<p>I think this all started with strep, but the amoxicillin wasn’t helping it at all. I have a very high tolerance for pain, but the sore throat I had, even after 3 days on amoxicillin was horrible. I could not drink anything. I could not even swallow my own spit because it hurt too bad (gross, but I just spit it out into tissues). She put me on Zithromax (Z-pak) and within 6 hours of taking the first two pills my sore throat pain was greatly reduced, and was gone by the next day.</p>
<p>I think I caught the seasonal flu because of my compromised immune system. That started on Friday and I have been on tamiflu; that seems to be helping my symptoms a lot.</p>
<p>When I was younger it seemed like after 24 hours on an antibiotic and my strep pain would be gone. This pain was unbelievable. I’m so grateful it’s gone now!</p>
<p>I have had great relief with Z-pack.
Last year, when S got the flu and awful strep throat, he started to vomit red blood. MD said rush him to ER. I had tried to get him to drink fluids (Gatorade, smoothies) for 2 days, and he kept saying ‘hurt too much’. In the ER, they put him on IVs, to replace fluids.</p>
<p>my point, drink as much as u can, and best to you</p>
<p>Similar experience recently - there is something wicked going around lately. A little tickle turned into a searingly painful sore throat that kept me up a couple of nights. This bug marched right down into my lungs and I began having trouble breathing. My doc perscribed the Z-Pack which cleared it right up. I was concerned about it bouncing back, since the Z-Pack is only 5 days, but my doc informed me that the Z-Pack continues to work in your system for 10 days after you finish the pills.</p>
<p>Sounds like something that we had last spring. The sore throat symptoms were nasty for a week and then gradually faded. I had it as did the kids - we didn’t use any kind of medication to deal with it.</p>
<p>So it’s 2.5 years later, but I’ll still reply. No test!?!? I didn’t think docs. did that any more, esp. since there are so many other reasons for sore throats besides strep, and since antibiotics are/were so over-prescribed. When I was 18, I went to my college nurse with a raging sore throat, who looked at me and said “Yep, looks like strep” and prescribed amoxicillan. After 2 days my throat/ears felt like they were on fire, which I thought was strange since I’d had strep a whole bunch in my life and usually within 24 hours the pain starts to subside. I finally went to my PCP and it turned out I had a severe case of mono with a side of tonsillitis. I’m actually dealing with a bad case of strep right now and just started taking antibiotics - I can not <em>wait</em> for them to kick in. Recently, about 4 months ago, I had yet another sore throat and went to the doc, only to find out it was just a head cold.
Anywho, hope that helps anyone.</p>
<p>I’m sure it’s better now–faster tests, better antibiotics.<br>
I had it LONG ago–remember it vividly as if yesterday. Hot mashed potatoes for a week–only thing that would go down my throat. I still feel it. I sat in hot showers hoping my throat would open enough to breathe. Never been so miserable. Thank god for my friends. they are still on my angel list. (please no-- why would you do that --at the time the school was throwing students in the infirmary with no release, you got quarantined, no joke–and I had stuff to do!)</p>
<p>I have lost count of the times I have been directly exposed to strep throat-kissing my husband, drinking after one of my kids, etc. Both Ds have had it many, many times. I have never once gotten it. I don’t understand it.</p>
<p>I did have a bad case of influenza once, and it came with the worst sore throat I’ve ever had in my life, as well as horrible body aches and 104 degree fever. Only thing that could be done at the time was tylenol for the fever and Lortab elixir for the throat pain. If not for that, I would have been begging for someone to take a pillow and just put me out of my misery. I have never felt so sick in my entire life.</p>
<p>When I had mono my only symptom was the world’s worst sore throat. I’d definitely at least get tested for strep. That seems very odd not to have done the test. I was the world’s meanest Mom I wouldn’t have my kid’s tested for strep until they’d had a sore throat for at least three days. In 20 years between the two of them there was only one case of strep.</p>
<p>I am often surprised and disappointed to hear about doctors who diagnose strep throat simply based on a look at the throat. The pediatricians with whom I used to work would always say you cannot tell if it’s strep simply by looking … a strep test must be done. We would do quick streps and, if those were negative, we would then do a culture (used two long cotton-tipped applicators at the same time to have a sample for each, if needed). I have friends who rave about their doctors calling in an antibiotic simply based on the symptoms told over the phone. I have to bite my tongue because I certainly wouldn’t want my doctor to do that. I have found that a viral sore throat usually lasts longer than strep because with strep, you have an antibiotic that goes to work fairly quickly. Antibiotics are no good for a virus and, in my opinion, are prescribed far too often.</p>
<p>I’m glad my kids are grown now so the strep throat thing is not so big an issue anymore.</p>
<p>As a microbiologist, it is surprising for me to hear how often docs diagnose and prescribe for strep with no testing. The rapid test is so quick. And yes, the negatives should be followed up with a culture sent to a lab. It is not unusual to see a pos culture after a negative rapid antigen test done in the office.</p>