Ask Me Help Desk - Sore throat for 5 weeks

I was on 3 series of antibiotics for ringing in my ear over a period of 4 weeks and then finished them. A week later white spots appeared on my throat and tonsils but no pain for the first week. The first day I noticed the white spots I went into MedPoint and a doctor prescribed Augmentin (another antibiotic) even though I tested negative for strep (the quick test). On the 5th day of using the antibiotics I broke out in a rash. I stopped the antibiotic and took some benedryl and it went away. I didn't do anything for two weeks and my throat got progressively worse. Swollen lymph nodes, white spots on throat, night sweats/chills were the symptoms I was experiencing. I decided to go see "my" doctor and I had a mono test which came back negative. I had a gonorrhea test and that came back negative. My doctor put me on another antibiotic and 6 days into that one I was experiencing muscle spasms, a stiff neck and stopped taking it and the stiffness faded. I told my doctor that it felt like I had a knot in my throat and he sent me to have a cat scan done on my throat thinking I might have an abscess and nothing showed up at all. My white blood cell count came back normal also. Anyway, it's been close to 5 weeks now and the white spots are gone but I still have tender lymph nodes and my voice box hurts. I've been to an ear, nose, throat doctor and he looked at my throat and voice box and says he sees nothing wrong. I'm a teacher and the teacher in the room next to me is experiencing the same symptoms I have and has had them for 3 or 4 weeks now. I just learned that two other teachers have white spots on their throat now. I am frustrated not knowing what this is and now it seems other people are getting it too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NDfan

I was on 3 series of antibiotics for ringing in my ear over a period of 4 weeks and then finished them. A week later white spots appeared on my throat and tonsils but no pain for the first week. The first day I noticed the white spots I went into MedPoint and a doctor prescribed Augmentin (another antibiotic) even though I tested negative for strep (the quick test). On the 5th day of using the antibiotics I broke out in a rash. I stopped the antibiotic and took some benedryl and it went away. I didn't do anything for two weeks and my throat got progressively worse. Swollen lymph nodes, white spots on throat, night sweats/chills were the symptoms I was experiencing. I decided to go see "my" doctor and I had a mono test which came back negative. I had a gonorrhea test and that came back negative. My doctor put me on another antibiotic and 6 days into that one I was experiencing muscle spasms, a stiff neck and stopped taking it and the stiffness faded. I told my doctor that it felt like I had a knot in my throat and he sent me to have a cat scan done on my throat thinking I might have an abscess and nothing showed up at all. My white blood cell count came back normal also. Anyway, it's been close to 5 weeks now and the white spots are gone but I still have tender lymph nodes and my voice box hurts. I've been to an ear, nose, throat doctor and he looked at my throat and voice box and says he sees nothing wrong. I'm a teacher and the teacher in the room next to me is experiencing the same symptoms I have and has had them for 3 or 4 weeks now. I just learned that two other teachers have white spots on their throat now. I am frustrated not knowing what this is and now it seems other people are getting it too.

You did not state whether the first doctor who prescribed the 3 antibiotics for ear ringing was advised of your throat condition. It seems likely that the ear doctor might have the ability to research or at the very least, document this as a possible side effect of the first set of antibiotics. Sometimes ear ringing and other ear/nose/throat conditions have a link to household cleaners and other urban lifestyle chemicals that seem normal, but which really aren't natural. Find a wellness consultant in a health food store, and explain your symptoms. You might have a suppressed immune system due to a vitamin deficiency or merely because your body has been exposed to higher than normal toxins in the air. A medical doctor will only go on the symptoms you report and are only trained to inquire about symptoms in the realm of the symptoms you mention. They are not trained to analyze and advise on the state of your lifestyle, household/work environment and diet, and just don't have the time for it in a normal office visit.

I know your fustration... I truly do...
I had a similar situation not to long ago that the health expert here helped me with.
I don't know if it's what you have, and you're doing right by seeing your Dr's, but this sounds a lot like what happened to me and my family with a run in with strep throat.

Some of our quick tests came back negative, but after they were cultured, it showed positive.
It took a very long time for it to go away.My family was also on several antibiotics too.

We had the white spots on the throat and swollen glands.
I even had the lymph nodes under my arms to swell up which lasted for weeks after the strep was gone.

I had to throw away everything that came into contact with our mouths and buy new (toothbrushes, toothpaste, chapstick, lipstick).
I had to sanitize the entire house, wash all our sheets in hot water, spray Lysol throughout the entire house and car...
It was a big pain, but it finally went away after I did all that...

It wouldn't be safe to assume that this is what's being passed around though.

If you haven't already done everything I just listed, it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.
Perhaps you and some of the other teachers could pitch in to buy some Lysol spray to do your classrooms with too.

I wish you the best, I really do.

As a teacher where do you teach. Do you teach in a school or one of those outside rooms? Is there mold present anywhere. There are many possibilities. Are any of the students having similar symptoms?

Could just be viral but I know it is a pain because about a year ago I keep getting strep and I would finish the antibotic and 3 to 4 days later it would come back I went through this process so many times I lost count. I had to have my tonsils taken out about 3 months later so I pretty much had strep for 3 months. Try ibuprofen and graggling warm salt water it helped for me also using a mouth wash my help you may just keep reinfecting yourself and if you have the people around you getting it too it may just be a passing back forth thing. Remember that you need a new toothbrush and brushing and using mouth wash 3 times a day will help lower the bacteria in your month. Hope this helps. I know throat pain sucks!!