tonsillolith/tonsil stones???

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hey guys,

i'm a 4th year med student and i'm not sure if you guys or the ENT forum would be able to answer this question. i am seeing an ENT doc next week but wanted to see what your thoughts were on this. i've also posted this on the ENT forum.

this is pretty gross, but here it goes:

i'm 28 and about 6 months ago, randomly produced this white, spongy, extremely foul-smelling, tooth-sized "glob" from my throat. at first, i thought it was old food that somehow got stuck and forgot about it. then it happened again a few weeks later and now its been happening every few weeks. i now get this funny sensation in the back of my throat (the best description i can give is like popcorn kernel stuck to the back of my throat) and i cannot see it, just feel it. i try to cough or bring it up with the back of my tongue (like you're about to vomit or bring up phlegm), but it usually stays there. then a few days later, it comes up on its own.

its disturbing and to say the least, not very attractive to my boyfriend when i told him about it.

at first, i was convinced it was zenker's diverticulum - but i've researched it a bit and i've come across the term "tonsillolith" or tonsil stones. my symptoms seem to pretty much match this rather than zenker's. have you guys heard about it or had a pt with it?

PS. i do NOT have dysphagia, coughing, tonsillitis (although i get colds often and had horrible tonsillitis as a child). i don't regurgitate food i just ate.

so there...and yes, i am seeing an ENT next week...so we'll see what happens.

any thoughts? comments?
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All I can think about is the time my dental classmate hacked a tonsilith up and broke it open while we were studying. The group of 5 us at 2 in the morning then were required to all smell it. Nasty crap to say the least.

Moral of the story...don't crack it open and smell it.
 
I'm curious to see what the ENT says if you feel like posting back here, but in the meantime it's against SDN policy to give medical advice in threads. Hope the doctor's visit clears all your questions up.
 
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I get these too. They're harmless globs of bacteria, dead cells, food, etc. They smell like rotting sulfer/eggs. They are great fun to play with.

No seriously, take an index finger and swipe the tonsillar crypt and you'll clean out a ton of these nasty little things. Occasionally, they get stuff and with suction (like coughing up sputum) you can suck the little jokers out of the crypts. Your tonsils will bleed a bit the first few times you do this.

There's no real treatment but I've noticed that sense I've been getting them (about 5 years), I haven't had a cold/flu,etc. the entire time. I think they might be a good thing.

Lastly, I found that the less I wear my nightguard (to prevent grinding my teeth), the less stones I get. Less surface area=less bacteria.

Finally, swigging chlorhexidine around (a periodontal mouth rinse) will kill the bacteria for a few weeks until they recolonize your tonsils.

Tyler
 
Tonsilliths (tonsil "stones"), and as TylerDMD pointed out, are harmless. I get them on my right tonsil and I was very alarmed when I first discovered them a few years ago but I have learned to deal with them. It's also not unheard of to have MD's and some dentists be unfamiliar with them and to be alarmed by their presence. As an aside, ever since I started having them I too haven't been getting sick - I don't know if the two are related but it is something I have noticed as well... Nonetheless, I recommend that you still seek a proper medical opinion from your doctor.
 
Just grab an Icepick and a pair of needlenose, oh wait, we aren't supposed to give medical advise on this forum. OK disreguard what I just said.
 
hey..about the tonsilliths. they are just food particles that get stuck in the tonsilar crypts. if you have deep crypts...then it is likely you get it. i have been reading the forum and some suggest to taking it out. only thing i will tell you is that make sure you use a blunted instrument to get it out....like forceps without the sharp tips.

someone mentioned using the suction to pull it out...and that it bleeds the first few times. don't try that crap. you don't want to end up getting a serious infection just because you want to be stupid. be careful.
 
I use a perio 1-2 to get mine out...sterile of course.

It's interesting to hear that all of you who also get these have very little infections, illnesses. I have had some kind of a chronic sinusitis for a couple of years now. I really need to see an ENT. My general physicians have just given me a z-pak and that clears things up for a year or so...but it always comes back. I have always figured my tonsoliths were related to that. Very interesting.
 
