Antibiotics necessary for strep throat?

[MicheleRMT]

A new friend of mine would like to have her child over for a playdate Wed, BUT she told me that we went to the dr.'s today after they called her yesterday. Her child has strep throat. The dr. wanted to give her a prescription but she refused it.
She will give her daughter Collodial sp? Silver instead. She said it is an antibiotic. The lady at the health food store told her.
Is it really? I've been doing research and it's looks to me that it's pretty important not to fool around with strep because it can cause heart and kidney problems.
I'm hoping she's right and we'll be fine having her over for a play. I hate to cancel but selfishly I don't want our family to get Strep throat.
Michele

[karne]

It is dangerous to leave strep untreated. You will definitely want to take your dd for a strep test if you allow a playdate with an untreated strep positive child. Kids can sometimes be asymptomatic w/strep, or present with signs other than a sore throat. This is one place where it simply does not pay to go untreated. Alternative treatments can supplement, but not replace treatment.

[pandora665]

I'd call and cancel. Her daughter would only be non-contagious after 24 hours of antibiotic coverage. Whether colloidal silver will help the symptoms or not is irrelevant. Untreated strep can be passed for 10-21 days, and I wouldn't bank on colloidal silver to eliminate that risk.

The risk of untreated strep is rheumatic fever which can lead to congestive heart failure. Even EXTREMELY crunchy mamas I know treat strep with an antibiotic.

If you do decide to go ahead with the playdate, I'd go ahead and make an appointment for a strep test a few days later. Kids can be asymptomatic, or only have a stomach ache and still have strep. It's very easily spread, and nothing to mess with.

On further investigation: Colloidal silver (in theory) works to stop bacteria from multiplying, but does not kill the bacteria currently present (they will die off on their own). The most common antibiotics used to treat strep throat actually kill current bacteria, which is why you become "non-contagious" so quickly.

[MicheleRMT]

OMG I'm going to cancel right now. I researched after I posted as well and noticed the natural sites also said it's important to use the dr.s antibiotics with whatever natural stuff you want.
The child just phoned my child and I answered so I asked her how she's feeling, she said goooooood. So I asked if she still had a sore throat and she's like a little bit. So forget it. After they talk, I'm going to ask for the mom and cancel it and say I'm just not comforable with it.
(I kept waking up last night thinking about it.) doe!
Thank you guys so much!
Michele

[sg784]

You do not NEED antibiotics to kill strep.

Personally, Ive killed strep with grapefruit seed extract.

As far as wanting to be around someone who might be contagious, that's your call.

[MicheleRMT]

I did cancel the playdate and I feel bad about it. I think the mother is really smart but I'm just plane scared about strep. If my dd got it, I'd give her the antibiotics right away. If in the couple weeks, this child is healthy and fine, then MAYBE I'd try just the alternative for a little while to see if it works.
I HATE having to use antibiotics, I know it's super bad for you but we know it does kill strep.

[lalemma]

Yikes! I think you did the right thing, and shouldn't feel bad.

I'm all for blowing off antibiotics for things like ear infections, but step is not a place where I'd mess around with some lady at the health food store giving me advice.

Grapefruit seed extract is an interesting thing: several studies have shown that the antimicrobial properties of GSE are actually due to high levels of synthetic preservatives included in the extract during production. <a href="http://www.terressentials.com/truthaboutgse.html">More info and links to the studies here.</a>

[WuWei]

Home Remedies for Sore Throat and Homeopathic Treatment for Strep Throat

http://www.hpakids.org/holistic-heal...s-for-Strep%3F
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...ai_2603000685/
http://www.hpathy.com/diseases/sore-...tment-cure.asp

http://abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/30160/
http://ezinearticles.com/?Effective-...roat&id=225747
http://www.christinas-home-remedies....re-throat.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...oat.html?cat=5
http://www.homeopathyonline.biz/Home...arletFever.htm
http://www.mothernature.com/Library/...oks/21/193.cfm

http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/loun...ment-1768.html
http://www.encognitive.com/node/7092


I enjoyed looking for these! I was amazed at the myriad of alternatives for strep!! (The first three are especially helpful, must reads, imo.)


Pat

[hillymum]

I would cancel the playdate too!

Originally Posted by lalemma

I'm all for blowing off antibiotics for things like ear infections, but step is not a place where I'd mess around with some lady at the health food store giving me advice.

I currently have a double ear infection for the first time that I can remember. I will never withhold antibiotics for an ear infevction again! I hate to imagine any of my children going through this kind of pain!

[lalemma]

I hear you, but there's quite a bit of research showing that antibiotics don't necessarily improve the outcome of pediatric ear infections. So the current best practice among informed pediatricians is to take a wait-and-see approach (assuming some criteria are met - I think the baby has to be over two and not have any drainage from the ear and not have recurring infections... and some other stuff I can't remember.) before giving antibiotics.

I wasn't advocating ignoring your doctor's advice or anything.

[MicheleRMT]

Thanks guys. And thanks for the links, I already read most of them before I posted. Wow I can't believe you found more info, the more the better.
Well, we'll see if she can treat it properly in the next couple days. She will be phoning me to get the kids together soon.
The kids are on spring break right now for 2 weeks. It will be interesting to see if she can get rid of it on her own.
And I hope it is gone by the time she phones for a play, cause I would run to the dr.'s for the medicine and I hate having to take it. So bad for you but it is necessary for STREP. yikes.
Thanks again.

