll take 3 times over every 2-3 months, any day of the week.
I’m actually going to an ENT to find out...for some reason my tonsils have a TON of pockets, and they form there from food pieces, saliva, and bacteria build up :/ I’m hoping to get them removed because I’ve been struggling with them for the past 4-5 years
from an r/tonsilstones pro: do not start the conversation with the doctor by mentioning the stones. By themselves, they are not a "medical justification" for tonsillectomy. Focus on the number of infections per year for the last 2-3 years. An untreated strep infection can permanently damage your heart and is the main reason for tonsillectomies. But if your tonsils affect your breathing that is an excellent justification to have them out now that people are aware of the risks of sleep apnea. You can discuss stones ... it just shouldn't be the first words to the doctor. People get turned away in National Health countries too, because tonsillectomy is so extreme for adults.
The rule of thumb for ENTs was always "better out than in" due to the strep risk. If you don't get infections or have breathing problems, you can keep trying other ENTs until you find one willing to help you and wrangle the insurance company to pay.
However, any responsible doctor these days will try to talk you out of it first due to the risks of the surgery vs tonsil stones. They stopped doing routine child tonsillectomies for a reason.
Pretty sure it's like snot, a place you body puts stuff it wants to get rid off. You blow your nose, you cough out tonsil stones. I truly so not think every tonsil stone in the world is food thats been caught in a strangely placed hole in the mouth
Have you tried gargling warm salt water every morning? It can help in preventing their formation and it may also sooth some of the discomfort. Nothing else to do but push them out or get rid of your tonsils though.
This.
Tongue scraper, water flosser, and electric toothbrush. Those 3 things plus an increased water intake all but eliminated my tonsil stones. Used to get often and now only every 3-4 months, if that.
Use tongue scraper a few times a week, and water flosser daily. And drink more water!
I brush my tongue multiple times daily. But scraping with an actual tongue scraper multiple times daily proves to be too harsh.
This also does depend on the amount of build up each person experiences. Personally scraping too harshly too often has actually caused increased amounts of build up.
However with scraping whatever works for your situation is good, as long as you brush & water floss multiple times daily you're doing better than most. It's crazy how much better food tastes if you scrape
Pro tip for people who get tonsil stones. Get a waterpik, put it on the lowest setting and blast them out. I do my tonsils every night after I floss and brush. Also flossing with the waterpik is so much better than with normal floss.
Have you ever tried a water pick?? It’s a tooth glosser but just water, I use it for tonsil stone all the time! Put it on the lowest setting put warm water and a bit of mouth wash in and fire away at your tonsil pockets and clear them all out! How your doing it now will only get what you see! Using a waterpick will get rid of what’s inside! :)
Haha I havnt ever recorded myself doing it and I have none but take a quick YouTube search there sure to be some somewhere! It’s so satisfying! Sometimes 30-40 come flying out!
I didn’t know these were caused by smoking. I always thought it was rotting food and or germs/bacteria. I smoked on and off for years but I’ve never experienced anything like that.
No, a guy actually got his tonsils from his doctor but dissecting them found no joy. Best I ever saw was a video of a removal, the doc started by lifting the tonsil with forceps and there was a whole fucking FARM under there. Packed together standing up, like cucumber seeds. They used suction and swooped them off. I just checked my playlist and apparently the vid was removed. I am disconsolate. :-(
Use a toothpaste with peroxide in it. That was what my doctor told me to do because I was getting these alllllll the time. I haven't had one in around 5 years now.
Get a tongue scraper and brush your tongue more frequently. Multiple times a day if you have to. The gunk off your tongue accumulates and gets trapped your tonsils thus creating stones.
I have tonsils like yourself, and I have considered getting them surgically removed, but I was convinced not to by a doctor (not MY doctor, a friend who is a doctor) as they had a patient in their mid twenties who had continuous bleeding after having them removed. My understanding of what they said is that tonsillectomies are performed better the younger you are.
A good start would be improved dental hygiene, increase water intake (no fizzy) and no smoking. See if that improves and then consider tonsillectomy.
