Story from reader redharmony
March 30th, 2008
I have had bad tonsils all of my life. Lots of strept as a teen and in college. I used to use a crochet hook (nice and long, with a hook…but dull not sharp…) to get these things our of my throat. My problem was that feeling of having rocks in the back of my throat all day too. Hated that.
Several years ago, I got a tonsil infection that lasted for about 11 months. I was on every antibiotic known to man, and my body was a wreck because of it. I was told by my ENT in Southern California that the more infections one has, the deeper those pockets in our tonsils become….and thus the harder it is to get rid of infections because they become so deeply embedded. I was about 35 at the time, and found out that it was actually *dangerous* to remove them at this point in my life…I was too old! Having two small children, I definitely did NOT want to take that risk.
About the same time, being as sick as I was for so long, I found a book called “The Fat Flush” by Ann Louise Gittleman. It is basically a “liver cleanse” book, and it changed my whole life. She removes all wheat, dairy and sugar from your diet for 10 days.
During this time, I found information that pointed to a direct connection between chronic tonsil problems and infections and WHEAT. I found that I have a gluten intolerance (studies have actually found this to be a LOT more common in the US population than was previously believed). Getting off wheat had the most profound impact on my health. The first being that my throat healed and I didn’t have another tonsil infection for YEARS…. it wasn’t until I fell off the wagon so to speak, and started eating wheat again that I started to have problems again! We were abruptly relocated and it was nearly impossible to find wheat free alternatives while driving across country.
I can’t find the articles I am referring to, but I remember them very clearly.
If you have chronic tonsil problems, you might want to try taking avoiding wheat and see what happens. It worked for me!
Entry Filed under: stories
12 Comments Add your own
1. SuperNinja | March 30th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
I think I was around or close to 30 when I had mine taken out. Talked to 2 doctors about it, neither one mentioned any danger, aside from the routine waring about general anesthesia.
2. First Timer | April 9th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
I am intrigued by the wheat/sugar/dairy connection.
I recently had a two week cold that had seemed totally gone, then staged a come back. Primarily I noticed a sore throat on the left side which steadily worsened over three days.
Then I ate out one night, and being extremely hungry I gorged myself on bread. I normally don’t eat bread, as it makes me feel strange. A little nauseous, and I produce some phlegm. I have always suspected a mild wheat allergy.
After dinner my throat worsened and that night I got that “something stuck in my throat” feeling. This persisted for two days, until I took a look at my tonsils and discovered my first tonsil stone. Fortunately I had a roommate in college who suffered from these things, so I knew what to do. I massaged it out with a finger – A big one!
I don’t know if it will recurr, but I think I will be more careful about wheat. Dairy makes me phlegmy, too. I don’t eat much of it but perhaps I should nix that as well.
Thanks for your post. I wouldn’t have made the connection with the bread if you hadn’t mentioned your experience.
3. red | April 21st, 2008 at 4:00 pm
First Timer…it actually isn’t a *wheat* allergy…I was tested for an allergy to wheat and none showed up. It is the *gluten* that is the problem. I always wondered if it were, as you alluded to, *pieces* of bread that were getting stuck in my throat, but the articles I came across connecting wheat and tonsil issues didn’t have to do with pieces getting lodged (though it does make total sense when you see how a piece of bread could easily turn into one of those blobs)…They pointed to more of a kind of immune response….something with wheat/gluten intolerances connected to a high rate of tonsil infections. Actually, the gluten intolerance is not an *allergy*…it’s called “Celiac’s” (google it) and it is an auto immune response your body has to gluten. Again…the more they test people, the more they are finding it to be very common. Good luck!
4. tracey | June 13th, 2008 at 12:00 am
Please try parsley tablets and chewing fresh parsley. This is an age old herbal remedy for badbreath and works to neutralise the mouth. Parsley tablets are available from most health foodstores, take with a meal and see the difference. I would recommend this before you have tonsils taken out.
5. tonsil cleaner | June 15th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
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6. Eli | July 29th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
This is very interesting!
I had tonsil stones for over 15 years and then suddenly they went away.
In retrospect, the ‘suddenly’ was the same time when I stopped eating all sugars except for fruit.
I kept that diet up for years (great for depression, teeth and weight).
Recently I have begun eating some sugars again and every time I do, I get tonsil stones again – sometimes quite badly.
I have already been off all gluten, corn, soy and peanuts for a few years so I know it is not from any of those.
So peopel might want to try cutting out sugars too.
This includes honey, maltodextrin, maple syrup, corn syrup, molasses etc.
