Should i take penicillin for tonsillitis

Mattke AC, ed. Common illnesses and concerns. Mayo Clinic; McInerny TK, et al. Pharyngitis and tonsillitis. American Academy of Pediatrics; Infectious mononucleosis. Sore throat. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Drutz JE. Acute pharyngitis in children and adolescents: Symptomatic treatment. Reye's syndrome information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Kliegman RM, et al. Acute pharyngitis. Mitchell RB, et al. Clinical practice guideline: Tonsillectomy in children update.

Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. DOI: Paradise JL. Information: You can report any suspected side effect to the UK safety scheme. What to do about: feeling sick nausea - stick to simple meals and do not eat rich or spicy food while you're taking this medicine.

Take small, frequent sips if you're being sick. Signs of dehydration include peeing less than usual or having dark, strong-smelling pee. Do not take any other medicines to treat diarrhoea and vomiting without speaking to a pharmacist or doctor. It can help to eat and drink slowly and have smaller and more frequent meals. Putting a heat pad or covered hot water bottle on your stomach may also help. If you're in a lot of pain, speak to your pharmacist or doctor.

Important For safety, tell your doctor if you're trying to get pregnant, already pregnant, or breastfeeding. Tell your doctor if you're taking these medicines before you start taking phenoxymethylpenicillin: methotrexate a blood thinner called warfarin gout medicines called probenecid and sulphinpyrazone typhoid vaccine as capsules other antibiotics Mixing phenoxymethylpenicillin with herbal remedies and supplements There are no known problems with taking herbal remedies and supplements with phenoxymethylpenicillin.

Important For safety, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you're taking any other medicines, including herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements. How does phenoxymethylpenicillin work? What if I'm allergic to penicillin? When will I feel better? For most infections, you should feel better within a few days. What if I don't get better? Also tell them if, at any time, you start to feel worse.

How long will I take it for? How long you take it for depends on the type of infection you have. The usual course of phenoxymethylpenicillin lasts for 5 to 10 days. Is it safe to take phenoxymethylpenicillin long term? How does phenoxymethylpenicillin compare with other antibiotics?

Speak to your pharmacist or doctor if you have any questions. Will it affect my contraception? Phenoxymethylpenicillin doesn't stop contraceptive pills working. Will it give me thrush? If this happens to you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist for advice. Will it affect my fertility? Can I drive or ride a bike while taking it? Can I drink alcohol with it? Yes, you can drink alcohol with phenoxymethylpenicillin. Is there any food or drink I need to avoid?

You can eat and drink normally while taking phenoxymethylpenicillin. Rowan says. Your doctor will also likely do a throat swab, which, like it sounds, is when the doctor uses a cotton swab to collect a sample of fluids from the back of the throat. Your doctor may also send the sample to a lab for a more reliable and comprehensive throat culture which can take one or two days and can confirm or rule out strep, as well as other infections.

Doctors want to rule out strep throat as an underlying cause when tonsillitis is suspected because strep throat does require treatment with antibiotics, since it is a bacterial infection. Why does your doctor care so much about determining whether tonsillitis is viral or caused by a bacterial infection like strep throat? Importantly, strep requires treatment with an antibiotic , while such medication is futile if the infection is viral. Bacterial tonsillitis which is caused by strep throat most of the time can also bring on the following features, Clark adds:.

The majority of patients who have viral tonsillitis or who test negative for strep can expect a full recovery within five to seven days without specific treatment, Clark says, adding that there is no indication for taking antibiotics in this situation. You'll have a sore throat and the lymph glands in your throat may be swollen.

You may also have a fever and feel very tired. Bacterial tonsillitis can be caused by a number of different bacteria, but it's usually due to group A streptococcus bacteria. In the past, serious bacterial infections, such as diphtheria and rheumatic fever, have been linked with tonsillitis. However, this is now rare, because these conditions are vaccinated against and treatment for them has greatly improved. Viruses, such as those that cause colds and flu, are spread through coming into close contact with someone who's infected.

When an infected person coughs or sneezes, the virus is contained in the millions of tiny droplets that come out of their nose and mouth. You can become infected by breathing in the contaminated droplets. This is known as direct contact.

You can also become infected if you touch a surface or object that the droplets have landed on and then touch your face. This is known as indirect contact. There's no specific treatment for tonsillitis and most cases get better within a week without treatment. While waiting for the infection to clear up, there are a number of things you can do to help relieve your symptoms see below. If your child has tonsillitis, make sure they have plenty to eat and drink, even if they find it painful to swallow.

Being hungry and dehydrated can make other symptoms, such as headaches and tiredness, worse. Over-the-counter painkillers, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen , can help relieve painful symptoms such as a sore throat. If treating your children with painkillers, it's important to use the correct type and dosage.

Younger children only need small dosages. Your pharmacist can advise you about this. Over-the-counter treatments that can soothe a sore throat, such as lozenges and oral sprays, are also available. Some people find that gargling with a mild antiseptic solution can also relieve a sore throat.

Alternatively, you could try gargling with warm, salty water. Mix half a teaspoon of salt 2. It's important not to swallow the water, so this method may not be suitable for younger children. Antibiotics may not be prescribed, even if tests confirm your tonsillitis is caused by a bacterial infection. The two main reasons for this are:. In these circumstances, a day course of penicillin is usually recommended. If you or your child is known to be allergic to penicillin, an alternative antibiotic, such as erythromycin, can be used.

Hospital treatment may be required for particularly severe or persistent cases of bacterial tonsillitis that don't respond to oral antibiotics. In these cases, intravenous antibiotics given directly into a vein may be needed.

Antibiotics sometimes cause mild side effects, such as an upset stomach, diarrhoea or a rash. For children with mild sore throats, watchful waiting is recommended rather than a tonsillectomy. A tonsillectomy is only considered for a recurrent sore throat if certain criteria are met.

You must have:. Tonsillectomies are carried out under general anaesthetic , which means you'll be asleep during the procedure. Your mouth will be held open to allow the surgeon to see your tonsils and no cuts will be made in your skin. Each of these techniques is relatively similar in terms of safety, results and recovery, so the type of surgery used will depend on the expertise and training of the surgeon.