Help! Wicked Sore Throat!

Nurses General Nursing

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I had a sore throat at work and Employee Health did a rapid strep culture that was negative. I went home anyhow---The last time I remember my throat hurting like this was when I had my tonsils out. The pain is HORRIBLE, and Cepastat lozenges are not helping one bit. I tried the salt water gargle too. Any other suggestions? I'm dyin' here!

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A rapid strep test and a culture are two different tests. When testing use 2 swabs. one for the rapid and one for the culture that takes about 24-48 hours to test if the rapid is neg. If the culture is negative you also have to consider cellulitis on the tonsils, Which I have expeirenced myself, or a tonsilar abcess. There are many other causes for pharyngitis than just strep. Bacterial or viral.. Good luck

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Thanks for thje info...the rapid strep results were back in 30 minutes...does this mean I need another test?

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Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.

Try a good old standby: mix salt into a glass of warm water and gargle several times a day. Listerine also has a new saline gargle out, too. Between this and Advil or Tylenol, this should help get you through it. Hope you feel better! :)

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I don't have tonsils anymore. What else might cause such awful pain?

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A rapid is just a screen, that's all. I never do just a rapid. You have to do a culture if the rapid is neg. Otherwise your are left in limbo, is it really neg or could it be pos. The rapid does pick up most of the strep bacteria. On a normal day if I test about 10-15 streps and culture say 8, I'll usually have at least one or two cultures come back pos. SO, If it were me and I still had symptoms, I would be evaluated by the MD and go from there. Maybe they will culture or Tx based on physical findings.

Tricia

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You need to see an NP or MD.

Hope you get better soon.:)

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Guess What!!! You don't have to have tonsils to get strep!!! That's what we were always taught but my daughter has have it several times post T/A.

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Guess What!!! You don't have to have tonsils to get strep!!! That's what we were always taught but my daughter has have it several times post T/A.

I wasn't taught that, and in fact it never entered my mind that it would preclude strep.

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I wasn't taught that, and in fact it never entered my mind that it would preclude strep.

A big ditto here. One has absolutely nothing to do with the other.

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And also be reminded that even after a T/A the tonsils can grow back! Not in all cases... but they can!

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Specializes in NICU.

Have you been having a lot of sinus problems lately? Sometimes post-nasal drip can be killer on the throat.

Try sleeping with a vaporizer or humidifier in your room at night, this really helps. We work in such a dry environment, get all the moisture you can.

Also, have you been on antibiotics or had a yeast infection lately? Because MY worst sore throat ever was caused by THRUSH of all things! I had been on antibiotics for a few weeks (before and after having my infected wisdom teeth out) at the time. One day my throat just KILLED me. It was like swallowing knives! Went to the doc and she said my throat looked fine. Rapid strep was negative. I asked if it could be thrush, since I already had a lovely yeast infection from the antibiotics. She said there was not a single white patch in my mouth, that it was definitely NOT thrush. I begged her to look again, because it was all coming together in my head and I KNEW I had thrush. She seemed a little annoyed with me, but she looked again, as far down my throat as she could without me gagging.

BINGO!

"OH MY GOD! That's whe WORST case of thrush I've EVER seen!!!!!!!!!!"

One week of oral Diflucan and dissolving Nystatin lozenges - I felt better within a day of starting treatment.

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