Strep throat

[OutOfTheCube]

I'm on Day 6 of strep throat now and it's been the most awful sickness of my life. The antibiotics finally started kicking in yesterday and the sore throat has all but disappeared (thank god), but a number of symptoms are still kicking around.

For one I'm having huge difficulties sleeping, at any time of day. I'm mentally and physically exhausted so I feel like I should be sleeping, but my body just wont go out for any significant amount of time. Any advice on this?

Also getting lots of little hot flashes, not sure if it's normal.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

I'm on Day 6 of strep throat now and it's been the most awful sickness of my life. The antibiotics finally started kicking in yesterday and the sore throat has all but disappeared (thank god), but a number of symptoms are still kicking around.

For one I'm having huge difficulties sleeping, at any time of day. I'm mentally and physically exhausted so I feel like I should be sleeping, but my body just wont go out for any significant amount of time. Any advice on this?

Also getting lots of little hot flashes, not sure if it's normal.

Did you get a swab done to confirm strep throat? Antibiotics are not to be prescribed without a clinical diagnosis which is only possible with a swab. Having said that, many doctors still will give antibiotics as it is easier than explaining it or having a prescription called in after the results are in.

-even with all classic symptoms, many cases of pharyngitis (inflamed throat) are viral (antibiotics are completely ineffective) and take 7 to 14 days to subside. For true strep throat, there is absolutely no documented resistance to antibiotics, so the antibiotics would have worked. The hot flashes possibly indicate fever which would be strange on day 6 of viral pharyngitis and bacterial would be done due to the antibiotics.

How old are you? Have you ever had mono?

[OutOfTheCube]

I'm 23, never had mono. I've taken my temp during the hot flashes and it's usually normal. This is only my third full day on the antibiotics, and they have been effective with many of the other symptoms (severe sore throat, congestion, phlegm). I just really want to sleep!

[shermanator]

IMO (and I'm no doctor), it sounds like you have mono. I've had strep throat many times, and the crappiness generally doesn't last 6 days.

I've had mono before too and it was initially misdiagnosed as strep throat. When I stopped taking the antibiotics the symptoms came back.

[Rathji]

Unless I am mistaken, people with mono have no troubles sleeping.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by shermanator

IMO (and I'm no doctor), it sounds like you have mono. I've had strep throat many times, and the crappiness generally doesn't last 6 days.

I've had mono before too and it was initially misdiagnosed as strep throat. When I stopped taking the antibiotics the symptoms came back.

As a pharmacist, it is quite frustrating to see the amount of prescriptions for antibiotics given for "strep throat" with no swab. This does two things:
-Increases antibiotic resistance in other bacteria due to overuse
-reinforce the dangerous misconception that antibiotics are appropriate whenever symptoms get bad.


Antibiotics for respiratory infections are often inappropriate. For example, how many people on this forum were prescribed antibiotics for bronchitis? Zero percent of acute bronchitis cases are bacterial. Zero. Yet in my health region alone, 70 percent of patients diagnosed with acute bronchitis were prescribed antibiotics

[OutOfTheCube]

There was a swab done, but that was on Thursday, and it's the long weekend. Doc said if it WAS mono then I would develop a rash in reaction to the penicillin. This hasn't happened.

Won't know for sure until Tuesday I suppose. Just getting sick of this one. As a note, it has VASTLY improved over the last 24 hours, just a few frustrating symptoms hanging on, most notably the lack of sleep.

[metallicat]

Thoughts and prayers if you have strep or mono, but suck in a big way.

[T@T]

I can't remember ever having a sore throat, I had my tonsils out at 3. Both my kids get sprep all the time yet the doctors refuse to do surgery claiming "risks" yet 40-50+ years ago it was a common procedure, Over half the kids I grew up with had them taken out without any problems. Yes, the recovery is painfull if your older but it's well worth it.

It's a complete conspiracy for doctors and drug companies not to take them out.

[Captain_Obvious]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

As a pharmacist, it is quite frustrating to see the amount of prescriptions for antibiotics given for "strep throat" with no swab. This does two things:
-Increases antibiotic resistance in other bacteria due to overuse
-reinforce the dangerous misconception that antibiotics are appropriate whenever symptoms get bad.


