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Forum -> Children's Health
Is it ok to hold off on meds for strep
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shabbatiscoming




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Apr 29 2017, 2:20 pm
I think a yeast infection would be much easier to deal with than complications of not treating strep.
My child literally just had strep. We didnt know for a day as said child did not complain of a sore throat, just insanely high fever (think hallucinating and the works). We went to the doctor about 36 hours after the fever started and the strep was found right away. But I cant even imagine a child not being treated. In my eyes, thats just cruel, they must be in some sort of pain or discomfort. Treat the strep and if they get a yeast infection, then treat that or probiotics to prevent it, but please treat the strep.
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amother
Ecru


 

Post Sat, Apr 29 2017, 4:31 pm
Don't hold off! Rheumatic fever is so dangerous! Also, strep is equally uncomfortable, if not more, than a yeast infection, and scarlet fever and rheumatic fever are much worse (my dd had scarlet fever last year). Also, boys don't generally get yeast infections the way women do, and you said this is your son. . .

Also, you can request a different antibiotic if one of them consistently gives you or your son a yeast infection. If penicillin seems to cause yeast infections, ask for an erythromycin (maybe zithromax) instead.

Please also give probiotics, and ask your doctor or pharmacist when to give them (I think at least 1 hour after antibiotics and at least 2 hours before next dose, but it might be the other way around).
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amother
Orchid


 

Post Sat, Apr 29 2017, 11:14 pm
Just another voice to chime in that a relative had rheumatic fever from untreated strep (she didn't realize she had it right away). Happened 15 years ago, she was in her low 30's. She was in a wheelchair and they predicted she wouldn't walk again, b"h she recovered.
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amother
Dodgerblue


 

Post Sat, Apr 29 2017, 11:25 pm
Don't mean to hijack the thread but by I never had strep. My kids just had for the first time Nd they has NO symptoms. Their eyes hurt which I later found out was allergies. This thread scares me...how would I know they have step without any symptoms?
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yidisheh mama




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Apr 29 2017, 11:29 pm
I know a kid who had untreated strep as a preschooler and she needed a heart transplant. She is still not healthy now add a teen and she needs round the clock medical care.
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MrsDash




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Apr 29 2017, 11:39 pm
I had untreated strep as a teenager and developed a heart murmur (mvp). Best to err on the side of caution. The risks are just not worth it.
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amother
Oak


 

Post Sun, Apr 30 2017, 1:20 am
A friend just told me she her kid keeps getting strep, and she is done with antibiotics. She is now going to help build up the childs immunity with a regimen of vitamins. The hope is for the child to be able to fight off strep.

I have no idea any sources to this, but this thread is making me nervous about my friends kid.
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amother
Aubergine


 

Post Sun, Apr 30 2017, 1:43 am
amother wrote:
A friend just told me she her kid keeps getting strep, and she is done with antibiotics. She is now going to help build up the childs immunity with a regimen of vitamins. The hope is for the child to be able to fight off strep.

I have no idea any sources to this, but this thread is making me nervous about my friends kid.


1) The strain of strep that's around today's days is not the same as from 30 years ago when strep was scary and associated with heart problems. Research was done on this.
2) Some people are always carriers of strep and treating it as if the person is ill is exposing them to the side effects of antibiotics with no benefits.
3) Strep is a bacteria. Healthy people fight off bacteria and do not get sick from every bad bacteria they encounter. If, after multiple rounds of antibiotics, the kid was not getting better, it makes sense to build him up so that he can fight it rather than keep destroying his immune system with repeated (and probably stronger) abx.
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amother
Ecru


 

Post Sun, Apr 30 2017, 2:30 am
amother wrote:
1) The strain of strep that's around today's days is not the same as from 30 years ago when strep was scary and associated with heart problems. Research was done on this.
2) Some people are always carriers of strep and treating it as if the person is ill is exposing them to the side effects of antibiotics with no benefits.
3) Strep is a bacteria. Healthy people fight off bacteria and do not get sick from every bad bacteria they encounter. If, after multiple rounds of antibiotics, the kid was not getting better, it makes sense to build him up so that he can fight it rather than keep destroying his immune system with repeated (and probably stronger) abx.


