Differentiating Strep from viral sore throat

[JAG10]

Those of you who as adults get strep throat....can you feel a difference between a strep caused sore throat and a viral strep throat?

 

I have a sore throat now and I went to my Walgreens (the NP told me she has another pandas mom she's always swabbing too) to get a strep test. Negative and they sent out a culture. fine. Still no congestion, still hurts to swallow. My T & A are out.

 

Those of you who get both...do you feel anything different? I said to her "It feels like it started on the right side and is moving toward the left." She said that sounds like it could be strep. So viral sore throats don't develop that way? My glands weren't swollen that she could appreciate, I didn't have a fever, but I didn't feel great either. This little investigation with Q & A cost me $95 dollars which I realize is small potatoes through the PANDAS prism, but I thought I'd ask the group that would know: As adults, does strep feel any different than a virus?

 

And, yes, I know both can trigger our kids.

[P_Mom]

Hi Jill!

 

Hey, a bit off topic. I recommend you get some home strep tests....they can save you lots of time and money. I couldn't do without them now! They work...they are the exact same things they use to swab you at the docs. 3 years of using them for sore throats and they have never failed me. Detected strep when it was there....negative when it wasn't. Whenever anyone gets a sore throat...I just swab and go from there....quite confident in them.

[JAG10]

<br>Hi Jill!<br><br>Hey, a bit off topic.  I recommend you get some home strep tests....they can save you lots of time and money.  I couldn't do without them now!  They work...they are the exact same things they use to swab you at the docs.  3 years of using them for sore throats and they have never failed me.  Detected strep when it was there....negative when it wasn't.  Whenever anyone gets a sore throat...I just swab and go from there....quite confident in them.<br>

<br><br>Hey Kelly....do you swab yourself?<br><br>BTW-I always wondered about that picture too<br> Edited September 24, 2010 by JAG10

[P_Mom]

Yes, I swab myself, it is easy.

[PhillyPA]

Where do you buy the rapid strep tests?

[thereishope]

Well, as a child, I had tonsilitis all the time. Being told it tonsilitis was viral and not actual strep throat. However....my ped as a child always gave me penicillin when I had it. I personally think I did have strep as child. Maybe not every time, but I can't belive all those numerous times were always just tonsilitis.

 

I don't really remember having such a sore throat I couldn't swallow, but I did have horrible white patches all over them and a yucky taste.

[P_Mom]

Just Goggle strep testing kits.....many choices will pop up!

[Packer Fan]

I can often tell from other symptoms. If I have strep, i usually have a bad headache and often times a stomach ache. I have joint pains as well. If in doubt, the home strep kits do work great! Good luck.

[wornoutmom]

Well, I can honestly say that the worst sore throat I've had as an adult (felt like swallowing glass) I was told was not strep, but from nasal drainage. The one time I did have strep as an adult it made me REALLY sick. Kind of like the flu - very swollen throat, fever, chills, muscle pain,exhaustion. Except for the H1N1 last year, it's the sickest I've been as a grown up...

[JAG10]

Let me ask this.....

 

In a non-pandas individual, can strep "go away" on its own without antibiotic treatment? Or could you know it is strep because it won't resolve without treatment?

 

Does strep result in the person developing a greenish mucus they cough up eventually? Does viral sore throat do the same thing?

 

I don't know/remember ever having strep throat. But, I had my tonsils removed when I was 21 due to "chronic pharyngitis." I would have thought that the difference is a viral infection simply has to run its course, but a bacterial one the body cannot defeat without the assistance of abx....is that right?

 

I'm home sick today, btw...low grade fever, fatigue, my throat feels a little better, but I also developed some mild congestion so I'm thinking viral.

[thereishope]

I think in a person with a normal immune system, strep can eventually clear up on its own. So, it is possible anyone with a normal immune could have strep before and not known it. I don't know how long it would take to clear up on its own.

 

For viral throat problems, such as tonsilitis, there is no green phlegm. Green phlegm could indicate an infection like a sinus infection or perhaps pneumonia?

[peglem]

Let me ask this.....

 

In a non-pandas individual, can strep "go away" on its own without antibiotic treatment? Or could you know it is strep because it won't resolve without treatment?

 

Does strep result in the person developing a greenish mucus they cough up eventually? Does viral sore throat do the same thing?

 

I don't know/remember ever having strep throat. But, I had my tonsils removed when I was 21 due to "chronic pharyngitis." I would have thought that the difference is a viral infection simply has to run its course, but a bacterial one the body cannot defeat without the assistance of abx....is that right?

 

I'm home sick today, btw...low grade fever, fatigue, my throat feels a little better, but I also developed some mild congestion so I'm thinking viral.

A healthy immune system can clear strep w/o abx. I read somewhere that abx only shortens recovery time by a few days.

[JAG10]

Let me ask this.....

 

In a non-pandas individual, can strep "go away" on its own without antibiotic treatment? Or could you know it is strep because it won't resolve without treatment?

 

Does strep result in the person developing a greenish mucus they cough up eventually? Does viral sore throat do the same thing?

 

I don't know/remember ever having strep throat. But, I had my tonsils removed when I was 21 due to "chronic pharyngitis." I would have thought that the difference is a viral infection simply has to run its course, but a bacterial one the body cannot defeat without the assistance of abx....is that right?

 

I'm home sick today, btw...low grade fever, fatigue, my throat feels a little better, but I also developed some mild congestion so I'm thinking viral.

A healthy immune system can clear strep w/o abx. I read somewhere that abx only shortens recovery time by a few days.

 

YES...so if you have doctors saying "you need to have a,b,c symptoms X number of days before coming in or before they will treat you, that falls in line with what you just wrote, Peg. Which I guess would be fine if we weren't worried about exposing our kids..... IDK, dr. K just told me to focus on behavioral symptoms in my girl, not physical illness ones if there is no change in behavior. I've never been much of a germaphobe before and I'm having a hard time adjusting

[thereishope]

I say if there is physical symptoms that causes a red flag in a parent's mind, take them to the doctor! I don't know the time frame between contracting strep and finally having the antibodies start the chaos so if there's a chance I can catch that strep before any damage is done, I'll sure try!

Edited September 24, 2010 by Vickie

[JAG10]

I say if there is physical symptoms that causes a red flag in a parent's mind, take them to the doctor! I don't know the time frame between contracting strep and finally having the antibodies start the chaos so if there's a chance I can catch that strep before any damage is done, I'll sure try!

 

Absolutely, that makes total sense. She just doesn't get any physical symptoms, so we need to look out for the behavioral ones. This would be much easier if she did...now I'm just trying to look at those around her for physical clues AND her behaviors. When her little sister got strep 5 weeks ago, it took 5 days for her behaviors to show, but we had already increased her abx. Days 5-11 were h@ll, then she pulled out of it. If I hadn't had the clue from my younger one, it may have lasted longer.