7. autumn | August 8th, 2008 at 6:27 am
drink “green drinks” or take chlorophyll capsules, and rinse sinuses with a neti pot. i promise this will work wonders. bad breath and stones will cease. oh and cut the sugar out of your diet. stay away from “white” for a while and see what happens. i was plagued with these from childhood-i grew up in a smoker’s home and we drank cokes and ate lots of white bread and deli meat. since i have grown up a bit, my diet is significantly healthier, and i stay away from my irritants like smoke. i don’t advise surgery, especially if you aren’t planning on adopting a healther lifestyle.
8. Ames | August 13th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Wow, that’s interesting. I don’t have a big sweet tooth, but I definitely have never cut white sugar out, or wheat. Maybe I’ll try that!
9. Emelie | December 20th, 2008 at 11:19 am
this is just so scary
im 16 years old, and live in sweden (so sorry if my english is bad) and ive had these stones for ages
ive just found out what theyre called and searched for it on wiki, and there this site was
i read on wiki that they are more common in adults than in kids, and i sure am a kid.
ive read some comments here that say they get the stones “often” and have to clean their throat every few weeks or so.
with my exprerience i wouldnt call that often, i have to clean them almost every two days :’(
now THATS often
and horrible.
ive been planning to go to the doctors to get help but right now im taking tests to find out why im so underweight
the results were weird, but for a while they said im gluten intolerant…
so this post was… scary
10. Hannah | January 2nd, 2009 at 5:18 am
I am 13 and about 3 weeks ago I got sick with a cold. My throat did not hurt, but my left tonsil was taking up half of my throat. There were about three spots. My doctor said they were tonsil stones and they would go away as the swelling went down.
They aren’t too big, and they don’t even smell. In fact, I wouldn’t notice them if it weren’t for the fact that I feel like I have a popcorn kernal in my throat (which happens all the time)
However, it seems like everytime I get one of these, my throat hurts and my tonsil becomes huge again, and I get a few more. There is a new one almost every day.
What can I do that does not invole poking my tonsil? I have a horrible gag reflex! Thanks!
11. Kate | December 10th, 2009 at 9:19 am
Interesting to see this post. I suffered from these gross tonsil stones for many years. I found the best way to remove them was with a bobby pin twisted into a hook. They seemed to get really bad at the same time I started having a lot of GI problems. After a battery of tests, I found out that I have Celiac disease- gluten(wheat, barley, rye) was the enemy. I have been off gluten for a year now and the stones are way better! The only time they come back is when I inadvertently eat food contaminated with gluten (I am really sensitive, less than a crumb of bread can make me horribly sick for days).
I would highly recommend that anyone with this problem get tested for Celiac- the initial test is just a blood test looking for IgA antibodies, to see if your body is reacting. My life has totally changed for the better after my diagnosis and dietary change! All of these other minor annoying little problems have resolved! Get tested!
12. Lisa | March 18th, 2010 at 9:35 pm
It was my late 20s before i ever noticed my first tonsil stone. I coughed but my lips were closed enough to keep “the thing” from flying out of my mouth (thank god!). I was like what the heck is this? After spitting it into a tissue and taking it to the bathroom for inspection, i discovered it was this HUGE light greenish/off whitish strange consistency soft “nugget”. It was about the size of a pea. As i squished it between my fingers, i started to notice a horrid smell! After flushing it down the toilet and washing my hands, i decided to get a flashlight and look at my throat. That’s when i noticed there were many smaller ones stuck in these slit type little crypts on both of my tonsils.
Naturally i had to inspect them to see if they were the same things as what had just popped out. They were, ewwwwwww!
I found out what they were after a long internet search.
I had strep throat MANY times as a child and doctors had always commented on my huge tonsils every time i opened my mouth and said “aahhh”. All they ever said was “have you ever thought of getting these removed?” But i never did as i had no problems after childhood. But then came the birth of my children and everybody knows pregnancy changes EVERYTHING about your body chemistry inside and out. I started getting strep again at least once a year once i hit my 30′s. In between bouts of strep, I’d have Tonsilitis or bronchitis, or sinusitis.
Around 32, it increased to 3 or more times a year and then i seriously considered the dreaded operation. I say dreaded because i had heard if you are over 35, then recovery time is much longer and more painful. I decided to have the operation and started frequenting a popular medical forum (the braintalk community) to discuss tonsillectomy and became friends with a 34 yr old woman who was also having it done. She was very popular on the board (we had even had group meet-ups). Her sister posted on the forum to keep us all updated on her progress. One day she posted that there were complications and her sister begged the doctor to let her stay in the hospital one more night. She felt she wasn’t ready to go home yet. She was sent home despite her pleading and that night she died in her sleep. The whole board was in an uproar (including me!) over it. Unfortunately, i was not able to attend the funeral because she lived too far away from me. I am now 38 and have been too scared ever since!
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