A little medical history--

I am a 29 year old special ed. pre-k teacher and since September, I've had strep throat 7 times, the flu, multiple sinus infections,and bronchitis. I had my tonsils taken out in December because the ENT thought it would help the strep. It didn't. My bloodwork through my GP shows that I am not anemic, not vitamin deficient, and have the right number of white blood cells. I was also tested to see if I was a carrier, and I'm not. I just went back to the ENT today to say I've had strep twice since the tonsillectomy. He cultured my throat and we'll know on Wednesday if it's strep. He basically said that very rarely, people will just keep getting strep, even with a tonsillectomy. There will be nothing I can do about it, according to him, except take antibiotics every time it happens (about once a month). Or, he said it could just be viral pharyngitis, in which case, I should just take tylenol. I am not that encouraged by this.
I made an appt. with an endocrinologist for next Monday. Even when I'm not sick, I'm always tired, my periods irregular (but I take BC for that), depressed (I'm on Zoloft for that), anxious, etc. My mom had a benign mass on her thyroid and had it and the thyroid removed this year. My aunt and cousin (maternal) both have Hashimoto's disease.
I eat very healthy 99% of the time. I don't drink, smoke, do drugs, etc. I take vitamins and workout when I have energy.
I am so tired of being sick. I just want to know why I'm sick and exhausted all the time. I got to bed between 9-10 each night and get up at about 6.
any ideas guys? Encouraging words?
I'm sorry for the TMI guys--I just need a fresh set of ears and I'm just getting so discouraged.

Do you have an acupuncturist or Chinese Medicine doctor nearby you could visit? They can often take care of things when western medicine is stumped.

Do you make sure all your kids wash their hands regularly? Do you have a bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitizer on your desk which you use regularly? Have you wiped your class room down with a bleach solution or Lysol?

My students are usually pretty boogery (sorry guys), so I'm very good about spraying everything with Lysol. I use hand sanitizer, but we also have a sink in the room so I can wash hands. There's kleenex and baby wipes everywhere in my classroom, lol!
I have considered using an acupuncturist for for my back, but haven't really explored it yet. I'm very willing to consider though. Thanks for responding!

How long of a course of antibiotics are they putting you on?

My tonsils and lymph nodes are actually scarred and permanently swollen due to the frequency I've had Strep. There was actually a point in college when I had strep for three months straight. THREE MONTHS! It started as regular strep, I went to the college health clinic- proceeded to get into an argument with the doctor about what I was allergic to and what I could take (Many bouts of strep throat back to back as a kid caused me to be allergic to about 85% of all antibiotics out there), when he finally decided on an antibiotic, he gave me the wrong dose, and when I went back two weeks later because I still had it, he gave me the right dose, but it was only like a 5 day supply.

Needless to say, after about 6 weeks- I finally went to my regular doctor back home.

It is possible that they are not giving you a strong enough dose, at a long enough interval. I'm given Cipro or Levaquin. (Penicillin is preferred for Strep, but I am allergic, and only in a severe case would they give it to me- under hospital supervision though) anyway..Both are very strong antibiotics. And I take it for atleast 10 days. It's possible that while the antibiotics given are just treating the symptoms, but because you aren't on it long enough or a strong enough dose, it doesn't actually go away.. and then it's creating a super mutated stronger strep. This is how people create super bugs that are drug resistant. People don't take their medicine for the full duration prescribed, or doctors under dose the medicine or duration.

I hate strep. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. One more time and my doctor will want my tonsils out (Well... he already does...I just actually have health insurance now! lol )

LR

Thanks for the ideas! I've been on a different antibiotic each time because the dr. doesn't want my body getting used to them. Penicillin, Amoxicillin, Cipro and Levaquin, etc--done them each for 10 days.
Interestingly, when I get strep, I don't get fevers or pus pockets in the back of my throat. My throat hurts and I just feel exhausted/run down/depressed. The GP dr usually swears I don't have it and is then shocked when the culture comes back positive. The ENT I went to today says my throat doesn't look too bad, but I'm sure the culture will come back positive.
My initial thought (and my family's) was that I just never got over the original infection, but I've been taking the meds as prescribed.
Keep the ideas coming guys This is actually helping me keep track of what I should tell the endocrinologist when I see him in a week!

I wonder if what you truly have is already a super strep bug, and even though doctor is giving you a 10 day course, if never truly goes away.

Maybe you should request to be re-cultured at the end of the course to PROVE that the strep has gone away. I know when my daughter got ear infections back to back for three months, they suspected the infection wasn't going away. I had to go back every ten days for them to look at her ears.. and they were right.. it was still there and she required tubs in both ears to take care of it.

Also, I wonder (I wonder alot apparently) if you have strep... I know you said the cultures come back positive... but since my tonsils and lymph nodes have been ravaged by strep, now I just get throat infections. No fever, (and I can have those white pockets at any given time... I usually pick them off... they actually look somewhat like cottage cheese. I know.. TMI), but my throat gets so swollen that I almost can't eat.

I don't usually go to the doctor for it, because it does go away in about two weeks... but also because I try to limit my antibiotic exposure unless it's really necessary. I'm running out of antibiotics I can actually take I just take a ton of ibuprofen (prescription strength.. 4 pills) and lead softer food and weather the storm.