Antibiotics for respiratory infections are often inappropriate. For example, how many people on this forum were prescribed antibiotics for bronchitis? Zero percent of acute bronchitis cases are bacterial. Zero. Yet in my health region alone, 70 percent of patients diagnosed with acute bronchitis were prescribed antibiotics

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by T@T

I can't remember ever having a sore throat, I had my tonsils out at 3. Both my kids get sprep all the time yet the doctors refuse to do surgery claiming "risks" yet 40-50+ years ago it was a common procedure, Over half the kids I grew up with had them taken out without any problems. Yes, the recovery is painfull if your older but it's well worth it.

It's a complete conspiracy for doctors and drug companies not to take them out.

Having your tonsils out will not stop strep throat, only tonsillitis.



/conspiracy

[Machiavelli]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

As a pharmacist, it is quite frustrating to see the amount of prescriptions for antibiotics given for "strep throat" with no swab. This does two things:
-Increases antibiotic resistance in other bacteria due to overuse
-reinforce the dangerous misconception that antibiotics are appropriate whenever symptoms get bad.


Antibiotics for respiratory infections are often inappropriate. For example, how many people on this forum were prescribed antibiotics for bronchitis? Zero percent of acute bronchitis cases are bacterial. Zero. Yet in my health region alone, 70 percent of patients diagnosed with acute bronchitis were prescribed antibiotics

That is absolutely false.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Having your tonsils out will not stop strep throat, only tonsillitis.



/conspiracy

Your a pharmacist not a doctor. 95% of strep throat is on the tonsils,99% of people without tonsils never get it or know they have it and it's by far the most severe and painful, only a month ago a doctor told me this.

Ask your doctor.

[REDVAN]

I've had strep a half dozen times or so, all of them in a span about 6/7 years ago when I started at university. I kept getting bugs, but antibiotics kept working.

About a month ago or maybe 6 weeks, I got a brutal sore throat, went to a walk-in, given a script for antibiotics, but they did nothing and the sore throat took a few weeks to subside. Developed a cough, and it's still lingering- although it minght be my asthma as I am in a different part of the world right now.

I have a few friends of friends who've had something similar- including a girl I know who had to go to the hospital for this bug. Seems like it's going around.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by T@T

Your a pharmacist not a doctor. 95% of strep throat is on the tonsils,99% of people without tonsils never get it or know they have it and it's by far the most severe and painful, only a month ago a doctor told me this.

Ask your doctor.

I stand corrected.


/conspiracy on

[ken0042]

I had my tonsils out a few years ago. (I even have a thread on here about it.)

As brutal as it was at the time- I am now almost never sick; and I rarely get a sore throat/ strep/ tonsillitis. I was in my early 20's as well when my troubles started- and didn't have my tonsils out until my mid 30s. Every year after 18 the tonsillectomy gets harder and harder to recover from; so if these problems keep coming back ask about getting your tonsils out.

And yes- when I would have problems with my throat it would last for 10-14 days easily. Gargle with salt water or scope if you can handle it; and gargle often.

Oh- and if Fotze offers to help with his own "throat remedy"- I recommend declining.

[OutOfTheCube]

The fortunate thing is that the sore throat is almost entirely gone. Just weirdly exhausted all day, and difficulty sleeping. It's unpleasant. And my whole mouth is numb from the receding infection so food doesnt taste like anything... but that's just nitpicking

And this is the first time I've had strep, or a sore throat even close to this severe. I get them with colds every now and then, so I'm not too concerned with it recurring down the road.

[Young-Sneezy]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

I'm on Day 6 of strep throat now and it's been the most awful sickness of my life. The antibiotics finally started kicking in yesterday and the sore throat has all but disappeared (thank god), but a number of symptoms are still kicking around.

For one I'm having huge difficulties sleeping, at any time of day. I'm mentally and physically exhausted so I feel like I should be sleeping, but my body just wont go out for any significant amount of time. Any advice on this?

Also getting lots of little hot flashes, not sure if it's normal.

Pregnant, or menopause

[Northendzone]

Does it burn when you pee at all?

[Nage Waza]

I had strep, then they determined I had mono, then a year or so later they figured out it was a thyroid issue. I never had strep or mono, so good luck figuring it out!