I must have been sleeping in Oral Path class when these were discussed. I only came across it when a patient in private practice described it to me last year. She had some other issues too, so I didn't really pay attention or believe her. But there are like 10 of you on this thread describing this thing so I'm surprised I didn't encounter it more often, especially in my GPR!

Having read your descriptions, this sounds like something I don't want to encounter. ENT referral, stat.
 
wow! this is awesome! i honestly thought i was the only person with this freakish problem. then i searched it on the internet yesterday and had a pretty hard time finding info...but finally came across two forums in which a ton of people described having it. but i just wanted to see what the medical forums had to say and its so surprising to see many of you guys have it too! yay! i'm not a freak all by myself.

its just nice to know that these are benign (i was afraid of having a zenker's diverticulum - which is clearly very different, but i freaked out, being in med school and all.) but again, after reading the med literature and seeing those forums, i think i'm pretty convinced these nasties are tonsil stones.

i think a lot of people may have this strange problem but don't talk about it because it's embarassing and hence, many docs don't know about it. but i'd rather discuss it with a doctor now and make sure its not serious. i'll keep you up to date on what the ENT says.

and to aphistis - i was NOT asking for medical advice. just comments on tonsil stones. but thanks for the warning.

thanks to everyone for your comments - i really appreciate it.

keep posting if anyone else has any experience with tonsilloliths! yuck...can't believe i have them.
 
A posting from iVillage.com, by no means the standard of med/dent lit...but interesting anyhow.
And btw, a lot of dentists do come across this problem, so perhaps, Griffiin04, you should read up. ;)

Here's a picture I found on the net -
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/3717/tonsillolith6ha.jpg

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iVillage.com --->
These things are called tonsilloliths ("tonsil stones"). You have described them perfectly. They are typically white or whitish-yellow, irregularly shaped, foul-smelling and usually smaller than a pea. The tissue lining the tonsils (called oral mucosa) is fairly sensitive, so people with this problem often report that they feel an irritation in the back of the throat and are able to pick these critters out of their tonsils.

Like your skin, oral mucosa sheds continuously. The dead cells become incorporated in your saliva and then you swallow them. Yum! One more anatomical fact that you need to know: The surface of your tonsils is pockmarked with deep pits, appropriately called "crypts" (since dead stuff accumulates in these pits). Oral mucosa lines the crypts. As this mucosa sheds, normally the dead cells leave the crypts and are swallowed. In some unlucky people, like you and your sister, the dead cells accumulate and glom together to form hard little balls. All of this dead stuff makes great food for bacteria, and all kinds of bacteria normally colonize the mouth. Consequently, the tonsilloliths are ripe with bacteria. This accounts for the smell.


The only sure-fire method for ridding yourself of this problem is to have your tonsils removed (tonsillectomy), but there are nonsurgical alternatives you should certainly pursue before you ask an ear, nose and throat surgeon (ENT) to take out your tonsils:

You could try gargling frequently with warm saltwater (one teaspoon of table salt mixed with one pint of water). Gargle with about 1/4 cup of this mixture three times per day, after meals.

You could also gargle with a mouthwash called Alkalol, which is essentially saltwater combined with a variety of natural aromatic extracts. Some people prefer Alkalol to plain saltwater. Most other commercial mouthwashes contain sugar or alcohol, which are pleasant-tasting but, in the long run, fairly irritating if used frequently.

If you want a more aggressive technique than gargling for clearing out those nasty crypts, a doctor in Los Angeles, Murray Grossan, markets a water-jet device for "hosing down" the tonsils.

