Tonsil Stones

I wash my hands,take index finger and press lightly from different angles with a flashlight in the other hand in front of bathroom mirror.i do this several times a week.pressing too hard gives me esophageal varices which are varicose veins around the tonsil from the pressure. they are very uncomfortable so I press lightly.,sometimes I can go for long periods without seeing any signs but sometimes the stones will just jet right out, they only seem to smell if I forget for a week or 2,,FLOSSING is very important for bad breath, if you don't floss,then floss and smell the string.

I have been dealing with tonsil stones and tonsillitis for about 20 years.. I'm 38 now. Tonsil stones have never given me REALLY bad breath, but I tried various ways of removal. I now use a syringe, (100ml) fill with water and shoot them out.. It works much better than any other method I've tried. Hold a torch in one hand and aim and shoot with the other. Typically takes 2 blasts on each tonsil to clean well. I still get tonsillitis about 5 times a year too, and am considering getting them out.

This comment section is a great resource for those who suffer from tonsil stones, keep the comments coming! I have an appt with ENT doc to get my tonsils removed next month (28 years old). I have been suffering with these tonsil stones and sore throats for YEARS. Nothing seems to prevent them, tried changing diet and oral hygiene... nothing works. Hopefully getting my tonsils removed will be the answer!

Tonsil stones....... The ONLY way to stop them is a tonsillectomy. The horrid bad breath and disgusting taste is nothing anyone should suffer with.

If according to all the methods my breath doesnt smell. But whenever i put my finger down my throat it comes covered in saliva and my nail part (especially) really really stinks. So do i have bad breath or no ? Very confused !!!!

I am 31 and this is the first time I get them, and I dont know if it is a coincidence but recently I started drinking whole milk, I hope that is the cause because it doesnt sound fun at all from what I have been reading...

im 18 .i didnt know wtf it was.im scared to remove it.i hate that gagging feeling

Use a bobby pin!! I get stones all the time and the looped part of a bobby pin is the best way to scoop them out. Also, I noticed a lot of people saying its from dairy but I never drink milk and rarely have dairy products. The stones are just from bacteria. Has anyone tried a waterpik for removal? I feel like that would only push them further in..?

I had tonsil stones, life was miserable for me. After being told for years to take post nasal drip meds, i couldn't bare it anymore. I did my research and found a ENT and he scheduled surgery because he to had suffered from TS, and so did his nurse....finally someone understood!! I got my tonsils removed two days ago and I pray it takes away the life long misery that I have had with bad breath. So far the pain is bad but no where as bad as I thought... Good pain meds and plenty of water is magic! I'm getting to catch up on some rest and my recorded programs!!! I plan to repost when I'm healed to let you all know if the bad breath continued.....

***Bamboo skewers*** work much better than a Q-tips. Along with a pocket LED light.

great for the good information ,but I had my tonsils removed & still ihave bad breath, it's very discaraging kindly help.

Eish guyz plz hlp me i hv this problem since i waz young nw i'm 21yrz wat should i do bcous this mell ic also cuming 4r my nose.There ic dat bad smell cums 4rm my nose nd bad breath cums 4rm my mouth i hv try many wayz nd i dnt got help plz any can help me

I've never had a problem with dairy, but I started getting tonsil stones and the accompanying horrid breath after a persistent ear infection that took 3 different antibiotics to kill. I think the antibiotics killed the natural flora in my tonsils and that allowed these things to start growing.

I am just shy of 37 and I am on my 48 hours out of having my tonsils out because of these tonsil stones and the pain has not been that bad at all. I have had much worse pain on a normal day with a sore throat. I have other medical conditions that they thought might make it worse but all I can say is drink a lot of water. Right now I am so happy I have had this done.

I have been reading all these comments and I'm surprised how many people have the same problem! Just before I was reading this, I was gargling with warm water and salt and it didn't do anything. I tried to stick a q tip in my mouth but I couldn't get it past halfway down my tongue. So I thought I'd just wait for it it to come out. Then I made myself a warm drink of milk and honey and as I was drinking, one stone came out! It was huge! Probably 50mm. I was so happy but when I looked in my throat I saw another one! I guess it broke off or something. Anyway I continued drinking my milk and the other huge piece came out! I almost swallowed it, but I coughed it out. It was gross! I dunno if it was the milk or the warmth but I'm soooo happy! I'm gonna gargle with warm salt water regularly from now on.

