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Persistent sore/blistered throat?

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Posted 3/18/2007 5:58 AM (GMT 0)
As you all know, whenever something strange goes on with our bodies, we always wonder if it's lupus related.

I came down with a bad cold at the beginning of February. It is now mid-March and I'm still dealing with a bit of lingering congestion. But the most aggravating symptom is this sore throat I keep getting. By late afternoon every day, my throat starts hurting. Sometimes Ibuprofen takes the edge off, and for some reason, it's usually better in the mornings.

When I went to the dr. last month, he didn't test for strep because it didn't look like strep, and the antibiotic he gave me for the sinus infection would've cured it if it was strep anyway. I think my GP is pretty useless...I only have him for insurance purposes, and because I can't find another GP that I like at all around here.

Anyway, my throat doesn't look extremely red, just irritated red, if that makes sense. But there are little blisters in the back of it. It seems that every day they are in different locations.

Sometimes I get a sore/irritated throat at the start of a flare, along with low fever and just feeling like I'm coming down with something. So I wonder if this is a lupus thing?

I don't go back to the rheumy til April 5, and I just know that if I call about this she'll just tell me to see my (useless) GP.  So I thought I'd poll the group and see if any of you have had anything similar.

As always, thanks!!!

Posted 3/18/2007 11:37 AM (GMT 0)

Hi kari,

I have seen that some people here suffer from mouth ulcers, nose sores etc. I havent had that problem yet, (touch wood)

How long since you were dx with lupus? and are you taking any new medications that might be causing this? Sorry I'm not much help to you, but I hope someone comes along with more experience to shed more light on this for you.

Hope you feel better soon

 

Diane

 

Posted 3/18/2007 1:49 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Kari,

   I'm sorry your having a rough time right now. With our immune systems suppressed it can take awhile to get over things like the flu, strep throat and viruses. I hope you will call your doctor and let him know about this. You may need another round of antibiotics to get it completely cleared up since you still have some congestion and coughing.

  Strep throat was the first problem I had from lupus, but wasn't dx'd yet. I battled with chronic strep throat for a year when I was 19 to 20.

  We do however get the sores in the mouth and nose from lupus too. If that is the case there are some good rx's for that problem. Some use the "magic rinse", I think that is what it is called. I use the "swish and swallow", while others use different things for the sores.

   I do hope you get some relief soon....((Hugs)). I'm sure the others will be along to tell you what helps them soon. Hang in there and take care. Try to drink alot of fluids. Keep us updated and you will be in my thoughts and prayers.

                                                                      Babs

Posted 3/19/2007 3:47 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you for the replies. I suppose I do need to check in with the doctor again. I also get sores in my mouth and nose but haven't had any in the past few weeks. Maybe they just migrated to my throat?

Anyway...thanks again!

Kari
Posted 3/19/2007 11:13 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Kari, Diane and Bab's gave you some great advice. and yes it does seem to take longer to fight off infections these days. are you on any new meds. Somtimes a med doesn't work as well as it should because of somthing else you are taking. I hope you get it checked out soon so you don't end up any sicker. Let us know what the doctor says
hugs
carol
Posted 4/26/2007 12:02 AM (GMT 0)
Hello I’m new and was doing a search online for Strep Throat and Lupus and found this post, so I joined your board. I know it’s old…Kari my situation is very similar. I was wondering what happened with the doctor. I was recently diagnosed with SLE and have been sick with a cold/flu type thing since the first week of February. My GP gave me an antibiotic in the first part of March. My Renal doctors stopped my lisinopril in case that was part of the cough. Two and half weeks off the lisinopril and the cough is barely there. But other symptoms are still present, persistence mucus, pleurisy, headache, swollen glands, soar throat, temp between 99 -100. I’m taking plaquenil and aspirin currently. They did a cat scan of my sinus last week; it came back negative and checked for strep which was negative. My daughter was positive for strep on Monday and my GP said I didn’t need to be rechecked. I see my rheumatologist next Thursday.

This makes me curious on another note if Strep Throat went untreated could it develop into Lupus type symptoms or confuse the immune system or if scarlet fever and rheumatic fever when untreated. Not that mine currently did this but it made me curious when I was reading strep for my daughter.

Thank you!


"Why is it very important to detect and treat a strep throat?
The condition known as rheumatic fever is a disease that affects the joints and heart and is caused by untreated or inadequately treated strep infection. Rheumatic fever can cause damage to the heart valves. Fortunately, it is now uncommon in the current antibiotic era. Another complication that can occur after inadequately treated strep throat is a kidney inflammation called glomerulonephritis. This can cause decreased kidney function, and blood and protein in the urine.
If your child is not treated for strep throat, he or she is most infectious when the symptoms are the most severe but could remain contagious for up to 21 days. Lack of treatment - or not finishing the prescribed course of antibiotics - also could put your child at risk for other health problems, such as rheumatic fever (which can cause permanent damage to the heart), scarlet fever, blood infections, or kidney disease."
Posted 4/26/2007 12:20 AM (GMT 0)
HI--
I hope that you can get your throat looked at by an ENT (ear nose and throat) doctor or another GP. Maybe your gp would refer you to an ear nose and throat guy. It seems like antibiotics just don't work as good as they used to and I need them more often, which is probably why they don't work as good. I used to know what the different throats looked like when I was in medical assistant training, they taught us that for some reason. When I was young, I had a staph infection in my throat from a dirty swap that was used to culture a strep infection. The drugs they gave me for strep made the staph get really really bad and the years of childhood throat infections due to this mistreatment are probably the start of my autoimmune disease. Also, an ENT will give you a much much higher dose of penicillin for a throat infection than a GP or even an ER doctor, and the high high dose really is necessary due to some resistant strains, the ENT said. By undertreating with penicillin, the bacteria becomes resistent, he explained, so the ENT usually overdoes it a little with the penicillin but can get the job done. I have a good ENT, but I had to see three to find him. Also, your insurance company should allow you a second opinion, which means a covered visit to another doctor and possibly better tx. I hope you can get this under control. My son also had mouth ulcers that people with lupus get and he used the miracle mouthwash with great results, but I think the antibiotic in that might make another type of infection worse. If its in the back of your throat red with white blisters, check the internet for pictures of strep throat and compare. I hope you feel better. I know throat infections are really uncomfortable. Tylenol make s a "cool" blue cold medicine that relieves throat pain pretty well, but has antihistamines in it so I don't know if its a good thing to take. You might check with the pharmacist until you can get to see someone. Another thing I've donw is gone to the ER, gotten pain meds and made them give me a shot and prescription, if its really bad. Hope you feel better soon.
Posted 4/26/2007 2:05 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry to hear about your pain.  If you can, I hope you will call your Rhumty.  It may be something to do with lupus flare.
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