Asking for help from Dr Hive

[Paige]

I am almost positive I had the flu this weekend. I received the flu vaccine a couple months ago, so maybe that's why I recovered from the worst of it within a couple days. I had all the symptoms and now I have a general weakness, a nasty sore throat, and a mild cough with a little chest tightness. I've read that the sore throat that comes with the flu gets worse after the body aches and fever go away, and mine definitely has. I looked at my throat with a flashlight, however, and my tonsils are covered in white patches! I thought white patches meant strep? If it is just a side effect of the flu, the doctor won't be able to do anything but if it is strep, then I believe in antibiotics. There's too many bad things that can come with untreated strep. My question is, are white patches on tonsils only a symptom of strep or tonsillitis, or can they come as a symptom of any sore throat? I searched online for anything about the flu causing white patches on tonsils and came up with nothing. I still feel miserable and I can't imagine much worse than having to take all the kids with me to the dr while I'm feeling like this to get a strep test. I'd much rather stay home and assume it is an after effect of flu. Would you go in for a strep test or stay home? I wish they sold quick tests at the pharmacy because I know I could swab my own throat. I guess I could have had both flu and strep but I no longer have a fever.

[Harriet Vane]

No fever? And you've improved in symptoms?

 

I'd probably spend a few days gargling with salt water and doing some form of nasal rinse (OTC saline spray or NeilMed or NetiPot or some such). It's truly amazing what rest, hydration, and careful, repeated sanitizing of the affected area can do.

[tex-mex]

I am almost positive I had the flu this weekend. I received the flu vaccine a couple months ago, so maybe that's why I recovered from the worst of it within a couple days. I had all the symptoms and now I have a general weakness, a nasty sore throat, and a mild cough with a little chest tightness. I've read that the sore throat that comes with the flu gets worse after the body aches and fever go away, and mine definitely has. I looked at my throat with a flashlight, however, and my tonsils are covered in white patches! I thought white patches meant strep? If it is just a side effect of the flu, the doctor won't be able to do anything but if it is strep, then I believe in antibiotics. There's too many bad things that can come with untreated strep. My question is, are white patches on tonsils only a symptom of strep or tonsillitis, or can they come as a symptom of any sore throat? I searched online for anything about the flu causing white patches on tonsils and came up with nothing. I still feel miserable and I can't imagine much worse than having to take all the kids with me to the dr while I'm feeling like this to get a strep test. I'd much rather stay home and assume it is an after effect of flu. Would you go in for a strep test or stay home? I wish they sold quick tests at the pharmacy because I know I could swab my own throat. I guess I could have had both flu and strep but I no longer have a fever.

I think the severe sore throat is the key here. Get the swab test -- I am prone to Strep and it can be a whole month for me to recover. (I have other health issues and things like this can really get me to the ER.) The other issues just sound like viral co-morbidities with the strep?

Edited December 6, 2010 by tex-mex

[Quad Shot Academy]

My kids have had very swollen tonsils, fever and white gunk and the strep test was negative. Some viruses cause the same symptoms. Strep would not give you all the other symptoms, so unless you got strep and the flu at the same time, it is viral. If it was me or my kids, I would wait 4 days to a week, before getting a strep test. :grouphug:

[ktgrok]

I almost always get white patches when I have a bad sore throat, and I've never had strep in my life.