When I was 14 1 day I was sitting in class & felt something on my tongue so I reached up & took it out. It looked really strange & smelt stink as hell. I was puzzled as to what it was as I never saw it before. I didn't bother with it again until maybe weeks later more started to appear & couldn't figure wth was going on, I was scared to say anything. Over the yrs I keep having them & finally 1 day went to the doc for the flu & asked what those stone like tings are that come from your throat he said oh that's just dried mucus no need to worry. I wasn't satisfied with his answer so I came home & googled it & FINALLY after all these yrs I had an answer, tonsil stones. I found some really nasty vids on youtube but the 1 ting I realized is that I wasn't the only person it was happening to. This morning I woke up & my throat felt wierd it wasn't a sore throat type feeling which I'm accustom to so I took a light & shine it in my mouth & saw the area around my right tonsil was red & saw something white on my left tonsil so I grabbed the box of qtips & got to work. Now I've tried this before but couldn't find the "flap" that so many ppl talk about, well today finally I was able to find it & OMG what I found behind it shock me...a hole filled with stones! After about 45mins of poking & probbing & pushing I got out a # of em. The qtips aren't great cause once they get wet they don't grip the flap enough to keep it back so I had to improvise & find something else with a tip that I could get in the hole & push em out. By doing that I then found 2 more little holes on the side of the tonsil where the stones were pushing it from. I tried to do the same for the left tonsil but the hole isn't as big & it's a little harder for me. I'm planning on making an appointment with the ENT next week & see if its wise to have my tonsils removed. I'm 32 now so not sure how well it will work out. I've suffered quite a bit with infections of my tonsils for yrs & coupled with tonsil stones may very well be a reason to get em out

I'm a 32 year old woman who has spat these horrid things out since I was a kid they made my life hell and I caused myself a lot of damage sticking things in there to clean out my tonsils so I WOULD NOT recommend that at all. The only way to solve this problem is a tonsillectomy it is definately the worst pain I have had but well worth it and I would do it all over again ! My sons are both about to get theirs out

Had problem for 30+ years, never had strep & rare sore throats, but amazingly horrid breath. Tried many things, Thera breath products, irrigating with Water Pik etc. Tonsillectomy done in my 40's was the answer. I think that children w/stones should have tonsils out & avoid a lifetime of misery. Recovery from surgery as an adult is rough-I had 2 weeks off & still felt lousy for another week. I don't think people with this condition should be poking around the back of their throat with metal pointy things. It seems barbaric & demeaning in a way. Self esteem suffers greatly when people avoid you because you smell bad. And romance....? Just get those tonsils out-the sooner the better in my opinion!

I also have found that the metal nut pick that comes with a nut-cracker works well to reach further into the crypts of the tonsils to help remove them. But how do you remove the ones that form lower on your tonsils right at the back of your tongue and seem to be under a layer of skin? These are the ones that give you the sore throat and last for days...

I heard they are from eating candles. I use to eat at least one wax candle a day and after I stopped the tonsil stones did too. X

I'm the guest that commented about the tongue scrapers being miracle tools. Anyways, I noticed as I was reading that many of you mention dairy causing them. I think it is possible that they are a cause, although not THE only cause. I have a lot of buildup on my tongue after I drink milk (especially whole milk, so maybe it's the fat?). If you don't have a tongue scraper, try using a spoon to get that stuff off that back of your tongue.

TONGUE SCRAPER!!! I got them alllll the time as a kid. I just suffered, thinking I was all alone and a bit of a freak. Back then, I would get them out by making a weird noise with my throat, kinda half-way in between hocking a loogie and making the French R sound with my uvula. Worked wonders. Now, I usually only get them on the right side, and I push them from the side with my finger. When I was 12 and had braces, my orthodontist popped a tonsil stone out. I was SUPER embarrassed that now somebody else knew my secret. He revealed to me that sometimes people get them, and recommended I use a tongue scraper. Let me just say, I maybe get one or two a year now, versus one every couple of weeks. I use a Pureline Tongue Cleaner. It's wayyyy better than the crummy Dentek ones that seem to be far more common. When I was desperate for a new tongue scraper, I purchased a Dentek. I got 2 tonsil stones within that week. It was horrible. It seems the reasoning for their occurrence is somewhat unknown. I think that (mine at least) are caused by the crap on my tongue getting stuck in a fold in my tonsils and rotting away. It's sooo gross. Anyways, try a tongue scraper for prevention before trying surgery!!! :)

I too suffered from these little bastards and horrible breath since I was in my teens. It was actually crippling my life and was depressing. my confidence was shot. After two visits to the new ENT the first time he put me on Prilosec and told me it was acid reflux. Finally, after three weeks of that, I booked another appointment just told him flat out that picking these things out and suffering from bad breath was killing my life. He was mad chill about it and told me it would be painful but he would help me out.
I'm on day 9 of recovery and although I have scabs in the back of my throat, the nasty taste is gone. Yes, it was painful from day 3-7 but I think I made the right decision. Just knowing that I don't have any spots for those little dingleberries to grow anymore has brought me a ton of relief.

