Maybe Strep Throat??....

Gargle with warm salt water, although this works in the beginning of a sore throat, pus pockets mean infection. Gargling will help speed up the healing process...good luck

Call the local county health clinic...they may be able to help you(it is pay if you can or free) If you don't get some medication you could get really really sick and not have a choice but go to the hospital!

My husband and I are complete believers in Olive leaf oil capsules and oregano leaf oil . when we get sick and we do often since I run a day care, we take both of thease about three times a day and that seems to kick what ever we have. You can get it at whole foods. also, you can go in and ask them there opinion. they have people that have worked there for years and know what does and what does not work. Hope that helps.
D.

Good morning,
I need to let you know if you do have strep you need medication, for the duration of @ least 10 days. My husband @ the age 30 had renal failure, the doctors say it was because of an untreated strep throat, it takes approximately 15 years to develop and could have been prevented..He has needed a kidney transplant. Please take care of yourself. I'm not sure where you live but there are low cost places you could go.
Valley Medical on Bascom is free though you do have to wait a long time. There is a place called Quick Health, on willow and Almaden,there # ###-###-#### There is a free clinic Called Rotacare ###-###-#### in Mountain View.

Bridget:

How did you get antibiotics without seeing a doctor? Antibiotics can be very specific and you could be taking one that is not even geared for strep...if you even have strep. Please go to clinic to rule out strep (very dangerous infection) and verify that you are taking an appropriate antibiotic for your problem. If you have a viral infection, you should not put your body through the stress of using an antibiotic.

I know someone who had a problem and he self diagnosed and took some antibioitic from a friend...he screwed up his intestinal track for life. People assume antiobiotics are safe; they aren't always. Nore does each antibiotic treat everything.

With that said, there are many herbal and homeopathic remedies for comfort and supportive care (remember, just because it is natrual, doesn't garantee it is safe so do your homework). Go to a health food store, the staff there are generally knowledgeable enough to point you to some products.

I used throat drops (cough drops) to help alleiviate the pain. You can take tylenol or Ibuprophen. There are various teas and capsules and tablets out there geared for ear, nose & throat.

Hope you feel better; please go to clinic.

how are you taking antibiotics if you have not gone to the doctor. It is really important to treat strep with the right antibiotics because the long term complications of untreated strep can really suck. If you dont have health insurance you can go to San Francisco General Hospital on Potrero to the 4th floor urgent care center. it is open 7days a week. They will do a sliding scale pay thing and bill you for it. If you have no income, they will not charge you.

If you are taking penicillin and just need pain relief you can take ibuprofen and gargle with warm salt water. Rest - and you should feel better within 24hrs if you are on the right abx. Good luck.

YES - the white dots would usually indictae strep. You would want to make sure you are on the right antibiotics and take the full course. Your children's pediatrician will most likely be willing to at least take a look for you. Good luck!

Dearest Bridget,
I literally feel your pain. I'm right there with you! I've been sick since Tues with a sore throat and...

Sore throat...can't swallow...clogged up ears and nose...WELCOME TO FLU SEASON! Want to know what comes next? It settles into your chest and you have a REALLY bad cough that doesn't let you sleep for the next TWO TO THREE WEEKS! But don't worry, we're not alone. Millions of adults have the flu every year and survive. But my very serious message is that thousands of older adults (Grandma and Grandpa's) and young children also DIE of the Flu every year! Flu is an upper respiratory infection caused by a VIRUS (not a bacteria that is killed by antibiotics) and is spread very easily. Prevention is probably too late for this year, but remember to get your FLU SHOT next year for EVERYONE IN YOUR FAMILY. I always remember to start seeking out flu clinics around Halloween time.

For now, STAY HOME to rest and prevent spreading it to others and get better with fluids, ibuprofen(Advil)or acetaminophen (Tylenol) - never, never Aspirin - for young children (Linked to Reye's Syndrome). Hot tea with honey and lemon also helps the sore throat and makes you feel like you're doing something. Echincea and other herbs don't do a thing beside help you spend money.