[Toolip]

I know that this is too late to change anything about the play date but I just want to jump in and say that it is absolutely NOT NECESSARY to treat a normal strep infection with antibiotics. Only 2 in 10,000 cases of strep will have complications before it resolves on it's own. If the symptoms become more severe then you have reason to treat but there is warning that it is becoming more serious. Antibiotics only lessen the symptom reduction by about 12 hours. Strep throat is WAY over treated. The clinic where I work just instated a new policy about restricting the antibiotic treatment of strep because it is so unnecessary.
A kid with strep throat usually doesn't feel very good so I would hope they wouldn't go to a play date anyway. Poor kiddo

[claddaghmom]

Originally Posted by Toolip

I know that this is too late to change anything about the play date but I just want to jump in and say that it is absolutely NOT NECESSARY to treat a normal strep infection with antibiotics. Only 2 in 10,000 cases of strep will have complications before it resolves on it's own. If the symptoms become more severe then you have reason to treat but there is warning that it is becoming more serious. Antibiotics only lessen the symptom reduction by about 12 hours. Strep throat is WAY over treated. The clinic where I work just instated a new policy about restricting the antibiotic treatment of strep because it is so unnecessary.
A kid with strep throat usually doesn't feel very good so I would hope they wouldn't go to a play date anyway. Poor kiddo

That's what I thought?? I also thought that the complications (scarlet fever and heart failure) were extremely rare, even before the introduction of antibiotics.

It's hard for me to determine b/c atbx are routinely administered for this illness, but the rates seem almost nonexistant for heart problems. Scarlet fever does still seem to be about, especially in younger kids who have asymptomatic presentations.

[MicheleRMT]

Ooooh now ya tell me!
ha ha just kidding. If my child had strep I'd go get antibiotics because I'm so paranoid. So by avoiding the strep in the first place, that saves that.
The child said she felt fine but had a bit of a sore throat still.
They have all next week off school too and I want the kids to get together.
I wonder if after this weekend the mom would know if it's gone or not.
What would the other symtoms be if it wasn't gone?
Hrt pain?
Kidney pain?
This is a real learning lesson for me to see if she can heal it naturally.
This is me shivering with fear though. Worried for the girl.

[KMK_Mama]

I always treat strep with antibiotics and I would have canceled the play date as well.

A friend of mine is a school nurse and she had a 5yo kindergartner in the nurses office a few weeks ago with a fever. She called the boys mother to come pick him up and told her with that high of a fever she should make him a doc appt. 10 days later she noticed the child had not returned to school so she phoned the mother to see how he was doing. She informed the nurse that he had ended up in the hospital a few days after being sent home and that he had passed away a few days later. The autopsy report came in. Cause of death? Untreated strep throat. Police are investigating and the mother will likely be charged with medical neglect.

[Toolip]

Originally Posted by KMK_Mama

I always treat strep with antibiotics and I would have canceled the play date as well.

A friend of mine is a school nurse and she had a 5yo kindergartner in the nurses office a few weeks ago with a fever. She called the boys mother to come pick him up and told her with that high of a fever she should make him a doc appt. 10 days later she noticed the child had not returned to school so she phoned the mother to see how he was doing. She informed the nurse that he had ended up in the hospital a few days after being sent home and that he had passed away a few days later. The autopsy report came in. Cause of death? Untreated strep throat. Police are investigating and the mother will likely be charged with medical neglect.

That is really tragic I would imagine that there is more to the story. Complications from strep throat are very, very rare. It is hugely over-treated because parents (and individuals) will demand that they get antibiotics and many doctors just give in. There is not any good evidence to support treating all cases of strep.

[Toolip]

Originally Posted by MicheleRMT

Ooooh now ya tell me!
ha ha just kidding. If my child had strep I'd go get antibiotics because I'm so paranoid. So by avoiding the strep in the first place, that saves that.
The child said she felt fine but had a bit of a sore throat still.
They have all next week off school too and I want the kids to get together.
I wonder if after this weekend the mom would know if it's gone or not.
What would the other symtoms be if it wasn't gone?
Hrt pain?
Kidney pain?
This is a real learning lesson for me to see if she can heal it naturally.
This is me shivering with fear though. Worried for the girl.

The bacteria that causes strep throat (Group A Streptococcus pyogenes) is a normal bacteria that is present in the mouth and throat. It is not exposure to the bacteria that causes the infection. We all have it, all the time (most of us anyway). The reason that some people get strep throat infections is usually a viral infection of some other weakening of the immune system and the strep infection is secondary.

[Purple*Lotus]

I do not mess with strep. I always use abx for it. I have had it twice as an adult and I was so sick with it. I was in agony, I would not want a child to feel that bad

I would also cancel the playdate just to be on the safe side

[Subhuti]

We had a five - year old in the neighboring school district die of a strep infection. This happened this year. She was in my friend's daughter's class. Very sad. I don't know if she had been treated w/antibiotics or not. But it does point to the real danger of strep. Please take this seriously.

Liz