To the parent inquiring if any other children have this. My son is 5 & I'm just finding out he has this as well. I'm hoping to convince his doctor to refer him to an ENT specialist so I can push for his tonsils to be removed, but being on Medicade now I don't know if it will be a battle. I myself suffered from chronic strep till I was 14 & got mine removed & I've never had a sore throat since. Praying I can get his removed at a young age since it's worse as you get older.

I have a real good Dentist and he prescribed an anti bacterial mouth wash. I have tonsils stones on the back of my throat where I cannot get to them without gagging. I can sense them getting looser and my breath has gotten worse. Hopefully that's a sign they're working their way out. We'll see what happens next.

I have been dealing with Tonsil stones all my life and I finally got my tonsils removed and must I say yes it is painful but it is the best thing that has ever happened to me no more Bad Breath ;)

My Granddaughter is only 5 and has just discovered tonsil stones. Her breath has been putrid for months and her parents couldn't find the answer from her dentist or doctor. She started gargling and it must have dislodged some of them but she continues to have bits coming out over the past 2 weeks. We are all very concerned about her
future and the psychological effects that this will have on her. The comments here have been quite helpful, albeit depressing as I was hoping that it was not an on-going thing. She is only 5 and has had many throat infections and ear aches. My poor little girl. Has anybody else heard of a child this young with such an awful problem? Your comments would be appreciated.

I have been suffering from these stones all my life basically... With these stones come bad breath and horrible taste in my mouth. I gargle with salt water and listerine every moring and night. I clean my tonsils with a q tip. Stoping ratting dairy products never worked and changing a diet did nothing as well. Basically there just going to be there that's the truth antibiotics and nasal spray never worked for me. I don't suffer from bad breath as much as people think I do. It's only when I don't brush my teeth. Sometimes you will have them there and no smell will be there. But my adive is to continue gargling salt water using mouth wash and brushing ur teeth 2 to 3 times a day. Flossing never hurt as well. I have seem though that is reduces the size of the stones to small small ones. Cleaning every other day with a q tip never hurt as well. That's my advice :)

Finally found the right tool on ebay. It's not a q-tip or hair pin, but a set of 4 small scoops on the end of a stainless steel tool. This is me...sighing the first sigh of relief from these stones after 5 decades. Best thing ever! And (duh) they're called Tonsil Stone Removers. Where have they been all my life.

About 3 times a year, every year, for my entire childhood, i would get tonsillitis, you think my doctor would have suggested getting my tonsils removed, but her didn't. When I was 15, I started getting tonsil stones. My breath would be so bad, and out of no where, while talking or just sitting in class, a tonsil stone would pop out and land on my tongue. I'd take it off my tongue, and crush it and the worst smell ever would come from it. I had no idea these were from my tonsils. It wasn't until I was 18 that I googled this problem to realize what I was dealing with. I had to beg my doctor to refer me to an ENT. I was finally able to get my tonsils removed. It's been the best decision I've made. Do you know how hard it is to date when your breath smells like a rotting corpse? I'd have a peice of gum in my mouth at all times. If I slept at my boyfriends, I'd keep a pack of gum under my pillow and the second I'd wake up, I'd start chewing to cover up my deathly breath. Since having them removed, I never worry about my breath, even when i wake up, I'm not too concerned.

Im having my tonsils removed i told my doctor what was going on and she gave me a referral to the ear,nose and throat doc and in 6wks i will be free from this horrible problem i am very excited i have lived it for far to long..

I've suffered for years from these. Now I irrigate once a week, with a nasal assperator (blue snot sucker) filled with warm salt water. Full it up and shoot salt water on my tonsils. Works well for me!!

My Dr. Said dairy products were a lot to blame. Something in all forms of milk have something in it, can't spell it...that is easily trapped in our tonsils and make the stones. There is a mouth wash you can ask your dr about...I think it's caled majic mouth wash, no joke. It taste kinda awful but it really helps

crest 3d white mouthwash works best for removing and preventing the darn things!

I've been getting since about age 15, so approximately 15 years. I really believe that mucus plays a part in their development, though am not sure if it is some kind of accumulation of mucus, or bacteria from it, or something else. Whenever I've had a cold, I get a lot more stones. I am currently pregnant, and have had post-nasal drip throughout my pregnancy (a common side effect of pregnancy, apparently), and have had more at this time than other times in my life as well. I know a lot of people say avoid dairy, but I don't think it's the dairy itself that causes the stones, I think it's the thickened mucus that results from consuming dairy products. So if this is the case, avoiding dairy could help, but I don't think it's the only answer. Just a guess based on my own experiences though.

