ASO test abnormal - And thanks, Mike K.

[tmartha]

Short history - I've had strep many, many times. Once every year, as a teen and young adult. Last time was last year at age 36, fever for 9 days and 14 swollen glands - my neck even looked puffy. So when I saw mention here of a possible strep connection to p (maybe pa?) my jaw dropped. Mike K gave info and a link to detecting strep through a bloodtest (it doesn't always show up in a throat culture).

So I called my rheumy's office, where they'd be taking my blood anyway, and asked them to do the test. Hooray - they did (though with a quizzical look).

Just got my results back this week - the ASO (anti-streptolysin O) blood test was done and my level was 602. Less than 160 is considered normal, according to the site, www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003522.htm The anti DNase b test (another strep test) was at 100 instead of 85 or less.

This is all I know so far - these results may be only a little out of whack, or a lot, I don't know yet, because my doc doesn't know! My rheumy's letter says to follow up with my gen. practioner, this afternoon my gp says "Come in and get a throat culture if you want; otherwise ask your rheumatologist how to follow up on it - she'll know what she was looking for since she ordered the test." (?!? I just saw the gp on Friday and told her I was the one who pressed for the rheumatologist's office to run the tests because they were doing other bloodwork anyway...grrr....)

Well, the gp obviously doesn't know what the heck to do with this information, and I'll call my rheumatologist tomorrow to see who she will refer me to - Internal med? Infectious disease? ENT? We'll see. Maybe she'll follow it herself but was just being pc about letting my gp know...

So anyway, who knows where all this will lead but it's a piece of a puzzle, and it feels good to take charge of my health. Venting re: frustrating docs feels good too - sorry, but thanks. I won't be seeing her (gp) any more, this is strike three. (why did I wait THAT long, anyway?!)

Mike, thank you again for the good info.
Tani

[bratsareus]

I would go with the Infectious disease docs.
Patty

[Dulane]

Check out grapefruit seed extract and find out if you have dental work that needs to be taken care of.

Strep is what causes cavities and it resides upstream of your throat. Just ideas to ponder. Also, if your diet includes more alkaline foods than acid food, strep cannot thrive in an alkaline environment.
:(

[tmartha]

Thanks for the ideas, Dulane. :) Have had all dentistry kept up, last there 3 weeks ago so all should be good. I see grannyfranny mentions grapefruit seed extract, too...so I'll have to check it.

I meet with an internal medicine doc next week - since I'm now taking applications for a new primary care physician anyway, this will be his audition....hopefully he'll be helpful, able to decipher some of this and help me in figuring out what to do next.

This all may mean nothing but after all these years of wondering, I'll be glad to figure it out and put it to rest.

[tmartha]

I met with the internal medicine doc (new doc for me) and he told me what little he could about the results - and said he'd research further and get back to me in a few days, which he did. (I do like when a doc doesn't have a problem saying he/she needs to research, putting their ego aside.)

So, he said he'd like to see if we can lower the high colonization of strep bacteria in my body, so I'm less likely to keep getting reinfected. Started on clindamycin 3x day for 10 days - finally, not penicillin, since he noted it has likely stopped being as effective as it should be for me. (yes, yes, I've been telling docs this) (note - their definition of normal ASO is under 300, not 160, and they consider my anti DNase-b normal)

Couple things I will be asking him - why clindamycin? Don't know anything about that for strep, yet I've heard of Keflex and its family (cephaplasporins) being great for strep. Also...what kind of follow-up? It seems this is not his specialty - I'll likely ask for a referral. Again. grrrrrr...

I have an appt. with an ENT doc for long-time lump and pain below/behind my left ear, maybe I'll try to make sure to get one who has strep knowledge too. (and what if that pain is actually strep related) Also, my husband took me in to the ER yesterday because I was having prolonged chest pain - I've had some here and there for a few weeks but this was insistent - and they didn't find anything yet - will have to have more tests. Frustrating! I've never had chest pain in my life. (other than gas and I know what that is like) This may not be related but it's sure goofy that it's all happening right now.

Well, just an update. And some thinking aloud, I guess. I don't have a red flag for a big infection that shows up on basic blood tests, but what if one is skimming just under the radar? Isn't your body still overtaxed - just like well before a full-blown heart attack, heart disease may be occuring? Isn't there a theory out there about chronic low-grade infection and it's relation to arthritises/other things, and why don't I hear much about it? And WHY can't I find a doctor around here who really knows this stuff?!?

