Tonsil Stones?

[AshleyAnn]

Has anyone ever had a tonsil stone? I had never heard of it until today when I discovered one on my tonsils and its driving me crazy. It hurts but I am scared to try the removal techniques on the net and its friday evening so it will be three days until I can see a doctor. Anyone have any BTDT experience? They are supposedly rather common in adults who have not had thier tonsils removed.

Eventually I will have my tonsils removed because they have been bugging me since Dec but i am uninsured right now so I am waiting.

[Kymberley]

Yep, I get them a lot. Lots of post nasal drip causes mine. I stick my finger in there and pop them out, otherwise I feel like I'm choking. Gross, nasty things. They stink too. You can gargle Listerine or warm salt water to help them work themselves out. I'm just not that patient.

[nicepersonfl]

I've had to have large ones removed by the ENT. Basically they spray a numbing agent into the back of your throat, then go in with a "poker" and scrape them out. Once, he had to get q-tips & "mash" them out. THAT was fun!

My ENT is trying to convince me to get my tonsils out, but I've seen/hear horror stories of adults taking weeks to recover from a tonsillectomy. I'm not sure I'm willing to go through that.

[LMPC]

Me too! I get these a lot...although they seemed worse in college. I typically take a Qtip and get them out. Gross! And I agree....very stinky!

[tylersmama]

Yup, me too. I've done the q-tip, the finger, and even resorted to tweezers. :bag I've gotten pretty decent at working them out with my tongue over the years, too. I find them oddly fascinating, in that gross-things-that-your-body-produces kind of way. :p

[amm40]

I never knew there was a name for them, until now! Can't remember ever not having them. This should keep me happily googling all night...

[KLD313]

Yes I used to get them all the time. You're better off getting it out yourself because you don't want to be talking to someone and have it come loose, trust me. Been there done that and they smell so bad.

[Karinyc]

Just be prepared for the possibility of a strong gag reflex when you do remove them. It may sound intimidating, but they are very easy to remove if you decide to do it yourself.

[Kymberley]

Yes I used to get them all the time. You're better off getting it out yourself because you don't want to be talking to someone and have it come loose, trust me. Been there done that and they smell so bad.

I concur! And your post has me :ROTFLMAO:! I'm so glad I'm not alone!

[AshleyAnn]

I had to have my MIL help me (she's a dental hygenist) get it out but it is out. I guess it was too early to get stinky because it didn't smell at all and no one would say they had noticed stinky breath. I am sooo glad its gone. It was too wierd to think about it and drove me nuts all day. It was all I could think about. I was surprised removing it was totally painless although the gapping hole it left hurts now and has me scared to eat because I don't want to get anything caught in it.

[pinkmomagain]

I have them too and have been researching about them. I can manage to dislodge with my tongue most times, but it can take a few days. Haven't gotten the courage to stick anything back there since I have a really strong gag reflex. Would love to figure how to get rid of them.

[Kymberley]

I had to have my MIL help me (she's a dental hygenist) get it out but it is out. I guess it was too early to get stinky because it didn't smell at all and no one would say they had noticed stinky breath. I am sooo glad its gone. It was too wierd to think about it and drove me nuts all day. It was all I could think about. I was surprised removing it was totally painless although the gapping hole it left hurts now and has me scared to eat because I don't want to get anything caught in it.

You shouldn't get anything caught in it. It'll feel better tomorrow. Glad your MIL could help you out!

[infomama]

That gaping hole was not created by the stone itself....is actually just the normal anatomy of your tonsil. Debris/food/mucus settles in the pit (also called crypts) of your tonsil and that's where the stones are formed.

[MamaMolly]

I get them too! And they do hurt sometimes. I first had one actually diagnosed in 2006, though I had been getting them for years before that. My throat hurt so badly that I thought I *had* to have strep! When I googled about them back then someone on a blog called them 'people pearls'. Gross, but totally funny. :)

[malphy]

I saw on the news that they have a laser treatment for these. I think they seal the hole or something. I have then and they drive me nuts, I will contemplate the lasre treatment at a later date.

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

Yup, me too. I've done the q-tip, the finger, and even resorted to tweezers. :bag I've gotten pretty decent at working them out with my tongue over the years, too. I find them oddly fascinating, in that gross-things-that-your-body-produces kind of way. :p

:yeahthat: I do throat "contractions" to get them out.:waving4:

[KpbS]

I thought I was the only one who got these and didn't know they have a name. One of my tonsils is seriously deformed and has the most problems :(

[MaiseyDog]

I use a medication syringe filled with water. I use a mirror to make sure the tip is in the creavis and then flush them out with the water. It may take a few tries but it works for the ones I can't get out with a q-tip.

[Mommy_Mea]

I had no idea they had a name either! I started getting them in conjunction with my sinus issues 5 years ago. Now that I do my sinus rinse regularly, I don't seem to get them. And they are so stinky! I was glad to find out what was causing my bad breath. I am able to pick them out with a q-tip as well...

[noodle]

My dentist recommends using a water pik to flush them out.