Anyways, when I feel (or smell/taste) that I have one, I use a q-tip to pop it out. I used to mostly just get them in my left tonsil, but a few years ago when I was prodding around in there with a q-tip, I felt something kind of "pop" and I don't know what exactly I did, but there was a lot of bleeding and I have very rarely gotten a stone on that side since. Now I get them on the right side all the time and I hope that one day I do whatever it was that caused the other side to stop producing them. They're disgusting and when I first brought it up to my doctor when I was younger and didn't know what they were, he told me it was just food particles and to gargle with salt water. After doing my own research and finding out more, I told him what I thought they were and he acted like I was crazy...he really doesn't like if you do your own research and "diagnose" yourself, which probably most doctors don't, but it's not like I diagnosed myself with a disease or anything! Anyways, I have tried to bring them up with him again over the years, but he always just brushes it off and obviously doesn't realize how bothersome they are. I work really hard to be aware and get rid of them ASAP so people can't smell them; my husband says he has never noticed so I hope I'm doing a good job.

I suffer from smelly mouth with this tonsils I gargle everyday with warm water and salt but still smelly??

I get tonsil stones and I am a vegan! I have been dairy-free for almost four years, but I have been getting tonsil stones for the past two years. Wonder what is causing mine...

I chocked 2 tonsil stones for the past 2 months. Didnt know what they were till just yesterday.. I'm very dysmophorphobic and so even though i havent got all the symptoms for the stones whenever i read more about them my body is already like creating the symptoms. I dont think this makes much sense..well i'm more afraid about the bad breath..any way to prevent it?

I have suffered with tonsil stones for many years. I do notice that for several weeks or months after a round of antibiotics, no stones. I also have noticed that a low carb diet seems to help as well.

after reading all and suffering from these for years now, asking doctors that had no answers, I must say thank you to all. The one thing that comes up that I will follow up on is something i have suspected for a while. That is whether dairy, cheese etc contributes.

I am doing a 7 day levaquin for a sinus infection,well lastnight i thought my throat was closing had a panic attack,told my husband and he emailed me this link,so I go to the bathroom and there they are,It's like you have something in there that shouldn't be,Im have been gagging so much my throat is scratchy...Gosh Im so glad Im not losing my mind,and can now do something about this horrible crap.

I had tonsil stones and went to an ent specialist. He advised the only way to permanently remove them was to remove my tonsils, which I did and problem solved? I must warn that an adult tonsilectomy is incredibly painful but I am happy to be rid of my problem!

Has anyone had a tonsillith that fell out and you felt a dry spot on the tonsil that made you cough and is all out annoying?

What I normally do when these appear is carefully spit them onto some unsuspecting colleague's shoulder, head, or upper body clothing. I then like to wait until they start to smell the stone and become self-conscience before reaching for a piece of gum or mint. It doesn't happen that often, but when it does it sure does put a smile on my face and breaks up the boredom of my job.

I've been having tonsil stones, and I had some when I was about 14. I found out eating cheese caused them...

Wow, I have had a problem with this for years but never knew what they were. I have NEVER seen any visibly on my tonsils, only after they slip out of my throat. I have never had a problem with my tonsils, only had strep as a kid twice. weird.

I meant "squidoo" below :)

Stop eating dairy! No joke. There's an article on squiioo that talks all about tonsil stones and your lymphatic system - really good info. I've been thinking I had an issue with dairy anyway - this article said it might be connected to the tonsil stones. Sure enough - if I don't eat dairy, they go away. When I start again - they come back. Whatever you are sensitive to - it's causing your body to react and junk to come OUT of you're tonsils. Not to get stuck in them. Find out what your body is reacting to.

231ad quite a problem with them and the most effective removal method was using a bobbypin from my girlfriend and a few qtips, if you shine light in your throat and make a slow "hacking" action, the stones will become visible due to the flap of tonsil pulling back. That's when you gently probe the bobbypin and scoop out as many as possible, the bobbypins don't catch the stones from going down your throat so once I pluck them out I use a qtip to grab it. Hope this helps you all! Its absolutely repulsive but well worth it!

ok, I have tried the therabreath products. I think the nasal drops that you put into your nose seem to help, and I try the throat spray. I like the zox breath mints, too. I will try the half peroxide, half water gargle. Just tired of this. It makes people think we don't brush our teeth or something. I just hate having to buy the therabreath products all the time. If the peroxide gargle doesn't work, im getting tonsils out. I also suffer from gum disease, which the dentist says is hereditary??!

I hate tonsil stones they make it hard to swallow and are not fun. If you have one and are trying to get it out use a straw it might help.

Avoid eating cheerio cereal it's the worst to cause tonsil stones

They piss me off every morning, I will cough one or two up out of my throat plus they stink horribly.. Nasty crap I brush & use listerene mouthwash, & still get them.. Too embarrassed to to ask or tell my doctor.. I don't understand what's wrong anyone can make better sense of this?? I I thought they came from your sinuses being stopped up... Clueless help thanks

Please see your dentist; as they can help with the cause of halotosis (bad breath).

