QuestionDear P.A. Cusumano,
I wonder if you can shed any light on possible origins of a very severe sore
throat which began more than three weeks ago and responded temporarily
to amoxicillin but not to cleocin. It began as strep does, suddenly and with a
fever of 102.8 with fatigue and muscle aches. The fever and aches were
gone next day but the throat got worse over the next week, even bleeding
from high-up the throat. Swallowing was almost unbearable even when it
was not bleeding and there were and still are red spots on the soft pallet
with what appears to be a small, clear raised bump in the center of each. A
strep test was done three days after cleocin was started and came back
negative (one doc said such a test after antibiotics would tell us nothing,
another said it could pick up "dead bodies" lying around). After two doses of
amoxicillin the throat began to get better and continued to until the 10-day
dose ran out, after which it got worse again along with ears and very tender
lymph nodes in neck and under arms. No fever but I feel tired. Does this fit
the pattern of mono in a middle-aged adult? I have no abdominal pain. I
went three times to 2 docs in the first week. The first said to continue
Cleocin as it must be strep. Cleocin did not help and the pain was far worse
than the strep I had in my early twenties. The second diagnosed adult (viral)
croup as I had a cough and he gave me a cough-syrup with antihistamine
which really helped at night but within two days I got a lot of colored
drainage down the throat, which is when I got the first amoxicillin. Drainage
is minute and white now and I'm on a second, stronger course of
amoxicillin.
Thank you in advance for your help.
AnswerHi Karen,
I think the mutiple doses of antibiotics will ultimately do more harm than good. All those drugs are not very specific to killing the bad bugs as they kill the good ones as well. That can lead to what are called "super infections" and sometimes yeast over growth.
I would hold the antibiotics and let the body heal itself (my opinion only-discuss this with your doctor first) and if you need something for drainage, generic nyquil and dayquil should suffice. As for the Mono, it may not be unreasonable to ask for a test given that you have enlarged lymph nodes and the ongoing fatigue. You also have to be concerned about antibiotic induced diarrhea ((C. Difficile bacteria) which can be quite serious.