Finally, antibiotics might help. In the hopes of avoiding tonsillectomy, I will often put my patient on a long (three- to four-week) course of antibiotics on the chance that this will allow the tonsils to "settle down" (become less inflamed). I must admit that antibiotics are not a very effective cure for this problem.
If I had this problem, I would try all of these things before resorting to a tonsillectomy. You should also discuss your problem with an ENT, since he or she may have other suggestions to help eradicate these nasty critters, and could also give you information on what to expect from a tonsillectomy.
 
you know, i have not noticed lesser infections either. if anything, i feel like i'm getting more colds. i thought that maybe the tonsil stones harbor gross bacteria and cause more infections.

who knows...this is interesting indeed. perhaps i should switch to dental school and do some research on this wonderfully interesting topic. :p


ElDienteLoco said:
I use a perio 1-2 to get mine out...sterile of course.

It's interesting to hear that all of you who also get these have very little infections, illnesses. I have had some kind of a chronic sinusitis for a couple of years now. I really need to see an ENT. My general physicians have just given me a z-pak and that clears things up for a year or so...but it always comes back. I have always figured my tonsoliths were related to that. Very interesting.
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I've got couple of those globs after eating hot and spicy noodles soup.
 
I've been getting these "tonsil stones" for more than one year. Unfortunately, I run a fever and have a very sore throat with them. I get it every month. It's been hard to deal with it while in dental school. I am going to try to schedule a surgery to have my tonsils removed soon. You're not alone!!
 
I had had this same problem for about 5 years or so. I would get a sore throat/enlarged lymph nodes when the stuff would accumulate so I would clean out the crypts with a Q-tip and feel fine. I finally went to an ENT who stated that the stuff was almost like dental plaque. She gave me some clindamycin to see if the crypts would shrink in size and they didnt, so she took my tonsils out. Now I don't have to deal with it and I haven't had a sore throat yet...(knock on wood)
 
griffin04 said:
...Having read your descriptions, this sounds like something I don't want to encounter. ENT referral, stat.
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They're not painful nor a serious pathology. Think of it as lint getting stuck between your toes. The advice we've been given is to not have a patient pick/stab at them as there is the risk of driving them back with the possiblity stirring up some sort of infection. The only treatment for tonsilliths is to have the tonsils removed.

As far as their composition they are not just simply food that gets stuck: it's a bacterial by-product and the odor is caused from the metabolism of sulfur containing compounds (many of which are found in garlic, onions, etc.).
 
i wish they were as common as lint between your toes, though. its just a really weird feeling, you're talking, drinking, watching tv, or doing whatever and randomly, this gross crap comes up into your mouth and you really don't want to swallow it - GROOOOOOOOOSSS! so you have to excuse yourself and hack it up and probably look at it and apparently all of us that have it smell it. its just a strange phenomenon. but hooray that i'm not alone. :thumbup: :laugh: :thumbup:
 
hello guys,

i finally was able to see the tonsil stone!!! i got that strange feeling in the back of my throat again and this time, i was prepared with my flashlight. the nasty stone is on my left tonsil. so finally, i have self-diagnosed myself with a tonsil stone. i tried using a q-tip but that only made me gag. i don't think i'm planning on trying anything else suggested here - don't want to bother with bleeding tonsils or anything. i am still going to see my ENT but now at least i can SEE where these nasties are coming from.

thanks to all you guys!
 
i get these things too! i get rid of them by putting my pinky finger below them, pushing into the tonsil, and then kinda rolling upward until that baby pops right out. it's quite satisfying...kinda like popping a huge pimple. first couple of times it made me gag pretty good, but i've tamed the gag reflex and they're easy to get out now. the smell is pretty ripe, and for some sick reason i can't help but smell them every time i get one out!

i haven't noticed anything relating to sickness, because i get them whether or not i'm sick...
 
thats so wierd..I thought I was the only one that gets them... it does feel like a popcorn is stuck in my tonsil until I cough it up:scared: ... also I used to get really sick easily and had extreme allergies but after the stones showed up my allergies are gone and I rarely get sick!:D
 
I cannot believe that I am not the only one with this problem and I love the poor story about the girl with the boyfriend the only thing I have to add is this #1 I use a blunted toothpick whch work well and #2 try having them decide to come up in the middle of a job interview.

Melmiche
 
tweezers? forceps?

Some suggestions...
 
