This is topic severe sore throat, not improving in forum Medical Questions at LymeNet Flash.


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Posted by Ellen101 (Member # 35432) on :
 
I saw my doctor on Tuesday and was diagnosed with the flu and possibly pneumonia. She gave me zithromax but told me while it will help with the symptoms from pneumonia it will not help those from the flu.

I had a temp of about 101, severe body aches, chills, and horrible pain if I tried to use my eye muscles to look sideways. My throat was sore and my chest was very congested.

Since starting the zithromax the fever is gone a are a lot of the severe joint pains and I can now use my eye muscles. My chest feels somewhat better as well. The problem is my sore throat is much worse! I cannot sleep at all and eating and drinking are so painful. Motrin barely touches it. Hot liquids, cold, nothing relieves it. I have been drinking tea with honey, using throat lozenges, gargling, and I'm still in agony..
 
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
 
Sounds like strep??

Hope it eases up soon.
 
Posted by Ellen101 (Member # 35432) on :
 
I'm on zithromax, so even if it was strep it should have helped..
 
Posted by Dogsandcats (Member # 28544) on :
 
I would have it checked, sorry you are so sick.
 
Posted by surprise (Member # 34987) on :
 
Some strep strains can be resistant to Azithromycin,
and, it may take a few more days for the Azith. to kick in
(it's only been 2 days, 2 doses, right?)
 
Posted by Kudzuslipper (Member # 31915) on :
 
Sorry Ellen. I've heard this flu is bad. I'm assuming your dr swabbed for strep right?

Are you gargling with salt water?
 
Posted by Jamers (Member # 28016) on :
 
Whenever I catch a cold or flu lately I get a terribly sore, red throat. I "think" it could be related to my weakened immune system and yeast taking over. It's not coated in white stuff but its red, painful and bumpy.
 
Posted by Ellen101 (Member # 35432) on :
 
She did not do a throat culture. At the time the sore throat was not my major symptom and since she was treating me for possible pneumonia I'm sure she thought she had the strep covered anyway???

If it is not better by tomorrow then I will call them but I think they will probably say I have to give it more time, I just don't know how I can.
 
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
 
Ellen can you take a flashlight and look at your throat in a mirror?

Is it raw and scratchy feeling?

Or swollen and tight feeling?

Are the lymph nodes on your neck and under your ears swollen also?

The things that come to mind are Epstein-barr (TBD), strep, bartonella which imitates both sometimes.

Gargling with salt water is great.

There is a spray called Cepacol which numbs the throat during throat infections. It can be found where the throat lozenges are.
 
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
 
I don't want to freak you out but did you recently have a endoscope? Is that where a camera is inserted down the throat and looks in the esophagus and the stomach?

Is it possible the pneumonia or the sore throat could be from that procedure?

I can't remember when you had it done? Do you have the aftercare sheet?
 
Posted by Ellen101 (Member # 35432) on :
 
It's been about 2 wks since the procedure. My husband was sick and I think I caught it from him. It feel like broken glass in my throat when I swallow and when I'm not swallowing there is the is horrible burning shooting through both my ears.
 
Posted by Judie (Member # 38323) on :
 
Here are some ideas:

1) It could be post nasal drip irritating the throat.

2) Acid reflux at night irritating the throat

3) CFS viruses rearing their ugly heads because your immune system is down.

Crimson Crescents in the throat are associated with CFS.

I was baffled by a constant sore throat that was also baffling the doctors.

This article is about it:
http://www.immunesupport.com/93sum007.htm

This picture shows the location:
http://i.imgur.com/UM7Vv.jpg

My throat is just about constantly red and raw in that area.
 
Posted by dal123 (Member # 6313) on :
 
This round seems to require different antibiotics: a round of high dose amoxicillin, 2000 mg daily total, 1 week, followed by 1 week of zithromax 500 mg, otherwise this crap will stay in the chest, walking pneumonia for weeks.
 
Posted by Judie (Member # 38323) on :
 
I've had pneumonia before and oral antibiotics didn't touch.

A bicillin shot in my butt finally got rid of the thing.
 
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
 
When it is that bad, I say take a hydrocodone or other narcotic pain killer. You need some relief so you can eat, drink, and sleep.
 
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
 
Acid reflux is a possibility. I would give your doctor a call and see what she thinks.
 
Posted by OtterJ (Member # 30701) on :
 
This could be thrush/candida, too. I had haemophilus influenza B negative with horrible chest and throat symptoms. This is new, doctors are now saying "it's just a virus going 'round," so they don't do any objective diagnostic work. It's too expensive to do diagnostic work and we have to trust their opinions. They no longer do sputum cultures which would have shown that I had a bacterial infection. This is scary since I could have easily ended up in the ICU with respiratory illness. I saw an ENT for related sinuses and he did a culture of the same thing coming from my nose. I am so tired of being sick. If you have COPD, diagnostics are a must. I don't know if this is the new Obamacare that is fueling this, or if this is medical narcissism if you question the subjective diagnosis and ask for testing the answer is some form of no.
 
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
 
True, it could be yeast. (you know ME!)
 
Posted by dbpei (Member # 33574) on :
 
It sounds so bad, Ellen. I am really sorry you have to go through this. It sounds so raw and inflamed at the same time by your description.

I would give your doc a call and let her know how bad it is. Perhaps there is something she can prescribe to make you more comfortable until the inflammation goes down.
 


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