Tonsil Stones

for all of you suffering form tonsil stones..i just went to an Ear Nose And Throat doctor...he said that after you are 20 years old the tonsils are basically useless and there is no problem taking them out...and yes tonsil stones are gross and smell bad im making an appointment to take my tonsils out asap. two weeks of downtime is well worth not having to have to deal with this ever again

I have been fighting with my doctors for quite a while now and they have no idea what these are. The Q-tip meathod works good but a good sinus spray helps too.

I have done some research on these and thought they were salivary gland stones. and initiate in the salivary glands. My mom had her tonsils out when she was 31. She still has the stones. She's in her 70's.

Hey, guys -

I just discovered what tonsil stones are, and I've had them for about 25 years! I was so glad to come across this forum, because now I know I am not the only one out there suffering from this! I read through your entries, and I have had the same symtoms: the first time, they came out with a strong sneeze onto my hand and I could NOT believe the foul smell! It basically smelled like bad breath! And then I discovered I could extract them with a q-tip, which is what I do about once or twice a week. Sometimes I'll get a really bad sore throat, and just "know" that I have a large stone in my tonsil - and sure enough, there it is! I also realized that they only get lodged in my left tonsil. It only looks like I only have 1 tonsil because it's so englarged and has the pockets, and the right tonsil is almost non-existent. Is this normal? I do have to say, that when I dieted and cut back on sweets and carbs and drank a TON of water every day, I almost completely eliminated the tonsil stones. They would appear only about one time a year, if that. There has to be a link to carbs/sweets and the stones. Maybe the hydration with water entry has some merit?

just to let anyone in doubt know... i had my tonsils removed in April 08, it's now August and I've not had a single problem since! Wish i'd done it sooner. Painful and not something to do lightly but after 2 weeks I was back on form and barely had even a sore throat since and NO tonsiloliths, infact i don't even think to look for them, i don't have the nasty taste, the nasty breath or the sensation of gagging. Also for those in the UK, I was booked on the NHS (my GP was great as was the ENT guy no questiosn just agreed with me) but I was bumped at the last minute and due to childcare arrangements i decided to go private which cost a whopping 2k but still like i said well worth every penny. I'm 30 so not a young'un and it did hurt but I've forgotten it all now and just so pleased! I'd recommend this route if you've had enough poking.

Think about it... they form around a small irritating piece of something, just like oyster pearls.

I get those "Tonsil Stones" too. I had no idea what they were, I absolutely hate them!! My mom gets the annoying things too. I was looking on the internet about them, and discovered that it is very common. I thought it was just like a hereditary thing. Haha, I know this sounds gross but, I was reading and I heard that some people like strain kind of and use their reflexes and they "pop out" well I just cough and they usually come out. I have also heard that some people use q- tips.. does that hurt? If I put my finger on my tonsil, it hurts really bad. The most I have ever had at one time was like five and they were huge!! I noticed that I get them when my allergies flare up and I have a lot of mucus drainage, does that have an affect on anyone else? I haven't talked to a doctor or anything. And when I have a dentist appointment and I have one of the stones I have my mom re schedule. lol I have had them since I was like 10, but they seem to be getting worse.

Hi I get these too, but can never see them until they dislodge themselves therefore i can't get them out myself as i don't know where they are hiding. Mine are not normally big. Does anyone else have problems 'seeing' them?

I have had those stupid tonsil stones for 2 months. My doctor said it is common with nasal drip. so yes mucus can cause them. I also had a sour milk taste in my mouth. that's when abt a week ago it clicked, milk always cause me to have mucus in the back of my throat. So i stopped eating cereal and ice cream. They went away. My tongue is also no longer white. cheese does not bother me. so try cutting out the milk, and ice cream.

i had a white stone in my throat just this week.
I've noticed that the smell of my breath is getting really bad
even I brushed my teeth thoroughly and had some mouthwash
after brushing my teeth. It is really shameful.
I felt really uncomfortable. :(
I've been worried about it so I researched online, :idea:
it is known as "Tonsil Stone/s" ( Tonsilloliths )
some people have small and some people have this Tonsil stone/s
for long years and it grows bigger and bigger.

My Tonsil stone wasn't too big, I think it's just about to grow,
so I grabbed a swab and mirror then
remove it gently, really it doesn't hurt.
I think I swallowed it so I hurried to the bathroom and
vomitted.
It's gross. Well it has been removed so
I feel very excelent now. :D
So if you have a tonsil stone, do it yourself now
before it grows bigger.
Well it's not that dangerous, so don't get too nervous.

Prevent:
Smoking
Brushing irregularly
Non-sugar mouthwash
Bacteria

This may also cause Ear pain. Tonsil stones can develop anywhere in the tonsil. Because of shared nerve pathways, they may cause a person to feel referred pain in the ear, even though the stone itself is not touching the ear.

Difficulty swallowing. Depending on the location or size of the tonsil stone, it may be difficult or painful to swallow foods or liquids.

