Strep Throat/ Tonsillectomy Advice

My daughter had strep a lot. We did not have her tonsils removed until she was 15. She also had sleep apnea because her tonsils were so big. I wish we had done it sooner. She sleeps so much better and is in a better mood these days. She hasn't had strep since.

The doctor did give me the impression he would have removed them just because we asked. So if they recommend, ask them why and what alternatives there might be. Get a second opinion. I knew my daughter needed them out, more for the sleep apnea than the strep...but no more step has been a bonus.

The problem with antibiotics is they strip the body of not just the bad bacteria but the good bacteria as well. Your little one's immune system really needs a bit of help. I recommend the Optiflora system as well as a fantastic children's vitamin called Incredivites. You can put the names in the search bar at my business site which is listed in my profile.

You might also be interested in reading through the following parent guide - http://www.shaklee.net/pws/library/business/superwell_sup...

Hope it helps

Not gone through this with a child but with myself , I got strep Nov 2010 and got rid of it for the last time (hopefully) in March. I was also given numerous courses of antibiotics , 10 days and then 20 days and was then referred to an ENT who did a tonsillectomy in January 2011 , 4 weeks after the surgery I had strep again , so don't be fooled into thinking that removing the tonsils will mean no more strep. Strep is a throat infection that also infects the tonsils not the other way round.

I actually had to end up seeing and infectious diseases Dr , and she told me that the tonsillectomy wasn't necessary and that I just needed a more agressive antibiotic course for longer (like a month). So look into all options if you really want to avoid surgery. The way I got rid of this last time was by having an antibiotic shot and then 10 days of a strong antibiotic. I also got the 3 kids tested and 2 of them were positive with no symptoms (so carriers) and they also had 2 courses of antibiotics , as they were giving it to me , so also get the rest of your household tested , if one of you is the carrier then you need to be treated aswell and surgery may not be necessary.

My daughter had her tonsils out at 2 1/2 yr old due to severly enlarged tonsils that were infected and severe sleep apnea and difficulty eating and talking at times. I am a OR nurse and there can always be complications, but overall she did great. The first 2-3 days are the worst and then they bounce back pretty quick. I think the younger they are the better they do. Bleeding is the biggest complication that we see, but it is not life threatening. My daughter's sleep apnea was completly gone after about 2 weeks and she has gained about 4 lbs since Christmas 2010. She is eating and speaking so much better now. It's a tough decision to make, but one that I do not regret especially at how well she has done!

I would so not have her tonsils out. My son had a ton of strep-6-8 times a year. He is now 9 and hardly ever gets it. Half of the docs in our practice always thought he should have them out and the other half did not. It is a major surgery and can be difficult to recover from. (Actually-my neighbor's little girl almost dies because of the bleeding from it in the middle of the night. ) I talked to my ENT and without even seeing him she said to make an appt for him because he should have them out. I really think ENTs want them out so bad because they make money on it. So now it has come to pass that the current thinking on this is to NOT take the tonsils out for strep. Only in cases where they impede breathing at night.

Regardless-I think that your son is really too young at this point to do this operation. I would wait another year or 2 and see how it goes before I would do it.

Boy have I been through this! Your daughter will be happier and healthier after the surgery. My daughter was like a different kid altogether. She breathed better, she slept better, she talked better. It was incredible.

My younger daughter is going through this now, and her surgery date is set. The surgery is no big deal- they are in and out of the hospital (or surgery center in our case), recovery is quick.

The only issue I will warn you about- when your daughter wakes up from surgery, she will be madder than a wet hen! It's kind of scary to see your sweet, innocent little girl act like the exorcist, but it goes away fast. The nurses warned me about it ahead of time, and it's from the meds/anesthesia.

Good luck!

My youngest was 4 when he had his taken out. He had a hard time the first few days but after that was fine. The younger they are the better! The ENT will know if she needs it done. That is their specialty. Most don't want to cut on kids unless they have to.

Good luck and God Bless!

When I was in college I did this. I kept getting strep everytime I turned around. I finally had my tonsils out. Now 15 yrs later and I have not had strep or even a sore throat since. Dont get me wrong allergies draining still can irrated my throat but thats it.

So when my daughter was 8 and went threw this. Seemed like she would get strep and a month after being off meds she would get it again. She missed so much school it was crazy. So I took her to an ENT and his comment was, "Yeah, we can take her tonsils but its not necessary if antibiotics work". I actually pushed the issue, just cause I remembered what I went through. So that spring break we had her tonsils out. She did great and loved all the ice cream she got to eat. She did complain about the pain meds burining when she swolled but that was it. Shes now 10 and hasnt been sick since. It was the best decision ever. And if either of my other 2 start having this issue, I would do the same.

