Strep Without the Sore Throat?

Updated on January 02, 2014
A.C. asks from Wichita, KS
9 answers

Hello, Moms!

I have a question about strep. It seems like everyone around here is really sick (not in our house, but other children at daycare, lots of kids in school, extended family that we have seen during the holidays). My 3.5 yr old has mentioned two things off and on for the past week. She is happy as can be and seems to be feeling well, but every so often she will say two things (not at the same time). The first thing she will say is, "My neck hurts." The second thing she will say is, "My tummy hurts." This has been going on for about a week, but to be honest, I just started making the connection between the two seemingly independent comments.

Now, at first I figured that she had maybe slept funny (leading to a sore neck). I would rub it, and she would smile and run off to play. When I started to wonder if it was something else, I questioned her a little more....she says her throat feels fine. She does not have any cold or cough symptoms. As far as the tummy hurting, she would say it right before a meal, and I would ask her if she was just hungry (she used to say her tummy hurt whenever she was hungry).

SO....any ideas of what is going on here? Could she have strep? I have heard that sometimes strep for children is not necessarily strep throat....I've heard that it is sometimes characterized by an upset stomach. What else could it be? Like I said, she is happy and seems completely normal, other than these comments maybe once or twice throughout the day.

Thanks for the ideas. :)

A.

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So What Happened?

Thanks, everyone. My much younger sister (who is 13) tested positive for strep on Christmas Eve. It is possible that my daughter could have gotten it from her (or really anyone this time of year). As I mentioned before, strep really didn't occur to me before since there was no complaining of a sore throat. I'll see about getting her in to see the doctor tomorrow.

Thanks again!

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D..

answers from Miami on

You CAN have strep without a sore throat. And a queazy stomach is one of the tipoffs.

My kids have had strep many times with no fever. The last strep my older teen had was with a queazy stomach and no sore throat. I mentioned it to his doctor at his physical because it had bothered him for two weeks (he had college exams and then came home), and my wonderful doctor did a strep test. To my shock, it was positive.

It's important to treat strep. It can cause a lot of problems untreated.

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B..

answers from Dallas on

Yes, it's possible. My youngest would occasionally run a 99 temp and fairly often complain of a tummy ache. This went on months, maybe a year. Doc never tested for strep. We had a negative ultrasound.

He came down with a sore throat and tested positive for strep. Went back for a recheck and he was positive after one round of antibiotics, again. After getting a second round of medicine, his tummy was magically better and no more random fevers.

Take her temp. Have her tested.

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V.P.

answers from Columbus on

My son tested positive for strep with no symptoms whatsoever. We only tested him because we had recurrent strep cases in the family.

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J.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

My daughter was 3 yo when I noticed a slight rash on her belly/chest. Since my oldest daughter was being treated for strep I took my youngest to the doctors because I worry about untreated strep leading to Pandas. Sure enough my youngest had strep. Her throat was not red or sore, she did not have a fever and felt great. The only symptom was the rash.

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L.M.

answers from Dover on

My daughter has had strep and not complained of a sore throat. Yes, her tummy heart, some days it meant she napped more than normal, and may or may not have had a fever.

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J.S.

answers from Hartford on

Yes, definitely possible. One of my daughters had such a brief sore throat that it was like it was sore from being dry and then it passed but then she had the sore neck, nausea, and some other symptoms like a consistent low grade fever and reduced appetite. I thought she was just fighting a cold. I had even looked in her throat for white spots. It was a week or more before I took her to the doctor and they ran a strept test and it came back positive. She had something else too, I forget what... maybe an ear infection? It was my daughter that has ASD so I attributed it to her difficulty with language once we figured out what it was (as the reason she couldn't explain her symptoms fully).

1 mom found this helpful

J.S.

answers from Richland on

I was told strep never has a cough and always has a fever.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.M.

answers from Boston on

Yes, very possible....my son always gets the sore throat but with my niece, it's her tummy...strep doesn't have a cough, unless if you have asthma and the strep triggers an asthmatic episode

1 mom found this helpful
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R.M.

answers from Cumberland on

yes-strep is the most baffling illness-no fever, no pain, yes strep-get your little girl tested-adult son now has gone through two cycles of antibiotics since Thanksgiving-sick on the stomach for 13 days-one good day, dropped him back at school today (pathobiology scientist, age 26) symptoms back-what in the name???? He went to the ER during last break and I think this one, too-and will probably go tomorrow-take care, all the best!

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