Now about taking antibiotics without a doctor's OK...and forgive me for being very blunt and honest, but it's REALLY BAD! It's really bad for you and your children and our community. When you have an infection (like strep throat, skin infection like a boil, or urinary tract infection) the doctors/nurses take a sample of the fluid/pus from your wound and test it to see not only what caused the infection, but also what antibiotic BEST treats/KILLS that particular bug. When people take antibiotics without these tests it makes these bacteria (bugs) STRONGER. This is what has caused the "Super Bugs or MRSA" (drug resistant infection) that we see reported in the news where people have had to have their arms and legs removed because of infections that don't respond to antibiotics. I hope you understand that I'm not trying to scare you, but it's the reality that when people don't take antibiotics the way doctors tell them to it impacts all of us.

About affording health insurance...I'm also right there with you! After our mortgage, our Kaiser bill is the next highest! My husband works for himself and I work very part time and understand that health insurance is too expensive. Other alternatives are the county health departments that will give you a physical exam and throat culture next time you are sick, or you can try the free standing health clinics at certain drug stores. Check web sites like www.cchealth.org/services or quickhealth.com for exams for a fee for service arrangement fee around $60-100. You can't afford to not take care of yourself.

I hope I don't sound too preachy, but as a nurse and preschool teacher (and current flu sufferer - even though I got my flu shot! (We can talk about THAT later) I really want to help you.

Take care of yourself so you can care for those boys!

M.

PLAESE READ ALL OF THIS Bridget:

Sounds EXACYLY like strep. You MUST get an antibiotic. This does not go away and only gets worse. My daughter never complained of a sore throat not once and woke up one morning with this huge red/purple rash all over her torso and genital area.So I totally freaked! Went straight to hospital. Turns out it was SCARLET FEVER!!!! OMG She had strep for 3 weeks and it turned into a real serious situation. This can be fatal if left untreated. That is what killed Jim Henson--The Muppets Creator. Please don't let this go.

Before I was married and didn't have med. coverage I used the local Med Clinic. $75.00 visit and then filled Rx at Target or WalMart $4-$15. Look in the phone book there are dozens locally. I used the one in Roseville off Sunrise.

If this is still too expensive, borrow the money! Maybe like $20 from a few close friends and family members. This way it doesn't put anyone out too much. I would definately give a friend $20 in a time of need.

Ps. Temporary homecare. Hot water with honey and lemon to soothe the throat. Motrin/Ibuprofen for pain--it is an anti-inflamitory and reduces swelling and a pain reliever too. Tylenol is NOT an anti-inflamitory. Just a pain reliever.

Please take care of you chilren's mother.
Best wishes.

What antibiotics are you taking? How do you know they help strep? If your throat is worse after 24 hours on antibiotics, they are not working. Strep can be very serious and can spread to the blood stream, lungs or heart. Please see a doctor, explain your finances and get a payment plan, if you get so sick that you end up in the hospital it will cost you a lot more than a doctors visit. Please go to the doctor.

May not be strep. If the glands in your neck are swollen you could be looking at mono. Definitely see a doctor!!

honey....you need to go to the doctor, white spots usually strep...make sure you take motrin, ibuprophen..that will help with the swelling of your tonsils....trust me I have had this many times..I dont know any home rememdies...but please be careful, strep is serious...

Please find a way to get to a doctor. There are free clinics in some cities and at some universities. Strep can be a dangerous infection that should be treated and at the very least can spread through your family.
Perhaps when you are well you can reassess your family finances, for example, could you regain some money by not paying for unnecessary expenses such as cable TV, Starbuck's coffee, eating out and perhaps be able to pay a doctor. I am not saying you spend money these ways, just that at one point in our marriage when we had little income, we decided to make serious sacrifices so I could remain home with our three young boys. They are now 26, 28 and 30 years old and looking back, every sacrifice was worth the time I spent with the boys.

