terrible sore throat
 

I started with a sore throat last Wed. Went to the dr. on Fri. He looked in my throat and said it was strep, but did not do a test. Gave me a Z-Pack. Went to teach school for the day and coached a basketball game after school. next day took 12 year and 3 friends to the mall for a day of shopping for her bday. They shopped 5 hours and I sat in a comfy chair. The mall was a 2 hour round trip away. Came home and had a slumber party, I went to bed and left husbnd in charge.

From 2 pm Sat to Sunday morning my throat was on fire.I couldn't swallow or talk. Felt like knives stabbing me. Called Dr., he sent me to ER in a town 45 minutes away, even though we have an ER here. He figured I had a throat abscess and he could not treat it. A nurse practioner saw me. They decided I have viral pharyngitis(sore throat). I tested negative for strep and influenza.

I did alternate ibuprofen and tylenol to help with pain. At the ER I got a shot of prednisone and they prescribed hydrocodone and more prednisone. No one there knew much about Myasthenia Gravis although my neuro is associated with that hospital. I wondered about taking CellCept, since that is an immunosupressant. I wondered if I should quit taking it so I could fight off the throat infection. They thought I should keep taking it so I am.

I stayed home from school today and lounged the whole day. I figured tonight I better look at all of the schoolwork I brought home on Friday.

I'm sorry you are so sick.

It's not only MG that ER's don't "get," it's immunotherapy they don't understand either.

When you are immunosuppressed, infections can "hide" and things like a CBC or erythrocyte sedimentation rate can look perfectly normal. There is one test they could've done, and probably still should do if you are sick in a couple days: A strep titer. It is a simple blood test that shows if you have active strep in your body.

Z-packs are useless, in my opinion, when it comes to things like strep. You need a better drug! If you can take amoxicillin or one of the cephalosporins like Cephalexin/Keflex, it might work better. They may not be able to give you another one until ten days after you started the Z-pack.

DO NOT stop taking Cellcept - good call. Immunosuppression and schools are a horrid combination, as I'm sure you know.

Please be careful. Monitor things like your BP, your pulse (which can be higher with an occult infection), temperature, etc. Look at your throat. Even if obvious signs of strep go away, it can linger if not properly treated. My Dad had rheumatic fever in the Navy, from strep that goes undiagnosed or treated, and he only had an earache. He then had damage to his heart.

So please followup with your primary doctor! I hope you feel better soon.

:hug:
Annie

Oh, and quit infecting everyone you see by being around them when you have strep! ;)

Azythromycin (Zithromax--your "Z-Pak") is a drug that should be "used with caution" in myasthenics.

http://www.myasthenia.org/LinkClick....vg%3d&tabid=82

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8701248

Abby

They did do a blood test for strep and swabs for strep and influenza and all were negative.

There is a lot of stuff going around school. 2 kids that I teach have mono. One of them is a wrestler and he started with a strep infection on his arm from the wrestling mats. It has been so bitter cold here also. Finally got up into the 20s today.

My BP was up yesterday, probably because of the anxiety of going to the ER. I do take BP meds. My temp finally dropped to normal today. It had been 100.5 to 100.9.

I have a tiny mouth and Drs have a hard time looking in my throat even with a tongue depresser. She finally got a look yesterday as I gagged and she could see bumps.

I do return to my primary Dr on Wed. I know Annie I felt bad for going to school on Friday, but I had nothing ready for a sub. The kids and other teachers were mad at me for being there. As I said most of them are or have been sick anyway.

Abby I thought I had read something before about MG and Zpacks. I will look at your links. I have had 3 to 5 of them since MG. They do take the pain away for awhile.

Thanks gals.

From what I can see, it was just one patient, or possibly two, and the reaction was immediate. Just something to keep in mind--sometimes something makes my MG worse and I don't make the connection right away.

I hope you feel better soon!


Abby