Tonsillolith?

[quest4health]

I have been having tonsillitis recently. I had it twice in the past 3 months. I went to the doctor and both the time antibiotics were prescribed and it was cured. But it is not clear to me where I am picking it up. I am usually not sick, and I got tonsillitis for the first time in 26 years of my life. After some googling I also found out that it could also be a Tonsillolith. Many times I have seen some white chees like stones coming out of my throat. I ignored them, but I guess it is tonsil stones. Now after looking at the reasons for tonsil stone formation, I saw that one of the reasons is lactose intolerance. I believe I am lactose intolerant because if I drink lot of milk my stomach will be painful and makes me gasy. So is it possible that my lactose intolerance is causing Tonsillolith? and which in turn causing tonsillitis?

[zigger37]

I started getting small tonsil stones in my 30's, becoming worse as I approached my 40's.  After reading about a possible connection between tonsilloliths and dairy, I tried eliminating all dairy from my diet.  The tonsil stones disappeared entirely.  A few months later, I concocted a test by drinking a delicious cup of café au lait.  (It was my last cup of café au lait.)  Within an hour or two, a huge painful tonsil stone had started to form.  In addition to the tonsil stones, I also noticed general body aches increased with the dairy as well.  Now I am strictly non-dairy, and live happily free from tonsil stones and mostly (not entirely) free from inflammation.  I'd recommend a trial elimination of dairy, for a minimum of two weeks, to see how your body reacts.  If your tonsil stones go away, then it's up to you to decide which you dislike more:  going without dairy or living with tonsil stones.  Good luck!

[cnystrom]

your problem is indeed lactose intolerance. do not listen to these people who tell you the only cure is removing your tonsils completely. there is a STRONG correlation between tonsil stones and lactose intolerance. in fact, 7 out of every 10 americans DO NOT digest lactose properly causing you to create more mucus and the dairy to get caught in the back of your throat and nose because you do not digest it properly. This is the perfect storm for tonsil stones. The only way to truly get rid of them is to get rid of dairy COMPLETELY from your diet.
(There are cases where this doesnt work. People who are lactose intolerant are usually gluten intolerant too. So eliminating both would have to be your next option :l I am both and I have chosen to just deal with it because I don't think I'm going to be able to cut both out. but if you choose to, that is up to you!)

[Zodge302]

Hi there, I've experienced this for 3 years now and they come and go many times through the year. I get them quite a lot, they are nicknamed tonsil stones and I find I get them more when Im stressed.
They are harmless but quite annoying and can leave a horrible taste in the back of your throat. They can be quite difficult to remove yourself if you have a sensitive gag reflex, but if youre like me then you'l have no trouble.
They are easy to remove with cotton wool buds, just shine a torch down your throat and apply pressure where you can see them and they just pop out. There are many holes in tonsils so can be tricky at times. Just make sure you brush your teeth really well and more importantly the back of your tongue. Because these "tonsil stones" are built up of bacteria.
I found when I had to take antibiotics for a chest infection they cleared up. And came back again a few weeks after I stopped taking them. They are harmless so I wouldnt worry too much about them. Hope I've helped.

[Londres70]

Finish the PCN that the physician gave you and just keep doing those things that can prevent them from reoccuring so frequently.  If you are getting lots of them filling the tonsils and/or constantly on antibiotics for them, then maybe you can talk to an ENT specialist about having the tonsils removed.  

[quest4health]

Sounds like its me, I am non smoker, non alcoholic, I don't drink sugary drinks often, i eat limited dairy products in my diet, brush mu teeth twice a day, use a tongue scraper to clean my tongue, and gargle with mouthwash. I have been doing this for quite some time now. And yet I get it I am really worried.

[Londres70]

I do not know of any sure way to be rid of them for good except to remove the tonsils.  I know there are things you can do that can lessen the reoccurence of them(brush your teeth 2-3x/day, use a tongue scraper after brushing your teeth, gargle with saltwater or mouthwash, drink lots of water, avoid sugary drinks, limit dairy products in your diet, cut out smoking, limit alcoholic drinks, avoid eating 30 minutes before bed).  

[quest4health]

I read in wikipedia that lactose intolerance could be one of the reason for these stones. My ENT specialist did nothing but prescribing antibiotics. I am taking penicillin for a week now and it is getting better and better. But I am afraid it will come back again. I want to find whats causing it so that I can take care to prevent it from coming again.

[Londres70]

I am not sure about the milk and tonsil stone connection.  These stones form in the crypts of the palatine tonsils;back of the throat.  They are made of bacteria debris, decayed food particles, etc. and smell awful.  Most of the time the can be expelled but sometimes they get jammed into these crypts and must be surgically removed.  In some causes, the tonsils are full of them and swell.  If this occurs frequently, the tonsils are removed especially if the problem is not responding to antibiotics.  Some people are just prone to these stones.

So, what did this ENT specialist you saw do at your visit?  Are you on antibiotics?  
Allergies?