It started a week ago, not really a sore throat, more just a swollen gland on the right side. I was already taking pain killers for another illness, otherwise I would assume the pain would have been much worse. Yesterday, I woke up unable to speak without pain. I could definitely tell when the painkillers wore off, the gland pain had now moved to the left gland, and it was much more swollen, almost completely shut. My doctor could not see me until Wednesday night, so I went to a walk-in clinic. They were pretty good. They did a strep test right there with 90% accuracy for strep. They also sent in a throat culture. I won't get the results back for a few days, but I know I've never had throat pain like this before. They started me on 500 mg of penicillin four times a day for 10 days. Hopefully the pain goes away soon. Luckily, I have no other symptoms or fever.

I began to develop a sore throat last Friday, Aug. 8th while vacationing in Germany. I could feel the tingling sensation beginning. By Monday (3 days later), the pain had intensified to the pain a bad sore throat usually brings, so that was nothing new to me just some pain. On Tuesday Aug 12th, I left the city I was in to go to Hamburg and upon arrival I could tell this was much more than a bad sore throat. The pain was getting to the point of something I never had experienced. The symptoms all pointed to strep. I consumed lots and lots of tea with honey and lemon to help which did a bit. Avoid chocolate or acidic drinks. Even that still hurts and now its August 17th. I went to seek medical attention (August 15th), a week after everything started, and was prescribed Amoxicillin to remove the bacteria (1 week dosage) as well as strong lozenges to soothe. Everything is about 50% better now and it is exactly 9 days later since it all started. I'm sure by Friday my throat should be back to 100% meaning 2 weeks from start to finish. Never had strep. Never want it again. Self-diagnosis is easy: You don't have a runny nose or cough yet you experience intense pain in the throat, intense pain when swallowing even own saliva, a bit of fever. The doctor could also do a blood test and within ten minutes check the bacteria levels in your blood rather than a strep test which can take a day to receive results.

Today is Saturday. I usually take a combination of Benadryl/Tylenol for sleep and allergies on a regular basis, but this past Tuesday I had a tremendous headache and nothing alleviated it. That night I could not sleep and awoke with a fever of 101 and body aches. I have not had a fever in years, took Motrin and it went away. Later on that day my throat started to hurt and by Thursday I had pus pockets on my tonsils. Started taking Keflex 500 mg twice daily and the pus pockets are no longer there. Throat is still sore, have some malaise but otherwise I feel OK.

I started getting chills and fever on Friday. Throat got sore on Saturday and by Sunday I was in pain. Went to see the doctor on Sunday and he prescribed an antibiotic (Amoxicillin) 3 times a day for 14 days. I have never experienced this kind of throat pain before. Just to swallow my own saliva is so painful that I look forward to sleeping so that I am unaware of the pain. No pain killer was prescribed but I have been taking Tylenol 3. It doesn't seem to be working. Interesting that as you get older the pain and soreness lasts longer and is more intense. Nothing helps, not honey, not any kind of throat lozenges (that would just burn) tea, cold nothing alleviates the pain. Doc says drink warm liquids but even that hurts.

Let's see here. My sore throat started on a Friday and well it has lasted for over a week now. It was starting to 'go away' or so I thought. The following Saturday it got so bad that I had to go to the E.R. Well that Dr. is a moron and I am filing a complaint as soon as I can speak. On Sunday I went to another hospital E.R. and finally got an antibiotic and pain killer. I just today on Tuesday got the throat culture back and it is indeed strep throat! I knew it! Well I can actually swallow a little bit today! Nothing helps other that the antibiotics and pain killers. No cold stuff, no hot stuff, no Cepacol, nothing.