Heh, funny to see this topic turn up so recently here...
From what I can see, lots of people are "afflicted" by tonsil stones, but hardly anyone seems to know of a real treatment for them. There are rapidly-growing forums all over the internet on these things, so yes, I think it's safe to say that lots of people have them but are too embarrassed to bring the topic up with their doctor.
The common medical respinse seems to relate tonsiloliths to food trapped in the tonsillar crypts, bacteria, and postnasal drip. However, from what I've seen on the internet, there are people who get them who have had their tonsils removed, and mouthwashes/gargles really don't help.

I have a theory.

I think tonsiloliths are related more to the ear and the Eustachian tubes than to the tonsils themselves. I also don't think that food is really involved, because there have been times I've been on a near-liquid diet (don't ask) that I've still gotten big fat tonsiloliths.

My ear theory comes from three other facts:
One, I get T'liths more often when I'm swimming regularly,
Two, I get an intense itching deep in my ear a day or so before the T'lith shows up,
and Three, I've let one of these nasty whitish rocks dry out overnight, and in the morning it was reddish-brown and looked a LOT like earwax.

Not everyone with tonsil stones has any of the above experiences, but I'd like to see it looked into, that the cause might be in the ear and the Eustachian tubes, because nothing else seems to be helping.

It could save a lot of people a lot of grief.
 
Tonsolliths looks fairly cool under the scope. Common cause of chronic tonsillitis and thus tonsillectomies.
 
i hate being one of those people on here that debates everyone comments, but i would like educate one of the above posters on the anatomy of the ear and oral cavity. Ear wax is produced by a special type sweat gland called ceruminous glands located in the external ear. the eustacian tube connects the middle ear with the naso-pharynx. the middle ear is separated from the external ear by the tympanic membrane, therefore no water from swimming or ear wax from the external ear would communicate with the oral cavity. i am not trying to sound arrogant, but i have a head and neck test in gross next week and this is just fresh on my mind. i believe that tonsiloliths are sulfuric byproducts of bacteria that normally inhabit you tonsils.
 
VERY interesting, indeed. i just produced yet another glob today. and i DID notice intense itching in my ear (i can't remember which one now...but i just remembered after reading the post above about the "ear connection"). however, i would like to add, that i do not swim at all. i wonder what this is all about, but i highly doubt that this is ear related. my ENT appt had to be rescheduled, so i have yet to get an official opinion.
 
I'm not a med student. I really like Scrubs if that counts for anything. :D

Anywhoo. . .I was quite relieved to discover this forum while researching these foul little things I hack up twice a week or so. It was good to hear some experts chiming in on it, and I was even more relieved to hear that I'm not alone in being inexplicably drawn to smelling them after they come up.

So, I had my tonsils removed when I was about 12. I'm now 23. Like I said, I get these stones coming up about once or twice a week. Most of what I've read has claimed that the paramount remedy for tonsil stones is to have your tonsils removed. Why then, do I still get them chronically? Do I just have extra deep tonsil crypts or something?
 
LiquidArrogance said:
I'm not a med student. I really like Scrubs if that counts for anything. :D

Anywhoo. . .I was quite relieved to discover this forum while researching these foul little things I hack up twice a week or so. It was good to hear some experts chiming in on it, and I was even more relieved to hear that I'm not alone in being inexplicably drawn to smelling them after they come up.

So, I had my tonsils removed when I was about 12. I'm now 23. Like I said, I get these stones coming up about once or twice a week. Most of what I've read has claimed that the paramount remedy for tonsil stones is to have your tonsils removed. Why then, do I still get them chronically? Do I just have extra deep tonsil crypts or something?
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We ask that members not solicit medical advice in the forums, for a number of reasons. If you're curious, there are a number of other online resources available, or you could always ask your doctor. :)

(And, for the record, Scrubs is the best TV show ever made. Period. :D)
 
The only cure I've found is pregnancy - they go away when PG!
 
.
 
my wife has recently confounded the claim that pregnancy is the cure...she's in her 2nd trimester and has a big phat one at the moment. it's the first one she's had and it's quite amusing to watch her try and get it out...one more gag and she's gonna blow chunks...
 
