Is it possible for a kid to get strep THREE times in one school year?

[MorningGlow]

Nay, in half a school year? MG Jr. has had strep twice already--once in March and again in April. I thought we were going to escape the rest of kindergarten unscathed, but today he came home with a sore throat and a fever of 101.5 out of nowhere.

Is it POSSIBLE that his class can be THAT polluted?!

Heading to the walk-in hours at the pediatrician tomorrow, I guess. :banghead:

[Shell Beau]

1. Maybe he never fully recovered!!

:hug:

[MorningGlow]

2. Nothing would surprise me with this kid

But he was so hale and hearty all of May! Eating like a horse, actually getting some decent sleep, playing a lot, etc. And if he was a carrier, it wouldn't be recurring, or something, as far as I can tell from reading up on the illness on the intertubes... :shrug: Oh hell I have no idea...

[Shell Beau]

3. That sucks! I hope he gets well and stays well!!!

[MorningGlow]

4. Thanks, darlin'

:hug:

Want to nip this in the bud right away--I learned my lesson with the first two rounds of strep. Besides, it's the home stretch of kindergarten--field day, the alphabet parade (he's going to be "O"--an orange), etc.--can't miss all that! :D

[Moondog]

5. Sure. I managed to get it four times in six months at age 30.

My reward was to have my tonsils removed, at age 31. But before then, and for several months, I was living on some sort of heavy duty antibiotics. People I worked with began to believe that I actually had some sort of VD, which was hideously untrue. They began to make comments like "there he goes, with a pocketful of penicillin and a song in his heart." I was single at the time, and these kinds of rumors did not exactly help my social life. Anyway, finally had my tonsils out. Which was pretty grim, but worth it. My social life recovered.

[MorningGlow]

6. Wow, that's harsh

The duration of the illness AND the nasty rumors, that is! :wow:

I'm starting to wonder if Jr. is going to have to have his tonsils out like I did. His cousin (my niece) just had hers out (19 years old)--I don't know what was worse--her suffering with all her illnesses, or suffering from having her tonsils out so late in life (at least one round of hemorrhaging, IIRC).

Glad it solved the problem for you! :hi:

[johnnie]

7. Yup

I had it all the time when I was a kid. I got it twice in one month once and they ended up having me go in to get two shots of penicillin (one on each leg) for 8 days in a row. This was in 1973.

[MorningGlow]

9. Ssssh! Don't say the "s" word! Jr. might hear you!

:rofl:

Kid has a mortal dread of shots (although I suspect the pediatrician will just prescribe another round of the yummy--according to him--strawberry-flavored chewable antibiotics).

Sigh--they sure were big on shots in those day, huh? I had severe allergies when I was young (right around the same time--early '70s) and I remember getting three shots in one go on a regular basis--two in one arm, one in the other. I don't remember if it was once a month or twice a month or what. But I got one lollipop for each shot, so I was willing to put up with it.
:rofl:

[Fleshdancer]

8. I was told that some people are more susceptible to strep

I can't recall if it was my doctor who told me this (I'm one of those people who get strep all the time) or if it was a family friend who actually researches strep at a university.

Are you replacing his toothbrush every time?

[MorningGlow]

10. This kidlet catches everything that comes down the pike

I've lost count of how many plagues he's had this school year.

I JUST read about replacing his toothbrush--didn't know about it last time, but this time I definitely will!

[Shell Beau]

29. Bella is great at finding any germ or bug that may or may not be going around.

She can spot them a mile away, and she runs right towards them. x(

[LostinVA]

34. You need to take care of my LDKB

[Sigh Sister]

11. It's true. My kids have never had it.

[MorningGlow]

14. Ohhhh be thankful

It ain't pretty. :(

[Duer 157099]

12. Typical overachiever n/t

[MorningGlow]

13. ROFL!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Thanks--I needed that! :hi:

[Aristus]

15. It's possible, if the first round of strep was treated with a bacteriostatic drug

and it was a resistant strain of strep.

This is why, if you ask your provider for antibiotics, and he or she recommends against it, LISTEN TO HIM/HER! We're creating resistant strains of bacteria due to our insistence on using antibiotics for non-bacterial infections. :mad:

[MorningGlow]

16. I agree

I have some issues with Jr's pediatrician, but I kind of appreciate their "hands off" approach to a lot of illnesses. They don't fling antibiotics at every runny nose. Strep qualifies, though. :(

[LynzM]

17. Yep.

I had it four times in one MONTH, once. (I was 9...)

:hug: for you and yours!

[MorningGlow]

19. YIKES!

Okay, you win!

Thanks for the :hug:! Here's one back atcha! :hug:

[Deep13]

18. Yeah, it's possible.

Jesus, schools are germ clearing houses.

Sounds like the cleaning crew fell asleep at the switch.

