Strep/tonsillectomy Question? Anyone Experience This?

This happened to me as well. It sucks, to put it lightly. ;-) Usually when it happens, it's time to take the tonsils out. I was on a bunch of different antibiotics and none of them were actually killing the infection, just subduing it for a bit and then it came back with a vengeance.

I was an adult, but if it was happening to my kid I would at least consider a tonsillectomy. Talk to the ENT about the best options. It may depend on how often this is happening, etc., but it stinks to have strep all the time. I haven't had any issues since I got mine removed about 6 years ago.

A former coworker's son did. He would even test positive for strep without a sore throat. It became part of his checkups. He got his tonsils out at 11 yrs old just to get it over with. As an adult, recovery is supposed to be more intense and she did not want him to have to go through that.

Having my daughter's tonsils out at age 6 was discussed because she had so many strep infections (to the point of need penicillin shots). We didn't, but only because right after that, she started having less problems with strep (but now she is 19 and has had strep 3 times since starting college - my guess is her boyfriend ISN'T getting treated or not taking his meds for all the days). If I could turn back the clock, I wish we would have done it.

My daughter had so many strep throat and tonsillitis infections by age 8 that she went through the maximum antibiotics each year, took different kinds of antibiotics, and ultimately needed penicillin shots directly into her thighs in the ER. Then one week she got tonsillitis and strep again, was taking the antibiotics exactly as prescribed, but three days later came down with double ear infections and conjunctivitis (pink eye) and pneumonia.

The next day, after being seen in the ER and prescribed a stronger antibiotic, her tonsils hemorrhaged. Yes, that was as weird and scary as it sounds. We rushed her to the ER, and the doctor actually brought some other medical staff in to observe her, as he said most medical personnel will rarely see hemorrhagic tonsillitis.

After intensive IV antibiotics for several days (necessary because of the amount of infection present - surgery could possibly have caused some kind of sepsis or something - I forget the actual medical term), her tonsils and adenoids were removed.

Since then, she has had no strep, no bronchitis, no upper respiratory infections (she was getting a lot of those too). We are very glad those tonsils are gone.

Funny side note: she's very witty. When the doctor politely asked her if he could bring in a couple of residents to see hemorrhagic tonsillitis, she said "sure, but it will cost them each a quarter". They all very obligingly contributed with a laugh, pretty amazed that this little kid still had her sense of humor despite being so sick. She held her hand out and they each deposited a quarter or a couple of dimes or loose change in her hand and then she'd patiently open her mouth up wide.

I've heard of this happening.

We had or sons tonsils and adenoids out - not because they were infected - but because they had swelled up to the point of becoming an obstruction.
They almost touched each other across the back of his mouth.
They interfered with eating, drinking, swallowing, and he snored so much the poor kid was always tired and irritable.
We tried a steroid series to shrink them - and it worked - but soon as he finished the series they ballooned right back up again.
So soon as he turned 4 we had them out.
First night he slept so quietly I was up all night checking that he was breathing alright - he was fine! - we'd just got so use to the snoring!
It was the best thing we ever did!

I personally had this happen. My tonsils were so infected, they couldn't properly clear out the infection, and after 3 rounds of antibiotics didn't 100% clear up the strep, I elected to have a tonsillectomy. Unfortunately, I was 25 years old!

I also was very aware of having an infection - every time I went into the Dr. they would do the "rapid strep test" that gives results in minutes, along with a fully lab-cultured test. My rapid test always came back negative - I insisted on the antibiotics the first time because I could "taste" the infection in the back of my throat. Had I waited for the lab-cultured test, it would have been an additional 8 days before starting medication. And -still- we weren't able to knock it out.

I do know of a couple mom friends of mine whose kids had their tonsils out because of recurrent infections - one was just a constant string of infections, & the other was a significant infection that took 4 months to knock out. They opted to have the tonsils removed in both cases, to avoid recurrence.
Hope this helps with your decision. T. :)