I have found that WOOD STICK QTIPS work best for me. The normal ones bend and get soggy before I can accomplish anything. If you go online, you can even find some with long stick---too long in fact--but I break them to get them just the right length. Use one to pull the tonsil flaps back and the other to apply pressure around the stone. They I'm 54, have had these forever,and they are becoming more and more frequent, I guess cause by now my tonsils look like brains, they have some many folds and crevices. I have begged since I was a CHILD to have my tonsils removed because I had chronic
tonsillitis, and no doctor has ever agreed to do it, especially now that I'm older. I also gag, get watery eyes, and sometimes throw up a little trying to get them out. Just gotta do it. I'll try the more rigorous hygiene methods described by you all. They're the WORST. YUCK!!!

i was shaving about a month ago and noticed my adams aplle seemed a little swollen the next morning i woke up and my whole throat was swollen i went to the med clinic and the doc said it was strep throat and put me on ten day supply of antibiotic! after the 10 days my throat was still swollen! i went back to clinic and the did some blood work thinking it was hyperthroidism and sent for an ultrasound! the blood work was negative for hyperthyrroidism as well as hiv, worms, std, or any flu like viruses! the ultrasound also came back negative for anykind of cancer all was nomal! i did not no what to do it had been a month and throat was still swollen! then 1 morning i was eating a beacon and egg taco i could only get about half a bite down and the rest i would hack up! i did this about half the taco and then i could feel something that was not the taco! i hacked up this huge white thing along with other small white things and it stunk! i almost threw up! after about 10 minutes i noteced my throat was getting better and about 1 hour later my throat was normal! i continued to hack up little white stinky things througout day but it went away! so thanks for the help and sugestions!

I have removed my tonsils but still have bad breath. Please help.

I have bad breath please help me ..This had been disturbing my life for long time now am still suffering from it

Have anyone has had a tonsil stone that was stuck in the tonsil and wouldn't budge?? Did it affect your eating habits if so what did you do??

There is a laser surgery available. Dr. Schwimmer perfected it and is located in Dallas. I live in Miami and have searched to no avail in order to find someone local to perform the in-office, 10 minute procedure. They resurface your tonsils with a laser so that the "pockets" on your tonsils no longer exist. If anyone is interested, look it up. It's called laser tonsillectomy.

Well first off, thank you to anyone who went through this and gave the qtip advice!!! I had been at work all day and felt like there was a piece of food or almost like a piece of my finger nail stuck in the throat! I've felt this before too a few months ago. After getting off work I just looked in my throat to make sure nothing fishy was going on and I saw this HUGE white lump on my right tonsil! Which isn't good at all because my right tonsil absessed three years ago and is now naturally bigger than the other. And as you can tell, I chose not to get my tonsils removed at the time since it hurts worse the older you are.
Anyways! So after seeing this giant yellowish bump I scraped it a little because honestly, I thought it was food! But it wouldn't budge! That definitely freaked me out. So I decided to go online to see what this was and if I needed to worry about the pain of a tonsillectomy...
Boy am I glad I found this page!!!
All I did was got a few qtips and started pushing around the tonsil stone. And it didnt budge....then a few more tries and it popped right out! No breaking or anything! But then I noticed (while gagging because of the grossness of the one I just erupted) there was ANOTHER ONE! The second one was a weird gray color...but they both came out! Yay!!!
Then I brushed my teeth and tongue and used some alcohol free mouthwash and I feel so much better! And my ear pain is going away!

Parents, if your child is suffering from these, please have their tonsils taken out. It's safer to do it as a child then as an adult. I wish I would have had mine out as a child. It would have saved me so much embarrassment.

i have had these nasty things for a few years. i bought one of those water shooting syringes off of amazon, i think it was 7$.. works awesome. sometimes it takes a few minutes but it always flushes my tonsils clean

i took a knife and dislodged a big one. my tonsil was also really swollen so i hope it goes down in the nxt few days

Ehem... Excuse me, but why has no one mentioned gagging? I have had tonsil stones for as long as I can remember. In fact, I have one right now that I CANNOT dislodge! Usually I worked my throat around using the throat muscles and can dislidge them - but sometimes they're relentless! And I can see it back there just stuck, in all of its disgustingness. So, I mean, it's great for those of you who can jam things into your throat and scoop them out - if only I had that luxury! However, as soon as I get anywhere near my throat I start gagging. If I put a q-tip or bobby pin back there and try scooping one out, I would throw up... undoubtedly. Even the minimal power of the water pik stream on my tonsils makes me almost puke - I have to do it for half a second.. stop.. try again.. stop.. my eyes watering... I don't know what to do! I have such a sensitive gag reflex.

Also, no matter how many of the stones come out at times (and sometimes it is shocking!) there are always more!! I don't understand! I have excellent oral hygiene habits and I DO use the neti-pot with the saline solution. I have tried the Dr. Katz products to no avail.

