Hello doctor,
I am a 46 year old female, and I am a non-smoker and non-drinker. I received a kidney transplant 16 years ago. I am in a very good health, and I had no bouts of rejection. I eat well and exercise. I just started a new job in another city, so I had to move. Two months back, everyone in the office seemed to be sick, and they had lots of coughing. So, when I noticed a swollen left tonsil approximately a month ago, I was surprised as I had never experienced this in 46 years, but yet with everyone seemingly sick, I was not terribly surprised. I did not feel much discomfort the first week, and I felt like I had a cold. So, I went to a walk-in clinic. The doctor swabbed my throat, but I had no strep infection. So, no antibiotics were given. The doctor told me to gargle with salt water. Approximately a week later, I woke up in the middle of the night, and my throat was very sore. I also was starting to feel unwell and believed I was starting to get a bad sinus infection. I have had several since my transplant, but not recently within the past year or two. Post-nasal drip has been excessive along with general malaise and extreme fatigue. This has been the sickest I have been since pre-transplant 16 years ago. I went back to the walk-in clinic. The doctor prescribed Clindamycin for 10 days at 300 mg. He also sent me for a throat ultrasound due to enlarged submaxillary glands to see if there was an abscess. The medication made me sick at first and a bit of facial swelling, but after 2 to 3 days, my body got used to it, and it seemed to start helping. I was very sick overall for about a week and then started to feel back to normal including energy and no more malaise. The sore throat seemed to dissipate. However, my left tonsil was still swollen. I started to experience blood in my phlegm first thing in the morning when I would clear my throat and only in the morning. My ultrasound came back normal. I finished the 10-day course of antibiotics. My throat started to become sore again, only on the left side. It has been over a month, and it is still swollen. So, I went back to the walk-in clinic, and this time the doctor prescribed Azithromycin 250. Again, I gargled with warm salt water. And I just started the new antibiotics. But, I still do not feel better. I have never had a swollen tonsil in my 46 years nor am I one to deal with a sore throat for any more than a day or two, and I am now going on at least 2.5 weeks, I feel it every time I swallow and yet eating does not bother me. I have ingested more throat lozenges, popsicles, and gargled to no avail. I am becoming frustrated and concerned at the same time. Please help. Two years ago, I developed vertigo suddenly when on vacation. I had extreme allergy attack with a choking post-nasal drip at night. I never had allergies before. The doctor at that time said it was a bad year for non-allergy sufferers and worse for those with allergies already. I was prescribed nasal steroids.