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More parents seem to be making an effort in recent years to limit antibiotic exposure for their children. This is due to concerns about how this may impact long term health or contribute to increased susceptibility to deadly superbugs such as C-Diff. Treating strep throat without meds remains a glaring exception to this trend.
It seems that whenever a doctor diagnoses a child or even an adult with strep throat, there is no question that they require an immediate round of antibiotics. Even those who typically avoid meds and follow a more holistic lifestyle seem to fall into this trap.Â
Strep Throat Symptoms
There is no doubt that strep throat is a serious infection. It is a bacterial infection and involves severe inflammation of the throat and tonsils. Typical signs of strep throat include:
- Sudden, severe sore throat
- Fever higher than 101°F/ 38 °C
- Pain when swallowing
- Pale colored spots on the back of a bright red throat
Some people suffering from strep throat will also get swollen lymph glands in their neck. Others experience vomiting or a red skin rash.
How Long Does Strep Throat Last?
Strep throat will only last 3 to 7 days with or without treatment. Doctors usually treat strep throat with antibiotics even though they will not make you well any faster. Strep throat contagiousness will continue for 24 hours once antibiotics are started. With no treatment, strep throat continues to be contagious until symptoms resolve.
In response to the persistent overuse of antibiotics for strep throat, the journal Canadian Family Physician states:
… symptoms caused by a bacterial sore throat [strep] fail to clear much faster when treated with antibiotics than they would if left alone.
It is certainly easier and quicker to hand out prescriptions every time than to explain and reassure. Each time we do this, however, we reinforce patients’ fears.
Do family physicians have to declare a conflict of interest in answering these questions? If we were to lower ourselves to examining the vulgar subject of money, it is certainly in our financial interest to keep many patients scared enough to rush to our offices whenever they get sore throats.
In view of the large number of antibiotics prescribed for sore throats, perhaps it is time to review whether we should be using such treatment for strep throat infections at all.
Is Strep Throat Overmedicated?
Mmmm.
Sounds like the idea of not administering antibiotics for strep throat may not be as crazy as it first sounds. Are doctors overmedicating strep throat just like they overmedicate ear infections, colds and sinus/respiratory infections?
A round of antibiotics has the potential to cause permanent damage to the gut flora. This, in turn, has a lifelong impact on overall immunity to both chronic and acute illness. Skipping those antibiotic pills altogether may prove in the long run to be the smartest approach of all.
Do You Have to Get Antibiotics for Strep Throat?
In light of the fact that every round of antibiotics potentially damages the gut in a manner than can never be 100% repaired, I think questioning the automatic use of antibiotics for every single case of strep is worth consideration. While some people clearly need meds, they are not necessary for everyone even if the suggestion may seem ludicrous at first.
The complications of strep throat are, after all, extremely serious. However, they are also rare especially for a healthy person with no autoimmune issues. Scarlet fever, inflammation of the kidney, or rheumatic fever which could permanently damage the heart are all remote possibilities.
I dated a guy in high school who was deaf in one ear from Scarlet fever (who is ironically now a MD). I am in no way kidding myself about how serious complications from strep throat can be by questioning whether antibiotics are truly needed for this type of infection.
My Experience with Untreated Strep Throat
My serious doubts about the wisdom of using antibiotics for strep throat go back to my one and only experience with this infection the summer I turned 15.  Strep was by far the worst sore throat I’ve ever had and the pain when I swallowed was almost unbearable to endure.
My Father, a Family Physician, made the decision not to put me on any antibiotics and let me ride it out under my own power. My Dad wasn’t into herbs or anything so I didn’t have any alternative treatments administered either.
The infection lasted over a week … my memory remembers a full two weeks but it might have been a few days shy of that.
I lost several pounds during that illness as I could only endure swallowing liquids the entire time. I pretty much subsisted on vanilla milkshakes from the ice cream shop down the road for the duration of that awful infection and I still got well under my own power with no complications.
The interesting thing is that I seem to have developed an immunity to strep ever since. I’ve never had strep throat ever again in 35+ years. This is despite repeated exposures at close range. During college, I even had a roommate with strep and didn’t get sick. This despite eating pretty rotten cafeteria food and lots of sugary foods. This no doubt suppressed my immune function considerably.
