my 5 year old went to bed just fine on Tuesday..But when I went to check on him 2 hours later he was running a fever.. I checked and it was 103. My dr has told me in the past that if a child has a fever for more than 48 hours.. to bring them in. So I waited 48 hours -- he still had the fever and we went to the dr. The dr said he had strep throat and prescribed antibiotics.. Now I feel bad that the poor kid suffered at home for 2 days till we went to the dr. I did give him advil for the sore throat and fever.. which helped some. He had strep one other time... but he wasnt very sick at all.. in fact.. we were at the dr for a well checkup and i just mentioned that he had complained of a sore throat the day prior..
Do your kids get strep often?? if so do you go to the dr every time they complain of a sore throat// ???
My daughter just had her tonsils out because we had gone through so many rounds of strep throat for years! We finally took the plunge -- I'm glad because I kept getting it from her. One year, I was on seven rounds of antibiotics and they were threatening to take MY tonsils out. Hopefully, this will put an end to it all!
My younger son had 4-5 times in kinder and he didn't always have a sore throat. He even threw up a time or two, or just acted strangely (which was my clue something was amiss).
If it looks like strep throat I take them in. Otherwise, I assume it is a virus and give them a chance to recover. Usually though my kids end up with a sinus infection so you have to wait. (Docs assume it is a cold until they have had symptoms for 7 days + then they will treat for a sinus infection). FYI... My oldest was diagnosed with strep once. A few days later my youngest developed a rash on her belly and chest. I took her to be tested although she was not sick at all (no sore throat, fever etc). She did have strep. I am slightly paranoid about my kids developing PANDAS.
Don't beat yourself up. Your child is being treated now and that is what counts.
yes-sometimes the children got strep-one more than the others (there are five) and I learned before I had them that strep is not to be taken lightly-as my Grandfather had strep as a child and it led to rheumatic fever.
Don't be hard on yourself-sometimes, the body fights the infection-when it can't, it will let you know-usually with a fever or blood in the urine, or both; sometimes even after one to six weeks have passed. The course of action is to give the antibiotics at exact intervals, without fail-yes, awaken your child, no matter what-and don't even think about missing a dose or not finishing the medication. Then-on the 11th day following the course of antibiotics, the child must be tested again. Strep is a formidable opponent-take it seriously because it involves the heart, kidneys and , the brain. God bless you, Sweetheart-and take care!
Yes. I have two boys...7 and 9. They have both had strep before. Sometimes, without any symptoms other than low grade fever and runny nose. Whenever they have a fever....even without a sore throat....I take them in within 24 hours to have a strep culture done. Strep can be scary. Listen to your gut.
One year it seemed like my daughter had strep every 2-3 months and was told that some kids just get it more often than others due to exposure or being susceptible. Knock on wood, it's been about 10 months since her last bout of it. She has NEVER complained of a sore throat with it at all (and never complains of ear aches with ear infections thanks to SPD). For strep, her symptoms are vomitting and a fairly high fever, and for ear aches her symptom is sleeping and high fever. I don't stick to the 48 hour fever thing, especially with daycare rules. I take her in, and it has always been strep or major ear infection.
strep occured only once & never complained about sore throat only ear ache but had both infections
Please don't beat yourself up over this! He's on the right meds now and they will help. You were heeding your doctor on the 48-hour thing. Next time take him in sooner but really, don't fret about it this time.
I do tend to get my daughter (or myself, or my husband) a strep test if there's a sore throat that lasts more than, say, a day. Strep throat is very common and runs around every single season here, so I'd rather know and get it treated.
My daughter had it eight times the first year she was in school. Fewer in first grade, and this year hasn't had it (yet!). Don't beat yourself up Mom -- if his throat hurt him too bad he would have said something. Lots of times my daughter doesn't complain of a sore throat at all.
I can usually tell but only because we've been through it so many times -- her breath has a distinct odor. I'll smell it before the fever develops and if/when the fever comes I'll head straight to the Dr.
