OK, I have tonsilitis so bad that I have to take some steroids..........they have compounded me liquids because my tonsils are so swollen I am doing good to swallow liquids. They want me to do 4 days.......1 at 60mg, 2 at 30mg, and 1 at 10mg. I have refused to take any steroids since being diagnosed with lyme and co's a year and a half ago, but I can't even talk right I am so swollen...........advice please?
Posted by dguy (Member # 8979) on :
I did a short term treatment with high dose steroids (before I knew about lyme) and didn't add any new symptoms. Others report not being so lucky. It's tough to know what to do in your situation. Presumably there's some risk if you don't take the steroids. You have to compare risks.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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If you are also taking lyme treatment it should offer some protection.
Do you have a LLMD you can call?
A few days' treatment with steroids for emergency situations, if combined with your lyme protocol, is not the same as w/o lyme protection.
Have you ever used andrographis? It may help you avoid steroids (but if this is life-threatening, follow doctor's advice, for sure).
Andrographis, tonsils - one abstract - leading directly to this:
Phytomedicine. 2000 Oct;7(5):341-50.
Double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot and phase III study of activity of standardized Andrographis paniculata Herba Nees extract fixed combination (Kan jang) in the treatment of uncomplicated upper-respiratory tract infection.
Two randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel group clinical trials were performed to investigate the effect of a standardized extract (SHA-10) of Andrographis paniculata fixed combination (Kan jang) in the treatment of uncomplicated upper-respiratory tract infections.
46 patients in the pilot study and 179 patients in the phase III study completed the study according to the protocol. Medication was taken three times daily for a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 8 days for the pilot study, and for exactly three days in the phase III study.
The primary outcome measures in the patients self-evaluation were: related to pain in the muscle, cough, throat symptoms, headache, nasal symptoms and eye symptoms and temperature.
The physician's fixed score diagnosis was based mainly on sign/symptoms: ears, nose, oral cavity, lymph glands-tonsils and eyes.
The total symptom score showed a tendency toward improvement in the pilot study (p = 0,08), while both the total symptom score and total diagnosis score showed highly significant improvement (p < or = 0.0006 resp. 0.003) in the verum group as compared with the placebo.
In both studies throat symptoms/signs, were found to show the most significant improvement.
PMID: 1108198
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Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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PubMed Search:
andrographis, tonsillitis - takes you right to this one:
J Med Assoc Thai. 1991 Oct;74(10):437-42.
Efficacy of Andrographis paniculata, Nees for pharyngotonsillitis in adults.
Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok.
One hundred and fifty-two adult patients with pharyngotonsillitis were enrolled in the randomized double blind study to assess the efficacy of Andrographis paniculata.
The patients were randomized to receive either paracetamol or 3 g/day of Andrographis paniculata or 6 g/day of Andrographis paniculata for 7 days. The baseline characteristics of the patients among the three groups were not different.
The efficacy of paracetamol or high dose Andrographis paniculata was significantly more than that of low dose Andrographis paniculata at day 3 in terms of the relief of fever and sore throat.
. . . .
PMID: 1797953
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Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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Andrographis is discussed in these two books:
This book, by an ILADS member LLMD, holds great information about treatments options and support measures:
The lymphatic system is a collective name for the various lymph tissues and cells in the body.
The central lymph tissues include the thymus gland, the bone marrow, the lymph nodes, the spleen and tonsils, and compartments found behind the epithelial layer of the gastrointestinal mucosa called gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT).
. . . .
- full chapter at link.
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Posted by luvs2ride (Member # 8090) on :
I had my tonsils out a couple months ago and they gave me a steriod during the surgery to keep swelling down.
It didn't hurt me as far as infection is concerned and frankly, if that is what recovery felt like with a steriod, thank God I didn't forego the steroid!
Posted by notkrazybrian (Member # 10621) on :
Do it, its short term sounds like a must if it was me i would do it for cause it sounds like they are massive and they need to be shrunk down go for it and dont look back! IMO brian
Posted by Parisa (Member # 10526) on :
How about trying Wobenzyme? 9 tablets on an empty stomach 3 times a day with no food for at least an hour will work as an antiinflammatory. It will also potentiate any antibiotics you are on which can be good or bad (megaherx!).
Oh, and make sure they come out later when they are in better shape. It could make a big difference in you getting better.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
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To hold on to them or not can be a hard call. I had mine removed in college when all the abx in the world would not work. But my general health got no better. I still had a sore throat for 20 solid years.
I think if you can keep your tonsils you will be far better off, if the infection can be managed.
Is your LLMD working with you on this?
Tonsils are very important to us. Hopefully, they will get better with the right treatment - and it's probably connected to the bigger picture.
. . . Like other organs of the lymphatic system, the tonsils act as part of the immune system to help protect against infection. In particular, they are believed to be involved in helping fight off pharyngeal and upper respiratory tract infections.
. . . removal decreases the power of the immune system . . . .
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