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Avatar universal

i most likely have strep, can i treat a cold sore while treating strep?.

over the summer (two seprete instances) i have had cold sores (hsv 1) on the back of my throat right before my tonsil. both times there was a single cold sore. and both times i was given two doses of valtrex (4 pills: 2 and then 2 agian in 12 hours). as a percuation i was given a refill of valtrex to be taken if my imune system was low.

for three weeks my tonsils have been inflamed and cratered with white "pus" or "mush" in them, they are similar to pictures on google images for strep throat or tonsilitus. i have occansionaly cleaned out the craters with q-tips and hav been able to scoop out the "pus" as well as some blood. i have not had a fever. and only for the past three days had a stuffy nose, as well as coughed up yellowish/light brown phlem.
i went to the the doctors and tested negative on a rapid strep test for strep throat. i also tested negative for mono through a blood test. they gave a culture to a lab for a more thorough strep test, that has not come back yet. to treat my throat they gave me augmentin (amoxicilin and clavulanate). so far i have taken one pill and i will take another in 12 hours.

on my left tonsil, half of the inflamed tonsil is covered by a flap of skin. that skin is very irratated and red, this is probably due to the skin stretching as well as my tonsils having issues in general. the back of my throat (not my tonsils) are covered in small "blisters" or "pimples" the kind you sometimes get under your tongue. one of them is now on that flap on skin. i am scared that the "pimple" is not the same as what is on my throat but actualy the start of a cold sore.
would taking valtrex interfear with amoxiclin/augmentin? i want to take two doses of valtrex becuase my cold sores are very painful and almost on the tonsil, they also last for two and a half weeks. i really do not want to deal with that ontop of my tonsil issues, but if valtrex would interfear with them the augmentin, i will wait.

on a side note, i go to boarding school, neither of my two roomates or any one else at school has caught anything from me so far.
sorry for my horrible spelling : /
thank you
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1061534 tn?1276702061
It would be if the Augmentin isn't even the right medicine!  Otherwise, I would defer everything to the doc who is going to see you.  Good luck!
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Avatar universal
my mom made an appiontment with the ears nose and throat doctor, and today i will be going home from school. so hopefully everything will clear up. at nights my throat swells even more and i am not able to swallow. also my tempurature raises from the 97 range to in the 99's. during the day however i am much better (still sick however with more of a stuffy nose cold symptoms rather then tonsil issues) in general my tonsils have gotton even bigger. i also have severe ear pain and (not so severe) head aches.is it normal to get worse before you get better on augmentin? the only side effects i was aware of were stomach issues.
thank you so much for your help.
Helpful - 0
1061534 tn?1276702061
Your suspicions are correct with the Augmentin.  If you have a viral infection, it will do nothing for it.  Here's the problem.  If you have a viral tonsillitis, it will get better on its own in time (about the same time that was quoted for the Augmentin!).  But you are also taking Augmentin.  So, won't it be tempting to say that the Augmentin is what made you better?  We'll never know.  

It's not necessarily a bad idea, taking both -- especially if they are truly unsure and they're trying to get you better as fast as possible.  It just muddies the diagnostic waters and makes one wonder why they bother running the tests at all.
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Avatar universal
if i have a viral infection, while the augmentin still treat my throat (im pretty sure augmentin is a anti-biotic)?
thank you.
i suppose i will find out soon any way. i have taken augmentin pills so far and do not feel any better, but the doctor said they don't usually start work until the third day, and it won't be cleared until ten days.

they ran the culture again to make sure after the rapid was negative,  i went back to the doctor the next and my blood work was in but not my culture. since they rulled out mono, and my tonsils have looked like this for three weeks they wanted to start me on something immeaditly. especially since i had to go back to school.

thank you again. i haven't taken the valtrex yet but if the "pimple/coldsore(maybe)" changes in size i will.
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Avatar universal
thank you.
Helpful - 0
1061534 tn?1276702061
I am not sure why they bother to run the culture if they are going to give you Augmentin anyway...Oh well.  My guess is that this is a viral infection, your description is more consistent with that.  The two medications, Augmentin and Valtrex, do not interact and there shouldn't be a concern with taking both.  I just doubt you need both.
Helpful - 0
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