those "glances" that pronounce a strep diagnosis really bug me. i hate those "treat 'em and street 'em" medical encounters. a strep test is so easy. so fast. so why not get an accurate definitive diagnosis before treating anyone with antibiotics and steroids? most sore throats are viral. not strep. and one of those viruses (ebv) causes mononucleosis (mono). giving antibiotics to someone with undiagnosed mono is worthless and can actually make things worse. a mono test is easy to do as well but apparently the er medical provider didn't want to take those extra steps. lymph nodes normally enlarge in response to infection or inflammation in their neighborhood so strep (if you really had it) respiratory viruses and mono can all cause lymph node enlargements. viruses (even mono) self-resolve over time and do not respond to antibiotics. if you did have strep the penicillin injection (painful! ) would have taken care of it. if you don't get better see your regular medical provider. and insist on a careful thorough examination for mono and a few diagnostic lab tests.
i had a large injection of penicillin for strep. 2 days later my lymph nodes have swollen substantially. is this normal? . tuesday afternoon i started feeling sick sore throat cough body aches fatigue headache. thursday it felt so bad i went to the er. they glanced at my throat declared it to be strep shot me full of steroids painkillers and penicillin then sent me on my way. i began to feel better that day and yesterday felt mostly normal except for a persistent productive cough and weak voice. but as of this morning my lymph nodes are absurdly swollen and very tender. possible explanations?