I've never once had strep, funny huh? Maybe I'm immune.
Don't forget to change his toothbrush after 2nd or 3rd day of his meds. Wishing him a speedy recovery!
my daughter has had it 3 times since August. The first 2 times, she didn't even have a fever. Just a sore throat. I took her to the dr. because I could see her tonsils were swollen and she had those red dots on the roof of her mouth. Besides that, she felt just fine. The 3rd time, the sore throat started, so I took her in. She had a neg. test. A week later she came down with the fever and her throat still hurt, so I took her back and it was positive. We have to go and see an ENT now and I'm terrified that she might have to get her tonsils out. I do not do very well when I have surgery and I'm so scared she might have a hard time with it as well (not being scared, but I am allergic to some of the meds and I didn't wake up very well and I don't want her to go through that also)
So for us, we do go to the dr. for it because she does get strep and she won't always feel terrible when she has it
My GD gets is very often. In fact, she's home again today with the beginning symptoms. She's had it so much that I just have to call the doc and they call in the prescription. It's amazing how quickly it comes on. She recognizes the feeling/symptoms right away since she's had it so often so we knew last night it was coming. The antibiotics are waiting at the pharmacy for me to pick up on the way home!
There were times when my son was younger that he appeared just fine, until suddenly at 7pm on a Friday, he'd start crying and say his ear hurt. We'd take him to Urgent Care and they would confirm a raging ear and/or sinus infection. How it developed from Zero to OhMyGosh with no sign was weird, but we learned to trust that when he does appear ill, we don't wait.
I'm so sorry, Lisa. I understand how you feel. I learned from watching my sister suffer from scarlet fever that strep is scary stuff. When my kids have sore throats, I always take them in for a strep test. My kids even get strep WITHOUT a fever. I can't assume that a sore throat isn't strep because of what my kids experience.
I think that MAYBE the doctor says 48 hours in order for the strep to "grow" enough to show up on the quick strep test. Otherwise, you might have to wait for a culture, and I think that takes 48 hours. Last time my son had strep, (and he's a college student) it didn't show up the first time they tested him. It either wasn't strong enough yet, or they should have actually cultured it. His stomach kept bothering him, so I took him back and between the sore throat and stomach trouble issue that didn't go away, the doctor checked again, and there it was.
So, the answer to your question is that any time they get a sore throat, fever or not, I have them checked for strep. I'm uncannily right about it. I'm pushy about getting the testing because of my sister's misdiagnosis and consequent scarlet fever (which was just awful!)
Hope your little guy feels better very soon!
Dawn
definitely don't beat yourself up, leigh is right.
i was told if you're worried about strep, use a flashlight to check their throat for the white spots. if he had been super miserable, you'd have known.
When I get strep myself it is more the high fever and pounding headache that take me out...sometimes I don't even get a sore throat. My son had horrible stomach pain once, we got sent to ER for more tests and they were close to taking his appendix out, but the ER doc didn't think his white blood cell count was high enough for appendicitis...good thing he ran further tests..it was strep. he told me that sometimes it can be in the lymph nodes around the stomach.
My point is...take your baby to the doctor when they are sick and when your momma gut tells you something is wrong. Strep will take out more than just their throat...you'll know...go with your instinct
yes, both my sons went thru strep in their childhood. Once my younger son had his tonsils/adenoids out, he really slowed down on it! But thruout their childhoods, we averaged at least once a year.
I am a different story. I have chronic inflammed tonsils, & usually go thru strep 2-3 times each year. Having an inhome daycare puts me at risk regularly....& it's usually the parents!
Since I am so familiar with strep, I normally recognize it within the 1st day. There's an odor & redness to it....that you just can't miss! (well, about 99% of the time. I have had strep without fever/sore throat.) So with strep & ear infections, I don't wait. If neither infection appears to be present, then I do try to wait it out.
My verdict: I usually base it on other symptoms present. Wishing your son a speedy recovery!
