My daughter has strep throat, any advice?

"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
03/29/2016 at 18:57 • Filed to: Dadlopnik

My three year old has strep throat. I’m woefully unprepared, because this is the first real illness she’s had (I know, we’re insanely lucky!). Also, I have never had strep throat, so I don’t really know how she feels. Luckily, we caught it early, and she’s on antibiotics.

Any advice on caring for a kid with strep throat?

Rally Caddy for your time.

DISCUSSION (44)

extraspecialbitter > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 19:05

Don’t have a kid, but my sister’s kids had strep.

I’d get ready treat your own strep throat.

shop-teacher > extraspecialbitter
03/29/2016 at 19:06

Yeah. So I’m told :(

HammerheadFistpunch > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 19:07

Step one. Lemon honey drinks. Warm water with lemon juice and honey goes a long way to soothing the throat. As a bonus they usually like the taste of it cuz it’s like a very sweet lemonade. honey also has some proven clinical benefits.

Step2. Alternate ibuprofen and tylenol at 4 hour intervals.

misfitmascots > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 19:09

Something warm with lemon and honey, throat lozenges, and warm salt water.

shop-teacher > HammerheadFistpunch
03/29/2016 at 19:09

Thanks!

XJDano > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 19:09

Finish the antibiotics, even when she feels better on day 5 and you have 5 more days, don’t stop, have her take it all 10 days.

It sucks to talk, eat, swallow right now for her.

My wife’s neices get it a lot.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 19:10

Wash your hands. Hot water w/ honey & lemon. If she spits out any mucus, make sure it gets thrown away. Sanitize.

. . > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 19:12

Is she not still under warranty?

crowmolly > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 19:12

Kinja'd!!!

RallyWrench > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 19:15

Oh no! Poor thing. My 3year old had croup earlier this year, it’s painful to hear them like that.

Try to keep her from talking (hard, I know), and maybe keep some carbonated drinks around, like sparkling water or grapefruit soda mixed with juice, something like that. Swallowing hurts with strep, so soft foods like smoothies and soups are good. We try to avoid letting her watch too much TV, but putting on favorite shows or movies is a good way to keep my daughter calm, relaxed, and quiet when she’s sick. To a certain extent you just have to ride it out and let the antibiotics work, but you can make her more comfortable while that happens. Also, hope you don’t get it. Good luck, hope she gets better soon.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 19:16

I know it’s true for me at least, but ice cream makes it worse. It actually on it’s own can cause throat inflammation. It can also cause snoring if you eat it before bed for this reason.

HammerheadFistpunch > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 19:18

Of course you'll need to double-check to make sure that there are no drug interactions and only use medication as needed when they’re feeling better don’t give it to him...obviously

shop-teacher > HammerheadFistpunch
03/29/2016 at 19:20

Yeah, the doc said to give her Tylenol. We have some children’s ibuprofen too, so we can try that too if need be.

vicali > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 19:23

We have a croupy kid once in awhile, and have dealt with strep a bit too.

Lemon Honey is great stuff, as are the pedielyte freezies. We make sure they get a humidifier in their room at night, keep them on the couch and quiet goes a long way to get them feeling better.

lots of hugs and handwashing :)

shop-teacher > RallyWrench
03/29/2016 at 19:24

Thanks! She’s been drinking some, she’s preferring cold water to anything else. She barged all over me this morning, but everything since then has stayed down, fortunately.

Yeah, seeing her in pain is the most helpless I’ve ever felt. She’s watching Cars now. Netflix picked a hell of a day to drop her favorite show (Curious George).

ttyymmnn > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 19:27

Tylenol for the pain, any liquids she can drink but NOT milk. Milk will coat the throat with slime. Lots of rest. If she doesn’t eat for a day or so because of the pain, that’s okay. She won’t starve to death. Chicken soup is good, and Gatorade if it’s all she can drink. She should start feeling better after a day or two of antibiotics. Actually, she can return to school after 2 doses. She isn’t contagious any more. Strep sucks bad. I got it all the time when I was a kid. I learned to drink hot tea with sugar (no milk), but hot tea with honey will do the trick too. If she’s old enough, gargling with warm salt water will help take the slime out of her throat and soothe it. Good luck.

ttyymmnn > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 19:27

Chances are you won’t get it, unless you share her cup, utensils or toothbrush. Which reminds me, trash her toothbrush and get her a new one.