Try gargling with warm salt water every few hours. You really should see a doctor; there must be some free clinics near you or a county hospital. I'm surprised you have antibiotics without seeing a doctor. Strep throat is contagious and it would be a shame to give it to your family.

I am a vocal music teacher and have had my share of strep throat.

Hi,
Strep is highly dangerous and can require hospitalization and even be fatal. Go to a county hospital, or nearby hospital, and tell them you don't have health insurance and can not afford to pay. If that does not work a doctors visit would be under a $100, you can ask for a discount, and the cost of the test -- I am sure that it all would be well under $200. If you don't do this you may be stuck with a hospital bill that would be well beyond this!
Take care.

Bridget,
I'm sorry I had trouble getting to the update and I'm sure you had plenty of responses but can I just add my 2 cents???
PLEASE>>>>>PLEASE>>>>>PLEASE.... go to a clinic or something it is Very Important that you see a doctor!!!!!
I have had strep many many times..I thought I could diagnose myself until my throat closed up and I almost had to call for an ambulance!!! I had a 103 temp and white spots in throat & on my tonsils...I took an antibiotic I had at home & went to sleep. I woke up several hours later because I could not breathe....Luckliy my husband had just come home to "check up on me"....Thank the Lord he knew something was up, he said he could feel that he needed to check up on me, even though he had never done that before..Long story short I am fine now but it could have been so much worse...
Now that said...I live in the Sacramento area and one of my co-workers recently had a next door neighbor who died in her sleep (just after the holidays). She died of a strep throat infection!!!! Her whole family had gotten it and she took antibotics perscribed for another family member, because they had already been to the doctor several times that week...So she did save a couple bucks but now her husband has no wife & his kids have no mom!!!! I'm sorry if I am scaring you but....
On second thought I am not sorry.... I do not know you personally but I would be devastated if anything happened because you didn't go see a doctor...PLEASE PLEASE see someone right away!!! PLEASE...Did I say that enough??? Good Luck & please let me know if you need anything.....really

If you have white spots on your tonsils, it most likely is strep. I'm sorry you dont have insurance right now, but you really DO need to see a doctor. as somone else posted I'm not sure how you're taking antibiiotics without seeing the doctor, unless you were just able to call it into your old doctor to fill, but most, unless you'd been to see them recently with strep, wouldnt call that in without a culture. You need to make sure that 1) you are on the right prescription 2)are these old pills? they could lose their potencny and/or you may not have enough.

Unfortuantely I learned the hard way that just because my sypmtoms went away I could stop taking my antibiotics..and am now very resistant to most of the strep antibiotics.

As far as makingthe symptions go away...alternate between an acetimetiphen/ibuprophen meds every two hours. Gargle..with warm salt water, it will sting at first but will definitely help to make your tonsils go down and get rid of the pustules (white spots).

Definately sounds like strep. I understand the health insurance thing, but if you don't take a full set of antibiotics, it will just come back again. My youngest is on her second set of antibiotics in a month cause she did not take the right dosage to begin with. My advice would be to go to the county e/r and wait to get the prescription. the antibiotics don't cost more than say $15 to fill at the pharmacy. You need to do this for you and your family....

Good luck and god bless

Hi Bridget,

Once you have been on the antibiotics for 24 hrs you are no longer contagious and soon after you will start feeling better. Motrin works wonders for the pain in the meantime and it is also an anti-inflamatory so it will help with the swelling. My 9 year old son is very susceptable to strep so I have delt with it many times over and I have had it a few times myself...nothing has ever had me down like strep, ever! If you suspect strep in the future you can call a clinic and ask to have a strep culture, they do the swab and then call back in 24hrs with the results. If positive they can call in the antibiotic. You do not need an actual doctors visit. You will still pay for the culture and the antibiotic, but will not have to pay for a doctors visit on top of that. ALWAYS ask for cash pay rates...hope you feel better:)

strep is going around now and one of the symptoms is white spots. You should get treated for it because it can get worse and you can infect your kids..........sorry to hear that.......I'm going in this afternoon to get my daughter tested.........