For a 3 yr old, it might not be the best just because she might not understand why her throat hurts and she might be very cranky for a few days. But I suggest it this continues on. I would have her tonsils out before she starts kindergarten. I have heard that the younger you are, the easier it is on the kid. Good Luck and just go with your gut on this. If you gut says dont, then dont. If your gut says yes, then press it. Which is what I did.

both of my kids have had their tonsils removed. The oldest was 4 1/2 and had abscessed tonsils that required her to be on antibiotics after the surgery. She REFUSED to swallow anything including the pain medication. I was such a fight to get anything down her, I kept wishing that she would have been admitted to the hospital so she could have IV therapy. My second was 6 and had hers removed due to breathing problems, she did not need antibiotics and did very well with taking pain
medication and drinking fluids.
The surgery was very fast, maybe 10 minutes, and they both did great with the anesthesia.

Is your daughter strong willed (ie. stubborn)? If so, enlist the help of a friend who works in the medical field with kids to help with medications. Talk with the doctor about alternative ways to give antibiotics should your daughter refuse to swallow them. If you have an Apothecary pharmacy near you, call them and see what options are available for compounding antibiotics for children.
Neither on of my kids ate much ice cream, but we did find that sherbet was colder and felt better than ice cream.
Best of luck to you all.

I have not gone through it with my boys but I was in and out of the hospital until I was about 7 with tonsillitis, strep throat, high fevers, all of it. Trust me if you can get her tonsils out now and saver her the pain I would do it. I am 40 and I still remember how bad my throat would hurt, until they took my tonsils when I was 7 then I was all better.

Does your daughter have symptoms of the illness, or just the swollen tonsils and positive tests? I went through this with my son when he was 2 1/2. (He's now 3 1/2). Same thing many rounds of antibiotics all for nothing, tests kept saying positive. However, I don't know if your dr. does only the short test or also sends it to the lab to grow the bacteria, mine only did the short until I insisted they do the long to see if there was actually live bacteria in his throat. Long test came back NEGATIVE, although he would still test positive in the short. This means that his tonsils were so damaged from having strep at one time, they would always remain swollen and hold onto the strep bacteria, but the bacteria was not alive and not causing any problems. My ped referred us to an infectious disease dr. to see if he was a carrier. At this point and about 6 rounds of antibiotics, I lost trust in him and went straight to an ENT, Dr. Palmer. Dr. Palmer couldn't believe all the rounds of antibiotics the ped had put my son on without doing the long strep test. My son did end up having his tonsils and adenoids taken out, because they were damaged beyond repair and causing eting and sleeping problems. The surgery was super fast and easy, recovery a little harder, but worth it. We switched pediatricians after this whole mess. My son had never been on any antibiotic before this, and now he's been on everyone, needlessly!!!

Sounds like it isn't going away with the 10 day treatment and may need a 2nd or 3rd round immediately after finishing (more like 21 days or more of antibotics) so she's not getting it again but never getting rid of it. That said, having it that long or often is not normal or good and your ENT very well may order a tonsillectomy but you need to be aware that will NOT completely prevent strep from occuring. It will prevent tonsilitis but the same infection can occur without your tonsils and would then be considered Pharengitis. Without the tonsils there to get infected, it will reduce her chances of getting strep but it would still be possible (my nephew had that happen after his tonsils were removed...his mom didn't believe me when I told her until it actually happened).

I would recommend it highly. I was 24 when I had my tonsils and adnoids removed. It was very difficult as an adult. I had been sick from Jan 1 - Oct 3, when I had my surgery. I now only get sick about once a year, if that. Unfortuanately, this is a difficult surgery as an adult. They will normally keep you in the hospital overnight, but I was in the hospital for a week. At one time, they were debating on taking me back in for surgery.
The bottom line is that it will help your child and it is better to have the surgery as a child. Even with the complications, I would do it all over again.

My now 5 yr old had tonsils and adenoids removed last May. He had Strep from Feb 7 (day before Saints won SuperBowl :) ) until the date of surgery. He had 2 pcn shots and 3 oral antibiotics, but his enormous tonsils were trapping the bacteria and it just wouldn't go away. He tested positive 5 times between Feb and May. Everything went well and the "goofy juice" that they gave him before surgery made the separation issue almost non-existant. We did, however, have to go back in a cauterize something in his nose around the beginning of July. He was having nosebleeds that were not severe, but would make him sneeze and he would sneeze out HUGE blood clots. So, after that, he has had no more trouble with strep. He does, however, have some sinus issues that make me wonder if they are related to scar tissue or something from the procedures.