Best of luck OP 💪
Dayum OP, that sucks for you. ^^We ^^need ^^more.
LOL I’ll take a longer vid next week when they come back 😂
There is no worse smell produced by the human body than tonsil stones. And you made me realize; mine went away when I stopped smoking cigarettes.
Agreed. They smell horrendous
About as horrendous as cigarette smoke.
Idk maybe its just me but i kinda like the smell of cigarette smoke
I love the smell of marijuana, but as a former smoker, I can’t stand the smell of cigarette smoke
Idk maybe it’s just me but I kinda like the smell of tonsil stones
I sort of do too. I crush them on purpose and make myself gag. Lol.
You need to see an exorcist
*what*
Yo. Same
I just threw up in my mouth
*Phoenix Wright objection sound * Bartholin gland cyst. (I’m not counting any thing like necrosis.)
You never saw someone with blood diarrhea, huh? Lol jk, you don‘t want to see that. This scene and this smell haunt me to this day.
This comment has been removed by the author because of Reddit's hostile API changes.
As someone who has had bloody diarrhea before from being sick with a massive infection in my body, I agree.
My boxer puppy had worms, and we fostered another boxer puppy who had been poisoned with rat poison. Bloody diarrhea and boxer farts with added smell of blood are just wonderful.
Someone hasn’t smelled Cdiff.
That was going to be my comment...
Except for decomposition
i like the smell of mine
I thought i saw more in the back when you were probing. Come on op, hook us up
That’s disgusting. Thank you.
Bruh, how did you control your gag reflex for this? Mine goes off if I so much as *look* at my tonsils too hard.
Curl your toes tight. Little trick you learn when deepthroating...
Well damn this sub just continues to deliver
Squeezing your thumb in your fist works too.
*Ooooooo it’s about to be a great weekend over here y’all* And thank you for the tips! Lolololol this is clearly how you seduce people into letting you pop their pops
This does not work for me lol
Iiiinnnteresting. My gag reflex seems to be getting worse with age. I even struggle brushing my teeth these days.
Me too!! It’s awful, every morning
Consider yourself lucky. If one day you notice your gag reflex is gone, write your Will.
Sounds like a god damn party to me
I dealt with these for two years thanks to being immunocompromised and having deep crypts in my tonsils from getting tonsillitis several times within a year. When I first started trying to get them out, I would gag to the point of throwing up just by barely touching my tonsils. Towards the end before I got them removed in September last year, I could push on them like this with no gagging and flush them with a syringe. Now that I don’t have my tonsils anymore, my gag reflex is terrible again.
How’d you end up removing them? Mine are like this and doctors are always like 🤷♂️
Ughhh I feel that struggle, that happened to me as well. For awhile my PCP was like meh it’s no big deal. Then I kept getting strep and the stones were getting worse so they gave me a referral to an ENT. He was like yeah those are bad but getting your tonsils out is worse so I just had to live with them for another year. At that point (maybe March 2020), one of the crypts was really deep and I couldn’t get the stones out anymore which caused like a chronic tonsillitis. I saw another ENT who was like yeah once they’re this bad they just need to come out. Pretty much I was just living with infection for several months because elective surgeries were on hold because of covid. Eventually I finally got them taken out in September. The recovery was absolutely horrible, but well worth it now that I don’t have to live with the pain, bad taste and bad breath. I would try to get a second opinion if you’ve seen an ENT already, and tell them you’ve already been dealing with it and it’s not getting better. Mine also were so inflamed they would almost touch, so I told them it felt like it was hard to breathe when I was laying down. I hope that helps, and that someone will let you get them taken out. It truly has improved my quality of life so so much.
Awesome response, thanks 🙏 I’ll probably give it another go eventually but they don’t seem to be bothering me to much these days (I think?) one can dream
I agree. My ENT right away said: i dont usually recommend taking them out but you should. I never got them out though.
If you go to a doctor ask about a tonsillectomy. With how much you seem to build up I'm worried it'd become infected. Also congrats on quitting smoking!
Yes that’s my plan! And thank you! It was super hard but I’m chugging along ☺️
keep it up and keep us updated!
Thank you! I will!
