gamerdude200808
New member
I have a history of many cases of strep throat (6+) within the past year. I come in contact with thousands of people who cough out into the air without covering their hands, on a daily basis...it's an airport. I'm trying to get out of there asap, and I was there for the nearly 2 years that I've been having these problems. Before, I didn't have problems with strep throat.
About a month ago, I got strep throat again. I went to a CVS Minute Clinic, was seen by a nurse practitioner (which I went to many times before when I had strep, since I didn't have insurance and they could write a perscription and do tests) and she gave me antibiotics. It didn't go away. I went to my primary care doctor. They gave me antibiotics. Didn't go away. Went back again...different antibiotics. Didn't go away. Went back a third time with a partially paralyzed voice and aches all over my body as if I had the flu, but no other symptoms other than strep. Got more powerful antibiotics. They're not working.
A trip to an ENT doctor is in order. I have no insurance, so I'm assuming that since they are a "specialist"...it's going to cost me more to the tune of $300+ for a single visit. Which, I'm willing to pay if it makes me well. What will it be like? What do they do, exactly? Can't afford to get my tonsils out right now with no insurance, but I may need to in the future. Can an ENT doctor take a culture of my throat and send it to a lab to determine what I have? Nothing that anybody gives me seems to work. I'm trying to get away from my job at the airport as soon as possible. I also have to wear Invisalign trays due to some dental work that I'm having done for the next year and a half - so I have to worry about disinfecting those daily to keep from spreading strep back to myself. I've changed my toothbrush and all of the other stuff. Yet it kept coming back. I've had it for a month now, even with antibiotics. Sometimes it seems like it's getting better and then spreads to both sides again and looks worse. How will an ENT doctor approach this? Also, I've heard and read that strep can cause heart murmurs/heart trouble/failure if left untreated. I've been trying to get it freaking treated for a month now, and it has persisted even though 5 different kinds of antibiotics. It may be a new "superbug" of strep, since it likely came from the airport of 300,000 people (some international) that I work in 5 days per week. How can this be fixed with meds? If they grow a culture, will that help them figure out what will work on it?
And pardon the typos/odd wording...it's late. lol That was supposed to say I've had strep about 6+ times in the nearly 2 years that I've worked at the airport, not 1. I got it the first time within my first week of starting my job there. But of course, medical personnel do the "you have had it a lot and may need to get your tonsils out" thing because they see how much I have had it. Yes, I have...but I think it's work related. When I'm not there, it shouldn't happen as much, unless it is indeed my tonsils. I personally think it's just the nasty environment I work in...I've had all kinds of other stuff since I've been there, not related to strep.
About a month ago, I got strep throat again. I went to a CVS Minute Clinic, was seen by a nurse practitioner (which I went to many times before when I had strep, since I didn't have insurance and they could write a perscription and do tests) and she gave me antibiotics. It didn't go away. I went to my primary care doctor. They gave me antibiotics. Didn't go away. Went back again...different antibiotics. Didn't go away. Went back a third time with a partially paralyzed voice and aches all over my body as if I had the flu, but no other symptoms other than strep. Got more powerful antibiotics. They're not working.
A trip to an ENT doctor is in order. I have no insurance, so I'm assuming that since they are a "specialist"...it's going to cost me more to the tune of $300+ for a single visit. Which, I'm willing to pay if it makes me well. What will it be like? What do they do, exactly? Can't afford to get my tonsils out right now with no insurance, but I may need to in the future. Can an ENT doctor take a culture of my throat and send it to a lab to determine what I have? Nothing that anybody gives me seems to work. I'm trying to get away from my job at the airport as soon as possible. I also have to wear Invisalign trays due to some dental work that I'm having done for the next year and a half - so I have to worry about disinfecting those daily to keep from spreading strep back to myself. I've changed my toothbrush and all of the other stuff. Yet it kept coming back. I've had it for a month now, even with antibiotics. Sometimes it seems like it's getting better and then spreads to both sides again and looks worse. How will an ENT doctor approach this? Also, I've heard and read that strep can cause heart murmurs/heart trouble/failure if left untreated. I've been trying to get it freaking treated for a month now, and it has persisted even though 5 different kinds of antibiotics. It may be a new "superbug" of strep, since it likely came from the airport of 300,000 people (some international) that I work in 5 days per week. How can this be fixed with meds? If they grow a culture, will that help them figure out what will work on it?
And pardon the typos/odd wording...it's late. lol That was supposed to say I've had strep about 6+ times in the nearly 2 years that I've worked at the airport, not 1. I got it the first time within my first week of starting my job there. But of course, medical personnel do the "you have had it a lot and may need to get your tonsils out" thing because they see how much I have had it. Yes, I have...but I think it's work related. When I'm not there, it shouldn't happen as much, unless it is indeed my tonsils. I personally think it's just the nasty environment I work in...I've had all kinds of other stuff since I've been there, not related to strep.