Good Morning Bridget...

The tried and true remedy for a sore throat is salt and warm water gargle...the salt must be enough just so you can taste it..not burning strong...gargle several times a day...you can also use this mixture to do a nasal flush...not fun but you use a bulb like the one you suck the baby's nose with...fill with salt water and squirt it up your nose...it burns...but a couple times a day you will survive...as far as the antibiotics...you can always purchase more at places like Lees Feed...in the fish and maybe the canine department...its the same as human and you can buy it over the counter...

Hope this helps...T.

PS...Did you live on Jane Drive?

if you have strept thoat, the doctor would just give you antibiotics as well. So, the best thing is to continue taking them for as many days as you have, you will need at least 5 days worth. If you take only a few antibiotics your body will become resiliant to them and you will only get a worse infection, called a "super infection." I have been in the dental field for 15 years and the white spots do sound like strep. A full course of antibiotics will do just fine and you will get better soon. I am sure you know that they will help to make you feel better soon, but remember that once your symptoms go away you need to continue the antibiotics for another 4 days. Hope you feel better, there is nasty stuff going around right now. :(

DO not mess around with strep untreated it can go to your heart. I have a friend that had congestive heart failure at 26 and lost 1/2 his heart mussle because he could not afford the Dr. Vist. In the end it cost him way more than money. There are county clinics you can go to that give financial help. You do not want to take the risk with your life. Get the strep treated properly. You will not regret it.

M.

Bridget,

You can take Airborne or Emergen C. But, if it is a bacterial infection you need an antibiotic. Strep throat is nothing to mess around with. It can lead to other problems. Also, if it is strep you will only get worse without an antibiotic. Find a medical clinic that will accept payment on a sliding scale based on your income.

If you can get to San Francisco, the St Anthony clinic Doctors will see you for free, as well as provide any needed antibiotics for free. The website below gives appointment info.
http://www.stanthonysf.org/services/services-clinic.html

Hope this helps!

I have throat problems often this time of the year. I found a great way to keep strep throat from coming on before it got too bad. You will need to buy some oils.., eucalyptus,clove and thyme. Add a few drops (be sure not to put too much, can cause a headache) to a large pot of water. Bring it to a boil and then turn it down and drape a towel over your head over the pot to catch all the steam and breath that for as long as you can hang. I did that off and on as much as I could. My throat was better in days. Another idea is... if you carefully peal a garlic clove and pop that in your mouth to suck on, that has great antibactirial qualities. It feels hot at first but you will get used to it. Just suck on it for a while. One final would be to get some zinc lozenges. Good Luck!
T.

slipperyelm and licorice tea

Hi Bridget,
See http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/strep-throat-home-trea...
for some ideas for relief.
There is a soothing tea - Throat Coat - put out by Traditional Medicinals. You can get it at Whole Foods but also at many grocery chains - check in the herb tea area. It's very soothing - won't cure anything, but you'll feel better.
Don't know how you got antibiotics w/out a Dr. & I thus assume there's only a partial course of them left anyway, so once you stop this could resurface.
I also assume your husband works - surely his health ins. could cover you - check into it.
Also, now or in the future, you could call your Dr. to see what financial arrangements could be made for occasional visits, as in this case. Sometimes they will lower their fee or arrange a payment plan.
Good luck, S.

Dear Bridget, it definitely sounds like you have strep throat.
The best thing you can do is go to a clinic and get a full dose of antibiotics that are effective against strep. There are complications that could arise if not treated appropriately and you're too young to wory about that. So, whaever it takes, get treated. Don't use someone else's antibiotics for a short time.
That could cause more trouble. Good luck and take care, C. f.

