The "New" Strep Throat

[Anonymous]

OP here, strep isn't common in my house, but we run the gamut on respiratory problems, which is why we went to the doctor in the first place (history of pediatric asthma and such.) My son is in first grade so while at this age, it might be something I normally wait out, I'm glad we did go.

As far as why to treat it, strep is bacterial and easily treated. We also have a 3yo in the house as well. Until he takes the antibiotics for 24 hrs, he is considered contagious and can't resume any activities or return to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:not to be the dumbass but why does something so mild need treatment at all?

Strep throat can lead to rheumatic fever, which can be very serious and lead to heart problems. Because of antibiotics, you don't hear about these cases very much anymore, but when I was a kid, I remember kids being out of school for months with rheumatic fever. No one wants that for their kids, so it is important to treat strep with appropriate antibiotics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:not to be the dumbass but why does something so mild need treatment at all?

yes not all strep needs antibiotics!

Really? I've heard that for ear infections, but not for strep.

NP here. Like 10% of kids are permanently colonized by strep A (the kind that causes strep throat) asymptomatically. Others can usually clear it with their immune systems. But if untreated it can sometimes develop into more severe disease.

I'm more on the side of taking a "wait and see" approach than asking for a culture every time, though. My brother was a strep carrier and my siblings and I were on antibiotics about every month for years because the dr would do a culture for him if he has anything (a cold, flu, allergies, etc) and prescribe them to the siblings, too. Finally ended when he cultured my bro at a well visit on my mom's insistence and was like "I'll be damned." All my siblings have issues with antibiotics (allergies, etc) due to being on them too much as children. We also struggle with weight (a side effect of overuse of abx), so I don't want my kids to go through that. It's a tough call sometimes.

[Anonymous]

We sought treatment because the cough wasn't going away after a month of inhaler-based treatment and the poor kid needed to sleep.

[Anonymous]

I'm from Australia where they don't do strep tests. I've heard (even here in the US) that antibiotics are not recommended for cases of strep in which there is no fever or sore throat. I've been talked into antibiotics for my kids with strep countless times by their pediatrician here. I think it was unnecessary for most of those times. I'm going to argue it next time unless the kid is in pain.

[Anonymous]

dumbass here:

Thanks for the thoughtful responses.

My mom had rheumatic fever as a child which hurt her hearing and heart.

As a child i had many brushes with lung problems so much so that I am allergic to two classes of antibiotics.

[Anonymous]

strep in kids can lead to a serious syndrome called PANDS that manifests with sudden onset of OCD symptoms.

I just had a terrible stomach ache for 3 days. No diarrhea, no vomiting (though thought I might at one point). Maybe that was whatever strep thing is going around? I am better now. Didn't see the doctor.

[Anonymous]

My kids have had asymptomatic strep...were at doc for ear pain or other things. OP, your child's cough may have been unrelated to strep, and you were just lucky they did a test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:not to be the dumbass but why does something so mild need treatment at all?

Strep can be quite dangerous. An adult friend of mine had it last year, and it somehow spread to his knee. His knee swelled up to the size of a baseball. He was hospitalized for a month and almost lost his leg. I had no idea it could be that dangerous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:strep in kids can lead to a serious syndrome called PANDS that manifests with sudden onset of OCD symptoms.

I just had a terrible stomach ache for 3 days. No diarrhea, no vomiting (though thought I might at one point). Maybe that was whatever strep thing is going around? I am better now. Didn't see the doctor.

Strep can lead to rheumatic fever, Sydenham's chorea, PANDAS, glomerulonephritis (a kidney disorder), and types of systemic vasculitis. It is suspected as a cause of other disorders--for example, it has been implicated in narcolepsy.

Having a child with PANDAS (his strep has often been asympotomatic, testing positive when his sympotmatic sibling does), they cannot develop a strep vaccine quick enough for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:strep in kids can lead to a serious syndrome called PANDS that manifests with sudden onset of OCD symptoms.

