Recurring strep = removal of tonsils????

[Mom2Fin]

Hi guys,
I have an almost 6yo DD who has tested positive for strep 2 times since Feb. The first time she was put on a 7 day antibiotic and got feeling better, but on the 8th day, the fever and sore throat came back and she was put on a 10 day dose of a different antibiotic.
Then the other day, had sore throat and fever and tested positive for strep.
She is currently on a 10 day antibiotic for this.
They are sending her on an Eye, ear nose and throat Dr. to see if she might need her tonsils removed
I am not a big fan of going to the doctor, (we don't vaccinate and I try to avoid them if I can) But I want to do what is best for my DD.
Any suggestions would be welcome!

[mum4boys]

I would do everything in my power to keep her tonsils in. Did you make sure you changed her toothbrush after each infection?Have you had every member in the family tested to see if they are a carrier? Also do you have a dog (they are often the carrier).

[Mom2Fin]

I do throw the toothbrushes away after every time! No we haven't been tested, but that's a good idea. And we don't have anything but a goldfish!
I will say that this past time my 2 yo DS caught it as well...

[blessedwithboys]

you should know (the ENT wont offer this info) that tonsils can grow back. i would do all i could to boost the immune system so it could beat down the strep more efficiently rather than remove a functional piece of the immune system. if the tonsils arent there to catch the strep, whee else in the body might it go?

[justmama]

I kept my tonsils through 22 years of strep at least once a winter and tonsillitis so bad I was hospitalized twice for "kissing" tonsils(aka, they were occluding my airway because they were touching). I apparently REALLY wanted to keep my tonsils. But they had to come out eventually. They were so damaged that one took up half my throat because it was swollen literally all the time. It never went back down again. And the other fell apart int he surgeon's hands when he removed it. It was past time. But I really recommend keeping the tonsils as long as possible. Strep sucks. It hurts, it's miserable, you feel like butthole, but the tonsils are part of the necessary immune response to illness. They do provide an important function. And yeah, most kids recover from tonsillectomies super fast and are eating the next day but the surgery also has the potential for complications. I wouldn't remove the tonsils unless the child has strep more than 4 times ina row one season(and you've ruled out reinfection with toothbrush or immunity to a certain antibiotic) or strep multiple years in a row.

[Kindermama]

Originally Posted by Mom2Fin

Hi guys,
I have an almost 6yo DD who has tested positive for strep 2 times since Feb. The first time she was put on a 7 day antibiotic and got feeling better, but on the 8th day, the fever and sore throat came back and she was put on a 10 day dose of a different antibiotic.
Then the other day, had sore throat and fever and tested positive for strep.
She is currently on a 10 day antibiotic for this.
They are sending her on an Eye, ear nose and throat Dr. to see if she might need her tonsils removed
I am not a big fan of going to the doctor, (we don't vaccinate and I try to avoid them if I can) But I want to do what is best for my DD.
Any suggestions would be welcome!

Here's the thing. Antibiotics are not healing the underlining disturbance which is causing the strep to proliferate in her throat (remember strep is everywhere). It's the imbalance in her system that is allowing it to thrive. Antibiotics, in this case, will only suppress the strep and it will just come back with a vengeance.

So, my advice is to take more of a holistic route. Homeopathy is a great place to start! It would require you taking her to a homeopath to get a very individualized remedy to get her system back into balance so she is no longer susceptible to the strep. I will say that throat issues tend to be about speaking your own will and/or speaking up for yourself. Maybe she is resonating with some issues there. There are other causes obviously but there tends to be a theme with throat issues.

Anyway, another way to go is herbal tinctures. Elderberry is a good one as well as Echinacea. I do recommend homeopathy for the deepest cure. GL!

[Kindermama]

Forgot to mention---you shouldn't have to remove any body part short of rampant cancer cells! She is so young, her body is healthy with the exception of this recurrent strep---which you can heal with homeopathy, herbs or other energetic healing modalities (acupuncture, reiki etc)!

[tanyalynn]

Are her tonsils enlarged? Or is it a more general strep -> tonsils connection?

A fair number of people have found that enlarged tonsils go back to normal size when food allergens (intolerances) are removed, and if a food allergen is depressing her immune system, then that could solve both problems. Or think about other things that could, in general, stress her immune system, and work on improving those. Digestive health, including probiotic foods or supps, would be one path to consider.

Strep is everywhere, this article references a study that found 20% of asymptomatic kids have strep bacteria in their throats in winter and spring. So it does seem like, when we get symptoms of strep, it's more about us than about the strep bacteria (and yeah, I include myself in there).

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/228936-overview

[russsk]

I had strep every winter, usually a few times. Each time they talked about removing my tonsils, but I refused. Every year I would get stronger and stronger antibiotics until I flat-out refused to go back to the doctor one time when I was about 14. The infection seemed to run its course and I haven't had it since.

