Anyone ever hear of this?

[Limik]

I woke up yesterday morning with swelling and horrible pain under my left jaw . I have had the flu recently, got a little better, then relapsed with a severe sinus infection. I went to the doc again last Friday and was started on the antibiotic Ketek, at this point I had already been on Doxycycline for three days. Well I had been on Ketek for 3 days and that's when I woke up with the swelling and pain. I also have been running an elevated temp off and on for the last 2 weeks which worsened again yesterday. I was referred from the urgent care center to an ENT. He thinks I have an infected salivary gland (salidenitis? sp.)with possible stones in the gland impeding saliva flow. I am now on massive doses of another antibiotic. I have to return to the ENT tomorrow. I have done some research on this condition but am still unsure about treatment and/or causes. Anyone have any experience with this type of infection? What kind of treatment is needed for stones of the salivary gland? I will ask these questions when I see the Dotor tomorrow, just wanted some info before I go. Honestly I've never heard of this before, so any info/advice would be greatly appreciated.

[sjt9721, BSN, RN]

I haven't seen anyone with salivary gland infection, but have seen quite a few with blocked/obstructed salivary ducts. Such patients in the ED got lemondrops or some other sour candy to suck on...Ahhh, the miracles of modern medicine!

Good luck to you. Hope you feel better soon!

[letina]

There's a condition called parotitis which is an infection/inflammation of the salivary duct. The s/s of this are as you have described. I believe it is usually treated conservatively with an appropriate antibiotic. I hear it's very painful, poor you!

[Limik]

Yeah letina, I think parotitis and salidenitis are interchangeable terms from the reading I've done. I can attest, it is excruciatingly painful! And sjt, you are exactly right, I am sucking on lemon drops per doctors orders . By the way, I hate the taste of lemon drops! :barf01:

[Lucy4]

I had a patient 3 years or so ago admitted from ER with similar symptoms and an ENT extracted little stones from salivary duct - very painful and she was on massive antibiotics. If I remember correctly it was termed Ludwig's angina.

[z's playa]

I hope you're on some kind of analgesic on top of the antibiotics!

[Limik]

I'm taking 800 mg of Ibuprofen. Doesn't really touch the pain though. My doc offered other pain meds but I declined, I'm not big on taking a lot of meds. I am starting to rethink that today though.

[lovinghands]

Oh I feel for you! Last december I had a parotid gland infection - looked like I had mumps on the right side of my face. It was painful, especially after eating anything.

My doc told me that he sees 1-2 cases of it a year. That it was probably a staph or strep infection but could be a stone (usually the size of a piece of rice). I was started on antibiotics - 1/2 through the course it hadn't cleared so he referred me to ENT. Fortunately, it cleared up at the end of the antibiotics and I didn't need to go see the ENT doc.

Hope some of this info helps. I wish I'd known about the lemon drops then. Let us know how it all turns out. Best wishes :)

[Limik]

Hey all, thought I'd update. I saw the ENT again today. Turns out I definitely have a stone in the duct! I am due to have it removed on Friday. He is going to make a small incision in the floor of my mouth to remove it (OUCH!!!!) . Evidently I had so much swelling and pain at my first visit that he couldn't palpate it but now that some of the swelling has gone down, he definitely feels a stone. I feel a little better as far as the pain goes but I have to admit I am slightly terrified of this procedure :chair:. Thanks to all of you who have responded. It helped going in today knowing a little more about what I was dealing with. Wish me luck on Friday. I really hope I won't be a big baby about it. I sure will be glad when this is all over with!!!!