Strep throat seems to be never ending back and forth

[CouponQueen23]

I have 2 boys 10 and 3 seems like this strep just won't stay away. The day after memorial day I was at the Dr's with little on and day before july 4th I was at the Dr's with older one. Now My little one is running fever not eatting I am sure the strep had stopped in for a visit again. It is driving me crazy. I toss tooth brushed disinfect any thing I can think of that they were in contact with while they are sick but just can't nip it in the bud. Any suggetions welcome tia

[derketchup]

You must have cats. Am I right?

[teach2]

My oldest daughter was the same way we constantly were at the Dr.s for strepp. During one visit a new Dr. to the practice told my daughter she was a carrier of the virus. So every time she came in contact with any type of virus not just strepp it would affect her by giving her all the symptoms of strepp but not the actual strepp virus. (I hope that makes sense) There wasn't anything to do other than building up her immune system with vitamins and good nutrition. Good luck

[mshopper]

Same thing happened with my sister's kids. They finally found out that her DH was a carrier, so once they treated him the cycle stopped. Good luck!

[ILiveByLove]

I ALWAYS had strep growing up. If they were handing out the pink slips - chances are it was because of me. I was a carrier. The strep would just hang out in my tonsils and adenoids (sp?). When I was 10 or 11, my doctor suggested I have a adenoid/tonselectomy. I haven't had strep since. Before my surgery, being that my mom was a nurse she'd just keep the cotton swab things in our closet. If i woke up w/ shivers, or a fever- we already knew I had it. It was terrible! If you're children get it quite often- you might check into having their tonsils removed. I'm 23 now- and cannot remember the last time I had strep!

[mom2lucas]

we had it as kids all the time. my mom was cleaning the kitchen counters with sponges and rags, and my grandma told her to throw them out because they were holding the virus. we never had it again.

[derketchup]

My oldest daughter was the same way we constantly were at the Dr.s for strepp. During one visit a new Dr. to the practice told my daughter she was a carrier of the virus. So every time she came in contact with any type of virus not just strepp it would affect her by giving her all the symptoms of strepp but not the actual strepp virus. (I hope that makes sense) There wasn't anything to do other than building up her immune system with vitamins and good nutrition. Good luck

Strep isn't a virus. It's a bacteria.

To the OP:

Cats carry strep throat. It doesn't make them sick at all. So if you have cats, and they get close to your kids faces, they will recatch the strep throat. You will need to talk to your vet and have the cat treated for strep throat at the same time your kids are treated for it again.

[jonjaktez]

I have any advice on how to stop the cycle but I do know it feels to have it so much I had step throat for 2 entire years. I'd be off med for 2 weeks and bank on meds for 2 weeks. My next would swell up to where you could not tell where my chin ended and my next began. I finally got my tonsils removed and they were swollen when they were removed becasue we couldn't get them down long enough to do the surgery.

[abond0017]

I too had sever throat problems for many years while I was growing up. I cant even count how many times I had problems and had to see a doctor. I had strep, tonsilitis, and pharyngitis numerous times.

They are all very similar and all usually affect both the throat and tonsils, just to varying degrees depending on which infection it is.

Like a pp said...I was told by my doctor that strep is a specific bacteria that can cause tonsilitis, and when tonsilitis is caused by strep the two names are used interchangeably for the same infection. However, tonsilitis can also be caused by a virus and eventhough technically it is not strep because it was not caused by the strep bacteria, some people (doctors included) incorrectly still refer to it as strep because the symptoms are basically the same. Make sense?

This is probably why some people think their strep is viral...becasue the wrong terms are being used. They really have tonsillitis instead of strep when it is viral. Well..at least that is what I was told by my doc....dont hold me to it but it makes sense.

I grew up with alot of cats and this was the main reason I had problems. The cats carried strep which in turn would cause the tonsilitis and pharyngitis. We didnt know any of this until we changed doctors and I never had it again once we got rid of the cats.

Now, eventhough I dont get the infections anymore, my tonsils are very damaged and scarred from the numerous infections which has now cause a secondary problem. And lets just say it sucks (for lack of a better word).

If your child has been having problems for a while and has very scarred tonsils, I would suggest having them removed if at all possible, even if you solve the problem that is cause of the infections. I really wish I had it done then because now it would not be covered by my insurance since there are no pressing medical issues now (just an annoying side affect), and the healing process is much tougher on adults.

Good luck with it...I know what your children are going through and I feel for them.

[CouponQueen23]

Thank you everyone for all the great feed back. Yes we do have 1 cat we have had her fo 11-12 years now. She is older than our children I don't think getting rid of her is an option. My boys love her dearly as does my dh, she will have to leave us on her own. I know my older son has very large tonsils there has been talk of having them removed as he snored terrible when he was about 5-7 years old not to noticable anymore though.

While cleaning and such I use a clean dish cloth daily and launder in bleach bath towels in hot water. All medicaton like tylenol or motrin I soak them in bleach water for 10 minutes to kill lingering germs so I am doing everything I can think of to keeps germs to a min.

I think I will be contacting ENT on monday to discuss tonselegtomy (sp) on older son. The time is right now; I will be going out on maternity leave with in a month and will be able to be with him thorough the healing. Also he is not playing sports of any kind now so all the better.

As for my youngest I am hoping to get him to the Dr. this morning I have to wait at least 2 days during them being sick to be treated because the rapid strep culture comes back negative if I get them to the dr to soon and then they have to swab the poor kids throat twice and we all know that is no fun :(