To be so worried because I have Strep A & I'm immunocompromised - please talk me down

[MaiIaNurmi]

Diagnosed yesterday via 111 and have already taken three doses of penicillin. I feel absolutely lousy.

I have an autoimmune condition and take methotrexate for it - luckily I haven't taken it for a couple of weeks as I've had covid, so hopefully that will reduce the immunosuppression a bit. But I'm still so worried. I haven't been this ill for years. I've had covid twice since September (4 times this year, seven times in total) but none have floored me like this. As well as gross throat I'm absolutely knackered, feverish, earache, headache, etc.

I have health anxiety at the best of times so you can imagine the state I've got myself into. I'm convinced I'm going to get iGAS or sepsis. Please can anyone talk me down? I've been up since 4am scared shitless (and in pain/feeling crap).

Anyone else had this recently and been absolutely fine?

My daughter had it and the antibiotics worked really quickly to kick it into touch.

Can you do something to distract yourself from worrying? I know that this is easier said than done.

Anyone else had this recently and been absolutely fine?

Op, the chances are YOU have had this before yourself. Only it would have been called tonsillitis on throat exam or attributed to a 'general virus' as we don't routinely test for Strep A in the UK.

Strep A is everywhere, it always has been. Hundreds of thousands of people get it every year and are absolutely fine, without antibiotics even.

Strep A developing into IGAS is very rare and the chances are your Strep A wouldn't have gone this far anyway...but it's far less likely again now you're on antibiotics.

I've tried reading/watching a film but I feel so crappy I can't concentrate on anything. Which is leaving me far too much time for getting myself into a state.

Thank you for your reassuring words, means a lot. I'm glad your DD is fine now, it's a bloody horrible illness.

I need this stuck to my fridge. Thank you

I probably had it a couple of months ago, my tonsils were covered in white spots for a week. I didn't even go to see the doctor and it cleared up just fine. You've got the treatment you need, it'll be ok. Antibiotics work really fast. Feel better soon!

Thank you, this is so helpful.

In my calmer moments I know I'm probably being ridiculous - after all I've had other illnesses while being immunosuppressed and been ok - but strep A being all over the news lately had already spooked me. I was the same with covid (until I caught it multiple times and was fine!).

It came on really suddenly on Thursday night but I didn't think to look at my throat until yesterday morning - I thought it was just a post covid grumble which I always get a few weeks after a covid infection. When I did look I immediately panicked because it was absolutely disgusting. Hopefully the fact it's been a few days already and I'm on the antibiotics means any real danger has passed. That's what I'm trying to tell myself to calm myself down!

I am on my last day of antibiotics for it, I'm allergic to penicillin so had a long dose of doxycycline. I've been absolutely fine, I'd got through the worst of it by the time it got confirmed that it was strep a.
Plenty of rest and liquids, and I ate a lot of icelollies as they soothed my throat. But please don't panic OP! You're on antibiotics and lots of people have it without even realising, I think the media is being extremist again making people panic!

Thank you for the get well wishes and the reassurance! Yes, that's what my tonsils are like, but only on one side as far as I can see. It's deeply gross 🤢 And very painful!

Glad you felt better so quickly. Fingers crossed I do too - I haven't had a proper Christmas since 2018 due to illness/lockdowns etc so I was really looking forward to this one!

To add to what others have said - find a long talking book - free on You Tube. Set the volume just high enough for you to be able to hear the words, but not so high that it's all you can think of. Just rest and let it play, you'll probably doze, miss huge chunks, lose the story - which is fine. When you're listening to it then it helps take your mind off things. But I find them great sleep aids when I need to relax. Hope you feel better soon.

Antibiotics take 48 hours to work. Get into bed and try to sleep it off. How about music or an audio book? Lots of deep breathing exercises. Hope you feel better soon x

Tbh this had crossed my mind. I realise they need to raise awareness because it might save a child's life if parents know what to look out for, but the constant talk of it in the media had whipped me up into a panic even before I caught it (just as covid did). And I do wonder that if it weren't for my HA going through the roof since the pandemic, whether I wouldn't have just shrugged it off as a sore throat and just cracked on.

I shall send DH out to buy ice cream/lollies later! DD brought me home a milkshake yesterday and it was bliss, I hadn't eaten since Friday morning and it was soothing and delicious in equal measure.

@paulhollywoodshairgel @Sonyrecording brilliant suggestions, thank you. I have a favourite audiobook that I listen to when I'm feeling rubbish so I'll put that on and get comfy. I've been so sleepy so I won't have any trouble dozing off hopefully, particularly now my mind has been put at rest a bit.

I’ve had it, also immunocompromised on methotrexate and another weekly injection.
antibiotics, liquids, rest and I was fine. Still a little tired but that’s to be expected.

Totally understand your panic, I have health anxiety myself. Please keep reading the fine words of others and keep telling yourself you will be okay. The anxiety will heighten your symptoms as your body will be on high alert. The media love something like this. My health anxiety became a million times worse from the pandemic, i totally blame the media. I no longer watch the news because of the way they report everything. Try to rest. Do some , look on the calm app, dig a puzzle out. Look at old photos anything that will make you smile. Take care.

The panic the media have caused is really awful.

And it's added to because people don't fully understand that 'Strep throat' or Strep A infection is essentially just what we've called tonsillitis for years and years in the UK. I suffered several times a year with 'tonsillitis' as a child, as have my dc at various times with white pus, temperature, headache etc. All the symptoms of Strep A so there's a good chance some/most of those were Strep A.

Making it worse are the long rambling 'My child survived Strep A' Facebook warning posts which are shared 9000 times - and document a totally unremarkable case of an unwell child with a throat infection that got better with antibiotics at home. Wouldn't have even been on people's radar six months ago.

I'm sure you'll be fine but I'm sorry to hear you are so worried. As far as I understood it, the problem with children and the strep A infection this year is that lockdowns mean they have never come into contact with many illnesses and their immune systems are very underdeveloped. I appreciate that you are immunocompromised, but presumably have come into contact with many illnesses throughout the years. I don't think that it's now a worse infection than it was previously so the current news about children sadly dying should hopefully not change anything in your case.

I'm immunocompromised due to chemo at the moment and was admitted to hospital with neutropenic sepsis six days ago. I've been on antibiotics ever since and they have worked. So even if things were to get worse, they would have even stronger drugs to give you.

I am responsible for a large number of patients who are taking methotrexate for autoimmune disease. Although the risk is higher for these patients, it's still rare for them to be ill enough to need admitting to hospital. The odds are in your favour

HTH