Sore throat for eight weeks, help!

[Paul M]

First, sorry if I am posting too much, but couldnt find a thread about chronic sore throats.

I'm about 4 months into my fatigue and for the last 8 weeks I have had a sore throat. It started as very painful and red and then seemed to go away after a couple days of the usual throat attack moves (gargling, liquids, tea, nasal rinse, etc...). It then came back the following week very painful again, but this time with whitehead looking things on the side of my throat. I do not have tonsils and have never had anything like this. A couple weeks ago the whiteheads seemed to subside. I have had all sorts of throat cultures and my PCP and an ENT specialist were stumped. I am posting a couple pictures below. Hopefully this doesn't gross you out.

Photo 1 is about week 3. Photo 3 is week 6. and Photo 4 is last week.

Any suggestions?

 

[snowathlete]

I had terrible long term sore throats leading up to getting ME but the pictures look different to whatever I had. I wish I had done cultures. Not sure what it is, maybe someone else will know but worth getting anymore tests done that are possible. Good luck.

 

[Anteah]

Hi, Paul. From looking at your pictures it seems, and correct me if I am wrong, that you have a white coated tongue and throat. Have you ever had issues with candida? Are you taking anything for it? When my yeast gets out of control I tend to have nose and throat issues too. When i double or triple up on my garlic, oregano oil, grapefruit seed extract and carpylic acid all the throaty issues subside. Not sure if it is relevant, just mention because from pics it seems that you may have candida issue, which I realize can be running in complete parallel to the throat issue and not be related.

 

[place]

I feel as close to you as your dentist! I don't have sore throats but I would get myself to an allergist, infectious disease specialist and or a highly trained CFS specialist. I do have to say that you have to go to the very best in each field. It took me 6 years to figure ithat out and did not see any progress until I saw only the best. I know that's not possible for everyone, but it is well worth the sacrifices.
Also agree with anteah possible origin

 

[Sushi]

Paul M

Sorry about your sore throat. It does seem to be a persistent symptom for many of us. I don't have any answers except that I have had some degree of sore throat for decades--not such an uplifting or encouraging reply, but just to let you know you are not alone.

For me lymph nodes, and the eustachian tube are also involved.

Sushi

 

[justy]

Looks nasty! sorry you are going through this. Agree that candida could be an issue - causes terrible sore throat and white spots/tongue coating. I would try a course of fluconazole to see what happens. The yellow spots look nasty - surprised they couldnt find a cause for them - looks like an active infection of some sort. I would definately try some antifungals first - they work quickly if that is the problem and then you can at least rule it out.

All the best, Justy

 

[Paul M]

Thanks guys, I will try some of the OTC things you mention. I'm also at the same consensus that I need a better doctor now too. On the path for that now.

 

[Ian]

I had nearly 7 years of pain and sore throats, predominately on one side. Turned out I had an asymptomatic bone infection (bone rot) where I had a wisdom tooth removed.

 

[Paul M]

Also, for anyone thats had these type of sore throats, do you think they are contagious?

 

[Hip]

It is very likely a herpangina sore throat. Herpangina sore throats are located on the palatoglossal arch, exactly where yours is.

Herpangina is usually caused by enteroviruses such as coxsackievirus B (ref: here). Coxsackievirus B is also linked to triggering ME/CFS. It could be that you caught such a virus earlier, and it initially caused some ME/CFS symptoms in you, and now has spread to your throat.

 

[Paul M]

I think you were right on Hip. I went to my ENT doctor today and she thought it was Herpangina as well. However, she didn't really understand the CFS-like symptoms that I am feeling and why it has taken so long to go away. It does seem to be slightly better now, but im not sure when it will be 100% if ever.

She recommended I see an infectious disease specialist, which I am seeing anyway next Thursday. Anyone have any recommendations of tests or questions I should ask? I would love if there is some underlying virus that may go away and its not CFS after all, but I feat that a virus may have been the trigger.

Thanks again.

 

[triffid113]

Thanks guys, I will try some of the OTC things you mention. I'm also at the same consensus that I need a better doctor now too. On the path for that now.

For gut issues (white coating) I take olive leaf extract 1g/day...works fine. However one can also take cider vinegar in water as what is missing is the acid when you have a white coating. It's just that when I take olive leaf extract I don't seem to need to bother with anything else.

However for sore throat consider this: I had a sore throat every day for months and got grickin tired of it. Went to the doc and was given a prescription that did not work. Went to a different doc and he said "Put a pan of water out by the register in your room. Your sore throat is caused by allergies and the humidity will make it go away". And so I did and so it did. Do you have a humidifier?