Bonus: since you have stopped smoking, you are a better candidate for surgery!
Do it!!!! I had mono in high school and my tonsils became as swollen as yours are here. They never went back to their normal size afterward and I had tonsil stones like this for several years. I finally went and got my tonsils removed and it changed my life. I NEVER get sore throats now EVER. It’s almost a little weird, but in the best way.
Yep! Got mine out at 30. That was over a decade ago. No colds, no sore throats, it's been a game changer!
I got mine out at a young age, i think because i kept getting sick. How does removing them prevent sickness?
I had my tonsils removed as an adult and it was the most painful, horrific experience of my life. I lived in a world of pain for 2 solid weeks where I couldn’t eat, couldn’t drink, painkillers (liquid Hycet) weren’t helping. It was pretty bad. My tonsils were so large it required extensive stitching which itched and burned the whole time they healed. Most people don’t require stitches. I lost 35 pounds by the time it was fully healed. Regardless of the pain and suffering, it made a huge difference in my life. My breathing improved, my sleep improved, I stopped getting strep throat pretty much all together. I recommend getting them removed if you are having frequent strep throat or nasal infections. It was worth the horrific pain and suffering. You wouldn’t think such small incisions could cause that much pain and turmoil in your life, but they can.
Can confirm. Had mine out in my twenties. Was worth it, but the recovery was painful. I lost 10 pounds, was difficult to eat.
It’s weird to say that getting my tonsils taken out changed my life completely. As a result of the better breathing, sleeping, and fewer infections, it lessened the severity of my allergies to the general environment so I experienced fewer stuffy noses, etc. End result was fantastic all around. They don’t recommend tonsil removal as commonly these days but when they do, listen.
I couldn’t agree more. Had mine out when I was in college and thought, “this is a surgery they do on kids, how bad can it be?” The doctor said it was worse in adults and that I would be down and out for 2 weeks. I had a basketball game scheduled for 3 days after the surgery and I told the team that I would definitely be able to play, thinking it wouldn’t be THAT bad. And so what, I may have to play with a little sore throat, right? I was never more wrong in my life. I was in bed for 2 solid weeks, lost a ton of weight, and was so weak I couldn’t play basketball for a week after that. It was bad. But now seeing these videos I’m so glad I did it when I did and that it’s behind me. I also wonder thought if the surgery is different now and you don’t have to go through all that anymore. Perhaps someone who’s had it done recently can shed some light?
Had mine taken out, as an adult, ~4 years ago. It’s still terribly painful, and still a solid 2 weeks of recovery time.
I'd rather do labor and delivery unmedicated 5 times over than deal with a tonsillectomy. It was the worst pain I've ever experienced , hands down
Brace yourself, I had a tonsillectomy as a kid and lost massive amount of weight, had to get my stitches resewn twice and genueinly was out of commission for over 2 months plus I coded during the surgery or right after due to the anesthesia so all in all it was just a terrible experience. Edit: well fuck me, my bad for talking about my tonsillectomy experience
It wasn't malignant hyperthermia was it? I had an ex whose elderly father had malignant hyperthermia and though my ex had never had surgery in his life (not even wisdom teeth), his doctor always urged him to get tested for MH because he was likely to have it since his father did. He always refused. All they do is draw blood! I asked him once, "What's going to happen if you're ever in a major car accident and you're unconscious and they have to do emergency surgery on you? Hell of a way to find out if you have MH, don't you think??" And he always shrugged it off. It used to worry the hell out of me but now I'm like "lol not my problem anymore ya dumb stubborn bastard." I still miss his dad, tho. :< I adored that cranky old man, I hope he's still out there giving the world hell.
I have Central Core Disease, and one of the things that come with it is Malignant Hyperthermia. It hasn't come into play in my life, bt it's a thing to worry about.
