Sore throat for 12 days...stumped!

[Imzadi]

Sounds horrible. I can't stand when I've had throat problems & can't swallow just for a couple days. Hope you figure it out soon. Maybe try a different ENT?

Thanks for sharing. It's definitely not allergies. I have had allergies when we lived on the east coast and since we moved back to CA, I've had no issues. Our pollen levels are in the low-moderate range currently.

You can get an allergy to something at any time. Did you bring something new into the house? Bought anything new recently? Are you around a new animal more? Have you switched your diet and are eating something you didn't used to eat before? Also, you may have become allergic to one of the known allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, wheat, milk. There's a couple more that I don't remember off-hand.

Has it been raining more this year in CA? Maybe there's mold growing from all the moisture. Have the Santa Ana winds started yet? Maybe a neighbor has something in their yard, animal or flora, and the spores or dander are blowing your way an causing an allergic reaction?

 

[smokeyblue]

What about a weird case of Shingles? I have a friend who had shingles almost entirely in her mouth.

I've had shingles in my throat and it was probably the worst thing I've ever experienced and I've been through a lot. There was absolutely nothing that touched the pain and it would not go away. Eating or drinking anything was like an electric jolt from my throat through my ear. My throat was so raw and glands so swollen I sounded like I had been smoking for 30 years. My primary doctor's office didn't know what to do. The first ENT was stumped. The second ENT said shingles and sent me to an infectious disease doc. The infectious disease doc put me on anti-virals and within a week or so I could actually function as a human being again. I'd get little flares again and again over the first year or so, but not nearly the intensity.

 

[DLgal]

Do you have small kids around? When my daughter was 4, she had a minor sore throat. the next two days, I was laid on my back with a high fever and the weird sores you describe in your throat. Herpangina is a minor disease for little kids, but attacks adults much more virulently. However, one would think you would have gotten over a viral infection by now. I would think localized shingles given the pain you describe.

No, my kids are young teens. I did think about herpangina, but the timeline doesn't seem right since that one resolves in a week or so, for the most part. Plus, the sores only appeared yesterday, on day 11. Not sure that is how that virus usually progresses.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I definitely think you made the right call booking another appointment with your own doc. Go in with a list of the things you are wondering about - mono, shingles, etc. - and show it to him/her. That way, you can expect either tests, or explanations of why they don't need to test, for each one.

 

[DLgal]

Sounds horrible. I can't stand when I've had throat problems & can't swallow just for a couple days. Hope you figure it out soon. Maybe try a different ENT?



You can get an allergy to something at any time. Did you bring something new into the house? Bought anything new recently? Are you around a new animal more? Have you switched your diet and are eating something you didn't used to eat before? Also, you may have become allergic to one of the known allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, wheat, milk. There's a couple more that I don't remember off-hand.

Has it been raining more this year in CA? Maybe there's mold growing from all the moisture. Have the Santa Ana winds started yet? Maybe a neighbor has something in their yard, animal or flora, and the spores or dander are blowing your way an causing an allergic reaction?

No, nothing new. No new foods, no animals in the house at all, no new soaps or anything. I really don't think it is an allergy. It hasn't rained here in months and I live in a condo complex with the same plants that have been here for 3 years. We don't keep our windows open because my son actually is allergic to practically all the local grasses and trees. Our house is basically pollen free. We have allergy filters, air purifiers, and vacuum daily. Our home is only 3 years old and molds aren't an issue here really, as a rule.

 

[Christine]

About 10 years ago, I had something similar happen. Very bad sore throat on one side. Tonsil looked okay but it was really painful. Finally I went in and my one tonsil just looked funny and appeared to a covered in a "sore." My doctor put me on a antibiotic which did nothing. It was the most painful I've ever had. Finally it started to heal and the one big sore started receding. As it did that, you could then see that it was that I had what seemed to be 4-5 canker sore-like things that were so large they looked like one. As they shrunk you could see each little "bed" of the ulcer. Weirdest thing I've ever had. Extremely painful. I think it lasted close to two weeks.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

I’d go to the urgent care anyway to get a throat culture done otherwise you’ll be waiting even longer for the results if you don’t have one till Thursday.

 

[BrianL]

About 10 years ago, I had something similar happen. Very bad sore throat on one side. Tonsil looked okay but it was really painful. Finally I went in and my one tonsil just looked funny and appeared to a covered in a "sore." My doctor put me on a antibiotic which did nothing. It was the most painful I've ever had. Finally it started to heal and the one big sore started receding. As it did that, you could then see that it was that I had what seemed to be 4-5 canker sore-like things that were so large they looked like one. As they shrunk you could see each little "bed" of the ulcer. Weirdest thing I've ever had. Extremely painful. I think it lasted close to two weeks.

That's pretty much what I had. I am prone to apthous ulcers so I wasn't surprised, but I had never had a cluster on my tonsil before. It was pretty painful at it's height too!

 

[frostedpink]

I would ask about a different antibiotic. Some bacteria is resistant to amoxicillin so that could be why it’s not helping

 

[Shanti]

Last night, I had what looked like canker sores in the back of my throat (1) and on the tip of my uvula (1). The pain is now compounded by the sharp kind of pain you get from canker sores.

Unfortunately, if you are a canker sore sufferer, then you know, there is really no treatment...

Canker sores can coincide with a sore throat. I get nasty ones on occassion that make it painful to swallow or talk, and 500mg of valacyclovir (an antiviral) per day for just a few days clears them up completely. Canker sores are viral, not bacterial, so antibiotics won't get rid of them. Ask your doctor for an antiviral.

 

[Micca]

Yeah, the steroids worked immediately and gave me relief for an entire day. I have been resting, for the most part. I'm a stay at home mom, but my kids are older and in school all day. I haven't done anything like exercise in about 10 days.

That's pretty much happened to me--the steroids worked gangbusters but after I burned through the first round I felt like my throat was getting worse again. That's when I asked for more steroids. I think they don't like people to stay on the steroids for too long but by the time I finished the second round I was much better. Good luck!

 

[low-key]

anytime I get a little bit sick and not sure what it is I just assume its a giant incurable cancer running thru my body

 

[BrianL]

Canker sores can coincide with a sore throat. I get nasty ones on occassion that make it painful to swallow or talk, and 500mg of valacyclovir (an antiviral) per day for just a few days clears them up completely. Canker sores are viral, not bacterial, so antibiotics won't get rid of them. Ask your doctor for an antiviral.

It is ideend painful and that was the first time I had one that far back. Mine are not viral though, they are apthous ulcers, which resemble the viral kind, but are not. Unfortunately the cause is not known, therefore treatment is difficult.

 

[mumto3girls]

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.

 

[Shanti]

It is ideend painful and that was the first time I had one that far back. Mine are not viral though, they are apthous ulcers, which resemble the viral kind, but are not. Unfortunately the cause is not known, therefore treatment is difficult.

Have you ever tried acyclovir or valacyclovir for them?

 

[dakotix]

peppermint tea helps. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[BrianL]

Have you ever tried acyclovir or valacyclovir for them?

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.

 

[Gigi22]

Could it be a combination of a couple of things at once? The worst sore throat I can recall was from a combo of an impacted wisdom tooth, mono and strep throat. This was many years ago, I had to get my antibiotic prescription (mega doses of penicillin) renewed because the strep was so persistent. I lived for about three weeks on vanilla milkshakes and custard...and lots of hot tea with honey.

 

[Bren's Mom]

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.

 

[RUDisney]

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.