MedStudent2007 said:
hey guys,

i'm a 4th year med student and i'm not sure if you guys or the ENT forum would be able to answer this question. i am seeing an ENT doc next week but wanted to see what your thoughts were on this. i've also posted this on the ENT forum.

this is pretty gross, but here it goes:

i'm 28 and about 6 months ago, randomly produced this white, spongy, extremely foul-smelling, tooth-sized "glob" from my throat. at first, i thought it was old food that somehow got stuck and forgot about it. then it happened again a few weeks later and now its been happening every few weeks. i now get this funny sensation in the back of my throat (the best description i can give is like popcorn kernel stuck to the back of my throat) and i cannot see it, just feel it. i try to cough or bring it up with the back of my tongue (like you're about to vomit or bring up phlegm), but it usually stays there. then a few days later, it comes up on its own.

its disturbing and to say the least, not very attractive to my boyfriend when i told him about it.

at first, i was convinced it was zenker's diverticulum - but i've researched it a bit and i've come across the term "tonsillolith" or tonsil stones. my symptoms seem to pretty much match this rather than zenker's. have you guys heard about it or had a pt with it?

PS. i do NOT have dysphagia, coughing, tonsillitis (although i get colds often and had horrible tonsillitis as a child). i don't regurgitate food i just ate.

so there...and yes, i am seeing an ENT next week...so we'll see what happens.

any thoughts? comments?
Click to expand...

Yes! The Dr. is in -

They are stinky little globs that defy the most savvy ENT, but I shall give you some helpful hints on how to remove these nasty interlopers!
Knitting Needle: Be caeful! It can get lodged in the crypt and bleed profusely and may requiring closing the eyes and just yanking it out.
Always use a high powered flashlight too!
 
I am angry that you overpaid Medical People don't focus in on Tonsilloliths/Tonsil Cheese! I am not a DR.. I am a self proclaimed DR. of Life, but I thought you Medical People could do better than this! Relieve us of this scurge, the Tonsil Rock!

Lucy Van Pelt - "The Dr. is IN"
 
LiquidArrogance said:
So, I had my tonsils removed when I was about 12. I’m now 23. Like I said, I get these stones coming up about once or twice a week. Most of what I’ve read has claimed that the paramount remedy for tonsil stones is to have your tonsils removed. Why then, do I still get them chronically? Do I just have extra deep tonsil crypts or something?
Click to expand...

Don't forget that the oropharynx is surrounded by the lymphatic tissue of waldeyer's ring, so if you've only had your palatine tonsils removed, that still leaves you with pharyngeal (adenoid), tubal, and lingual tonsils within which to form the "tonsil cheese". I would venture to guess that if you are hacking these guys up, they're likely coming from the lingual tonsils at the base of the tongue.
 
This thread is fascinating.

My wife is 35, about 27 weeks pregnant, and getting tonsilloliths for the first time. We've found hers don't stink (yet), they're extremely white (almost blue/gray), and significantly smaller than the images found on the Web, but they certainly don't help her gag reflex.

I have a handful of crackpot theories:

  • Her touchy gag reflex is keeping her from brushing her tongue as adequately as she used to, causing increased food buildup on in her crypts.
  • Her increased intake in milk is causing changes to either her mucous buildup or calcium levels or both, causing the tonsilloliths.
  • On many other forums (except this one), other women are reporting getting tonsilloliths for the first time during pregnancy (warning: not a statistically significant sample. :) ). Pregnant women are at higher risk for periodontal disease. Maybe there's some relationship.
  • Pregnancy post-nasal drip is a factor.

I think there's a good research project hiding in there somewhere.
 
