Strep throat

[octothorp]

Meh, strep throat is so mainstream. Try having a streptococcus infection on your hands. One of the most painful weeks of my life. I got the 'huh, never seen that before,' reaction from the doctor at the health clinic.

[Nammer403]

I had strep. Then turned into mono I never wanna to through that ever again. Had a lot of tea, and sleep.

[stampsx2]

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.

Since you are a pharmacist i have a question,

Why is it that every fall i get the flu followed by a cold? I eat right, get rest, don't drink out of other peoples cups and even move away when someone sneezes close to me when theres a bug going arund. Yet every year, same thing.

Is it in the water, in the air, what is it, and why every fall?

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

Since you are a pharmacist i have a question,

Why is it that every fall i get the flu followed by a cold? I eat right, get rest, don't drink out of other peoples cups and even move away when someone sneezes close to me when theres a bug going arund. Yet every year, same thing.

Is it in the water, in the air, what is it, and why every fall?

It would be a crazy coincidence to have a flu followed by a cold every year at the same time.

Fall is always worse for colds and flu due to people getting in closer contact being indoors more and the virus factories known as children go to school to increase the viral loads un the community. Most colds/flus are picked up from hard surfaces and can be washed away.

There are few proven ways to decrease your chance of getting sick:

-wash hands
-flu shot
-live in isolation
-getting proper sleep and eating well, while not proven are at least a good idea.


Vitamin c, echinacea, Airborne, Cold FX (controversial, at the very most still not worth the money imo imo), etc do not help.

[habernac]

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.

I had my tonsils out almost 40 years ago and I still get the odd sore throat. I'm one of the lucky ones who has the horrible strep throat that is going around right now. Getting your tonsils removed is certainly not a guarantee that you're immune to this stuff.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

Since you are a pharmacist i have a question,

Why is it that every fall i get the flu followed by a cold? I eat right, get rest, don't drink out of other peoples cups and even move away when someone sneezes close to me when theres a bug going arund. Yet every year, same thing.

Is it in the water, in the air, what is it, and why every fall?

I am going to guess that you don't actually get the flu (being influenza) which is a respiratory infection and shouldn't be confused with a norovirus infection which will send you to the bathroom with diarrhea and vomiting.

[stampsx2]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

I am going to guess that you don't actually get the flu (being influenza) which is a respiratory infection and shouldn't be confused with a norovirus infection which will send you to the bathroom with diarrhea and vomiting.

I think i'm confusing the few days before a cold with the flu. Anyway, thanks for all the advice.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Vitamin c, echinacea, Airborne, Cold FX (controversial, at the very most still not worth the money imo imo), etc do not help.

Question for you then- do you sell Cold FX at your store? Not trying to pick on you if you do; I'm just curious. There has been a claim in this thread that health practicioners do certain actions that place making money over peoples' health. I would think that if enough people stopped selling remedied that they didn't think worked- that it would be a benefit to the public.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Question for you then- do you sell Cold FX at your store? Not trying to pick on you if you do; I'm just curious. There has been a claim in this thread that health practicioners do certain actions that place making money over peoples' health. I would think that if enough people stopped selling remedied that they didn't think worked- that it would be a benefit to the public.

I do sell it. It is important to remember that people have choice. Cold FX is harmless and there is a large placebo effect with cold products. I also sell homeopathic remedies for various illnesses that I definitely don't recommend. I will never recommend something I don't have evidence for. Having said that, I'm in a business. Many of my patients have chosen to use these products despite my recommendations. I feel no ethical quandary exists if I am honest. I recommend buying nothing more than getting something at a ratio of at least 2:1.

Example:

Cold sores are a self limiting illness. Typical duration is 7 to 10 days. Both Abreva and Lipactin have to evidence that they are better than placebo, but not by much. I never recommend them as they are expensive and not overly helpful. I tell people that they will go away on their own without treatment. Many choose to buy it anyways. Should I then not sell it? I am a drug store and those choosing to buy it will expect it to be there will stop coming to my store if I don't carry what they want.

My issue is with the ethics of those who promote the product using misleading advertising or putting people's health at risk.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

I think i'm confusing the few days before a cold with the flu. Anyway, thanks for all the advice.

Many colds start with fever, aches, etc called a "viral prodrome". That is likely the confusion

[T@T]

Originally Posted by habernac

I had my tonsils out almost 40 years ago and I still get the odd sore throat. I'm one of the lucky ones who has the horrible strep throat that is going around right now. Getting your tonsils removed is certainly not a guarantee that you're immune to this stuff.

Unfortunately you found your way into the "about 5%" group, I'm sure it sucks but look on the bright side, with tonsils it likely would be much worst.

I guess I feel a little fortunate,of the 5 surgerys I've had in my 50 years three of them were to get ride of dumb organs (other two were broken bones)

Tonsils - true reason to have them is a little clouded,I was told possibly to stop bacteria,fungus or maybe viruses from entering threw the throat.(probably useful when early humans slept on the ground in the dirt)

Appendix - now useless and doesn't work for anything according to most experts(they think way back when it stopped poisons from entering vital organs..IE Liver)

Gall Bladder - useless unless your a freak who eats raw fat.(I had mine out 13 years ago and I swear I could eat nails and feel good) I seriously can count on one hand how many times I've had heartburn since.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Example:

Cold sores are a self limiting illness. Typical duration is 7 to 10 days. Both Abreva and Lipactin have to evidence that they are better than placebo,but not by much.

Home remedy that blows those ######ed products away..you need a small bit of pain threshold though!

Stick a pin or needle in the effect area (sterile of course) and put a blob of toothpaste on it,do this 2-3 times at bedtime and its as good as the expensive Valtrex pills.

The Propylene,Copolymier and Sodium in toothpaste destroy the virus if you can get it from the inside.

[ma-skis.com]

Originally Posted by T@T

Home remedy that blows those ######ed products away..you need a small bit of pain threshold though!

Stick a pin or needle in the effect area (sterile of course) and put a blob of toothpaste on it,do this 2-3 times at bedtime and its as good as the expensive Valtrex pills.

The Propylene,Copolymier and Sodium in toothpaste destroy the virus if you can get it from the inside.

I think this is the same idea as putting toothpaste on zits to make them heal faster... not sure if you pop them first or not though... maybe we need a crazy home remedy thread to see who has got the craziest ideas out there.

[TheGrimm]

Sounds like you may have mono... I had both Strep and Mono at the same time when I was 20ish.. Once the strep cleared out I found that I was just tired all the time, like exhausted... Was the best 2 weeks of my life though, all I did was sit in a reclining chair with a book, read/sleep/drink coffee/read/sleep/drink coffee.. I had zero commitments. I dream of it sometimes, the lack of commitments.. ahh.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by T@T

Home remedy that blows those ######ed products away..you need a small bit of pain threshold though!

Stick a pin or needle in the effect area (sterile of course) and put a blob of toothpaste on it,do this 2-3 times at bedtime and its as good as the expensive Valtrex pills.

The Propylene,Copolymier and Sodium in toothpaste destroy the virus if you can get it from the inside.

I would have a lot of trouble recommending that remedy...