Is it possible that allowing the body to fight off strep throat naturally on its own confers partial or total immunity?
I’ve often considered this possibility over the years. My personal belief is that yes, it is very much possible to develop an immunity to strep throat. Certainly, though, my anecdotal story does not in any way provide sufficient evidence.
I can say with certainty that if and when any of my children (or myself) ever came down with strep throat, hands down I would without question skip the antibiotics.
Why?
Developing Strep Throat Immunity (yes, it’s possible!)
The reason is that folks who take antibiotics for strep throat seem to get it over and over and over again. Sometimes they get strep throat again within mere days or weeks from the previous infection. Have you noticed this vicious cycle too?
Wouldn’t it be a far better and healthier approach to fight it off one time and be done with it possibly for the rest of your life?
My retired MD Dad is of the philosophy that if you give the body a crutch every time it gets ill, it will always expect and demand that crutch. This results in immunity getting weaker over time. I have witnessed the truth of this philosophy through observation. Those who have the tendency to over-medicate their illnesses whether it be with antibiotics or (gasp) even natural remedies can unwittingly experience a downside.
Attempting to squelch illness at the first sign of a sniffle, for example, is not a wise approach in my opinion even if nontoxic.
The immune system stays strong when it is allowed to fight and defeat an illness with no interference. Ideally, rest and nourishment only (including frequent mugs of homemade bone broth or soups made with it) should be provided.
Now, I do think that much consideration needs to be given to the health of the individual before forgoing the meds. A child with autoimmune issues who is not eating well in the first place probably should just take the antibiotics.
On the other hand, a robust healthy child with no autoimmune illness who is consuming an excellent diet has a superb chance of handling the infection well with no intervention.
My Daughter’s Experience with Untreated Strep Throat
Recently, my preteen daughter came down with strep. She is my youngest child, and this was the first time any of my three children had ever had strep throat.
Given that she is healthy with no underlying health issues, my husband and I decided to ride it out. We treated her with natural antibiotics only.
The result?
She recovered completely within 48 hours. In fact, the white spots on her throat disappeared in less than 12 hours once we started treatments. We used garlic, raw manuka honey, and turmeric several times a day.
It will be interesting to see if she ever gets strep throat again. My bet is that she won’t. She will likely develop partial or total lifelong immunity just like I did when I recovered at age 15 from untreated strep.
UPDATE
It’s been nearly four years including a very bad flu season with no recurrence of strep for my daughter. It’s looking good for her having developed natural immunity.
Have you recovered from strep throat with no antibiotics needed? Did you develop a strep throat immunity afterward? Please let us know your experience in the comments section.
References
Canadian Family Physician, Should we treat strep throat with antibiotics?
More Information
How to Repair Your Gut After Antibiotics
Why Antibiotics Today Could Threaten Your Life Tomorrow
I’m sorry but, I’ve been sick for 3 weeks -had a strep test the day after I had a sudden sore throat and a friend stating that she went to the Dr. for strep, whom I spent some time with a few days prior. Original test came back negative. Have been taking Dayquil, Nyquil, Cough suppressants you name it, and havent felt any better. I’m 28, and this is my 2nd round of strep.
I went back to the Dr yesterday morning because I just couldn’t take it anymore. Feeling run down, can’t taste anything, eating was difficult and non enjoyable, sleeping was the worse because you woke up with your sore throat hurting more from breathing throughout the night – even with a humidifier.
I’m glad you kicked it out of your system, but honestly. Living with this for 3 weeks has wrecked havoc on my immune system and I wouldnt want anyone to “deal” with it for this long.
I finally have my antibiotics and am staying home today from work. I can’t imagine what would happen if i continued to not get treated.
