Topic: Help, can I get bacterial throat infection while on Ketek?
dontlikeliver
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4749
posted
I have had a sore throat for two weeks. Glands are sore, and tonsil stubs very very sore. It moves from one side of throat to the other, and sometimes hurts inbetween.
Had a good look with flashlight tonight, and have big yellow spots on tonsil stubs. The thing is, I'm on Ketek.
Could it be viral?
DLL
Posts: 2824 | From The Back of Beyond | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Could be viral, could be bacterial. Just because you are on antibiotics doesn't mean you can't pick up a strain that doesn't respond to Ketek.
Case in point: while on doxy, I got the worst sinus infection I've ever had in my life. Disgusting pus-fest really. Switched to erythro, cleared right up.
Get it checked out if you are thinking it isn't viral. Also, you can gargle with salt water, and/or 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar in water with a pinch of cayenne pepper. The latter helps with both viral and bacterial throat nonsense.
It could also be thrush, so do gargle with nystatin as well.
Posts: 689 | From western MA (we say buttER and pizzA) | Registered: Nov 2004
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dontlikeliver
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4749
posted
Thanks Duramater.
Called my LLMD. He said stop the Ketek and get a culture done. I went to my GP this morning and got culture done, but as I've only been off Ketek about 19 hours, it may not show anything even if it is bacterial.
Now, of cousre, I don't know if I am wise to continue the Ketek or stay off it? My GP did not give me any direction on this.
I looked on the Ketek website, and it is supposed to kill strep, staph and pneumococci........I don't know what other bacterial infection of the throat there is. So, maybe it is viral, but it is so bad and seems to get worse over time, not better. Sorry to be moaning.
I have done the salt, but will give it a try with the cider vinegar/cayenne recipe you mentioned. I wonder if the cayenne is to cover up the pain from the white spots with another kind of 'chili' pain. lol
I can't get Nystatin powder where I live, I only have the tablets, which are hard to gargle with, and very hard to make powder of.
THANKS dll
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beachcomber
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Yes, it is possible. I am on IM Bicillin AND took 500 mgs of Zithromax (similar to Ketek) before having my teeth cleaned because strep lives in your mouth - it is always there. Teeth cleaning can stir that up, which it did and I got a mild case of strep, despite the meds. LLMD told me to take lots of Vit. C & gargle, keeping mouth and throat as clean as possible. I also took ecchinacea. It cleared up in about 10 days. Dentist said Zith and Ketek don't always work for throat infections. She prefers Amoxy.
How is the Ketek been doing for you?? I start mine tomorrow. Wish me luck.
Hope your feeling better
CaliLymer
Posts: 215 | From CA, USA | Registered: Nov 2004
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cantgiveupyet
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posted
Im glad you went to the Dr.
Ive always been given amoxy or augmentin for my sore throats. Ive had a ton of them since being bitten....a few involved my tonsils.
There is a prescription gargle for really bad ulcers......i forget the name...my brother was given it when he had something like you described.
Zmax is often givne too (im allergic however)
The salt water should help some, i hope bacteria is able to be cultured.
-------------------- "Say it straight simple and with a smile."
"Thus the task is, not so much to see what no one has seen yet, But to think what nobody has thought yet, About what everybody sees."
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pos babs, bart, igenex WB igm/igg Posts: 3156 | From Lyme limbo | Registered: Oct 2005
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map1131
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2022
posted
Could be that the Ketek has brought the strep, staph etc to the surface and you've had a low lying infection of this type in your body.
This could be a good thing on the other side once that virus or bacteria is killed. These type pathogens can cause many sx and also overload the immune system. So illiminating it could help your body focus on the big bad guy (lyme).
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6495 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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dontlikeliver
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Member # 4749
posted
Thanks everyone.
I went to see my GP but he gave me no real advice, he just did a throat swab/culture, which may be negative anyway as I said becdause I had only been off ketek since the previous afternoon.