Wow this thread is crazy. Add me to the growing list of SDN'ers who experienced tonsil stones. Here's my story:

After I had mono during sophomore year of undergrad my tonsils got HUGE. Everyone from my DDS to my PCP was telling me about them. As a result of my tonsils enlarging, they got huge crypts and I began to get tonsil stones all the time. They smelled horrible and there is really nothing you can do to mask the smell... gum only hides it for a short while. This embarrased me in social situations and was scary because I'd be running or weight lifting and I would cough them up on accident. I ended up getting my tonsils removed by an ENT within a year and I am so glad I had them out. No more problems ever with tonsil stones. My tonsils were so cryptic that during the sx they came out in pieces and I bled more more than normal, so they kept me overnight at the hospital for observation.

This is something we should always check for in our dental pateints who have a CC of bad breath!!!
 
I happened to find this place while googling up tonsilliths (been a long time lurker here). Just found the tonsil stone from hell (I got the link from wikipedia and the site is in Spanish and English). Here's the website:

http://wwwscielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?pid=S1698-44472005000300008&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en

and the pics from the site :eek: :

08e.jpg


08e-1.jpg
 
Pretty impressive! I'm amazed that the person could function with that thing right at the soft palate...
 
I too am thrilled to find this thread.

For the past seven weeks I have been developing symptoms that resemble throat cancer. Hoarseness, achy throat, soar neck, coughing, fatigue. I've been freaking out. I've missed three days of work and left early today in a panic because one of my lymph nodes had swelled up. I've also spiked sporadic fevers. I've been to the doctor three times… he put me on prednisone and advair one time. I changed doctors and the new one put me on muscle relaxants and then gufinessen. I have not felt right in seven weeks.

For some reason today, I was staring at my throat in the mirror with a flashlight and decided to push on the white spot poking out of my tonsil (why not, im going to die in six months anyway?). And out slides this miniature white chocolate Hershey kiss kind of looking think. I began to prod some more and two more slid out. Yes, the smell was horrendous, something like the stale air from a deflating basketball (even after doing the dishes I can still smell it on my fingers – and kind of like it) , but I cant believe how freaking good I feel. Within 15 minutes I felt like myself again.

I googled "white stuff on tonsil" and found the term tonsillith. I am blown away by how debilitating this stone made me over the past two months, and how my doctors never even considered it. I am equally astonished by their lack of hesitation in prescribing what I perceive as some serious medication – although after having read some, expectorants seam like a legitimate approach dealing with them, but I think in the future im just going to try pushing them out.
 
This thread almost makes me want to have one...yet at the same time I am grateful I have never had a white stone poking out of my tonsil that I like to smell.:laugh: :D
 
no, i'm not a doctor or entering some type of medical school...though i am entering law school...no worries, i'm not heading into malpractice law haha. i just wanted to post my experience with these lovely smelly stones.

re: tonsil stones:

for years, my general practioner told me that it was food getting lodged into the throat cavaties. i went to an ent in orange, ca, and he was completely useless, as i did not have any at the time. i'd been getting them for the last 7 yrs or so...i'm 21 now.

in 2005 i went to another ent b/c i kept complaining about headaches and sore throats...no not burning, stinging sore throats, like sore throats that felt like muscle pains. she didn't find anything wrong with my sinuses. fortunately, she did notice that my tonsil crypts were insanely deep. i described to her the nastey little buggers that had been coming out of my throat for several years. she explained that they were conglomerates of bacteria, and that they were most likely causing some pressure on my lymphs, hence causing my muscles to hurt, further causing tension in my head, neck and face (which i attributed to sinuses). she recommended getting my tonsils out.

so, a week ago, literally, i had my tonsils removed. she took everything out...all the tonsils and adnoids. although i was too drugged to speak to her, she explained to my dad that my tonsils and adnoids were barely there, but what was left were covered in bacteria. my tonsil cavaties were essentially filled with like 1/3 tonsil to 2/3 bacteria. my tonsils were "bad", haha.

obviously it's far too soon to tell whether or not i still get tonsil stones, but i'm praying to whom- or whatever (or possibly nothing) that they don't come back. though, i must admit, i will deeply miss popping those suckers out...and, yes, smelling them, too.

