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Recurring strep
  • etherieletheriel
    Posts: 715Member

    DD12 has a history of recurring strep. When she was in 2nd grade, she was getting it every 2 weeks. Because of that and her enlarged adenoid, she had her tonsils and adenoid taken out that spring break. 4 years later, it seems to be happening again. She's been diagnosed with strep 3 times already in 2012 and she's showing symptoms again today (it always seems to start on a Saturday when the doctor's office is closed). We've done everything the doctor has recommended...disinfected, changed toothbrushes, etc. The last time, I figured it might be her tuba mouthpiece re-infecting her so I boiled it (recommended by her band director).

    This is not a great way to start summer vacation. I hate seeing her feeling bad so often. :( Anyone have any suggestions?

    If I'm not supposed to do it, how come I can?
  • BellaBefanaBellaBefana
    Posts: 8,220Member
    Strep is a bitch.  I used to get it all the time too, then for some reason I seemed to grow out of it...the last time I remember having it was around 21-22.

    Do you have a sanitizing cycle on your dishwasher?  If you do, use it.  You may have a carrier in the family...they don't actually get sick, but they give it to everybody else.
    Bite me, cupcake!
  • FoulMouthedSailorFoulMouthedSailor
    Posts: 1,899Member
    There could be strep hiding in the piping of the tuba as well, when you play you have the moisture build up, that's why they have "spit keys". If you have a steam wand you could flush the tuba with steam to disinfect it, I had to when I played the baritone in junior high. And like Bella said, there could be a typhoid Mary, an a symptomatic carrier in the family, or a friend.
    You show the lights that stop me turn to stone, You shine it when I'm alone. And so I tell myself that I'll be strong
    And dreaming when they're gone.
  • BellaBefanaBellaBefana
    Posts: 8,220Member
    You think steam would be strong enough to kill strep in a tuba?  I'd be tempted to flush the whole damn thing with a little Lysol solution...
    Bite me, cupcake!
  • FoulMouthedSailorFoulMouthedSailor
    Posts: 1,899Member
    It should, a good steamer will put out 230+ degree steam, thirty seconds through a tuba would do it, I think. Only issue is the o-rings and gaskets might melt, so it might have to be done with the keys and some of the sections removed
    You show the lights that stop me turn to stone, You shine it when I'm alone. And so I tell myself that I'll be strong
    And dreaming when they're gone.
  • canadamom
    Posts: 867Member
    When I played French Horn in school, we had to clean the instrument out with Detol once a month.  We made a solution of it and poured it inside the instrument and swished it around.   Then we placed them in a bathtub full of water to rinse out the Detol as it tastes funny.

    Make sure she has her own facecloth and hand towel.  You are doing the toothbrush thing already.  Keep the bedding clean and change the pillowcase every day until she gets over it.

    Have everyone in the house tested to see if someone has it and is just not symptomatic.

    Maybe see if she could take some Cold-Fx to keep her immune system up enought to fight it off.
  • etherieletheriel
    Posts: 715Member

    Sounds like I'm gonna have to have a talk with her band director then about disinfecting instruments at school. They give us one for her to keep at home and she's had another to play at school. However, she graduated from middle school this year and is moving up to our junior high. (I know that sounds weird since to most people middle school = junior high, but not in our district.) Not only have we given the middle school back their possibly infected tuba, but she's been checked out a new one from the junior high to play at home over the summer. The junior high band director told me that he will have 6 tuba players next year, but only enough tubas for 4, so there will be some sharing going on. He did explain to me how they're disinfected, but now I'm thinking it's not enough.

    If I'm not supposed to do it, how come I can?
  • FoulMouthedSailorFoulMouthedSailor
    Posts: 1,899Member
    Then it's possible she has an a-symptomatic carrier near her, or and item you're missing. As horrible as it sounds, sharing a tuba will show if it's being a haven for the strep.
    You show the lights that stop me turn to stone, You shine it when I'm alone. And so I tell myself that I'll be strong
    And dreaming when they're gone.
  • BellaBefanaBellaBefana
    Posts: 8,220Member
    Yep, that tuba sounds like where she keeps getting if from to me too...eeeewwww, so glad dd plays violin!!!
    Bite me, cupcake!
  • canadamom
    Posts: 867Member
    @etheriel - Are you guys sharing a cup in the bathroom for everybody to use?  If so I would recommend changing it to dixie cups that are disposable.  

    Are the toothbrushes standing up together in a holder?  Maybe keep hers seperate to see if that stops it.

    Make sure she is not sharing drinks with friends at school.

    Maybe see if they can give her a longer course of antibiotics to try to really wipe it out.  Make sure she has all the antibiotics and that she takes them on time.  Perhaps she is just not wiping out all the bacteria when she gets strep.
  • etherieletheriel
    Posts: 715Member

    She's not sharing a bathroom cup and everybody has a separate holder for toothbrushes.

    Last time the doctor gave her a stronger antibiotic and 14 days of it instead of the usual 10. Because of history, I always make sure she takes them on time and until they're all gone.

    So frustrated.

    If I'm not supposed to do it, how come I can?
  • BellaBefanaBellaBefana
    Posts: 8,220Member
    I think it's the tuba, and/or a carrier.  Get everybody tested and disinfect the tuba, asap.  I'd also recommend she doesn't practice for a while, to make sure she's not giving it to herself, then if it happens again, disinfect the tuba as soon as she's diagnosed and don't let her practice until she's been on the antibiotics for at least 48 hours.  

    since 48 hours is the "magic mark" for most antibiotics, I might also get her retested after that window and see if the antibiotic has in fact killed the infectious stage...
    Bite me, cupcake!
  • canadamom
    Posts: 867Member
    @etheriel - Then as a Lab Tech who has studied bacteriology, I would reccommend that she be re-swabbed at every infection.  They should be growing that strep bug she has and testing its antibiotic resistance- because she may have a strain that is not responding well to the antibiotic they are using.  If they grow it again and test it, they might find out another antibiotic would work better on it.
  • [Deleted User]
    Posts: 7,022
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    well behaved women seldom make history
  • etherieletheriel
    Posts: 715Member

    We always change toothbrushes and she never wears any lip gloss, etc.

    Took her to the pediatrician today where she tested positive for strep. Doctor said I'm doing everything right. Just some people are more prone than others.

    I will be talking to the band directors about sterilizing tubas if I can get hold of them since school's out for the summer already.

    If I'm not supposed to do it, how come I can?
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