Question: Hi, I am a 38 year old female who is 128 pounds. I do high intensity cardio every other day and feel I am in good health. I have been having what seems to be recurrent infections (abscess?) somewhere in the back of my throat or at the base on my tongue on the right side. Last year, I had an intermittent bad taste coming from the right back side near the base of my tongue that would come about once daily and last only 10-20 seconds. I was prescribed penicillin for an abscessed tooth and noticed the taste went away for a couple of weeks then returned. I visited an ENT who did made a very basic observation or my ears, nose and throat but he did not see anything. No other tests were administered. However, after I explained that the symptoms went away temporarily with the antibiotic, he put me on a three week prescription for Augmentin 875 2x a day. My symptoms completely resolved for 11 months then returned. I went to my general family physician who said she would again prescribe the Augmentin as the ENT did to see if the symptoms would again go away. They did for the time I was on the Augmentin until three weeks later when they have now returned.

Possibly associated with or relevant to this issue:
I have tight neck muscles on this side seemingly due to or exasperated by my work posture. I have also observed that my food and drink seem to be going down on the opposite (left) side of my symptoms. I have noticed my neck seems to start hurting a few days before the bad taste cycle begins. I also seem to be having some possible referred symptoms to my ear and base of skull on that side as occasional ear pain and headache.
I had an ultrasound of my thyroid and nodes on the right side last year around the same time I began having these symptoms. It noted a normal thyroid and a four small nodes in the anterior and posterior chain but they were noted to be of no concern.
The area around my submandibular gland is sore to touch.

I would really like another opinion as to what this could possibly be. I had not taken antibiotics in over a decade due to great health and not I keep getting a recurrent infection that doesn't go away without them. It has been suggested by my general physician that a CT scan is an option, but I would like to avoid unnecessary excessive radiation if possible. I feel good outside of these area specific symptoms so it is not affecting me as a whole.
My lab reports over the last year have indicated mild iron deficiency anemia. I have heavy cycles. It is getting better. Also, my WBC was noted as low at 3.3 on a CBC done in March 15. I was retested in XXXXXXX and my levels XXXXXXX to 3.7. A year ago two tests around the same time were noted at 4.3 and 4.6. My doctors did not mention any concerns related to that.
I have also noted my bun/creatinine ratio has been higher at around 22 on each test. I was told it was possibly mild dehydration so I have tried to increase my attention to staying hydrated after workouts.

I do not know if any of that information is helpful, but I wanted to share.
Thank you for your time and thoughts.
-XXXX