My GP said something like 'well maybe you have another bacterial infection BECAUSE youre on Ketek'. I simply did not understand what he meant by that.
map,
Can you explain (I am so more stupid than usual with this illness) what you mean by Ketek possibly bringing a bacterial infection 'to the surface'? I don't quite get that either. And, Ketek is meant to kill Streptococcus, so even if there was an underlying infection, woulnd't it kill it, rather than bringing it to skin or mouth level (if that's what you meant)?
I am supposed to have dental work done next week too and really don't know what to do next.....I have some Amoxicillin from 2 years ago in my closet, maybe I should not take the Ketek and take Amoxicillin for a week or so instead. I just don't know. My GP is not going to give me anything if this culture is negative which both him and I thought it might be as I had not had a long enough break off Ketek.
Waaaaaaaagh I want to cry or scream or something.
DLL
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treepatrol
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 4117
posted
Yeast ?
-------------------- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Remember Iam not a Doctor Just someone struggling like you with Tick Borne Diseases.
map1131
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2022
posted
What I meant by bringing it to the surface is...you could have many low lying pathogens in your body. Strep could of been one of those in you that your immune system was keeping in check.
You throw something at it like abx and all of a sudden this pathogen is ticked off and fighting for survival.
So after this initial period of being inflamed the strep is going to be killed off (hopefully) and it will be one less pathogen your immune system will have to deal with.
I wouldn't take amox that has been stored for two years. Upsetting this pathogen is a good thing. Keep with the ketek and it might kill all this strep.
The only thing about strep, it has also become a super bug that they are having a hard time killing with abx that used to work in years past.
I hope I made it more clear.
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6495 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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TerryK
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posted
I'm not an expert on abx but from what I've read and experienced, there is a relationship between bugs in that one may be keeping another one in check. If you kill one, it may not be keeping the other in check any longer which allows it to grow out of control. They may have been competing for resources and as one dies off, those resources are now available for the other one to proliferate.
I had remarkable results with the worst sore throat that I had ever had by gargling with diluted (with water) tea tree oil. Don't swallow the solution. I had ulcers down my throat and could hardly swallow for over a week with no sign of let-up. Tea tree oil cleared it up very quickly and gave me immediate pain relief. It will take care of yeast and bacteria. I don't know if it will do the same for you but it is a remarkable anti bacterial and anti fungal.
Do a search on the internet to find recipes for tea tree oil gargle.
Regards, Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
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dontlikeliver
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Member # 4749
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Thanks Pam and Terry.
I understand what you mean now Pam. Without a positive culture though I won't know if it is strep, another bacteria or a virus.
Terry, thanks. I have been gargling with tea tree and water for several weeks, and this still came on. The last couple of days I've done it with Liserine, then salt also.
DLL
Posts: 2824 | From The Back of Beyond | Registered: Oct 2003
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Years ago each time I was on antibiotic for something I would end up getting a sore throat.
I thought at that time that my Dr. called it a 'superinfection' and said it was indeed from being on antibiotic.
Now though, looking up superinfection, it certainly doesn't seem to be what my long ago Dr. meant when he used that term.
Anyway - bottom line is that it doesn't happen now as long as I take probiotics. So as another poster asked..could it be yeast?
Hope you feel better.
Sandy
Posts: 99 | From central NJ | Registered: Jan 2003
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dontlikeliver
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Member # 4749
posted
Sandy,
Thanks. I dont' think it's yeast. First, I've just finished recently an aggressive Diflucan/Nystatin procol and still take Diflucan 2x a week and Nystatin 4x a day, plus masses of probiotics and plain yogurt. Do thorough oral hygiene, etc. And, I don't think yeast would so much focus just on your 'glands'.
This looks and feels generally all over my body just like what my 'old tonsillitis' looked like when I had tonsils and chronic tonsillitis, except now it's on my tonsil stumps.
I don't like the sound of Superinfection, and hope that is not what I have. But that is a fear too.
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dontlikeliver
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Member # 4749
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Can anyone tell me if a normal Full Blood Count indicates no bacterial infection?
The culture isn't back yet, but the FBC was, and it's normal.
Can I assume with that, that the cause of this persistent sore throat/infection and general all over blah is viral?
Thanks
DLL
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