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  1. #1
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    Default worried - enlarged tonsils?

    J has been snoring really loudly for about 2 weeks now. He has also been complaining of being tired (even when he has been getting 10+ hours a night) We also noticed he has been getting louder, even when just talking.

    So we head to the pedi today and she said his tonsils were large. Checking his records, they were normal at his last allergy appt a few months ago.

    She said we would skip the xray (an x ray for what?) and just go straight to the ENT, who can't see us until June! I am going to make an appointment with the allergist in the mean time. (although I doubt there will be much less of a wait)

    It also strikes me as odd that in his PK class of 14 one boy has already had his adnoids out for this reason and one more will in the summer.

    So while I wait (and worry) anyone BTDT?

    She said he shows mild allergy symptoms but his asthma is very well controlled with singulair/qvar. He also has no symptoms of tonsilitis - no fever, sick feeling, sore throat, and other wise he is fine.
    Dena

    Super Crunchy Mama to:
    ('06) The big guy

    ('09) The little guy

    ('12) and the diva

    Learning to live with MSPI, FPIES and Food Allergies.

  2. #2
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    I would try setting up a sleep study. If you need an order to schedule one, ask you pedi to right it while you wait for the ENT appointment. Sometimes the wait is long and sometimes you get lucky. I'd call every couple days looking for a cancellation slot for a study. If the results from the sleep lab are severe enough, you'll get in with the EN T right away. If not, then at least you know that and have some testing out of the way before your appointment.
    Megs
    DD1 (13-ish)
    DS (11-ish)
    DD2 (5-ish)

  3. #3
    infomama's Avatar
    infomama is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    I have no idea why they would have been talking about an x-ray.

    BT with Dd1 but it was enlarged (kissing) tonsils, snoring plus ear infection after ear infection. They kept asking us if she stopped breathing at night so if it makes you feel better sit with him for a while after he falls asleep and see if he stops breathing at all (big breath after he stops..if he does). Dd1 was doing this and I never would have suspected it unless we sat in with her. If he is...report that back to the ENT right away. They tried something...(Nasonex ..I think) in an attempt to shrink her tonsils I suppose but it didn't do any good. I'm surprised your Ped didn't try that first (maybe suggest that to your Ped as the ENT said he would have put us on that if we had not already ruled out that it didn't help).

    Don't worry yourself too much.
    Last edited by infomama; 04-20-2011 at 07:45 PM.

  4. #4
    HIU8 is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Both my kids had enlarged tonsils and adenoids. DS had sleep apnea. Having both tonsils and adenoids out has helped him so very much. The quality of his sleep has vastly improved. DD as well. Her issues were differen, having more to do with mucus, but she is doing so much better now that everything was removed. FWIW, I think we waited a couple of weeks to see the ENT. There are many that are recommended and we went with who we already knew. Do you have options or is there only one ENT practice near you?
    Heather

    DS 2004
    DD 2007

  5. #5
    Simon is offline Ruby level (4000+ posts)
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    BTDT with Ds1 except he had been snoring for months (at least 5) and I suspected sleep apnea for a long time (years-though I didn't know there was a name for it). In fact, this was how I stumbled upon the BBB a year ago and reading about others' experiences here is what prompted me to talk to my ped and see the ENT.

    Ds1 had many, many issues related to large tonsils/adenoids but before the BBB I had no idea that these things were linked or that they could be helped! Two Drs. independendly rated Ds1's tonsils at a 4 or 4.5 (out of 5) for size. We actually skipped the diagnostic testing (there is a scoping procedure for seeing the adenoids) and the sleep study based on our reports of Ds' symptoms. We cosleep and felt we could confidently report on his sleep. FTR, the Dr. offered both though he suggested the sleep study vs. the scope if we felt we wanted/needed confirmation. He also offered us the option of using steroids to try and reduce swelling first, though he noted it was often only a temorary measure. Yes, it worked for some kids but not all so it only postponed surgery.

    We scheduled Ds for surgery with the idea that the tonsils needed to be removed and then, if the adnoids appeared problematic, they would remove them too. This is partly why the offered to skip the scope test to look at adenoids, because they could see/decide during the procedure to leave/remove them. The Dr decided to remove the adenoids as they were blocking about 90% (!) of the passage/airway so the Dr. felt it would not be enough to remove just the tonsils. We had this done when Ds1 was just past 4yo (and Ds2 was about 8 weeks old). Ds1 took a few months to improve (2-3) as he had nightmares for a while and his healing process was long (much worse than I usually read about). His sleep is now radically different and no snoring ever again.

    FWIW, in your case, I'd wait a bit and see if the tonsils do shrink either with allergy meds (OTC?) or in a few weeks. We were told they can be enlarged after an illness or with allergies. Again, we had many months and years of ongoing symptoms and no known allergies so we jumped right in. I will say it was absolutely the right thing for us and I am glad we did it.

  6. #6
    Dr C is offline Gold level (500+ posts)
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    While you're waiting to see ENT (esp if you decide not to try to get a sleep study before then) I'd see if your ped can put your DS on a nasal steroid spray (flonase or nasonex, etc) to see if it will shrink them down and get him some symptom relief. If it works really well you may even be able to hold off on surgery.
    My sweet boy 8/06
    My beautiful girl 10/09

  7. #7
    maestramommy's Avatar
    maestramommy is offline Pink Diamond level (15,000+ posts)
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    Arwyn just got her tonsils and adenoids out 3 weeks ago. We had noticed recently that she snores and when we went on a trip and coslept I noticed she had sleep apnea. We took her to the ENT who said her tonsils were quite large (3-4 on a 1-5 scale), and her adenoids were probably pretty big too, because she has been congested pretty much since birth. I asked about allergies, but in our area (or at least in our very large medical group) the allergists usually refer children to the ENT because they can't really do much to treat the allergies until the tonsils and adenoids have been removed.

    Arwyn almost never gets sick, has had one minor ear infection in her life, and I was just about to ask her ped about allergies because of the chronic congestion.

    She slept so silently the first night after surgery I poked her to make sure she was still breathing. She currently has a cold, but still sleeps silently. it's really amazing. Her naps are no longer chronically LOOOONG, and she's actually in a good mood when she wakes up.
    Melinda
    Mommy to
    The Gift 10/01/05
    Elfgirl 5/25/07
    Sparky 6/27/09

    "Sunset to Twilight, Our Family's Journey with Alzheimer's." http://maestramommi.blogspot.com/




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