When you said ENT.. I thought you meant ear nose throat doc. Not an endocrinologist.... do you have thyroid issues or are you just checking because of family history? Regular blood work wouldn't show a thyroid problem unless the Thyroid panel is done. My doctor used to check me every 5 years for it (both my mom and grandmother have thyroid problems, my mom has hashimotos). Finally been diagnosed with hypothyroid in January.. Doctor suspects I have hashimoto's but now I have to see an Endo. It's been so fun.

Man, they couldn't do a quick strep test in office? They had to send it out?! Now I really want to know if you have strep or not!

LR

Oh, one more thing. Do you have pets? When I was kid, I had gotten strep back to back for months. Turns out, my dog was the carrier. I don't think cats can carry the virus, but I absolutely know that dogs can!

LR

Love the comments! I got swabbed the day after I finished my last round of antiobiotics--no strep, and they even tested to see if I was a carrier.
I do have cats, but no dogs.
I use a sonic care brush and I soak it in alcohol or switch the head after each outbreak. I think i may just buy a bulk pack of toothbrushes from the dollar store and switch it out every day to see if that helps.
I have been seeing an ear, nose, and throat (ENT), but I also got an appt with an endo for this Monday.
I seem to have symptoms that correspond with thyroid problems. I did some digging, and found out that on my mom's side, there is an aunt, uncle, two cousins, and my mom who have thyroid diseases....
Does this feel like an episode of "House" to anyone else, lol!
Thank you guys!

Well Chicky, I think I've exhausted all my thoughts on this. I would maybe ask your doctor, or vet, if Cats can carry the Strep Virus. I believe my mom told me only dogs can carry it, but this was 25 years ago. It's possible she was wrong, or things have changed.

Maybe one of your students is a carrier. I guess you can't request each of your student's get tested. I know dealing with a bunch of preschooler's germs is difficult to say the least... I usually refer to preschool and daycare centers as germ factories! Through no fault of their own too, because I walk into my daughter's preschool and always see them cleaning and bleaching something.

So, have you tried maybe after you touch a kid to quickly put some of that hand sanitizer on? And really be conscious about touching any part of your face? I'm not sure if swapping out a toothbrush every day will help, but I guess we are pulling out all the stops here.

Oh, another thing... my immune system is pretty crappy all by itself. If I'm not getting bronchitis 2-3 times a year, several throat type infections, etc.. I usually get a cold right around TOM. Almost every month. Your immune system is weakest the week leading up to and during your period. Have you tried journaling your strep infections to see if there is a pattern? Also, I have started taking vitamins, a multi, as well as vitamin D... as I had read a study that people who are very overweight are also very deficient in vitamin D. But you can't take vit D alone.. your body can't absorb it fully. It's best to take it with calcium and magnesium. Well, the calcium and magnesium usually come together, and the one I bought also had Zinc in it. And guess what? I haven't been sick in three months. Even though my daughter has brought home 2 colds in those three months.. I didn't get one sniffle, sneeze or cough.

It may sound insignificant to some... but for someone who gets sick during almost every single TOM... this has been awesome for me! And my boss, and both her kids, had strep last month.. which I am extremely prone to... she came to work even though she was sick, and then came to work before being on antibiotics for 24 hours... and I didn't get it. I was extremely surprised.. and pleased! Just a thought

And I guess I wasn't quite out of thoughts yet either.

LR

Hmm, great idea about journaling my symptoms! I'm going to be doing that for sure. I see my vet today because one of my cats is sick--I'm going to ask about the strep thing. I take a multi vitamin and a vit C supplement. I'm going to double check and make sure it has all the zinc I need. you guys are an awesome help!!

I got my culture results back and for once it was not strep!! They think it's the viral pharyngitis. I'll go the endocrinologist on Monday for more tests.

Have you been tested for mono by any chance?

I asked my gp about it, but she said my lab results didn't support it. I'm just going to keep plodding along, eating healthy until my endocrinologist appt. Just so tired of feeling icky!

hmm, sounds like even though you were ruled out a carrier, you are one. The reason i think so is because you have strep and no symptoms. My son does this. As a matter of fact, i was told as a teenager by my mom i was a carrier for strep. I never ever got it. I could be around people who got it, and would never get it. However, I came down with a bout of it during nursing school. Of course i thought i was exposed to it somewhere during clinicals. I had the nasty pus pockets and everything...i was just shocked. I tried to find the source. My son sounded a litle hoarse for a couple of days. I took a look at his throat--swollen tonsils, but didn't look too bad. thought nothing of it. Went to doctor, confirmed it was strep. Started my antibiotics. Something didn't sit right with me, so I took my symptomless son back to the dr. with me. He had swollen tonsils, but nothing else. He was confirmed strep too. Started him on them.

So a couple months go by. I am sick again. I ate something sweet, and gah my throat hurt. Sign of strep. bacteria multiply with sugar. Anyways, son was symptomless again, but i had streaky pus on my throat. Took both me and son to doctor. He was again symptomless with slightly swollen tonsils. My strep test came back NEGATIVE. His came back POSITIVE. The dr. said i defnitely had pus on my throat, so they were going to treat me again. We both got on antib's again.

A year later, i was exposed at a clinical, and i developed symptoms, my third time ever. I think my son sensitized me to the infection and he's a carrier now.