I just had a terrible stomach ache for 3 days. No diarrhea, no vomiting (though thought I might at one point). Maybe that was whatever strep thing is going around? I am better now. Didn't see the doctor.

Strep can lead to rheumatic fever, Sydenham's chorea, PANDAS, glomerulonephritis (a kidney disorder), and types of systemic vasculitis. It is suspected as a cause of other disorders--for example, it has been implicated in narcolepsy.

Having a child with PANDAS (his strep has often been asympotomatic, testing positive when his sympotmatic sibling does), they cannot develop a strep vaccine quick enough for me.

I also have a child with PANDAS. When he was younger, he used to get a stomach ache, fever, and sore throat with strep. The past couple years he only gets a dramatic increase in tics and a bad headache when he has strep.

Strep is not something that can be left to resolve on it's own. It is a bacterial infection, and antibiotics are necessary to avoid serious complications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:strep in kids can lead to a serious syndrome called PANDS that manifests with sudden onset of OCD symptoms.

I just had a terrible stomach ache for 3 days. No diarrhea, no vomiting (though thought I might at one point). Maybe that was whatever strep thing is going around? I am better now. Didn't see the doctor.

Strep can lead to rheumatic fever, Sydenham's chorea, PANDAS, glomerulonephritis (a kidney disorder), and types of systemic vasculitis. It is suspected as a cause of other disorders--for example, it has been implicated in narcolepsy.

Having a child with PANDAS (his strep has often been asympotomatic, testing positive when his sympotmatic sibling does), they cannot develop a strep vaccine quick enough for me.

I also have a child with PANDAS. When he was younger, he used to get a stomach ache, fever, and sore throat with strep. The past couple years he only gets a dramatic increase in tics and a bad headache when he has strep.

Strep is not something that can be left to resolve on it's own. It is a bacterial infection, and antibiotics are necessary to avoid serious complications.

Tics, OCD etc tend to develop two or more weeks after the strep begins. We too have had times where we noticed the sudden huge increase in hand washing, etc and haul him to the pediatrician. Kind of too bad--I wonder sometimes iwhether if we could catch it earlier we'd limit the PANDAS sequelae.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:not to be the dumbass but why does something so mild need treatment at all?

yes not all strep needs antibiotics!

Really? I've heard that for ear infections, but not for strep.

NP here. Like 10% of kids are permanently colonized by strep A (the kind that causes strep throat) asymptomatically. Others can usually clear it with their immune systems. But if untreated it can sometimes develop into more severe disease.

I'm more on the side of taking a "wait and see" approach than asking for a culture every time, though. My brother was a strep carrier and my siblings and I were on antibiotics about every month for years because the dr would do a culture for him if he has anything (a cold, flu, allergies, etc) and prescribe them to the siblings, too. Finally ended when he cultured my bro at a well visit on my mom's insistence and was like "I'll be damned." All my siblings have issues with antibiotics (allergies, etc) due to being on them too much as children. We also struggle with weight (a side effect of overuse of abx), so I don't want my kids to go through that. It's a tough call sometimes.

What? Weight gain and allergies are due to antibiotics? I understand they're being over prescribed, but let's not go too far.

[Anonymous]

Was wondering about that too. Google showed me that this is the view of one doctor at NYU, who published a book this year.

http://martinblaser.com/

Diane Rehm did an interview this summer between Dr. Blaser and Dr. Fauci, head of the NIH on this topic. Blaser is willing to go into territory like perhaps antibiotics are a culprit in rising rates of autism, while Dr. Fauci is far more cautious, sticking to accepted lines of thinking like overuse of antibiotics is bad because it can cause antibiotic resistant strains to arise. Fauci does agree with Blaser that the bacteria women give their children through vaginal birth are important (while noting Caesareans are somtimes necessary). Also, Dr. Fauci says strep needs antibiotic treatment.

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2014-07-10/why-overuse-antibiotics-may-be-linked-asthma-and-obesity

[Anonymous]

Forgot to add that Dr. Blaser attributes these ill effects of antibiotics mostly to use of antiobiotics in young children. One understands this to be very young children, but he declines to give a cutoff point.