When Strepped Throat Comes Back

My daughter was treated 3 times in a 2 month period of time. The doc put her on a stonger antibiotic the third time and she has been strep free for the last 6 years. 2x's is hardly a pattern IMO.

I think that the real problem is that he didn't actually get over his first bout with strep throat. This is actually quite common. It would be my guess that it's not another infection, it's just that the first one didn't completely go away.

Strep throat is a bacterial infection and you can get it even if you have no tonsils.
Change his toothbrushes regularly. You can get packs of them at the dollar store that are easily disposed of until he's over this. Make sure he takes ALL his medication exactly as prescribed. Clean the mouthpiece of his recorder after every use.
The second dose of antibiotics should knock it out.

Best wishes.

First of all, if your son has been diagnosed w/ Strep twice in two weeks it probably does not mean that he got it again but rather never completely got over it the first time (same infection but requiring additional treatment). My daughter and I both typically have to have two rounds of antibotics when we get it and we do change our toothbrushes.

Secondly, having tonsils removed will NOT prevent strep from occuring. It will prevent tonsilitis and it will prevent strep from infecting and/or hiding in the tonsils. The same infection that causes tonsilitis can still occur without your tonsils (it is then called pharyngitis) and strep can also still occur (still called strep throat).

There are some doctors that will take the tonsils out with repeated recurring strep infections but multiple doses to clear up the same infection should not warrent it. Really the only two reason to take the tonsils out are 1. repeated tonsilitis and 2. kissing tonsils/swollen to where they can obstruct breathing.

I'm just going to chime in with those who say the first round of antibiotics didn't do the trick. It's happened to me before once or twice, and it happened to my son once. Usually the second round with do the trick. The one time it didn't with me was when I was pregnant. So they have me a low dose to take for the remainder of the pregnancy. Yeah! But I survived - and, more importantly, so did my son!

He's probably just fine and just had the misfortune of getting a bad case. If it were me, I'd mention your fears to his doctor just so he/she is aware of your concern, might be able to ease your fears and the possibility of it being something more that just a strong case is in the back of his/her mind.

Good luck! Hope he gets better soon.

You know, it's common for drs. to start out with an antibiotic that proves to be too weak for the infection that they have. Ticks me off because then it's 10 days + 10 days until it's "over".
My advice? Talk to the pediatrician, not your friends about your sons strep infection and tonsils!
In my teens I used to get strep several times per yearand I still have my tonsils! :)

1) Sounds like a relapse. Typically caused by doing too much, too soon. The immune system shuts off when the adrenal system turns on, so an infection gets a toehold and takes a mile. It's one of those hard things. Missing 1 or 2 extra days to rest and recover... versus missing another 1 or 2 weeks for a relapse... or just feeling crappy for a few months because you never actually get over it (the "lingering" colds? Those are colds that would last a week or so if we would just stop doing all the stuff we usually do. Also why kids tend to get over them quickly -we keep them home and in bed-, and why parents are sick for months as we keep having to keep on.).

The negative pattern? I'll lay $20 on the table; he's not used to being sick (and you're not used to him being sick) ... so he went back to school and normal life too soon!

2) I had strep throat 11 times in one year (competitive athlete, my own durn fault).... and then not again for nearly 20 years ALTHOUGH... I'd START to get it (there's a certain feeling in your throat long before you start feeling icky) and 2 days of gargling with saltwater and a high salt diet for a few days would kick it before I actually "came down" with it. (steptococcus is halophobic... it can't live in a salty environment).

Still have my tonsils, although, they'd have grown back by now anyway (tonsils and adenoids are not discrete organs, unless surgeons remove a LOT more than they need to, they regrow in about 20 years).

3) The pendulum swings on tonsil / adenoid removal. Mostly, because once they are removed, a first line of defense is removed, and infections which would have been caught in the throat go lower. MUCH more serious infections follow. Typically, they aren't removed unless they're causing difficulty breathing, because infections of the lungs and abdominal organs are a lot more dangerous and longer lasting than an infection of the throat... unless the throat infections are inhibiting breathing.

You're still EXPOSED to the same bacteria... but instead of getting strep throat (or various forms of upper respiratory infections), you end up with a strep infection that's more internal. Pneumonia and ulcers and blood infections are FAR more common in those people who've had their tonsils removed, than in those who have not. It's a risk/reward analysis of whether it's more beneficial to remove tonsils/adenoids or to leave them.

I had strep like 5 times in as many months when I was in 7th grade and didn't have to get my tonsils removed.

If you are concerned talk to your doctor.

If you are worried see an ENT doctor but I will say my daughter kept getting strep throat at least 3 or 4 times over the last 3 years. The last bout of it was between August 2010 thru Oct 2010 she had it so many times or like the other post said never fully clear up and the one time had to have an IV because she was so dehydrated. My doctor finally refered us to an ENT Doctor and it was the best decision I have ever made, she had her tonsils and andenoids removed at the same time! The ENT said they were so enlarged when they were removed that it was a good decision and the right time to do it. My daughter also snored, is a picky eater and always looked like she was up all night. After the outpatient procedure last March, she has not been sick not once(knocking on wood!!) except for the stomach bug. She no longer snores, has been eating a little better and doesn't look or feel as tired as she used to be. I suggest you see a ENT if you feel that its a problem but if he is overall healthy they are not going to do an unnecessary procedure. Best of luck!!!

Like others have said, he probably is not suffering from a second infection, but rather the first one never fully cleared up.

I was a constant sufferer of strep/tonsilitis when I was a child, and I still have my tonsils. This is surprising to me, because this was during the mid to late 80s, when every one was having their tonsils removed. When I would get sick as a kid, it went straight to my throat. After high school, it flared up at least twice a year in college. My senior year, it showed up AT LEAST 5 times. The health center was floored when I finally went in for it. At that point, they gave me a shot, I think it was a vaccine, to prevent it. That was in the spring of 2000, and I didn't get strep again until almost a year ago.

It's very possible that the antibiotice he was on wasn't strong enough this time around. Also, I think someone previously mentioned that if you didn't finish the antibiotic, or skipped a dose and made up for it later, it can lose some of the effectiveness. I wouldn't worry at this point about him having his tonsils out, that really seems to be a last resort type of action anymore, and chances are once it clears from his system for good, he'll be fine.

Strep is an insidious infection. It took up residence in my body one year and after three rounds of antibiotics I was still stricken with it. I turned to naturopathic remedies out of desperation. I drank a tea made of hot water, cayenne pepper, lemon, and honey. An 8 oz mug of hot water, the juice of 1/2 freh squeezed lemon, and enough cayenne pepper to coat the top of the water and a teaspoon and a half of honey (raw honey if you can find it works best) I drank it every 2-3 hours for the first day and every 3-6 hours the second day. My strep was gone by day three at which time I had a detox foot bath to ensure it wouldn't relapse and return. It was miraculously effective and fast!!! I recommend that method to all my family and friends now, at the first sign of throat infections and it works so well.

I had strep all the time when i was young and I still have my tonsils. I realize he hasnt been sick in a long time and you are worried but kids get sick. maybe he is stressed at school or not getting enough sleep or eating too much sugar...all of which lower your immune system.

My doctor said that the family animal could be the carrier! Just a thought!

Removing tonsils does NOT solve the issue.

Now, you did not say, how your son is being treated for Strep.
I assume, he is on antibiotics???
And it is being taken per instruction?
Some things like milk for example, will reduce the effectiveness of some antibiotics.
And there are different strains of strep/viruses/bacteria.
So maybe he was or is still.... recovering from his initial strep infection.