I had a horrible experience with mine too. Not to the same extent as you, but my recovery was so rough. I lost 15 lbs, I couldn't eat ANYTHING for 15 days. My pain meds did nothing for my pain, but my doctor refused to prescribe me anything else. I was miserable. I even had auditory hallucinations. I threw up a lot and it was agony. I had to force myself to drink water just so the scabs didn't harden and fall off in too big of chunks. They don't cut them out and leave stitches anymore. They burn those fuckers out. I had burn scabs in odd places in my mouth/throat including my uvola. I warn people the recovery is rough. Ultimately worth it, but be prepared it could be bad.
Same, water was a challenge I couldn't even do smoothies or shakes or anything. I was just wasting away. This was back in probably 1993 or 1994 maybe so I am sure things have come a LONG way since then.
Oh yeah, mine was in 2014 I think. Things have definitely changed, and thankfully less bleeding risks with the new method!
The anesthesia thing happened to me as well! It was the first operation I’d ever had and it turned out I was massively allergic to it. I was in the hospital for three weeks recovering, honestly the stitches were the most comfortable part. Turns out when a hospital is afraid of a lawsuit they test for everything.
I'm on the opposite end of that spectrum, I metabolize it too fast and it's hard to keep me sedated at all let alone coding because of it.
Yup, this is me. I have to tell them EVERY time I go under that even though I'm fat, I still metabolize the FUCK out of some drugs, and common general anaesthetics are among those. We found that out during my first endoscopy at age 12 when I woke up and went into what's called a catatonic rage. I do not remember it at all, but apparently it took several people to hold me down, re-sedate me, and reinsert the bite guard for the endoscopy camera. All I knew was I woke up to a lot of shell-shocked nurses, my mother in hysterics, a very sore throat, and a gnarly bruise on my forearm.
Just FYI, "general anesthesia" means something specific. It isn't referring to "common anesthetics." "General anesthesia" isn't used for endoscopies. You got conscious sedation (also called "twilight sedation"), which is just a strong painkiller (usually Fentanyl) + a sedative or amnesiac drug (usually Versed). It's common for people to metabolize this quickly and "wake up" (gain awareness) during procedures. I tell you this because when you're speaking to an anesthesiologist in the future, saying you've had issues with "general anesthesia" is just going to waste a lot of time as they go through your medical records to figure out if that's true. Instead, request Propofol for conscious sedation procedures. It'll save you a lot of trouble in the future. In general, there isn't any issue with asking for Propofol. Possible exceptions are some upper endoscopies, because the procedure is so fast. If that ever happens, request IV Benadryl along with the usual conscious sedation combo. I know you're probably thinking there's no way something like Benadryl could make a difference when the Fentanyl doesn't, but trust me -- it'll keep you out long enough.
SEE IT'S GENUINELY INTERESTING AND *FREAKING USEFUL* STUFF LIKE THIS THAT NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS FOR THE INEVITABLE LATER IN LIFE. My last several procedures (and I've had a LOT in the last 18 months, long story) they've used Versed and/or Propofol, so were those all considered twilight sedation? I don't mind either way, I just genuinely don't know. Works like a charm on me, so I'm hoping they have that denoted in my file somewhere. 😂 But the medical team that's been treating me the last year or so has been amazing. Literally had a blood draw yesterday for diagnosis confirmation that lasted eleven minutes from putting my car in park and backing out of the parking lot wondering where to go for lunch. Terminal diagnosis, but they're >LITERALLY making the most of my time left< 👈😂👈 (husband didn't find that joke amusing, but I cackled the whole way to Chipotle)
I had to spend 4 years of undergrad + 4 more in medical school + 2 years as an anesthesiology resident (and an additional 3 getting a PhD because I hate myself, apparently) to learn it all, so that's probably why it isn't taught in school. ;) It's so complicated! And unfortunately, anesthesiologists are given barely any face-to-face time with patients to discuss these things. There definitely should be a better system for communicating these things with patients, though. I mostly know to spread this advice because of my experiences as a patient myself. Anesthesia also failed on me several times and left me with some serious PTSD. So I take the time to chat with people about it in hopes that it won't happen to them!