Strep is very dangerous if it goes untreated. You need to make your way to the clinic and get checked out, its contageous as well. Good Luck.

It definitely sounds like strep. I think you have to get antiobiotics to clear it up.

Bridget,
This could also be Mono if you have not had that before. With Mono, you can definitely get a very sore throat with white spots on your tonsils. If it is Mono, you need to have your liver enzymes monitored. Also, antibiotics do not automatically make strep non-contagious, at least not until you've been on them for some time (24 hours for ear infections is what I've heard -- not sure about Strep). There must be some type of county public health services to assist people who cannot afford to pay a doc. Think of how much more this will cost you if your sons catch it or if it's Mono and you are unaware. Often, with Mono, there can be complications with your liver or spleen that are preventable if you know you have Mono. Please find a way to see the doctor asap. Perhaps there's an urgent care clinic in you community that uses a sliding scale for payment. Does dialing 311 work in your area? In an increasing number of communities, dialing 311 links you with a directory of public services available in you area. Please understand that not getting medical advice now could cost you a lot more later. I hope you feel better soon, and I'm so sorry that this country's health care system has put you in this position.

Bridget you dont mess with strep,!! that is so serious..you dont want it to get into your bloodstream and infect your body, while it could just be a virus.. and you cannot afford a Dr. you can apply for medical help in Vacaville on Merchent street human resources I think don't delay. other option go to clinic in hospital and tell them your situation they may have more info for you.

Without going to the Dr. or having a way to culture your throat on your own it is hard to say what is going on. What kind of antibiotics are you taking? How many days supply do you have and how strong are they all make a difference. Too little can cause a worse infection that will be harder and more expensive to treat.
For a home remedy 1. Gargle with warm salt water every few hours. This really does help a lot. Use koser or sea salt if you can get it
2. Honey is shown to have antibacterial and healing properties. Make a lemon/honey tea and drink that (hot) through the day (just slice a lemon, place in hot water and add honey to taste). At night take a tablespoon on honey or mix with straight lemon juice and take.
3. If it gets worse go to the E.R. you cannot be refused treatment

Hi Bridget,

The remidies we use at home for sore throats is gargling with peroxide(DO NOT SWALLOW) it works really well. It will make your mouth all bubbly feeling but it works good. As far as the ear ache I usally put a couple of drops of warm olive oil in my ears that semms to help. Let me know.
K. P.

gargling warm salt water really helps as well for temporary releif.

I would try drinking hot water mixed with lemon, honey and either whiskey or something similar. If you don't drink alcohol, then just hot water with lemon and honey will help a lot, too. I would drink just plain hot water/lemon/honey combo as often as possible throughout the day and then doctor it up at night to help you sleep. I had chronic bronchitis and have had strep many times and this helps a lot. Feel better!

I hope you're not taking some weird old antibiotics. Strep is a bacterial infection which needs antibiotics. However you need the right one. Different ones do different things. Your "ear infection" is probably a result of letting the strep get too bad. If you have the right antibiotic, it should clear up in a couple of days.
When I didn't have health insurance, I went to planned parenthood a lot. Why don't you give them a call and see if they will take you. They don't just do abortions and stuff - they can help you w/ regular things too.
Good luck :)

Salt, peroxide and getting to a free clinic are excellent suggestions. I have had success with vinegar. I / we gargle with vinegar and spit it out (try not to swallow and do not breathe in - wow, I've done that and choked a while). If you use balsamic or wine vinegar, we have seen some strains of ??? being spit out (YUCK), especially the second gargle (we gargle three times and then later). When my girls were young, I added apple cider vinegar (or other), to cucumbers for a snack when their playmates would have unsuspectingly have exposed them to strep - never got it. I have now learned about ASAP Silver and keep bottles on hand for everything!

Warm salt water gargles, zinc lozenges, the kind you get from a health food store, and possible a trip to the Berkeley or Haight street Free Clinic, don't mess around with strep too much, it can get bad.
-K.