Any tips for easing the pain of strep throat?

[luvwinnie]

I have strep for the first time in about 10 years (I"m on immunosuppressant drugs thanks to autoimmune disease)...dr. gave me 10 days of penicillin...ugh. But in the meantime, this is truly painful! Cepacol helps for about 15 minutes. Any other ideas? I can barely eat. Thanks.

 

[tiggersmom2]

Hi!

Sorry you are going through this, my youngest DS just got over it about 2 weeks ago. We found the best thing for pain relief was ibuprofen - it is an anti-inflammatory and works really well.

We also did a mylanta, benadryl and lidacain rinse that the pharmacist made up (no prescription necessary)

 

[disney4us2002]

My sons tend to get that quite a bit. Their doctor usually recommends salt water rinses, motrin, and lots of popcicles.

Incidentally, the over the counter ibuprofen dose is 200-400 mg, but the prescription dose is 800mg. Rather than a prescription, I have just taken 4 OTC's when I have a horrible headache.

 

[RitaZ.]

You can pour warm water in a cup/glass, then add an aspirin and a little bit of salt. The aspirin will dissolve, stir the solution and then gargle with it. A doctor suggested it to me years ago, and it really did help with the pain.

Feel better soon!

 

[luvwinnie]

THanks! I should have gotten ice pops when I was at the store before getting my med.

 

[mad4themouse]

I just wanted to add that if swallowing a pill is difficult for you (for DD14, strep throat meant barely being able to swallow even the smallest things), try childrens' Motrin or Advil - the liquid kind. It will go down much easier.

 

[Micca]

I have had two occasions where I had a sore throat for an extended period of time. The doc gave me steriods and the pain went away within a day. There were only a few pills to take and this was two different occasions several years apart.

 

[LuvTigger]

The last few times I had a sore throat, I made a kind of hot lemonade. I don't really use a recipe, but I put sugar, maybe 1-2 tablespoons, and lemon juice, about 2 T, in a coffee cup, and filled it with hot water and stirred it together until the sugar dissolved.

Hope you feel better very soon!

 

[Serena]

No ideas, but I hope you're feeling better soon.

 

[Kitty 34]

Some nice suggestions here. I sure hope one works for you and you feel better real soon!

 

[Pop Daddy]

stand on your head and gargle while blowing your nose

 

[poohkinandpiglet]

My doctor gave me a prescription for a compound mixture of liquid benadryl and lidocaine. It was thick like cough syrup and you use a dropper to drip it into the back of your throat. It coats and numbs the sore spots. It was wonderful!

I saved the empty bottle so I can persuade my new doctor to write a prescription for it the next time I get strep.

 

[Jasminesmommy]

tylenol sore throat works well but taste bad. use a heating pad. I get them like 2xs a year but its a cyst that forms at the back of my troat that causes this pain.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I ate (or drank) a lot of egg drop soup when I had strep. We'd never had it (strep, not egg drop soup ) before and I was SO sick. Felt like I was hit by a semi!

T&B

 

[browneyes]

Hot tea. Putting a warm washcloth on your throat will ease some of the pain too. And just as soon as it cools off, the washcloth will feel good on the back of your neck to relieve some of your head discomfort.

 

[MScott1851]

Can you go back the doctor and ask for a Bicillin shot. 10 days of Penicillin by mouth stinks. Plain and simple, you would get better quicker with an injection.

 

[luvwinnie]

Mscott, thanks...unfortunately, not crazy about this dr's office (looking for a new one) so not really comfortable enough with them to do that, plus I can't leave work early. One side does feel better today though!

Thank you all. The warm wash cloth sounds good.

 

[NMAmy]

Oh, now, I always look at strep or a sore throat as a license to eat just as much ice cream as I want! If I'm going to be sick, I might as well enjoy it.

 

[disneyatl]

I agree with the above poster.....go get a shot. 10 days of antibiotics is a pain in the rear. That shot will only last a second and believe me the medicine will get in your system so much faster which in turn will make you feel better quicker.

 

[luvwinnie]

Do you mean they can give ONE injection INSTEAD OF all these pills? Any idea why don't they just do that then? I remember as a kid I'd get a shot AND pills.