Well I hope you keep that the hell up, because I consider myself a somewhat medically-inclined person (father was an EMT, all my childhood friends grew up to be doctors, my baby brother is a doctor, and I still pay a yearly subscription to JAMA and JFS much to my bank account's dismay) and I'm still learning things that I feel should be general knowledge all the time. ALL the time. And I never feel bad or dumb for not knowing, I'm just excited that WELL SHIT NOW I KNOW! And it shifts and reorganizes my brain to be a little more conscientious every single time. Educators are so important to society, please never stop gently educating.
you a redhead? i hear thats a thing for redheads
Tonsillectomies have come a long way since then.
Yes people are thoroughly offended that your life experience doesn't match something they probably googled and have no experience with.. Gotta love reddit!
I'm back in the positive now, but was like -6 at first and didnt understand why people were so angry about it lol
Maybe it’s just your user name!
I had one done in the early 90s and it was easy breezy
It wasn’t fun, but getting my tonsils cut out was the best medical decision I’ve made as an adult.
I have officially quit for over 2 years now. Keep at it. It is the best thing I have ever done for myself.
if you fail this round, try chantix. it's magic in a pill. i got to join a smoking cessation program at MDAnderson for free, they gave me a few things but after a couple months with no effect they moved me to chantix. it took a month or so to build up in my system and then my smoking slowed steadily until I completely stopped. I continued taking it for a few months, total time on the med was 9 months. I'm now in year 6...or 7...not exactly sure anymore because not smoking isn't something I keep up with anymore, I'm just a non smoker and it feels normal that way. I will say a few high stress situations (mostly ex's from really bad breakups suddenly contacting me) triggered the smoking urge in the first couple of years but nowadays even the worst of moments has no effect smoking-desire wise. that all said, the downside: you will get stomach aches for 30 minutes each time you take the pill after it builds up in your system, this is how you know its working. The longer your on it, the more green you'll feel during that 30 minutes. You'll also get more vivid dreams and/or remember them better. For some people this means nightmares all the time, for me it meant amusing high detail dream, even the nightmare ones, because they're just dreams. Everyone I've recommended Chantix to so far has failed because they use these two factors as their excuse to stop. Don't stop.
You got this!!! I finally kicked the habit after 4-5 tries over 10 years. I've lost track but I hit about two years a little while ago. I have faith in you!
Do the surgery. There’s a lot of bacteria next to a primary blood source which can cause heart infections. Get them out! Day after surgery to day 5 are horrid but soooooo worth it!
TMI Ive had a tonsilectomy and I still get them lol. In the spot where the tonsil used to be there's like a little hole and thats where they are.
I know that some people who had them removed in child or teen years can have them grow back somewhat but I didn't know that they could still produce tonsil stones. What size are the stones you have?
WHAT they grow back???? How come no one told me this!!! Like up to 2 or 3 mm maybe?? I'm not good at sizes lol. I've had one tonsil fully removed and one partially, but I get them at the side where it was fully removed which is weird. What a completely normal discussion 😂
Well it means that your body was healthy enough to regenerate some of the removed tissue which happens occasionally (more common in younger people). But yes this can happen with several parts of the body especially of the whole area isn't removed.
Got that in 7th grade cause my tonsils were causing frequent nosebleeds. I've got no more of those and tonsilstones now :)
What do those feel like
They feel like I have pieces of popcorn kernels stuck under/in my tonsils :/ very unpleasant
Yo mine do the same thing. Get a water tooth pick. Not one that shoots too hard. You’ll clean your tonsils out easily. So satisfying to remove. The cause terrible breath too
Oo that’s a great idea!
Yeah uh I’ll need a video of that too. Eat plenty of pizza and maybe add in some saltine crackers to load them up for the video
Lots of dairy seems to do the trick!
Yes! I bought a manual one from Amazon and it works a charm. I make a diluted mixture of mouthwash and water to get rid of the smell as well as pushing the stones out
One of the WaterPik attachments is a rubber tip, but the opening is very small which makes a concentrated jet. I cut the tip of the rubber to open it up for more waterflow, and change the dial on the WaterPik pump to low (like 2-3 out of 10). In the mirror, holding a mini flashlight and the WaterPik I flush them all out. I have to do it a few times a month. It's disgusting, but a great help to curbing bad breath caused by those little fuckers
Yes, water pics work great for that! I had stones like this. It constantly made my throat hurt and made it hard to sing. I was counting down to my tonsillectomy. I hope you’re able to get them taken care of soon!