Ok, so I'm a little frustrated, too, as well, as thinking aloud....thanks....
Tani

[GitOverIt]

Hello Tani...here is some info on GSE thought it might help to read about it, to understand what it is and how it works.....

http://www.jerseyhealth.freeservers.com/grapefruit_seed_extract.htm

http://www.pureliquidgold.com/

this second one is pages of what all GSE is good for...internal as well as external....I wouldn't be without it.....one gal I know lives in Las Vegas and had a cough from a bug from the valley dust...she went through all kinds of treatments...finally tried GSE....it's great stuff...I take it every day for cleaning up the internal bugs :p

[jennmkirby]

Tani, bless your heart (literally!) Sorry the internist wasn't more confidence-inspiring. Maybe the ENT guy will know something? Isn't it frustrating to be shuttling around to all these different docs?

It's interesting to note that my dermatologist seemed to know more about strep (and its effect on P) than my internist did... I've been on omnicef (a cephalosporin drug cousin of keflex) since last Monday, and the internist deferred the decision about that to the derma. BTW, my hubby came down with strep this week. :( that bought me a few more days on omnicef... but at least he got sick while I was still being protected!

I did read somewhere that cephalosporins are the new drug of choice to treat strep.... might want to do a search. Good luck!

[bratsareus]

I met with the internal medicine doc (new doc for me) and he told me what little he could about the results - and said he'd research further and get back to me in a few days, which he did. (I do like when a doc doesn't have a problem saying he/she needs to research, putting their ego aside.)

So, he said he'd like to see if we can lower the high colonization of strep bacteria in my body, so I'm less likely to keep getting reinfected. Started on clindamycin 3x day for 10 days - finally, not penicillin, since he noted it has likely stopped being as effective as it should be for me. (yes, yes, I've been telling docs this) (note - their definition of normal ASO is under 300, not 160, and they consider my anti DNase-b normal)

Couple things I will be asking him - why clindamycin? Don't know anything about that for strep, yet I've heard of Keflex and its family (cephaplasporins) being great for strep. Also...what kind of follow-up? It seems this is not his specialty - I'll likely ask for a referral. Again. grrrrrr...

I have an appt. with an ENT doc for long-time lump and pain below/behind my left ear, maybe I'll try to make sure to get one who has strep knowledge too. (and what if that pain is actually strep related) Also, my husband took me in to the ER yesterday because I was having prolonged chest pain - I've had some here and there for a few weeks but this was insistent - and they didn't find anything yet - will have to have more tests. Frustrating! I've never had chest pain in my life. (other than gas and I know what that is like) This may not be related but it's sure goofy that it's all happening right now.

Well, just an update. And some thinking aloud, I guess. I don't have a red flag for a big infection that shows up on basic blood tests, but what if one is skimming just under the radar? Isn't your body still overtaxed - just like well before a full-blown heart attack, heart disease may be occuring? Isn't there a theory out there about chronic low-grade infection and it's relation to arthritises/other things, and why don't I hear much about it? And WHY can't I find a doctor around here who really knows this stuff?!?

Ok, so I'm a little frustrated, too, as well, as thinking aloud....thanks....
Tani
My daughter just got over a case of MRSA which is a super bug, and clindamycin was the doctor's choice of antibiotic. She put her on a 10 day course and she is now well. She also put her on Bactroban ointment to put just inside her nostrils for a month, because that is the place where strep seems to colonize . You might want to ask about the bactroban too. Good luck.
Patty

[jennmkirby]

Whoa Patty, that stuff is REALLY SCARY! So glad your little girl is getting better!

[tmartha]

Thanks, Jenn, Patty, Sally - for your thoughts and good wishes! I am glad to hear something of clindamycin - previously unknown to me - and Patty, I'm so glad your daughter is getting better. So scary for your family. Yes, I have been printing off stuff from here (and mayo clinic's site, and the nih site) to bring in to the doc.

I'm definitely trying the GSE, Sally, - but after the antibiotic because I'm curious to see if that works, and if it doesn't and the GSE does, I want all the credit to go there! (never knew I had such a scientific mind) Also, the last two weeks I've cut out sugar almost entirely (a couple small indulgences) incl. white flour (any flour) so this may help too. In any case, it sure helps my energy level!

Jenn, it's good to hear from another streppie :o - I just read about you being on antibiotics and your husband getting strep - !!! And I am amazed at all these derms knowing so much about it - but then, the link between strep and guttate looks fairly accepted by western medicine...and so I still have hope that this doc might be investigative enough to be helpful or that I'll find another (infectious disease?) who will be.

Thanks, kind people -
Tani