Antibiotic resistant (strep throat)

Last year dd was 4 and got strep throat for the 1st time. She is allergic to penicillin so she was prescribed zpack. Took that for the 5 days, got retested and still had strep. Went on a 2nd antibiotic for 10 days, got retested and still had it. Finally the 3rd antibiotic (can't remember the name but it is very strong and I was told it would 100% cure it) and she was retested and finally there was no strep.

Fast forward to 2 weeks ago. She is now turning 5 got Dx with strep, started with a 10 day antibiotic, retested and still positive. Put her on zpack for 5 days, retested and just got the call she is still positive for strep. I am getting upset that this kid has been on antibiotics so much for strep and concerned as to why her body is not responding to them. The nurse said they are putting a note in her file that any time she gets strep in the future she automatically go on the stronger antibiotic that rid her of it last year. A friend suggests I should take her to an ent. Any thoughts or opinions on this?

Re: Antibiotic resistant (strep throat)

Background: for whatever reason, i get 2-3 really bad upper respiratory infections each year since I was little. Ear infections, strep, bronchitis, sinus infection, the works.

I personally NEVER responded to z-pak. My doctors don't even bother anymore with it.

Anything else they give me always works (Augmentin, cefdenir, levaquin, etc.) so I'm not sure it's a built-up resistance per se as much as z-Pak is not the strongest antibiotic out there. I don't think your dc has a personal resistance as much as our society has a problem that bugs are stronger than before b/c of general resistance.

I'm allergic to sulfa drugs so I have a limitd repertoire as well. It can't hurt to visit an ent just to be sure that structurally there's nothing contributing to the strep dx. Not sure an ent would have a magic cure for the non-response to antibiotics but there can be other proactive things to help reduce swelling and inflammation like certain sprays.

Re: Antibiotic resistant (strep throat)

Does she snore or have very big tonsils?
I'd discuss this with your ped. Have had adult friends get their tonsils removed because they were chronic strep carriers (or so they told me).

Antibiotic resistant (strep throat)

What I would first do, is have her tested by an allergist to see if she truly has a penicillin allergy. DD had similar predicament and couldn't take it for 3 yrs. while she was hospitalized, they wanted to to give her a penicillin antibiotic. She had no reaction!

Antibiotic resistant (strep throat)

When she is testing positive all the time after the initial diagnosis, is she still showing symptoms? This happened to my daughter, she would be sick but then still test positive for 3-4 weeks. My doctor says that she thinks she is a strep carrier which just means that she carries the bacteria most of the time, but it's not making her sick.

Re: Antibiotic resistant (strep throat)

I'm very prone to strep. I haven't used z-pack for a long time but now my doctor said that it's fallen out of favor for everyone because most of the strains that go around now are immune to it. It was prescribed so much & that's what happens. Yes, I would go to an ENT.