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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 have to say that I don’t agree with your opinion on not taking the antibiotics for strep. There are cases when antibiotics are not needed, but not in my experience with this awful illness. When I was in college I went a week with strep and no antibiotic because my mother was driving me cross country to school and we wanted to hold out on a doctor until we got to our destination. By the time we arrived, I was do desperately I’ll, I couldn’t even get up from laying in the car let alone drink water. I went to the hospital and stayed there for almost a week because the infection was so bad. I swear my immune system is worse now from that single experience. My body and “crunch” time has never been the same. It may work for a rare few people but I wouldn’t go recommending not taking antibiotics for such a serious illness.
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I do not agree with you on this at all for a few reasons. Strep throat infects children more often then adults due to increased number of specific target bind regions which decrease as you age and are only left on the tonsils in adulthood. It’s possible you and your children have either done a really good job in prevention when there were possible exposures or your immune system was quick to act on the bacteria, strep pyogenes, before it multiplied to the point of making you guys sick. There are about a hundred serotypes of strep pyogenes I believe and letting an infection go all the way through for one does NOT give immunity for all of them, just that one. Also each active infection increases your chances of possibly developing rheumatic fever. Once you have the reaction, you will have the reaction for each infection leading to more heart damage. Also once you have the reaction, you are put on a low dose penicillin for daily use indefinitely as to prevent rheumatic fever from reoccurring. Also you need to remember, even if you or your children don’t have a reaction, what about those who do who you guys may spread it to? That’s the big reason right there that it’s recommended that antibiotics are used. Don’t get me wrong, antibiotic uses it WAY overused but this bacterium needs to be treated. One more thing I should mention. The same bacterium that cause strep throat can also cause “flesh eating disease” and impetigo if it gets in the right places or cuts. I’d like to think I know what I’m talking about since being an infectious disease pharmacist.
I do agree that there can be complications if strep is left untreated. However, you can still heal strep WITHOUT antibiotics. Homeopathy is an EFFECTIVE treatment, not just a placebo and waiting it out until the strep is gone. It really does speed up the body’s ability to heal itself. Read about how we used homeopathy to heal our strep. http://www.livingcrunchy.com/2012/02/healing-strep-without-antibiotics/
Those who are using colloidal silver or oregano oil or the honey/cayenne/garlic mixtures are using pretty powerful antibacterials (“antibiotics”) just as surely as those who get pharma abx from the dr…only with fewer side effects (although I would make sure to load up on probiotics after colloidal silver treatment, too.
Doctors do not corner the market on antibiotics or on antibiotics that work.
Interesting thought. Glad you pointed out some situations require consideration. I have a son with special needs with a heart condition who got the beginnings of scarlet fever with it. There really was no choice what we had to do. On the other hand I rarely get it.
I totally agree with you and your dad! I believe the body can heal itself on it’s own when given the chance. We do too much interfering as you said. My toddler recently had a fever… everyone told me to take him to the doctor… get antibiotics, etc… but I refused… kept him at home, did lots of cuddling, fluids, rest and the day after he was better and the fever gone. No tylenol, no advil, no anything, but natural stuff! Thank you for sharing this… I shared this article on facebook!
Very interesting but sadly not my experience. I’ve actually had strep a number of times and attempted to ride it out more than once hoping to become immune to it. The last time I got it, I was only sick for a couple days but I ended up getting guttate psoriasis because of it. Now 8 months later, I’m still covered in the rash (though it is finally clearing up). Another thing to be concerned about is PANDAS which looks like OCD set off by strep. Strep is one of the few things I don’t mess around with.
Thanks for reply I have no fever what so ever have no cold chills
And don’t really feel that sick just tired a lot was out about yeaterday the white pus has kinda going already off tonsil bed gargled salt and water went to doctor and ahe said puss on tonsil bed they don’t do throat cultures here unless u ask for it I said to her is it infection ahe goes ya small bit of puss on tonsil bed but no fever or feeling sick or Anything like its strange like when I got then before I got cold chills in bed and felt awful like
Sometimes a viral infection can take on the same appearance as strep – white pus on the tonsils, high fever, sudden onset. That is why it is important to have a throat culture done at your doctor’s office for every case of suspected strep.
If it is viral, it will go away in a few days without antibiotics.
However, if it is positive for strep, then antibiotics should be administered.
WebMD states: “Strep throat should not be taken lightly. Untreated, it can continue to spread to others. It’s also possible for strep throat bacteria to spread to other tissues, causing an abscess or more-serious infection. Rarely, untreated strep throat can lead to heart damage from rheumatic fever. Untreated, strep throat can quickly lead to a more severe illness such as rheumatic fever (a serious heart condition) or acute nephritis (which can damage your kidneys) — and both of these can be fatal.”
http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/understanding-strep-throat-basics
Your attitude toward strep throat is very, very dangerous.
hello sarah, i went true 2 tuff year about 4/5 years ago always had tonsilitus and strep i used alwasy smoke when i went out drinking and stuff so kinda figured it was smoking and drink and maybe late night air my doctor said i got my too tonsils out (in 2 diff operations) fir operation they had to stop the op cause my tonsil fell apart it was so rotten and infected (even do he tested me before op)he left a rooth of my tonsil there where they is like a spider web where bactaria can store like anyway i got a very good year of no infections and it was great but latelly i got my wisdom tooth out and right away i caught the flu and a week later my first tonsilitus in over a year i was in shock then i got antibiotic and it went but 3 weeks later i went out for a night and drank coors light with big glass with ice to water it down so wont be severe to my throat but yet again within 3 weeks my tonsilitus yet again i wanted to fight it myself but afraid to like its not as severe the last two times like its only one side that get the infection other side is always perfect i have post nasl drip as well like, Would the Drink Cause Infection that night out i went home had 2 glasses of water and gargled with salt and water and still got it seems every time i drink it sets off for some reason that recent night out i was sitting under air condittioning and found my throat itchy at the start of the night any idea any info is great thanks alot