Sore throat for 12 days...stumped!

[DLgal]

peppermint tea helps. Hope you feel better soon.

I cannot stand tea of any kind, BUT I have gotten great temporary relief from chewing peppermint Orbit gum! So soothing.

 

[DLgal]

I just went through this. It's miserable!! Did the strep test get sent out? (The rapid is notoriously wrong.) If so, what was the result? If positive, might need a different ABX. If not sent, get tested again. ALSO, if strep negative, ask Dr for MONO and CMV tests. Note that both of these are VIRUSES and ABX will not do anything. You'll have to ride them out if that's the case.

Thank you. I will ask for a retest of strep as well as the mono test. Since I got the strep test at the ER, they didn't send it out for culture.

What was your diagnosis?

 

[DLgal]

Here's another perspective... My chronic sore throat was caused by laryngeal GERD. Basically, I had heartburn in my throat. I hardly ever got heartburn, but it settled in my throat. I'm on prescription Nexium every day for it and I no longer have a sore throat.

Yes, I have heard of this. However, I have swollen neck glands and the pain has been moving around to different parts of my throat, and came on very suddenly. I'd perhaps consider this if I had a chronic, minor sore throat. But this is very severe pain. Also, I had an endoscopy less than a year ago and have no evidence of GERD at all.

 

[DLgal]

I have no advice or experiences to share, but I just wanted to wish you a speedy recovery. What you are going through sounds absolutely miserable. Let us know how you are doing; you will definitely be in my thoughts.

Thank you. I appreciate the good thoughts. This is literally the worst sore throat I've ever had. It's truly awful.

 

[Sarcazm]

I haven't read the other comments, so forgive me if this has been suggested.

Did your doctor actually test for and confirm strep?

If it is strep, it could be resistant to the drug you are taking. You would need to get a prescription for another antibiotic.

My son used to have ear infections all the time, and they were always resistant to amoxicillin. He once went through 3 different kinds of antibiotics before I finally got him in to see an ENT and get tubes in his ears.

 

[Shanti]

I have not, but those are anti-viral's, yes? They wouldn't help. My dentist once gave me an ointment to use on them, but it only helped if it was applied right when I first noticed one starting. Also, it said right on the tube "for external use only" so that was comforting.

I recommend trying it. Works like a charm for me, and absolutely nothing else works for mine. It's a pill, so easy to take: just once a day for 2 or 3 days during flare ups.

 

[dakotix]

I cannot stand tea of any kind, BUT I have gotten great temporary relief from chewing peppermint Orbit gum! So soothing.

I feel for you. I've gone through this and it's so frustrating.

 

[pweyl36]

I called and earliest I can see my doctor is Thursday morning, so I made that appointment. I don't want to go back to the Urgent Care/Walk In. I want to see my doctor this time!

It has to run its course, nothing more can be done. Im dealing with a double ear infection and severe cough. I was given antibiotics a cough meds. nothing more can be done. It doesn't just go away once you get an anitibotic . also you really shouldn't of been been given the anitbioitics for a sore throat you did have strep.

 

[DLgal]

It has to run its course, nothing more can be done. Im dealing with a double ear infection and severe cough. I was given antibiotics a cough meds. nothing more can be done. It doesn't just go away once you get an anitibotic . also you really shouldn't of been been given the anitbioitics for a sore throat you did have strep.

The ENT gave me the antibiotics because he thought it was an infected tonsil, not strep.

 

[Imzadi]

I cannot stand tea of any kind, BUT I have gotten great temporary relief from chewing peppermint Orbit gum! So soothing.

Have you tried Cloraseptic spray or their throat lozengers? They have some numbing ingredient, so it numbs the throat so one can swallow without it hurting all the time. You can get it at any drugstore over the counter. It's a real god send.

 

[DLgal]

Have you tried Cloraseptic spray or their throat lozengers? They have some numbing ingredient, so it numbs the throat so one can swallow without it hurting all the time. You can get it at any drugstore over the counter. It's a real god send.

I have the lozenges. I used to use the spray when I was a kid. I didn't know they still made that stuff.

 

[Imzadi]

I have the lozenges. I used to use the spray when I was a kid. I didn't know they still made that stuff.

Yes, now it tastes better. Get the cherry flavor. Stay away from the yellow one. That was the awful flavor we had as kids.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I have the lozenges. I used to use the spray when I was a kid. I didn't know they still made that stuff.

Yes, now it tastes better. Get the cherry flavor. Stay away from the yellow one. That was the awful flavor we had as kids.

When I worked with our local little theater group, I discovered Cloraseptic spray. A long time ago. It was green and it tasted like the white paste we had in elementary school. (Don't kid me, we all tasted it).

I didn't like the lozenges, though, as the lozenge has to sit on the tongue and it didn't taste that good. The spray could be directly applied to the back of the throat. And I really hated the red stuff.

 

[DLgal]

When I worked with our local little theater group, I discovered Cloraseptic spray. A long time ago. It was green and it tasted like the white paste we had in elementary school. (Don't kid me, we all tasted it).

I didn't like the lozenges, though, as the lozenge has to sit on the tongue and it didn't taste that good. The spray could be directly applied to the back of the throat. And I really hated the red stuff.

Yep, I remember the green spray. Ugh, it was awful.

I don't like the lozenges either because they make my tongue numb and I hate that feeling. I never even noticed the spray at the drug store. Maybe I need to look harder.

 

[gemini2727]

Your symptoms sound pretty severe, so it's a long shot, but when my TMJ gets bad I feel like I have a sore throat and ear ache on one side. I was treated one time for a sinus infection when it was really TMJ pain...any history of that?

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

I had a canker sore type ulcer way back in my throat once in conjunction with a bad cold. It's only happened once but yeah it was pretty terrible. Canker sores are bad enough when they're in the front of the mouth, but it was pretty excruciating further back. At one point I figured out I could get a q-tip back there, so I would put some orajel numbing stuff on the q-tip and dab that on every so often. It took a long time to go away, and then the spot where it had been was visible even years later.

 

[BLAZEY]

Nothing new to try as everything I could suggest has already be suggested. I just want to wish you luck tomorrow with the doctor and hope the you doctor is able to give you and answer and some relief.

 

[mummabear]

We had Strep go through our house like wildfire, all 5 of us like dominoes. Worst sore throat I have ever had, swallowing was excruciating.
It has been over w weeks and we are still fighting it.

Good luck with your doctor tomorrow.
I also suggest the numbing sprays being way more successful that throat lozenges.

 

[Alicenwonderment]

They should have sent the strep screen out. Could it be thrush? Have you been on other antibiotics lately? Good luck!!

 

[Imzadi]

When I worked with our local little theater group, I discovered Cloraseptic spray. A long time ago. It was green and it tasted like the white paste we had in elementary school. (Don't kid me, we all tasted it).

I didn't like the lozenges, though, as the lozenge has to sit on the tongue and it didn't taste that good. The spray could be directly applied to the back of the throat. And I really hated the red stuff.

Yep, I remember the green spray. Ugh, it was awful.

I don't like the lozenges either because they make my tongue numb and I hate that feeling. I never even noticed the spray at the drug store. Maybe I need to look harder.

Oh, yes, the spray was green. I think I was able to get the lozenges in yellow as I didn't want a green tongue and a sore throat. Neither flavor tasted good.

And I also preferred the spray to the lozenges as the lozenges numbed the tongue instead of the throat where I needed it.