[MorningGlow]

20. I ran into one of the "floating" teachers a couple of months ago

I think she helps kids with reading, so she's in a lot of rooms on a regular basis. She said that three or four specific classrooms have been rife with plagues this year, and--just our luck--MG Jr's classroom was one of them. Makes me want to get in there with my sage bundle and give it a good smudging (along with a spray bottle of bleach!)
:rofl:

[Deep13]

25. If only there were some way to disinfect a room easily.

[MorningGlow]

26. Imagine....!

[mtnester]

21. Yes, my son got it every 90 days or less for years until we found a pediatrician that said

3 documented times in a year, and out go the tonsils. I swear a season change would bring it on, he would go from being fine to a temp of 105 in 20 minutes.

My son, who had his first case of strep when he was 6 months old, suffered for years at the hands of pediatricians that could not get over the belief in antibiotics were the ONLY cure fr everything. When a 10 year old kid starts begging for the penicillin shot so he could feel better sooner, you have to wonder.

Once we switched to a much more "current thinking" and informed pediatrician, the tonsils were out within 6 months. That was in 1992. My son is nearly 30 now, and has not had one single instance of strep since that day. The surgeon wondered how he did not cough his tonsils out, they were so riddled with infection and rotten (this is where the strep kept hiding). My son's tonsils also stunk to high heaven...you could always tell when he was about to get strep because his breath would start to smell.

I always blame myself for not being more forceful and more assertive about moving to other pediatricians...I used the one that treated me when I was little....he eventually was a victim of addiction, lost his license, then died from his addiction...again, I wonder how much his addiction prevented him from being an effective physician....probably a lot.

ANYWAY, see if your physician will allow for a walk in strep test as opposed to a full appointment. The pediatrician who saw my son through the tonsils out and the rest of his teenage years just said come in the minute you think he has strep, we can swab him without an appointment in order to get antibiotics to him before he gets deathly ill waiting for an appointment (maybe within thew day instead o 2-3 days). That worked great for us.

[MorningGlow]

23. Our pediatrician group has morning walk-in hours

It's still an appointment ($25 copay and such) but without a set time--we can go first thing in the morning instead of waiting till late that day. As far as I know, they don't do walk-in strep tests like they do walk-in immunizations.

I know what you mean about the fever--that was what tipped me off. He was really active, but he didn't eat a whole lot. I was on my guard because of the lack of food, then I noticed he was sort of snoring a little in his sleep (sure sign of swollen glands). This morning he said he had a sore throat. I took his temp, but it was normal. But I noticed when I picked him up from school this afternoon that he was pale and not his usual bouncy self. Took his temp when we got home and sure enough...101.5. Out of nowhere. Smells like strep to me.

At least I could get him started on Motrin so he didn't have that unfortunate initial spiked-fever-and-throwing-up session. We all hate that!
:rofl:

Thanks for the info, Mtnester. I have a sneaking suspicion that his tonsils will soon be ex-tonsils, just as mine were...and my brother's...and my niece's... I'll ask the pediatrician about that tomorrow. :hi:

[lost-in-nj]

22. my daughter missed so much school from strrep

she FINALLY got her tonsils removed
after going to summer school

and yes she would have it 3 or 4 times a year


lost

[MorningGlow]

24. Oh, the amount of missed school this year!

At one point I called him in sick and told the office secretary, "Just let me know when we're getting close to expulsion from excessive absences." She laughed and said other kids had been out much more frequently that MG Jr., but I find that hard to believe! Thank goodness it's just kindergarten so far...

[Sabriel]

27. We had it five times with two kids this winter

I suggest you look for a "carrier" in the future. It turned out my partner had strep but no symptoms and was giving it to the kids. We all got tested and dosed, and that seemed to break the cycle.

Good luck! It wears a body down.

[quakerboy]

28. Ive done it

so yes. Some of us are just susceptible to strep. I don't even go to the Dr for strep anymore. I get it every time anyone gets it, but my body deals with it in about 4 days.

[rainbow4321]

30. Are you buying him a new toothbrush (yes, seriously) each time

The strept germ gets onto the toothbrush and stays...people who get strept are advised to get a new toothbrush 2 or 3 days after they have started antibiotics. Getting a new one the day you start the antibiotic doesn't help cuz you can still "infect" the new toothbrush.
It may not solve the reoccurance of strept all together, but maybe it will lessen the chance a little of re-infection.

[Kat45]

31. Sure. It's easy to accidentally give it back to oneself.

My senior year of high school, I got it twice. Both times, I was away on vacation. It sucked.

[mzteris]

32. it's possible someone in your family

is a strep carrier without ever being sick from it - you might want to have the family tested.

[mentalsolstice]

33. I'd say yes

I was highly susceptible to strep as a teen and young adult. However, in hindsight, given insurance restrictions, and current health problems, chances are I had recurrent mono that was never treated properly (enlarged thyroid, diagnosed with fibromyalgia, etc.). As young as your son is, it's possible he has had strep that hasn't been properly treated.

[tigereye]

35. mine when in Kindergarten and First had strep a number of times

the pink bottle lived in my fridge. He had ear infections too, which he had never had when a toddler. I chalked it up to a small daycare, and that great incubator of disease that is elementary school.

[woo me with science]

36. Oh yeah. nt

[mamaleah]

37. Yes it is sadly

The schools are so over polluted with germs because no one can afford to stay at home and keep the kids there when they are sick.