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How do you know if you have strep throat?

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Posted 4/21/2006 4:42 PM (GMT 0)
My throat has been very painful, difficult to swallow for almost 3 days now.  I had a fever with tender lymph nodes yesterday, but both appear to be gone today.  I'm debating on whether I should take a trip to the primary, only because I'm taking the enbrel and I'm paranoid about infections.  I'm willing to bet it was just a virus, but can't a simple virus turn into a bacterial infection in predisposed individuals?

Thanks!

Elcamino

Posted 4/21/2006 5:35 PM (GMT 0)
When I had strep throat a couple of times the same thing happened for me for both... fever and white "spots" in the back of my throat. Throat was very sore however the fever did come first for me. Hope this helps you out a little.
Posted 4/21/2006 5:42 PM (GMT 0)
Hey elcamino, the only true way to know if you have strep is for the doc to do a throat culture... 24 Hours after you get put on antibiotics, you won't be contagious anymore... so becareful! Hope you feel better soon! Duck
Posted 4/24/2006 4:25 AM (GMT 0)

Strep can be tricky and not always obvious, if you are concerned, I would go get a culture. As Ducky said, that is the only way to really know for sure. Obvious symptoms (white spots, sore throat, etc.) are not always present when you have strep, believe it or not.  

Another symptom of strep can be a headache.

Since you are on enbrel, I say go get it checked out before it gets worse.

Good luck.

**

Posted 4/24/2006 11:26 AM (GMT 0)

Hi all,  it got consistently better over the weekend.  I had planned on calling the doctor today if it hadn't.  I guess I didn't really think it was strep because when I was a kid I was told that I was a carrier.  I have strep A, but it doesn't make me sick; I can, however, make other people sick--sort of a typhoid Mary thing.  Bottom line is I don't think I can get strep throat; I certainly don't ever remember having it and always wondered if I'm still a carrier?  I will tell my rheumatologist when I see him next.  It seems like every month I'm getting sick with something.  Usually minor, but always involves a fever.  I haven't gotten sick this often in my entire life--it may have something to do with the tnf-inhibitors.  I hope that's not a clue for me to stop taking the enbrel; I think it's finally starting to do something...

Elcamino

Posted 5/3/2006 1:08 AM (GMT 0)

Darn it.  I didn't listen to you guys!  One of my twin daughters just tested positive for strep this afternoon.  She had the same symptoms that me and my husband had a couple of weeks ago.  And I did my enbrel injection today.  I'm calling my primary tomorrow morning to get tested, but I honestly have absolutely no symptoms anymore.  I'm just worried that it could turn into something else.  I'm making my husband get tested too.  I have a friend who had strep throat and it ended up destroying his kidneys because he never got it treated.  I wonder if enbrel could help that process along?  Ok, I'm freaking myself out now.  I'm going to finish watching American Idol :)

Elcamino

Posted 5/3/2006 6:17 AM (GMT 0)
Don't freak out. If you're a carrier, will antibiotics do anything? Do you just get "flares" that make you contagious?

Sorry if that sounds stupid, I really don't know.

Good luck. I hope everyone feels better.

**

Posted 5/3/2006 1:15 PM (GMT 0)
Hey elcamino... where you able to get in and get tested? Let us know how you are doing... Duck
Posted 5/3/2006 10:49 PM (GMT 0)
yeah, after reading this again...get a throat culture.
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