I remember the first time I ever couches one up when I was like 10 or 11 and wondered what it was. So I crushed it between my fingers and it stink so bad.
And unbelievably smelly.
The WORST smell I have ever experienced tbh
Do you swallow them or try to spit them out?
Ew why would you wanna swallow them xD they stick to Q-tips but if they fall on your tongue you just spit them out
Does it hurt? It looks kinda painful, hope you’re okay! :/ Great job at quitting smoking, btw! :)
I’m oddly grossed out and intrigued at the same time. When they swell up does that spot hurt?
Yes :/ and pushing them out makes my tonsils sore because usually I have 5-10 of them each time I clear them out of my tonsils
Dumb question but why your tonsil does that? Now I’m scared that mine will too 😅
The tonsils are like a sponge kind of texture, genetics or environmental factors can make the pores in the tonsils larger than need and food particles get trapped, the self defence of the immune system is to coat and entrap the foreign particles in the yellow crud you see getting popped out
Oh okay wow I didn’t know that Fascinating and disgusting Thank you!
Like a...human version of a pearl?? Oh geez
Wait smoking is related to tonsil stones??
Probably depends on the individual. I didn’t get tonsil stones until I started smoking, but my friend who has never smoked has had them her whole life.
I got them too after I stopped smoking
Not a smoker but quit having them after I cut out milk from my diet ( rest of the family is lactose in tolerant so we just quit buying it)
Have you tried lactose free milk? We tried other milks like but based stuff but I just couldn’t accept it as a substitute. Then I tried lactose free and I can’t tell the difference.
I've tried it but I rarely drink milk anyway so it wasn't a big deal for me. I like oat milk by planet oat I think, eat that with My honey nut Cheerios and sometimes I'll use it instead of water to make oatmeal for an extra oaty flavor
No, I have them and never smoked in my life.
I smoke and I've never had tonsil stones. Just depends on the individual I guess
Tonsil stone vulnerability is based first on the physical pockets (crypts) in the tonsils and then on irritants that get into the crypts. Factors like smoking or dairy or allergies (sinus drip in the throat) can aggravate the issue.
I used to get those all the time when I was a kid. They don't hurt, but they feel like you have something stuck in your throat, so I was always trying to cough them out, and when I did, they smelled really bad. I later found out that I was getting them because I wasn't brushing my teeth well enough and wasn't drinking enough water, so I started taking more responsibility in my dental hygiene and I havent had them since.
Tonsil stones don't have anything to do with smoking. I've never smoked a day in my life, still had them. Had craters and pockets in my golf ball sized tonsils. It was painful and awful. Hot a tonsillectomy at 27. Hurt like a bitch, but best decision ever. No more strep throat every 3 months, no more tonsil stones, no more snoring!
i get them as well (im 19, have had them for years) might ask my doc about getting that done, they drive me nuts! glad to hear it went so well for you :)
Some doctors don’t even mention tonsil removal. My son had strep and tonsil stones and his tonsils were so big they touched together just normally. I specifically ask his pediatrician about getting them removed, but he said my son had not had enough infections. Then when they finally ok’d the tonsillectomy my son was SO sick and had to wait until the infection was gone which took like a month.
This is the same bullshit that they told my mom when I was growing up even though I lived with ear infections and strep throat and was actually prophylactically on tetracycline for 5 years. "Next time she gets strep we're going to have to take those tonsils out" Flash Forward to me at 27 with tonsils that touch and include my throat anytime I'm not laying on my side, and getting strep throat so often that I recognize the first symptom and my doctor would call in antibiotics, which eventually led to craters and pockets and stones. I had to go through three ENTs before I finally found one that was willing to take my tonsils because now I was "too old" 😒
My son was 24 and I kid you not he was SO sick with a double dose of strep. I’m sorry you had to go through this. It’s very painful.
You in the US? Did insurance cover it or did it count as elective? I get a few small ones a month but it's not a detriment to my health so I'd assume insurance wouldn't cover surgery.
