TERRIBLE bout of strep throat!

[maherwoman]

When I was younger (note: teenager), I would get strep throat quite often (at least twice a year, sometimes three times), I was told mostly due to my larger-than-average tonsils. In fact, I had a dr tell me once, I should take note of how often it occurred, in order to present a case for their removal. And it wasn't that horrible, those times that I got it. I would mean I would have a hard time eating or some such, but that was about it...no big deal.

That was the last time I'd had it, and that was probably about ten years ago.

Well, this past week, I wound up getting it again. It started out as just one sore in my throat (back of my tongue, basically), then progressed until I had so many, my throat was raw and swollen. I couldn't eat, I couldn't talk...it was HORRIBLE.

I went through I think three days, trying to cope with this, thinking, "It'll get better, I'll see improvement, it'll be okay..." like the times I got it as a teen. But it just didn't. It just progressively got worse every day, until I was sitting in the doctor's office, crying from the pain of my swollen, painful throat.

The dr gave me Prednosone and Levoquin to handle things, and it certainly did, thank GOODNESS!!

But, I ask...has anyone gotten strep throat to that extent? I mean, I wound up with my throat being so sensitive, I was vomitting occassionally (my reaction sometimes to stress or pain), and couldn't eat anything for three days! I was desperately hungry, but everything that touched my throat (even certain kinds of juice, if they had too much natural acid content or sugar) would hurt! It was so awful...

When it was all done, and gone...I felt like I had a new lease on life. I've been taking the past few days to relish being able to eat and drink things again. Eating bread has been a thrill to me since healing, given that I couldn't even contemplate soft noodles before!

Gosh!

 

[naturestee]

Not to the point of vomiting (talk about adding insult to injury), but as a teen I did have strep so bad that the fever caused me to faint and I had trouble getting stuff like water and applesauce down. I originally thought I had an ear infection, but it just felt like that because the swelling had closed off a eustachian tube, making my ear hurt.

I'm glad you're starting to feel better though! It really sucks. I still can't eat strawberry flavored applesauce because that's what I mashed my pills up in and it makes me sick to think of it.

 

[maherwoman]

Yep! Sounds similar to what I had going on...

The swelling was truly awful. And like you said, vomiting sure didn't help the painful sores in my throat! My ear was starting to hurt, too, at one point, (I think from the swelling) and I had quite a bad fever at one point, but I stuck it out mostly because I really didn't want to have to see a doctor (I'm so stubborn, lol). Funny, too, since I had to see one later on, anyway.

I can't eat applesauce, either, because of a similar reason. When I was little, my stepmother would put my medicines in it, too. Ugh...lol!

 

[Luvr of Wabbits and Polar Bears]

I had Strep every couple of months i think when i was a child. They said it was cause my tonsils are split. I never had any vomiting I still don't when i get sick. As i became older I didn't get Strep as much.. The doctors never removed mine and still wont I asked a few years ago about it. I'm lucky now I rarely get it.

 

[pumpkinandwhiskersmom]

There must be a particularly caustic strain of strep going around this year. A gentleman from our church was actually hospitalized with a severe strep infection in his throat. He was there mainly for hydration due to his inability to take anything by mouth due to the extreme pain.

Glad you're feeling better. Make sure you continue to hydrate and get plenty of rest while your body continues to heal.

 

[mouse_chalk]

Oh gosh, you poor thing!

I can't imagine the vomiting when your throat is that sore being too pleasant either....

Not strep throat, but I remember when I had glandular fever/mono in September.... It was AWFUL. I couldn't eat, and ended up not being able to even drink water. I couldnt sleep for about 3 days because my throat was so swollen I'd just start choking, and I couldn't breathe properly at the worst point. Talking was waaaay out of the question lol. In the end it took a hospital trip/steroids and some VERY strong painkillers to sort me out, but it did work well!

I used to have tonsilitis regularly when I was in university- about 5 times within 5 months lol. It's really not pleasant, although it did save me money on buying food when i was a very poor student at the time because I couldn't eay anything

I'm glad you're starting to feel better..... May it stay away this time!

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

THe words Strep Throat are enough to send me into a total panic, i use to get it several times a year that they were going to take my tonsils out. When i use to get it i could not move my head because my neck felt stiff, my throat was so swollen that i could barely breath and i would jump up at night cause i stopped breathing, the pain!!!!!!!!!! OMG i would rather give birth then have strep, and i am not eggagerating , i would be on an anti biotic, tylenol with codeine , and something called magic mouth wash which basically i would gargle with to numb the back of my throat so that i could swallow the pills. I usually got strep right after i had a sinus infection so i was usually sick for a month at a time, and i got this several times a year,lol. I havent gotten it since, TOUCH WOOD, about four years ago but the pain and everything is still so fresh in my memory.

Hugs to anyone who gets that

 

[kherrmann3]

I got strep throat when I was younger. I recently (last summer) thought that I was having a bout with it again, but it wound up being tonsillitis! Woohoo! I also got these nasty little things called tonsilloliths, which are nasty and I don't feel like talking about them now. ANYWAY, the ear, nose & throat doctor (ENT) said that I should just get my tonsils about. I did, it sucked. I have yet to have another sore throat anything like strep/tonsillitis since then!

 

[wabbitmom12]

I rarely ever have any cold or anything in my chest...it's always from the neck up! Sinus infections, ear aches, swollen glands, infected glands, epiglottitis, and....strep throat!! Wheeee, what fun...NOT!

My worse case of strep was after having sinus surgery, 11 years ago. I have never been so miserable! My nose had to be broken during the surgery to repair the deviated septum (felt like I'd been hit in the face with a baseball bat!). All kinds of horrible things done to the sinuses, tube down the throat during the operation, etc. After the surgery, you have bloody post-nasal drip for weeks and weeks - I think that was the worst part of it, because it just kept my throat so irritated. The inside of the throat was so swollen I could barely breathe, much less swallow. At first the surgeon kept saying my throat was sore because of the tube in surgery, but after a couple of weeks, I was like, no, this is a STREP INFECTION!!! When he finallyhad me come in so he couldtake a look, it took him like, 3 seconds to agree.

Maherwoman, I am feelin' your pain!!

Do you ever use ice packs on your throat? I can usually get a little relief with that. It takes the swelling down a bit -even the internal swelling. It's not unusual for me to do ice packs for 45 minutes of every hour, for up to 12 hours, the first day of a bad sore throat.

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

Something i like to do whenever my throat starts to hurt is take a decongestant at night to help stop post nasal drip, gargle a few times a day with listerine and drink lots of fluids to rinse the throat. I dont know if this has helped over the years or i just have been lucky not to get strep anymore, but if i have somet hing that might ward off strep i am sure that you would like it,lol

 

[kherrmann3]

Gargling with salt water and drinking orange juice helps me, too. The orange juice burns like no other, but I swear that the vitamin C helps!

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

omg i can not gargle with salt water, i cant even take alkaseltzer the salty taste makes me start gaggin,lol.