HammerheadFistpunch > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 19:28

Step 3. for you and your wife - cut each other some slack if you guys are up in the night. Its REAL easy to fall out over little stuff if one or both of you isn’t sleeping. Source - my 3 year old has had a fever for a week and i get about 3 hours a night.

ttyymmnn > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 19:28

Hate to harp on the milk, but if she’s got a stomach bug along with the strep, the fat in the milk will just upset her stomach more. This from a dad who has had curdled milk barfed all over him.

shop-teacher > XJDano
03/29/2016 at 19:37

She will definitely be finishing her antibiotics!

shop-teacher > crowmolly
03/29/2016 at 19:37

That’s freaking brilliant! I’ll run out and get those as soon as she goes to bed.

shop-teacher > vicali
03/29/2016 at 19:38

Thanks!

shop-teacher > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/29/2016 at 19:39

Interesting. The doc suggested popsicles instead of ice cream. Maybe that’s why?

shop-teacher > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
03/29/2016 at 19:40

Will do. I’ve asked my hands about 30 times since we got home :)

shop-teacher > . .
03/29/2016 at 19:40

No warranty AND no owners manual!!

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 19:41

Yeah. It has more to do with the dairy. As an Asthmatic, I’m not supposed to drink milk or eat ice cream if I’m feeling tight in the lungs, because they can trigger an attack.

Birddog > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 20:13

Shot of Bourbon?

OPPOsaurus WRX > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 20:15

I was going to say ice pops. And sleep. Pho would probably be aawesome too

Kinja'd!!!

shop-teacher > Birddog
03/29/2016 at 20:41

Ha! We did rub whisky on her gums when she was teething. It works!

shop-teacher > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/29/2016 at 20:44

Oh wow. I had no idea.

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn
03/29/2016 at 20:51

On it! Thanks!

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
03/29/2016 at 21:03

Agree with Hot water w/ Honey & Lemon. I drink it all the time when I have a cough. Works better then any meds for a band-aid fix.

DipodomysDeserti > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 21:17

Manuka honey and Throat Coat tea. Manuka honey has anti microbial properties. It's expensive, but it's good for anytime you have a cold.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 21:46

My kids (3 and 6) seem to get it every time the seasons change. One usually gives it to the other. Seems like it never ends. They just finished another course of antibiotics for strep last week! Don’t worry, strep isn’t really that bad. Get her on the antibiotics and keep her on them for the fully prescribed time even if she feels better. They usually start to perk up 36-48 hours after starting the antibiotics. Tylenol helps with the pain in the throat. This time of year, pollen allergies could be aggravating it as well. If she has a runny or stuffy nose try some Zyrtec or Claritin. Lots of good suggestions for foods were already posted. Main thing is that when you have strep, just drinking water can hurt your throat so it’s easy to get dehydrated. Make sure she is getting fluids in some form: freezer pops, cold apple sauce or chicken broth - when I’ve had strep warm actually helps open up my throat just be careful not too warm with a three year old. Overall, just hang in there - strep isn’t too serious for a 3 year old - 24 hours from now things should be improving.

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn
03/29/2016 at 22:53

Thank you for all of that. She has been eating some again, and drinking too. The only thing she wanted to drink today was cold water.

shop-teacher > HammerheadFistpunch
03/29/2016 at 22:56

Oh, that’s rough. Hang in there, and thanks for the advice!

shop-teacher > DipodomysDeserti
03/29/2016 at 22:57

Never heard of that. Would that be a health food store/Whole Foods item?

shop-teacher > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
03/29/2016 at 22:59

Thanks for all that! She’s actually preferring cold water to drink, so far she’s staying hydrated, which was our biggest concern.

ttyymmnn > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 23:07

My pleasure. I hope she starts feeling better soon!

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn
03/29/2016 at 23:17

She was already a bit better by bedtime. Hopefully tomorrow will be better still.

ttyymmnn > shop-teacher
03/29/2016 at 23:20

It’s humbling to realize that antibiotics, specifically penicillin, was not widely used until 1940. Before that, you either got better or you died. Calvin Coolidge’s son died when he cut his foot playing outside the White House. He got an infection that killed him.

shop-teacher > ttyymmnn
03/29/2016 at 23:28

Yeah. We’re lucky to live in modern times.

DipodomysDeserti > shop-teacher
03/30/2016 at 01:20

Yes, Whole Foods will have several grades of it. It comes from New Zealand and Australia, so it’s a pretty pricey, but if you only use it for ailments it lasts a while. The antibiotics she’s on will kill the strep, but the honey and tea will help soothe her throat. My girls (3 and 5) are big tea drinkers, and they love honey and throat coat tea.

shop-teacher > DipodomysDeserti
03/30/2016 at 07:25

Thanks!