I will try the one person's suggestion - to use the oral irrigator syringe - maybe I can target more easily and avoid vomiting into the sink! :( If it works - THANK YOU, "T" who posted on 5/09/2012. At least I'm not alone...

I am tired of my breath reeking like a decaying body and just FEELING these horrible things back there. Sometimes they come flying out in front of people! When I touch them to remove them from anyone's view - they leave a stink residue behind on my finger! I don't know what to do... I'm afraid of getting the surgery but, I can't handle this anymore! The

About a month ago I was sitting in front of my computer when I sneezed and felt a rock come out, it was my first tonsil stone. A day after my ear was hurting so bad I felt it was going to explode, I looked in my mouth to see if I had more and sure enough I did. I got it out with qtip and it bled. Last week after drinking with some friends I felt ear pain again and saw another stone. I got it out thinking that was it and then I saw more so I kept rubbing the area around and more kept coming out, I think I swallowed some. After that I was left in horrible pain in my tonsil
and throat felt dry and metallic taste. The area in my moth looks gross.Then I started getting chills so I knew I had an infection. I'm on antibiotics
now. This is horrible. I cannot go through that again.

I have had tonsil stones for years. If I look & can't see it, I can tell that one has formed by the look & feel of my throat opening in the back of my mouth. The opening gets a bright red ring around the outside & I start getting that feeling right before a sore throat. It gets harder to swallow painlessly & feels a little raw. I take the hottest tap water I can stand & gargle w/ my head held way back. I do this repeatedly for a few min. It helps to soften & loosen them up a little. I have found that everything seems to want to attach itself to toothpicks. I started out using them but they just weren't long enough so I switched to kabob sticks. You can find them in any grocery store, Wal-Mart, Target, etc. I found that Amazon has kabob stick heaven. You name the size & they have it. You can get packs of 100 for just a few bucks. I use a super bright flashlight, face the bathroom mirror, & shine the flashlight into the mirror right into the reflection of my throat. I found that when I used a magnifying mirror I was more apt to make it bleed from 'too much' or 'the wrong direction' of pressure. The stick is long enough so that my hand is out of the way and I can see clearly. I put the stick gently under, above, or beside the stone, then I slowly roll/turn/twirl the stick in the direction I'm pushing the stone & it usually will stay stuck to the stick. Sometimes it stays in one piece & sometimes it breaks into 2 or 3. This whole process usually takes about 3 min. I make this a part of my normal oral care & cleaning.

I think there is an operation you can do to get rid of this problem, I heard it over one of the morning show,anyone have heard of this program, this thing ahs taken away my life of socialising, help, seems like nothing help, doctors need to study this more

Thank you all for the wonderful information. I have been suffering with this problem on and off for soooooooooo many years. But now that I know what it is I can attack it with a vegenance. I have no pain in my throat so I really, really don't want to have my tonsils removed. However, I will begin using the grapefruit seed extract, the tonsil spray and change my mouthwash. I already use my netti pot. Thank you all so much for the wonderful, enlightening information.

Fem33. I just figured out what I had... (tonsil stones). I have been seeing an ear nose and throat doc for a while now to treat allergies. I now plan on getting my tonsils out by him. So I suggest seeing an ENT. My son (5) had issues when he was 2 and we had his tonsils and adenoids removed from the same ENT. Good luck

I have had this white spots on and off on my tonsils. the irritation feels like i have a fish bone stuck there but the smell that comes out of it is massive...ive tried all the methods listed above but they return. at 1st i thought it was an infection but my first thought is i don't have a fever, so i either pick at it or wait it moves out of its comfort zone and force it out. i think i had about enough of it and want my tonsils removed but never reported 2 doc. what is the best suggestion for surgery?

Don't know if this is like heaps weird or whatever but I'm 16 now and I've been getting tonsil stones for around 3 years now, maybe longer and I never realized it was actually anything that happened to other people until today. I just thought I was all gross. Aaaaanyway, I don't use Q-tips or anything like that, I just push at it with my tongue until it comes out. Sometimes it takes a few days and other times it comes out straight away but yeah. That's probably hell weird. Oh well.

I get about one tonsil stone a month, but mine are massive - a about the size of 3 peas. They sometimes come out while I'm doing pushups or running - I think it jars them out.

I had tonsil stones for years. I tried everything to remove them. I eventually got tired of poking my tonsils regularly, using various mouth washes, nasal drip meds, sore throats, BAD breath, little balls of poop smelling junk coming out of my tonsil and having to chew gum all the time to hide the bad breath. At the age of 35 I finally got my tonsils yanked. It was the best decision I ever made. Gum and breath mints are no longer a necessity. A few years ago my teenage daughter started down the same path as me. A couple of months ago she had her tonsils removed. Though she didn't like the painful recovery, she is thrilled that her breath doesn't stick anymore. Even a few friends have admitted to her that her breath smelled really bad before and now it doesn't. My suggestion to anyone suffering from tonsil stones is to get a tonsillectomy and save yourself years of grief. Oh and btw, I saw my daughter's tonsils after they removed them. They were so full of white chunks of grossness that there was no way a Q-tip was going to do the job.