AND- you forgot to make note: a person with strep that hasnt been treated is still highly contagious! so Ive been walking around possibly infecting people for the last 3 weeks. Not cool. I’ll take my antibiotics thank you.
being ‘immune’ to strep throat if you get over it naturally is difficult to prove. I just got strep for the first time at 33 years old. Maybe Ive had mild cases in the past, but probably were just sore throats associated with common cold. This however was different as I thought I was continuously getting sick over a month long span where I would suffer from fever and other flu like/cold symptoms I would just brush off as a rare cold for myself that I would get over. But when the symptoms went away and I was left with this painful throat with constant swelling of my tongue and neck that persisted for 3 weeks I knew I had to start researching strep/scarlet fever. Got diagnosed at a clinic and am now on anti biotics which are obviously not the best thing to take, but in some cases I think they can be the only thing that helps you get better quickly. Sure, maybe some home remedies will work, but who wants to deal with strep throat while you try all these wacky remedies hoping one will work? 3+ weeks is enough for me, I’m fine with antibiotics lol
I just got over strep, yes with the help of antibiotics, IV antibiotics administered during the 3 days stay in the hospital the illness led too. Fevers of 103 and 104 plus dehydration from a complete inability to swallow anything had my heart resting heart-rate dangerously high. I too turn to herbals and more natural remedies but sometimes medication is necessary to fight a disease.
My little sister had the strep infection move into her knees, and experienced effects similar to rheumatoid arthritis from it. They also worried it had moved to her heart. This is because she had a high tolerance for pain and my parents did not know she had strep throat… so it “got better” on its down and migrated to another part of her body.
I also went to school with a boy who was severely mentally handicapped from when he got strep throat that turned into scarlet fever when he was 3 or 4 years old. He was normal up until that time.
Also… has anyone heard of PANDAS?
I can appreciate that these things don’t always happen when you get strep… the problem is, you never know when it will. Strep can be scary!
My daughter has PANDAS. Had a sudden severe sore throat and headache in afternoon. By the middle of that night sore throat very painful and fever of 103. No cold symptoms. I was sure strep. Next day she felt almost back to normal and by bedtime that night 100%. Took her to the doctor on Monday because she has PANDAS and we can’t mess around with strep. Examined by doctor. No fever, no sore throat. Doctor concluded it wasn’t strep. Felt is was virus because she kicked it so fast. Saw no sign of strep. in her throat. My instinct was still that it was strep. Came back positive with a rapid test. So, you can “kick it” on your own (my daughter did in less than 24 hours), and show no signs of illness, and still be infected enough to show up on a rapid test. Be careful!
Oh I have been pickled with strep throat since university, now my tonsils are damaged from craters and they are lowering my immune system. So I have been booked in for a later in life tonsillectomy.
Tonight my partner sits aside me with his first ever infection. He is refuseing any pain meds, he cant stomach dinner but it really hungry..
im not sure sipping the vodka is helping babes.. but he sips away.
I hope it passes for him. I hope he has a good resistance to it afterwards. I feel a bit bad for pressuring him to get antibiotics and im glad he stuck his ground. I forget mine is a chronic problem and I have probably made it worse for myself, but drs just prescribed antibiotics on a whim before. I am not sure if I can fight strep without the drugs now, it was so horrific last time I could barely breathe or talk. Was signing and making squeeking noices to the hospital dr last time in desperation.
Not sure I could watch my children go through it, would have to talk to an alternative dr.
The problem with not treating strep is the strep infection can spread. Yes you ‘get better’ but do your research you can also get rhumatic fever and the infection can leave your throat and spread to other organs.
I think the issue with enhanced immunity from not taking antibiotics has more to do with retaining a healthy population of good bacteria than it does with “better immune response” from your own adaptive immune system. There are a number of auto-immune problems associated with strep antibodies that your body produces and these can be just as risky as any potential risk factors. Just because you did not have any of those responses does not mean that someone else would be as fortunate… there is too much variation in antibody formation and production.
By all means, if you kick it within a couple days, then you are probably fine going without antibiotics, but an extended immune response to strep can be very damaging. I think your story is way too anecdotal to issue any proclamation as to the best way to respond. Immune responses vary so much in different people. The body will kick strep without antibiotics, the question is whether or not a prolonged attack on the strep bacteria will also have detrimental effects on human tissues. I had scarlet fever as a child and have had issues with this bacteria as an adult. I’m pretty sure that if I were to let it “run its course” my body’s own adaptive immune functions would likely cause damage to my heart or joints. I think I will stick to the antibiotic treatment for full-blown infection and supportive diet and probiotic therapies to try to keep bacterial colonies in check when there is no infection.