[cjarvis]

Last year I kept getting strep and I did the antibiotics and hated it every time, but it was the only thing I knew to get rid of the strep and then another time when I could tell it was coming again I did Grapefruit seed extract (put drops in water and gargled then swallowed) and echinechea/goldenseal throat spray. I didn't get strep and it hasn't been back. I swear by grapefruit seed extract every time I feel like I am getting sick.

[StephandOwen]

DS just had his tonsils out about a month ago. Your dd would not have met ds's ENT's criteria, from what you posted. DS's ENT's criteria is 5 bouts of strep in 12 months then they would CONSIDER removing tonsils.

DS had more than 5 bouts in the last 12 months (one of which landed him in the hospital for 4 days), and he's had more than 5 bouts in 12 months for the last 3 years. (In other words, he's had at least 15 bouts of strep in the last 3 years). DS also had obstructive sleep apnea (due to enlarged tonsils and adenoids). Because of everything put together, we did get ds's tonsils and adenoids removed. If he had just had 2 bouts of strep in the last 2 months I would not have considered it. I would have waited to see what happened over the next 10 or so months.

[Mom2Fin]

Thanks so much for your fast responses! I think that I will cancel the appt we have with the ENT and just see if we have any more bouts with it...I think part of it is her starting kindergarten this year, I went back to work as a kindergarten TA at her school, 2 yo DS started weekday school and DH is a high school art teacher
As if we aren't exposed to enough germs as it is!!!
I still feel like we would be jumping to conclusions to even think about surgery...

[Bea]

I thought these portions of this article were interesting. The author is Michael E. Pichichero, MD Professor of Microbiology and Immunology.

Has prior antibiotic therapy eliminated protective throat bacteria?

Prominent, normal bacteria of the throat include another type of streptococci (alpha hemolytic). These bacteria make natural antibiotic substances (to provide an advantage for themselves) in the throat. Penicillin or amoxicillin therapy may change the natural environment for throat bacteria by killing these alpha hemolytic streptococci; their elimination provides an opportunity for disease-causing strep to gain access to the throat cells. This is another reason for patients to avoid unnecessary antibiotic use.

Has early, prompt antibiotic treatment suppressed natural immunity?

With the availability of rapid strep detection tests and the publication of several convincing studies that describe faster clinical improvement from prompt treatment, many physicians have been prescribing antibiotics sooner after diagnosing strep throat infections.

Immediate penicillin treatment has been shown to be a cause of recurrent strep infections. Early antibiotic treatment suppresses the natural immune response to strep. Delaying antibiotic therapy for two days after the onset of a sore throat allows an immune response to develop, which may reduce the chance of a relapse or recurrence of strep throat infections.

Two similar studies compared immediate penicillin treatment with treatment delayed for 48 to 56 hours in 343 children with documented strep throats. Early antibiotic therapy produced a three-time increase in the frequency of recurrent infections as compared to those for whom treatment was delayed.

*Table here that won't reproduce with copy/paste*


A delay in treatment does not increase the risk of rheumatic fever since a delay of up to nine days from the onset of symptoms can be made. Nevertheless, for patients who appear severely ill or in times when highly infectious strains of strep are circulating, intentionally delayed treatment should not be considered.

LINK

The same article is on a few sites, I just haven't the inclination at the moment to dig up the actual studies.

[zinemama]

A friend of ds's had strep 5 times in 12 months and at least a few times each year in the 4 years before that. He got his tonsils out and hasn't had strep since.

[mia_jean]

My daughter had her tonsils out when she was 6 because they were occluding(sp?) her airway when she slept. She still gets strep throat. In fact that is why I'm responding to this post...I just did a search for strep related posts hoping to find some information that could help from getting it again. This is the 2nd time she's had strep in the last 6 months. She's been on antibiotics for a uti three times in between the poor girls system is probably shot. I really try to not use antibiotics unless we have too, but strep and uti's don't seem like things to mess with. My son has strep this time too, but I think he might be more of a carrier as he has tested positive twice but not shown any symptoms.
I'm glad I read the info here. I will try and make an appointment with a holistic practitioner and see if we can fix this.

[SuburbanHippie]

WuWei has a great post on treating strep with homeopathy. I have it bookmarked for the next time it happens to make its rounds in my house. Since we've started on Vitamin D supplements though, we haven't had it at all.

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...p#post14068288

[kittywitty]

I had mine out when I was 9 or so. I had strep constantly for over a year and my tonsils were completely occluding my throat so I couldn't even eat. I only got strep once after that and it was...6 years ago and a different kind. It really helped me, but it doesn't help everyone-they are way overdone. Good luck, OP!

[swd12422]

I used to get tonsillitis and strep every winter like clockwork. When I was 13, the doctor decided I needed to have them removed. It did help me stay healthier in the winter, but that was a good 25 years ago, and I'm sure a lot has changed. And, as PP said, it may not necessarily work for everyone, although it did for me. (BTW, if it were me, I'd be looking for alternatives to surgery. It may end up being necessary, but if I could avoid it, I would.)