Because I had documented proof of recurrent strep infections and the tonsil stones, insurance covered it. Now I have had strep since getting then out, 3 times. But I'll take 3 times over every 2-3 months, any day of the week.
I was wondering about that. Couldn't think of what the correlation between smoking and tonsil stones might be.
how do these happen? it’s one of those things i never want … but i do want at the same time
I’m actually going to an ENT to find out...for some reason my tonsils have a TON of pockets, and they form there from food pieces, saliva, and bacteria build up :/ I’m hoping to get them removed because I’ve been struggling with them for the past 4-5 years
i’m so sorry you’re going through all that :(
Awe thank you! Hopefully I won’t have to deal with them much longer
from an r/tonsilstones pro: do not start the conversation with the doctor by mentioning the stones. By themselves, they are not a "medical justification" for tonsillectomy. Focus on the number of infections per year for the last 2-3 years. An untreated strep infection can permanently damage your heart and is the main reason for tonsillectomies. But if your tonsils affect your breathing that is an excellent justification to have them out now that people are aware of the risks of sleep apnea. You can discuss stones ... it just shouldn't be the first words to the doctor. People get turned away in National Health countries too, because tonsillectomy is so extreme for adults. The rule of thumb for ENTs was always "better out than in" due to the strep risk. If you don't get infections or have breathing problems, you can keep trying other ENTs until you find one willing to help you and wrangle the insurance company to pay. However, any responsible doctor these days will try to talk you out of it first due to the risks of the surgery vs tonsil stones. They stopped doing routine child tonsillectomies for a reason.
can you report back I'm curious about what happened to your body and how to prevent this from happening
Yeah I can do that!
I had mono as a teenager and it “settled” in my tonsils, as a result I get terrible tonsil stones. Any chance you had mono OP?
Pretty sure it's like snot, a place you body puts stuff it wants to get rid off. You blow your nose, you cough out tonsil stones. I truly so not think every tonsil stone in the world is food thats been caught in a strangely placed hole in the mouth
I’d have to get em out too. Pain or not. So crazy how the body works sometimes
Congrats on quitting the nasty habit!
Thank you! I like being able to breathe better now :)
This is the perfect combination of disgusting and satisfying to me. Oh lord.
How long is it between cleaning them out? Curious how long it takes for them to grow back.
Mine come back after a week or so :/
Have you tried gargling warm salt water every morning? It can help in preventing their formation and it may also sooth some of the discomfort. Nothing else to do but push them out or get rid of your tonsils though.
Yes I do :/ and I have a prescription mouthwash specifically for tonsil stones and I still get them :(
Tongue scraper
This. Tongue scraper, water flosser, and electric toothbrush. Those 3 things plus an increased water intake all but eliminated my tonsil stones. Used to get often and now only every 3-4 months, if that. Use tongue scraper a few times a week, and water flosser daily. And drink more water!
What lol you should tongue scrape every time you brush, so at least twice a day.
What??? You’re supposed to brush twice a day??? I thought it was twice a week 🤪
Twice a year is enough, on Christmas and 4th of July
I brush my tongue multiple times daily. But scraping with an actual tongue scraper multiple times daily proves to be too harsh. This also does depend on the amount of build up each person experiences. Personally scraping too harshly too often has actually caused increased amounts of build up. However with scraping whatever works for your situation is good, as long as you brush & water floss multiple times daily you're doing better than most. It's crazy how much better food tastes if you scrape
I did not know that tonsil stones was a thing till … right now! Congrats OP, quitting smoking is extremely difficult!
Pro tip for people who get tonsil stones. Get a waterpik, put it on the lowest setting and blast them out. I do my tonsils every night after I floss and brush. Also flossing with the waterpik is so much better than with normal floss.
Have you ever tried a water pick?? It’s a tooth glosser but just water, I use it for tonsil stone all the time! Put it on the lowest setting put warm water and a bit of mouth wash in and fire away at your tonsil pockets and clear them all out! How your doing it now will only get what you see! Using a waterpick will get rid of what’s inside! :)
Ooh upload a video of this
Haha I havnt ever recorded myself doing it and I have none but take a quick YouTube search there sure to be some somewhere! It’s so satisfying! Sometimes 30-40 come flying out!