the tonsillectomy really wasn't that bad. yeah, it kept me in bed for the last week, and i'm still not able to eat food that doesn't moosh down well (grilled cheese sandwiches hurt like none other). and i've got an absolutely horrible taste in my mouth, though nothing like the tonsil stones. from a purely patient point of view, if you really have problems with the tonsil stones, at least 10 days you can take off (so clearly not med students), and someone to take care of you for the first several days, i highly recommend getting your tonsils and adnoids removed.

i realize this is horrendously long, but i was literally plagued by these things for nearly a decade, and this is the first time i've actually found info on the net about them. so i wanted to add what i learned from my ENT about tonsil stones. and, like many others, it's a HUGE relief to know that many others suffer from tonsil stones (and the habit of smelling them after removing them...).

i hope this is of use to someone. if not, it was still cathartic to type all this out.

good luck to all of you in med school!
 
Oh my god this thread is so freaking funny! :D

So, I'm driving home from work today, and I'm singing real loud along with my music, like I usually do, and I totally coughed up a big one of these "tonsil cheese" things. They jump up into my mouth a lot especially when I sing, which really sucks and mine totally smell like poop! I've actually been getting them on and off for years now, but today I was totally scared cause this one that came up was pretty big in comparison to my past cheese lumps. I've been reading a bunch of stuff on wikipedia today since the scary chunk, and I was kinda concerned that I might have to get a tonsillectomy, but this post makes me feel less worried about it. How the efff am I going to make out with any chicks though????? I totally didn't get laid the other day, and I think it was because of the cheese! :mad:

I actually went to my doctor about a year ago and asked about them. He thought it had to do with acid reflex stuff, and gave me some "aciphex" which is suppose to kill the bacteria that causes bad acid reflex disease, and hopefully the smelly corn chunks wouldn't appear anymore. I don't think anyone here talked about the possibility of acid reflex being associated. I think it might even have to do with an excessive intake of sodium. I'm still trying to figure this crap out without having to cut my tonsils out. They don't always come about, and I'm thinking that diet changes will stop them completely.

Also, where did the dude that started this thread go? He never posted back after visiting his ENT...
 
The best way I've found to remove and/or prevent tonsil stones is with the use of a water pik. Lean over a sink, and start your water pik on low (low to medium pressure is all that I ever need). With a flashlight in one hand, and the water pik in the other, lean over the sink, and use the water pik to irrigate the tonsils. You'll end up "gagging up" the water, and most usually the tonsil stones will follow. I do this routinely for removal and I often do it as a preventative, as well.
 
works for me- just got a few of these suckers out. like many of you i found these first in med school and thought i had coxsackie virus without the hand lesions.
good to know i'm not alone!
 
Its amazing 12,000 people are interested in tonsil stones. Im so glad I had mine cut out years ago...:D
 
I have had tonsiliths for four or five years. I didn't know what they were until I saw my lil sister had them too and I didn't feel so alone! Since having tonsiliths I have had more colds and more cases of strep throat. Recently, I have also been getting bad headaches, but that may be because I need glasses. Though I am not in the medical field (nay, I am an artist), I'm not sure that tonsiliths have to deal with one's diet. I eat a low-sodium diet high in vegetables and fruit and drink plenty of water and 100% juice. I am seriously considering having a tonsillectomy to rid myself of these annoying smelly things that torture me for hours to days. My gag reflex is too strong and I cannot seem to tame it enough to try and touch my tonsil with a finger.
 
Oh this is such a gross thread, I'm so glad I found it.

I started looking on the net tonight after a particularly nasty "thing" came out of the back of my nose. I felt something come loose and start to go down my throat so I hacked it out and it was a white thing, about an inch long and about 2mm wide and sort of dry and sharp on one end but soft and squashy at the other. How nasty is that? Kind of the texture of old pasta but surely a bit of pasta couldn't have backed it's way up my nasal cavity? good grief.

I still don't know what that was but I am net-hunting it down, however...I have had these icky tonsil stones too! I always thought of them as "stinking cauliflowers" because they look like little cauliflower florets and well, they don't smell so great.

So good, ok, now I have two weird gross things that emerge from my interior, nasty.
 
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