I found gargling with half water and half peroxide works best for me.

im just 11 and I have been get some as big as my pinkie nail or smaller.i usually get them from drinking milk and they only come out every month or two.i don't know what to do please help!

I found that using a qtip and applying a little bit of pressure around the stones helps to get them out. I actually have been feeling sick the past couple days and it kept feeling like I had something stuck in the back of my throat. Finally tonight when my ear was bugging me I looked and sure enough there was one there. Suck part is I had 5 in one little hold but the q-tip pussing beside it helped amazingly to get it out. Hoping I start feeling better now. Oh for those of you who have really bad gag reflexes... tightening your throat muscles helps a little, and the muscles tightened seemed to help push them out more. But be patient so you don't hurt yourself too badly.

well the best way to get rid of them is a small amount of suction such as a baster then clean out the area with salt water continue to brush your teeth and use mouth wash after every meal

This info is so good. I'm a teen who did not make smart decisions...If you know what I mean.I had to deal with removing tonsil stones. I kinda rub the stone with a paper towel to get it out, painful. The stones were kinda hard to see. It was like a pocket hidden. Now i'll use Q-tips. However I don't have bad breath. This is my first time having tonsil stones.

I have gotten these stones every once in a while, but I started them often as of 3 weeks ago. I normally swipe at it with a Q-Tip, but I was at work. I shined a small LED flashlight at my left tonsil, took an extended paper clip and pulled it out. Google informed me that there could be multiple stones, so I checked and pulled out 4 MORE! I woke this morning with that feeling of a particle rubbing against the back of my tongue and immediately saw the stone when I looked in the mirror. I grabbed my little light and a toothpick, and I pulled it out. My sister is a float nurse for an ENT specialist, so I get treatment advice from her. I don't have health insurance right now. I'm 27, and I'm not sure if getting older plays a role. I started using the nasty gold Listerine as of 2 days ago, and surprisingly the stone today didn't smell as putrid as they normally do. My throat isn't sore, so I'm not considering getting my tonsils removed. I suggest brushing your teeth & tongue along with using regular gold Listerine 3xs daily. FLOSS! That rids your mouth of some bacteria. Unfortunately, you get more help from internet research than a doctor.

Thanks for the useful tips! Tonsil stones are gross. I wrote about the techniques that I used to remove them on my blog here: http://howdoyougettonsilstones.com/ Let me know what you think!

I've had tonsil stones a couple of times for a few years now. But last week I started to notice my tonsil stones turned into tonsillitis. Im so irritated by the pain I just want to take the bacteria off my tonsils as I did with tonsil stones. Does anyone know if I can or how I could possibly stop the pain?
I had tonsil stones for around 3-4 months before I realized I had them and it was easy for me to take the stones out with gargling and a wooden stick or earbuds. But with tonsillitis the bacteria have gone all across my tonsils and won't budge. and feels a lot worse than tonsil stones.
Please help me?

i just used my little finger and pushed on the area surrounding the stone ....it worked, the stone popped out. im 70 years old....never had tonsil stones before now.....explain that !!!

hi,i had 2 get my tonsils out in February of this year as tonsils stones i found were totally vile,no longer had i got rid of them they just kept reappearing in my tonsils.Have 2 say that the pain i had after getting my tonsils out waz totally painful 4 around 12days after my op,now i'm so glad i did it as no more smelly stones.Anyone thinking of getting their tonsils out be prepared with plenty of painkillers after your op.Good luck.

hi,i had 2 get my tonsils out in February of this year as tonsils stones i found were totally vile,no longer had i got rid of them they just kept reappearing in my tonsils. Have 2 say that the pain i had after getting my tonsils out was totally painful 4 around 12days after my op,now i'm so glad i did it as no more smelly stones.Anyone thinking of getting their tonsils out be prepared with plenty of painkillers after your op. Good luck.

If you have your tonsils out I have a great tip for the pain. A nurse wrapped ice in a long piece of cloth and laid it on my neck. This is the best thing ever. I used less pain medication and the cold helped immensely. You could probably use ice packs or frozen peas too.

I had these stones and they got worse and worse until I was taking out 3 per day. Forget the water pik. It is too strong of a spray. You can use your own finger to remove them by pushing near the white stone. I had my tonsils out and the doctor told me they just fell apart. Good luck!

my tonsils were removed four days ago because of chronic tonsil stones and bad breath. I'm in a lot of pain while recovering but already i can notice there is no more metallic or poopy taste/smell. I'll know for sure in a few weeks for sure but i think this has cured my halitosis.