Studies now show that sugar actually breaks down your immune system which can make any illness you’re going through 10x worse on your body and it leaves you more vulnerable to free radicals. Your strep probably would not have lasted as long if you hadn’t lived off of ice cream/milkshakes lol
The last time I had strep throat I was 24 and I went to my “go-to cure-all” which is echinacea tea in combination with lots of garlic, onions, and chicken noodle soup. Lasted 3 days 🙂
Echinacea tea really is a great herbal tea that helps to boost your immune system. I can’t even tell you the number of times it has helped me kick sore throats/cold/fever/cramps/headaches and strep as well. Pretty much any time I am beginning to feel under the weather I start drinking it frequently.
But, what about the knowledge of remaining contagious for 21 days after symptoms are gone if one doesn’t take antibiotics? I work with young children. The last thing I want to do is infect them. Not to mention that it’s going around the school and parents may not be using antibiotics at home.
???
Please RSVP. I’m need to be back at work ASAP
Yes, you can take antibiotics to eliminate the contagiousness. We didn’t because it makes the cough worse and extends how long they cough so the kids just stayed home. And, you don’t remain contagious for 21 days after symptoms are gone. It’s 21 days after symptoms appear. So, you can still be coughing and no longer contagious.
I googled this question as this discussion came up just today. I read this article with great interest(which I realize is a number of years old),but am reading that there are those that still follow this practice and advise others to do the same. Then so many thoughts and some memories came back to me.
!) I remember so clearly when my son was in grade school, and a friend of his had been out of school for quite a while…It turned out his heart had been badly affected by untreated strep….He was in the hospital for 6 months and as a result I became extra vigilant about having my children’s sore throats not go unchecked.
2) One thing I have learned raising my three children, now ages 18-31-35, is that my experiences with our pediatricians who took care of all three of our children,is that if you got down on your knees and begged these doctors for antibiotics just because your children were ill, running a fever,and very uncomfortable..unless there was a clear cut bacterial infection,the answer was a loud and clear NO…When I was a kid,100 years ago,haha..antibiotics were handed out like candy. Unlike today,and when I say today, I mean the last few decades,Doctors in general have been super careful about the casual prescribing of antibiotics because we are all well aware of super-infections becoming antibiotic resistant. However, my children ALWAYS receive antibiotics for strep and after seeing what happened to my son’s friend, I have absolutely no qualms at all them receiving it.
3) The comment about strep infections more likely to reoccur when treated with antibiotics.. this has not been my experience. Yes my children and I, over the course of our lifetimes so far have had bouts with strep and years could go by before ever having one again.. For the very limited amount of times we have taken antibiotics for strep,I feel completely comfortable with it…I have seen the other side when they are not given and there are more than enough comments here that reinforces my belief
4) I know this is waaaay off the track,but it does have to do with building up immunities in your children. I am a HUGE proponent of breast feeding,and the longer your able to do so, the more benefits your children will receive…I did NOT breast feed my oldest child age 35.I was quite young and my ob/gyn was not a huge fan and no one I knew back then breast fed and I regret it till this day..My oldest daughter had chronic ear infections,upper respiratory issues while my other two children were breast fed for quite a while and aside for their check-ups,very rarely had many visits to the doctor.. and my youngest has rarely taken antibiotics at all..
In conclusion,While I do realize we are an over-medicated society,if we take caution,there are times when traditional medicines are of a great benefit to us and these are questions between you and your children’s pediatricians or your doctor for yourself. If you have doubts about ANY given treatment ALWAYS ask them to explain why they came to that decision..Good doctors usually explain treatments as they are prescribing it or do not mind being questioned….
100% agree with you this article is irresponsible advice. I’ve always been told to seek medical attention for strep throat. Besides the obvious risks of not doing so you could experience swelling so bad that your airway could potentially be obstructed. I do not take my kids to the Dr for every little thing and I’m strongly against taking antibiotics unless needed my children have only taken them maybe once or twice but for the safety of the population and your child I think your gut can take it besides who has 2-3 weeks to lay out of work or school?!
Well you *must* do what you’ve always been told, right?