As a biologist, I am not aware of the research you refer to in your first point - could you provide it so I can take a look?

Also, for the poster who was worried about rheumatic fever in children when you don't know they have strep, rheumatic fever is very, very uncommon in asymptomatic carriers (and if you want a scientific reference: Seckeler MD, Hoke TR. The worldwide epidemiology of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. Clin Epidemiol. 2011 Feb 22;3:67-84. doi: 10.2147/CLEP.S12977.)

As for your third point, antibiotics do not destroy the immune system! They do sometimes interfere with your good gut bacteria, which is why probiotics are helpful. And if repeated infections occur, it's probably time to check the rest of the family to see if they are carriers and treat them too. And sometimes switching to a different antibiotic can help as well.

Don't get me wrong, I do believe in vitamins and probiotics and that it's important to make sure your body is healthy in general. Good nutrition is good practice and we should all take preventative steps to keep from getting sick, as well as treating illness when we do get sick.

Although not everyone gets rheumatic fever from strep, it is severe enough that I wouldn't risk it. Generally, the way I would do a risk analysis is to weight the risk of not taking antibiotic (rheumatic fever = permament heart damage) vs. the risk of yes taking antibiotic (affecting body's good bacteria and/or risk of yeast infection). Since the risks of rheumatic fever are more severe, even if less likely, and the risks of antibiotics can be largely mitigated by probiotics, I would rather take the antibiotics.

As someone who already has a heart problem (not from rheumatic fever though), I can tell you it isn't worth it. Ever have a doctor say you may not be allowed to have children because you have a heart problem and pregnancy might be too dangerous? Ever have a doctor say that you could need open heart surgery before age 40? Ever hear a doctor say that your physical activity might have to be limited? Ever have to move out of your apartment because you had too much trouble getting up the steps? Heart problems are significant and affect your life in more ways than you would think.
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shabbatiscoming




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 30 2017, 4:24 am
amother wrote:
A friend just told me she her kid keeps getting strep, and she is done with antibiotics. She is now going to help build up the childs immunity with a regimen of vitamins. The hope is for the child to be able to fight off strep.

I have no idea any sources to this, but this thread is making me nervous about my friends kid.
Instead of your friend trying to boost her child's immune system, why doesnt she look into having her child's tonsils removed?
As a child my brother got strep all of the time. Until he had his tonsils removed and it was seriously like magic. I think that is a much safer idea than just boosting one's immune system.
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 30 2017, 5:15 am
shabbatiscoming wrote:
Instead of your friend trying to boost her child's immune system, why doesnt she look into having her child's tonsils removed?
As a child my brother got strep all of the time. Until he had his tonsils removed and it was seriously like magic. I think that is a much safer idea than just boosting one's immune system.


THIS. I was terrified of putting DD through surgery, but after our strep/scarlet fever episode, our pediatrician sent her to the top ENT at Seattle Children's.

The ENT took one look at her throat, jumped back, and said "WHOA! How does she breathe?" He's been in practice for over 20 years, and he could count on one hand the number of cases that were this bad. He is extremely conservative and tends to discourage parents from rushing their kids into surgery, but in this case, he said there was no other way.

DD was in and out of the procedure in under 45 minutes, and B'H has been healthy as a horse ever since. An occasional cold in the the fall, but she recovers within a few days.

The hardest part about recovering from surgery, was that the doctor told me to keep her calm and quiet for the next 48 hours. The following morning was a beautiful day, and her friends were outside playing. She wanted to go run around in the yard and scream with them, and I had to bribe her with videos to stay in the house.

I was all stocked up with ice cream and yogurt for her, but she wanted to eat corn chips! shock I called the doctor, and he said "We don't really worry about soft food anymore. If she wants corn chips, let her eat them." After the first night, she also refused to take any of the pain meds they sent home with us.
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amother
Ginger


 

Post Sun, Apr 30 2017, 9:20 am
1) The strain of strep that's around today's days is not the same as from 30 years ago when strep was scary and associated with heart problems. Research was done on this.

