I have been ill all week with the worst sore throat I have ever had. It was very swollen and all the glands in my neck were enlarged and tender; some still are. I didn't realise how many glands we have in our necks until I got this illness.
On Thursday I went to the doctors as I had developed a hot red neck and I wasn't getting any better. By the afternoon a rash had appeared on my arms and legs so I phoned the surgery and spoke to a different doctor who said it was quite common to get a rash with a sore throat.
Yesterday (Friday) morning the rash was worse so I phoned again and asked if I could just show the rash to a doctor to put my mind at rest and was surprised when I was asked to come in immediately. They thought I may have measles. The doctor looked at it but wasn't sure and I asked if it could be scarlet fever. She thought it was unlikely and said she would give me a prescription in case I got any worse over the weekend but only take them if my temperature went up again.
A few hours after I got home the doctor phoned me to say I had got scarlet fever and she had just seen another case. This meant that it is essential that I take the antibiotics for 10 days so would need some more.
The strange thing is that while my throat was swollen and my glands were so enlarged I haven't had the usual thyroid symptoms such as foggy head. I wondered if my thyroid was also swollen and this had made it produce more hormone.
Written by
Mouse
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Maria Franziska von Trapp, the second daughter of Captain Georg von Trapp, suffered from scarlet fever and infected her mother Agathe Whitehead, who died from the disease. Maria von Trapp then entered the family, giving rise to the story behind The Sound of Music.
So sorry to hear you are not well Mouse. Please take care and get plenty of rest as I believe Sf. can develop into rheumatic fever if it's not properly treated. x
That's interesting as I had the glands up in my neck from an infection a couple of weeks ago and had more energy and less "fog". I even forgot to take my thyroxine a couple of times as I was concentrating on taking penicillin at the right times, usually missing a dose would leave me hardly able to lift my eyelids and very lethargic.
No, there is no vaccine for it but it was the discovery of penicillin that reduced the numbers. The fact that the GP thought it unlikely when I asked if I had scarlet fever shows that it is rare now and it used to be mainly children that got it.
Now that I have been taking antibiotics for 2 1/2 days the rash is fading slowly.
You might be feeling more alert because you are producing more cortisol than usual as a result of the infection. Cortisol follows inflammation.
I had a sore mouth and throat for about eight weeks that my GP refused to treat, a nasty one that also led to me realising how many glands are under the jaw. One thing I noticed at the beginning of the illness was that my cortisol awakening response went absolutely ballistic. And it kicked in at four am, so I slept badly too. It down regulates after a while though.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Hop you feel better soon. Xxx
post appointment 5th march
Feeling awful and doctor can't figure it out!
Have you had a goiter that has gone away without treatment?
Painful thyroid when I have my period
Convinced I have hypothyroidism but GP won't listen to me......