For bigger Tonsil stones, you have to consult a doctor/specialist or
dentist.

anyway, I just grabbed the picture above from the internet.
That's not mine

i just discovered something that works for me. I've had tonsil stones for over 45 years. If you consume 1000 mg. of Vitamin D on a daily basis, you may find that the stones will disappear. Mine have. Strange but true. It's worth a try!

I found these starting several months ago. I went to my ENT today and he said I have a "large crypt" in there that allows junk to accumulate. I was worried it was something really awful. He numbed my throat and took it out with a REALLY long q-tip.

Told me to use Crest total health and that may help. I am also going to gargle after eating each meal and see if that helps any. I do not want these anymore...they are really icky!

I pulled the side of my throat flap away and could see it in there...it was nasty...he saw it removed it. I had NO idea there were others in there when I found the first one or two of these nasty things.

Good luck to everyone! I also drink a lot of green tea and when I was, I didnt have these, I noticed that when I stopped the tea, the stones started again...hhhmmmm...

Gonna get back on the green tea ASAP!

I get the same problem, but I refer to the as "seeds".

I went to the ent after having these damn things since I was 8..im 34 now. he said I have crypic tonsils and the white things are indeed tonsil stones. I had my tonsils removed.. he said I would have nice clean breath and I would feel better.. more enery ect. so he biopsied them and found some crazy bacteria starts with an A. A very long word! he said you had bacteria and TONS of stones even though u cant see them!! They are in the tonsil.. and behind it, under it ect.. so just cuz u think u poked out one and u cant SEE anymore doesnt mean they arent still there! NO amount of toothpaste gum, floss, can get rid of that foul stink! I sawre Ive tried everything even that dumb thera breath! it doesnt work! I did notice when stopped eating cheese they slowed down a bit BUT they were still there!!!!!

the surgury wasnt THAT bad. Im 3 weeks out. still a bit of scab on them.. he said i was a slow healer. i didnt bleed. I ate mashed potatoes, tea, soup, no cold stuff.. yes my tongue hurt like HELL.. still feels a tad funny./. like u burned it with tea. my taste is coming back finally./ the lump on my tongue has gone down. i do have a bitter taste. he said its the scab and to gargle.

I am SOOOOOOOOO happy i did this! It wasnt that bad! just a bit gross.. with the stiches and the little uvula swollen. that went down after 3 days. u do need at least 12 days off for sure. I was weak when i went to work i took pain meds til the 12th day.. but each day i took less and less after the 10th day. then i went to tylenol. now nothing. mouths a bit dry still.. he said that will go away too.

anyone who has stones seriously get the tonsils out. who wants those gross things popping out. i use to sneeze and they would shoot across the room!!! YUCK! id even smell my own breath on straws!!! imagine kissing someone! OMG! only 1 BF told me my breath stunk! im glad he did cuz it made me more aware!

I am 100% happy I did this! and you will be too.. after 2 weeks =)

i 100% agree with the post above: get your tonsils OUT!

i read a thousand horror stories online beforehand, so was VERY prepared for huge constant agonizing pain.

it was fine! there's so much misinformation out there.

i think of myself as a complete weakling (everything hurts) but i was totally on top of it. the other girls in the ward were in pain though, all for different reasons (bleeding, dry throat, anaesthetic). i just had a hard time swallowing water, my entire body curled up each time. i am 30 years old.

just remember, when things go well, people don't tend to look/comment online...

the second day i was eating a full proper meal (mash, veggies, burgers etc) it did take like 7 hours to eat (cold!) but it was doable. didn't have much appetite, had to take tiny bites and chew chew chew, lots of water. normally i eat very well but i threw that out the window for convenience. instant noodles were my best friend, along with pear water-ice creams. oh and did i mention paracetomal?!

ice pack around neck (with 2 reserves in the freezer), lots of ice trays, ice lollies, instant noodles sans spice, apple sauce, STRAWS (one aside, in deep, you can really hit the spot), and a paracetomal gargle- every time i felt pain i would dissolve a few paracetomal in a bit of water and swill in my mouth for a few mins... this really helped get through those few days... i only drank water the whole time. oh and an extra pillow. it's nice if someone can look after you the first few days, but i could have done it alone.

the worst things for me were waking in pain (when the drugs had worn off- as they do!) and the painful swollen tongue. i had no ear pain, no blood, no bad smell, no dry throat.

please, do not be put off by the prospect of pain!! it might not hurt you that much, and what's a bit of pain for a week for a better quality of life??? it is the best thing i have ever done for myself!

after the operation i woke to a clean, tasteless throat, through which i could breathe deeply like never before. there's so much room back there now! and no more simply rotten constant bad taste in my throat, no more tonsil stones, no more paranoia of stinking or avoiding human contact, no more constant colds, throwing up often and feeling ill constantly with ear pressure problems. post nasal drip?? where? i thought i just had bad allergies!!!

seriously- do it. do you want to deal with tonsil stones and paranoia for the rest of your life? do you want to put your doomed faith in an industry that is designed to make money from you, giving you no cure, rinse this, spray that?

just get them out and get on with your life!

:-S