Completely untrue and very inappropriate for you to write on public forum where some people who don't know better will believe you. Rheumatic fever certainly exists and occurs in today's day and age.

2) Some people are always carriers of strep and treating it as if the person is ill is exposing them to the side effects of antibiotics with no benefits.

Which is why children are treated if they're symptomatic. A child that's a known carrier and is feeling well does not need to be treated.

3) Strep is a bacteria. Healthy people fight off bacteria and do not get sick from every bad bacteria they encounter. If, after multiple rounds of antibiotics, the kid was not getting better, it makes sense to build him up so that he can fight it rather than keep destroying his immune system with repeated (and probably stronger) abx.


Yes, a heathy person can fight off strep. That's not the concern. The concern is leading to rheumatic fever. What that mother can do is try to build up the child's immune system, while at the same time, treating with antibiotics.
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amother
Chocolate


 

Post Sun, Apr 30 2017, 11:41 am
But - if someone's tonsils are removed can they still develop rheumatic fever?

I seem to remember that a newborn was exposed to strep and the pediatrician wasn't concerned because the tonsils aren't developed and therefore the baby can't get rheumatic fever that develops from strep?

Is that correct?
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amother
Burlywood


 

Post Sun, Apr 30 2017, 2:08 pm
MrsDash wrote:
I had untreated strep as a teenager and developed a heart murmur (mvp). Best to err on the side of caution. The risks are just not worth it.


You took a strep culture that came out positive and than did not take antibiotics? Or you assume that you had an untreated strep? Please explain.
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amother
Burlywood


 

Post Sun, Apr 30 2017, 2:12 pm
yidisheh mama wrote:
I know a kid who had untreated strep as a preschooler and she needed a heart transplant. She is still not healthy now add a teen and she needs round the clock medical care.

I am the OP. Again. Did the culture chine back positive and they still neglected it or are ppl taking it for granted that if someone develops a heart problem that it is probably from neglected strep. I ask bec I just spoke to someone who said that she researched it and it is not true. That whoever says that they developed a heart or kidney problem from untreated strep is assuming that they had strep and that they were unaware at the time. As per at least one poster here.
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amother
White


 

Post Sun, Apr 30 2017, 2:28 pm
I've had throat pain since about a week ago and finally went to the doctor for a throat culture on Thursday. This afternoon, I found out it was positive. My doctor called me 10 minutes before the pharmacy closed to say that she sent in a prescription for antibiotics. This thread made me run to buy it immediately instead of waiting until the morning to pick it up. Lots of frightening stories here.
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estibesty




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 30 2017, 2:39 pm
are you kidding you NEED to give the kid antibiotics asap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is not something to play around with. giving your child antibiotics is no big deal not treat strept is make u an abusive mother. my husband had strept and by the time the overnight came back it was over a shabbos so he took it friday and when the drs cam in to check sunday it was too late he was already rushed to hopistal motzei shabb bec the strept had traveled to his heart and he had a long recovery was not fun.
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greenfire




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 30 2017, 2:40 pm
why put your kid at risk of much more severe health problems ?

strep can & does lead to other illnesses - even if not in everybody - certainly in enough cases to warrant proper medication and if recurring - discuss a tonsillectomy asap [saved sonny boy from lethargy due to high fevers & chronic strep]
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amother
Amber


 

Post Sun, Apr 30 2017, 2:42 pm
Why are you assuming everything comes from strep ? How. Can u know for sure ? As per my doctor lots of people aren't aware they have it and they are just fine
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Apr 30 2017, 2:47 pm
amother wrote:
Why are you assuming everything comes from strep ? How. Can u know for sure ? As per my doctor lots of people aren't aware they have it and they are just fine


1. Nobody is saying that "everything comes from strep."
2. If you have a positive culture, you need to treat it ASAP.
3. Some people are silent carriers, and don't need treatment.
4. If you are still confused, ask your doctor to clarify.
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