I have found that using a flashlight in one hand and gently scraping my tonsil with a small and WELL RADIUSED-EDGED spoon, I can effectively extract the stones. I have tried using Q-Tips unsuccessfully in the past, and the spoon catches the stone and prevents accidental inhalation or swallowing.

When I eliminate dairy, they typically go away. BUT I love drinking milk so when I start drinking it they come right back. Since I learned how to spot them and take them out, I don't have bad break anymore. Just have to be careful. I use a small flash light and a wooden stick (one like the doctors use when they tell you to open and "say ahhhh") and apply pressure under the stone until it pops out. I smell it then throw it away. I know, gross, but its mine and I can't help it ;-)

I suffered from tonsil stones for 6 or 7 years, it used to be seasonal when it all started, but then it just never went away. I used q-tips, gargled with alcohol-free mouthwash and hydrogen peroxide 3 or 4 times a day. The last one was the most effective. While trying different solutions, I found that cutting out dairy consumption completely helped a lot, but it didn't cure it 100%, so I still got tonsil stones and bad breath, but less stones and improved breath. I was tired of living like this, so I went to different ENTs, 2 of them didn't know what I was talking about,(or pretended not to), and told me they wouldn't remove my tonsils unless I had a really bad condition (recurrent tonsillitis). Whatever dudes, I went to a third one, this one believed me and agreed to operate after months of visits. Since I got them removed, I no longer suffer from bad breath, my life has changed and I am sooooo much happier. This has been the best decision ever. Hope this helps.

Ive had tonsil stones for a long time. recently i have found that using a toothpick can help you take them out but you have to be very careful. get one of those magnifying mirrors and take a toothpick and try to get it out. works for me!

with no insurance and the crap you get for public assistance there is no way to have my tonsils removed and im sick to death of hearing it. there m8us6t be an endless abyss in my mofo throat nothing works wtf! I hate this.

The smell!!! Gosh

I get tonsil stones of a pretty regular basis. I used to think it was just food or something and I would spit them out as soon as possible. I've been getting them since I was young, then some time last year, I had a friend explain what they were since she got them too. After she described them, I knew exactly what she was talking about. I thought they were no big deal since they always came up and I would just spit them out then brush my teeth. Recently though my left tonsil started forming a white spot and it hasn't gone away for months. I haven't gone to the doctors yet..this is on my list of thing to do though..but I accidentally swallowed a stone and I can't get it out. It's very annoying. It hurt my stomach a little and it is a little annoying trying to eat anything as it gets stuck for a bit. I tried coughing a lot and even made myself throw up, but it didn't help. I'm just waiting for that large sneeze that will take it out. In a few years, when I have good medical insurance and time, I'm getting my tonsils taken out. For now, I'll deal with the bad breath and maybe get some tonsil spray or something. Good luck to everyone else who is also dealing with them. Glad to know it's not a rare thing.

In addition, as I said the oral irrigators work wonderful and cause no damage to my tonsils. I had tried using my water pik and it hurt. After that I found out that you can rupture or puncture your tonsil if the water stream is too strong. FYI

For everyone who has posted here, the best remedy besides having your tonsils removed is to use a "Watts - Large Syringe Oral Irrigator, 10ml". You can find these on Amazon. I use mine with the saline solution from my netti pot. Reaches back there awesome and always removes the stones for me. My doctor told me that mine are caused by dead skin buildup(tonsils shed skin just like our outer body)that then builds up and pushes out until I see the stone. He said that most people don't get that buildup but that I did due to alot of infections as a kid. My occurrence is at about 1 stone per month. My doc said if that increases I could (at age 54) get my tonsils removed but that it would be a full week of pain after the surgery. He told me that post nasal drip DOES NOT give you tonsil stones. Hope this helps!

I've got tonsil stones as they keep coming up and i can feel them in my throat, but when i look in the mirror i just cant see them, so I cant get them out with a cotton bud. I'm a very hygienic person, and hate the idea of my breath stinking!!! I want my tonsils out but they really don't like doing it at my doctors, help! Its making my life a misery

I have had chronic post nasal drip for the past year, along with really bad dust mite allergies and extremely bad breath. No doctors could tell me what was wrong, or how to fix my post nasil drip. I was constantly coughing up yellow and white phlem, or what i thought was phlegm. I went to the ENT last Wednesday and he has put me on more medication, which has done nothing to help my PND, he said as i was walking out of the room, "next time we will have a squeeze of you tonsils". I started searching the internet to find out what he may have thought i had. i found tonsil stones! So this morning i decided to grab a q-tip and massage the right tonsil, i was so disgusted when a yellowish ball started to come out of my tonsil. I don't want to pop it out, in case i do something to make it worse, but i cant stand the facet of having that disgusting thing in the back of my throat! what can i do???

VS, if it still hasn't cleared up by now I would go see a doctor.