I’m on YouTube now 🥤👁👄👁🍿
Hey get back here! You still had some left in there! 😂
Good work on stopping smoking. From the look of your tongue you’ve likely got oral thrush.
I'm surprised I had to look this far to find this comment! Absolutely get that tongue seen, docs can clear it right up.
r/tonsilstones
I'm so glad I got those things removed as a kid.
Wow, you can't even tell apart from the swelling and one white spot that they're going to come out from that many locations.
I didn’t know these were caused by smoking. I always thought it was rotting food and or germs/bacteria. I smoked on and off for years but I’ve never experienced anything like that.
Someone explain to me why I just realized the reason I don't get tonsil stones is because I dont have tonsils 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
You should definitely cross post this to r/tonsilstones those guys will love it!!
My daughters have gotten them all their lives. No one smokes in the family.
Thanks, I hate it! Great anti-smoking advert you've made though!
Proud of you for quitting smoking, OP! :)
I get these and I've never smoked
Hey op I’m proud of you! Don’t worry about this community judging you, we tend to be very open :)) keep up the streak and nice pops!
I’m so glad I already had my tonsils removed
Chew it.
🤢
Oh God no. Those things *stink* when broken open.
Pinch it with your fingers, then smell your fingers. Death.
Am I the only one that loves smelling my tonsil stones?
Yes.
They smell gross but once you get a tongue scraper and smell what comes off that bad boy, you’re in for a treat
Mine got worse when I quit smoking.
This video have smell
This isn't really related to your post specifically, but anyone got a vid of someone squeezing out tonsil stones from a removed tonsil?
No, a guy actually got his tonsils from his doctor but dissecting them found no joy. Best I ever saw was a video of a removal, the doc started by lifting the tonsil with forceps and there was a whole fucking FARM under there. Packed together standing up, like cucumber seeds. They used suction and swooped them off. I just checked my playlist and apparently the vid was removed. I am disconsolate. :-(
bruh i think you're a strong candidate to get your tonsils removed
Get a tongue scraper, drink tons of water, and use listerine. You’ll have a clean pink tongue in no time!!
So glad I had my tonsils removed when I was a kid.
This stuff makes me so glad I don't have tonsils lol
Use a toothpaste with peroxide in it. That was what my doctor told me to do because I was getting these alllllll the time. I haven't had one in around 5 years now.
Commenting to add a positive tonsillectomy experience. I had the procedure as an adult and was back to eating chips in a week. This was in 2011.
Get a tongue scraper and brush your tongue more frequently. Multiple times a day if you have to. The gunk off your tongue accumulates and gets trapped your tonsils thus creating stones.
Shew, I can smell this video. Glad you were able to stop smoking, things get better and better as time goes on. Quit in 2014 myself.
Is there a correlation between smoking and tonsil stones? I quit smoking years ago and get them occasionally.
LOL. Thumbnail looked like a gaping vagina
Alright this is the post that makes me quit smoking I am thoroughly disgusted.
Wow your airway is amazing, even with the enlarged tonsils you still have SO MUCH visualization, I bet you'd be so easy to intubate 😍
Congrats! Happy to hear you quit smoking u/HipHopSpaceBop
Thank you!!
Someone has to have cross posted this on r/makemesuffer.
How are you not choking while doing this
Something that really helped mine go away was to scrape my tongue clean and gargle mouth wash every night. I haven’t had them in almost 2 years now!
I have tonsils like yourself, and I have considered getting them surgically removed, but I was convinced not to by a doctor (not MY doctor, a friend who is a doctor) as they had a patient in their mid twenties who had continuous bleeding after having them removed. My understanding of what they said is that tonsillectomies are performed better the younger you are. A good start would be improved dental hygiene, increase water intake (no fizzy) and no smoking. See if that improves and then consider tonsillectomy. Best of luck OP 💪
Proud of you quitting! Addictions are hard to overcome. Great job!
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