Strep Throat :-(

[Cass]

I have the WORST sore throat in my life, I can't remember being in such pain when trying to swallow.

I totally lost my voice today, just little squeaks coming out of me although I am yelling - my husband is laughing at me and I think is happy about me losing my voice

Went to the doc's today and have antibiotics - anyone know how long it takes to kick in and give relief? took my first pill at 4pm... 10pm.. 3 am (couldn't sleep) I just feel miserable. If only it would feel a little better, right now it is the worst - like swallowing razor blades or glass.

Any tips for getting over this?

 

[shortbun]

You can take 4- 200mg advil at one time for a while. It helps. Cepastat is the best throat losenge. hard to find. cold water actually helps with swelling in the throat. Meds usually take 2 days with me. Some people get relief earlier. Sorry you're sick.

 

[epcotfan]

You probably need some acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain relief. Antibiotics on their own usually don't help with pain. Tylenol with codiene will help but can upset some people's stomachs. Ibuprofen is another alternative as it acts as an anti-inflammitory but can also bother sensitive stomachs. If you choose either (and those medications bother your tummy), try to eat something first or take it with gravol. Hope you feel better.

 

[Cass]

Thanks, at least I don't have a fever or anything... I feel fine other than my thoat and losing my voice. I will have to get some losenges tomorrow, I don't have anything like that in the house. I have not had very much to drink at all, I literally cannot even swallow water - it's torture to take the pills

 

[Cass]

I just have tylenol in the house - I just took 3! but so hard to get them down. Forget eating though, I can't swallow food at all. I will make some soup in the morning - well later in the morning lol

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Just make sure you stay home and rest today! You should be feeling better by tomorrow I would think. Strep - blech!
Hope you're feeling better soon.

 

[Cass]

Thanks, I am just feeling really sorry for myself - everyone is sleeping peacefully and I am up miserable. I am taking tomorrow off and watching movies. I just wish I would get a tiny bit of relief - it feels worse now then earlier today.

I should have went to the docs sooner... I just was too busy at my office and let it go too long.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

You definitely have the right to feel sorry for yourself. I love to whine when I'm not feeling well. I actually get alot of sympathy from my DH because I usually save the whine for when I really need it! I get pampered and waited on. Its the only good thing about being sick.
Hope you're feeling better soon - and FYI - it is tomorrow. I'm dis'ing before I get ready for work!

 

[Melwood23]

I can deeply sympathize with you. I had it in April 2005. But it took a week to find out. It started on a friday eveing, figured it was just my usual sore throat I get when a cold is coming on. Well by Monday, it was hurting bad, usually my sore throats last about 24hrs. So called off work. Tues I was at the point I couldn't even eat cause it hurt. So called the Dr, made an appointment first thing Wed morning. Well I woke up (if you can call what I had sleep) around 3am and my whole entire throat was on fire. So I ended up going to the ER cause was terrified of what was going on. I had never had Strep before. Well they took 2 cultures, one was like a fast acting one, and the other would take a couple days before results. The fast one said it was not Strep, but viral, so they just gave me cough medicine and basically told me to take Tylenol. I then went to my reg appointment with my Dr, and though he suspected Strep, he couldn't put me on antibiotics till the other culture results came in. So I had been off work for 3 days, and the Dr tells me to stay home the rest of the week. I call work and find out we have Fri off cause of Good Friday. Anyways by the following Monday, the culture results came back, yes it was Strep, Now they could give me antibiotics. By Wed there was hardly any soreness left... I was never so happy to be able to get a good nights sleep, drink anything and EAT food again.

Sorry that was long, but it is an experience I hope never to repeat.

 

[Cass]

Well I had 90 minutes of tossing and turning and I'm up again getting my ready for school.

Melwood, you had to wait so long before you recieved treatment

The doc I saw today said she was sure it was strep and gave me antibiotics, but she did not do a swab.

 

[sweetspicy]

I think the other posters' advice has been good. I had strep throat like five years ago and it was so horrible, I couldn't even sit up hardly. Anyway, get lots of rest and take these medicines and feel better soon!

 

[CEDmom]

You can take 4- 200mg advil at one time for a while.

Just be careful with this, I did it a few years ago on my dr advice and broke out in hives. They were almost as bad as the original pain. I don't have an allergies or sensitivities to anything so I don't know why it happened. I do remember having to go to the drug store at 1am for Benedryl. Poor DH had gone late the night before for the Advil and was dead asleep.

Hope you feel better soon. The antibiotics should kick in by the 2nd dose. Maybe someone could get you some popsicles they would help a lot getting fluids into you and with the pain.

 

[Cass]

I'd really like a Mickey Ice cream bar

 

[Melwood23]

Cass: I don't know why it took so long, granted I should of made an appointment that first monday, but I am the type that will no go to the Dr., unless I just can't get rid of whatever is the problem. Course now, everytime I get a sore throat I am going immediately go lol. I think lost like 4 lbs, but that is not how I would do it!

I think I survived on water, soup and ice cream...mostly the ice cream so not sure how I lost 4lbs

 

[epcotfan]

Yes, definitely try some ice cream or other cool food. You might want to try alternating the Tylenol with Ibuprofen. Sometimes that does the trick.

 

[Cass]

I am actually not hungry at all, my DD is eating waffles and I have no interest at all. IF I ever get a sore throat again I will be at the doctors soooo fast! I learned my lesson.

 

[Muushka]

In my own strep experience, I always had a pretty high fever (in addition to the very sore (have to spit in a pan rather than swallow bad) throat).

When I have the very sore throat without (a pretty high) fever, it has been either sinus (in which case I need antibiotics) or a virus (woke up at WDW a few weeks ago with a sore throat that I would swear was strep) which when I went to the doc was diagnosed as coxsackie virus.

With strep, you should feel better pretty quickly with the antibiotics (next day feel better). With a virus (like the one I had recently) you will be sicker longer (because the antibiotics won't do a thing) and with a sinus infection, well, you can imagine when all that mucus starts to break up. Yuck

Hope you feel better soon. It surprises me that they didn't test for strep.

 

[Crokette]

A thyme herbal tea sugared with honey, and some lemon drops could help fighting it.
And a silk scarf around your neck, too.
All this tips come from my grand-mother and it works really good on me
Get well soon

 

[Pea-n-Me]

You should feel better today after the antibiotics kick in.

My kids both had it this week, and I was cultured yesterday myself. My DD had been really sick, but was amazingly back to her old self within a day.

Today you have to change your toothbrushes and clean the area in your bathroom where they're kept really well with Lysol type cleaner. It's a good idea to run your toothbrushes through the dishwasher every week or two as a precaution anyway.

Hope you feel better soon! Enjoy the movies.

 

[Muushka]

That is the one thing I like about strep, it is short lived once you start the antibiotics.