Does your dr. always recheck for strep after treatment?

[ajcire]

It just occurred to me that we have never been told to have any of us rechecked after being treated for strep.. none of the doctors I have seen with my kids with strep have ever said to come back after a certain time to retest.... Am I the only one who has not been doing this?

[EAMom]

We do it with our younger dd b/c she never shows signs in the first place. I don't think a dr. ever told us we should do it...we just told the dr. what we wanted to do and they went along with it.

 

I don't think I did it when I got strep myself, but I was very symptomatic and got quickly and clearly better once I started Augmentin. Plus, I had no hx of being an assymptomatic strep carrier.

 

I would definitely recheck PANDAS children (if they aren't on prophylactic abs) after being treated for a strep infection. I think I would also recheck PANDAS siblings (in case they turn out to be Pandas themselves in a few years, or are actually carriers.) You can't assume PANDAS kids have a "normal" immune system against strep. But, if they are on prophylactic antibiotics a strep culture has a pretty good chance of being a false neg. on antibiotics.

[ajcire]

Thanks! I feel a bit better because while ds just finished his 10 day course for strep he is now on a month of amox. and then the dr. said we will evaluate what we should do next. I forgot the strep test would not be accurate with the antibiotics. My daughter does get classic strep signs (so far no pandas but I admit I got a knot in my stomach when you mentioned in case she should.. cause sometimes I am starting to wonder).

[thereishope]

My doctor never suggested it, but I take him on my own for follow up tests. During his first episode, I realized that if wasn't erradicated by the antibiotics, he wouldn't get better. When new docs see the negative cultures, they always question why I say it's PANDAS w/ negatives. I have to tell each of them they are follow ups. Look at the positive that preceded each oneThen they have a light bulb momement, "Awwwww. that makes sense". Teaching the docs once again....

[Debbie1]

If they are on prophylactic antibiotics a strep culture has a pretty good chance of being a false neg. on antibiotics.

 

I can not tell you how happy I am to hear this. My kids have been on prophylaxis for almost a year. They have not cultured positive for strep once while on prophylaxis despite a recent increase in PANDAS symptoms and rising titers. The doctors continue to tell me that there is no active infection if the culture is not positive. Very frustrating.