I have strep, now what?

Just keep doing what you’re doing and rest. Drink a much as you can to help flush the germ out. Most importantly, don’t be on your computer. Lay down and rest!

I had strep before. I feel your pain.

I get strep a lot. It sucks. :(
Try gargling with warm salt water. It helps me a little. Good luck!

I’ve gotten strep from 5 to 17 years old. What my folks used to do is rub lemon juice and something solid/grainy on my tonsils. It works. I think I’ve taken every antibiotic there is…
So yeah, try lemon, not necessarily the rubbing, though you could clean your hands and try to apply or gargle. Salt water may work as a second too, but fresh lemon juice is a strong antiseptic.

The antibiotics are going to do the brunt of the work. Take some over-the-counter pain meds (ask your doc which ones are best for this), take it easy and drink lots of fluids. There’s not much else you can do. Just try to be super lazy… strep is the worst! I hope you feel better soon!

My mom used to get strep all the time. She would gargle with hot salt water and it always worked pretty well for her. In the meantime, watch lots of stupid television, sleep until noon and milk the sympathy for all it’s worth.

I’m sorry you’re feeling so crappy girly. :(

I just got back from the docs 5 minutes ago for the same thing and he was pushing me to take Mucinex to help with the draining. I like the throat sprays to help numb the pain.

Whenever I get strep, I swallow spoonfuls of raw honey.

The honey has antiseptic properties, and it’s thick enough to coat the throat and help with irritation.

The bad news is that you are going to die.

The good news is that you may not die for another half-century or more.

The bad news is that you’re going to feel like hell for another week or so.

The good news is that you should be okay after that.

Drink HOT soup, make sure it slides down your thoat.
don’t drink milk, ice cream, it’ll make it worster.

Rub some Vabor Rub on your chest, back, and neck so you can breath easier
don’t drink soda, but salt/warm water helps too.

If your throat really hurts and that’s the relief you are looking for, the red Chloraspetic is a topical anesthetic that you spray on. The relief is immediate.

Cepacol (or however its spelled) is seriously amazing stuff. It taste nasty but works!!

Thank you, all. I’ll give salt water a try.

I can’t second @Trillian‘s Chloraseptic enough. I’ve had strep 4 times as a kid and it’s the only thing that got me through it.

I second the honey suggestion. My daughter’s doctor recommended it when she had strep two months ago.

Hope you feel well soon!

Try to get enough rest. If you cover the symptoms, it might make you want to attempt to do more than you should. Allow yourself the time necessary to recover.

First, do not have hot liquids, this is not a cold or flu, it is strep. Remember, cold reduces inflammation, and your throat is inflamed right now, so cool drinks are in order, not hot tea. If your throat is very bad you can get Xylocaine Solution. It is MUCH more effective than chloreseptic (which is great for about 20 minutes, and then you have to spray again). For some reason many docs don’t prescribe Xylocaine and I will never understand why, it is magical. You cannot use it when you are sleeping though. Your throat will be better within 72 hours of starting your meds.

@Cruiser Strep almost never has congestion with it, what is draining? Did they do a real strep test? Took a culture and you had to wait 48–72 hours for the result? Or some doc just decided you have strep because your throat hurts?

@JLeslie I have had this “sore” throat for over 2 weeks now…and I could live with it like I have but now it started to have trace blood over the weekend. He said after one week it is no longer viral and has gone bacterial…one look at my throat and no test needed he said. The bacteria he said could start to spread into ear and sinus infections and kidney. Enough Pooty Footing around!!

@Cruiser After 2 weeks I would give the antibiotics a try too, whether it is strep or something else, it probably is bacterial if you can’t shake it, unless it is mono, which causes similar irritation in the throat. I would have done the culture though, just to know. Hopefully, you will be feel better in a few days.

I’m also wondering if they did a rapid-strep test to make sure it’s strep. When you talk about headache and stiff neck, I start to think meningitis…so if these continue tomorrow, call your doc.

@DrC, was that to me or to @Cruiser?

@Cruiser consider getting a new doctor. “Strep” is short for “streptococcus bacteria”. “Strep throat” is always bacterial.

@omfgTALIjustIMDu…you because you said you had a headache and stiff neck.

@DrC I had the menactra shot, and the lab test came back positive for strep.

Are you feeling better today? The Antibx should be helping by now.

@omfgTALIjustIMDu Sounds like you had a quick strep test, not the culture, if they had a result while in the office, which is much less accurate. But, if your throat is killing you, high fever, and no other cold symptoms like a stuffed nose, it does sound like strep, mono, or like @DrC mentioned meningitis, God forbid, because of the stiff neck and headache (is it a stiff neck you can’t turn right and left without pain, like when you sleep badly, or stiff neck you can’t put your chin to your chest? Can’t put chin to chest is more worrisome). Still I think strep most likely is correct.

Are you getting some relief today?

@DrC Do you ever prescribe xylocaine for strep pts? I had one doctor do it, and I cannot understand why others don’t. Just to be able to keep fluids up. Strep can be so painful, it can be difficult just to swallow your own saliva.

@DrC I am feeling better, I woke up at 8:15 this morning and have been going to classes all day (it’s 5:50pm now). While I’m exhausted, it feels good to be doing things.

@JLeslie They took a throat culture and called me the next day (yesterday) to tell me it was positive. I am feeling much better today, and even managed to eat some pieces of bell pepper and a roll of bread. Yay solid food!

@all, thanks for the suggestions and support :) much appreciated.

@omfgTALIjustIMDu Good to hear. Make sure you take all your medicine. :).

@omfgTALIjustIMDu I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better. Remember to finish all of your antibiotics even if you feel better.

@JLeslie There is a throat spray that has benzocaine specifically for this purpose. Chloraseptic in the US has phenol, but there is UltraChloraseptic in the UK that has benzocaine.

@DrC Is it OTC in the UK?

@JLeslie…Yes. No Rx needed.