# After starting on penicillin--how long til strep symptoms subside?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-starting-on-penicillin-how-long-til-strep-symptoms-subside/776974
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 12, 2017, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-starting-on-penicillin-how-long-til-strep-symptoms-subside/776974 "2017-01-12T17:55:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2017, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-starting-on-penicillin-how-long-til-strep-symptoms-subside/776974/1 "2017-01-12T17:55:09Z")
Today I started on a course of penicillin to treat strep throat. I’ve been symptomatic for about two days.
In general, how long will it take for my symptoms to begin to subside? I’d like to be able to eat again.
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### Author:  [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-starting-on-penicillin-how-long-til-strep-symptoms-subside/776974/2 "2017-01-12T18:01:27Z")
Good Luck! The last time I had strep, after a few days it was clear that the omoxycillan (spelling) wasn’t working and I had to go into the clinic for IV antibiotics ☹
Other times, it took 2 or 3 days. I choked down Ensure drinks in the interim.
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### Author:  [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2017, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-starting-on-penicillin-how-long-til-strep-symptoms-subside/776974/3 "2017-01-12T18:39:46Z")
My recollection was that symptoms faded pretty quickly to a “no big deal” level, and then took a few more days after that to disappear completely.
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### Author:  [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-starting-on-penicillin-how-long-til-strep-symptoms-subside/776974/4 "2017-01-12T19:04:05Z")
I had strep throat recently. Started amoxicillin about two days after first symptoms. The throat felt much better a day later. YMMV, but if you don’t see improvement within a couple of days, I recommend you revisit the doctor.
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### Author:  [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-starting-on-penicillin-how-long-til-strep-symptoms-subside/776974/5 "2017-01-12T20:39:56Z")
Several days. Also, strep symptoms tend to subside in several days without antibiotics.
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### Author:  [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2017, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-starting-on-penicillin-how-long-til-strep-symptoms-subside/776974/6 "2017-01-12T22:17:52Z")
One day for me, although strep usually will get better quickly anyway.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2017, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-starting-on-penicillin-how-long-til-strep-symptoms-subside/776974/7 "2017-01-13T22:11:26Z")
Antibiotics only decrease the infection duration by a couple of days. The main point is to prevent it from becoming worse.
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### Author:  [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)
#### Post date: [January 13, 2017, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-starting-on-penicillin-how-long-til-strep-symptoms-subside/776974/8 "2017-01-13T22:31:22Z")
See if your doctor can call in a lidocaine gargle. Takes the worst of the pain down for about 10 minutes to get some food in less painfully. In my experience it takes a couple days after starting the antibiotic before the razor blades subside from my throat. Ibuprofen for a couple more days after that helps a lot. I would take the full Rx level 800mg a couple times a day.
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-starting-on-penicillin-how-long-til-strep-symptoms-subside/776974/9 "2017-01-14T01:22:00Z")
Antibiotics do **NOT** shorten the duration of strep throat symptoms unless the infection is caught within the first 48 hours. Even then, they only shorten the duration by about 18-24 hours. What they do is greatly reduce the chance of the strep throat turning into a nastier strep infection which could damage the heart or the kidneys. People otherwise recover from strep throat, whether they’re on antibiotics or not.
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### Author:  [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-starting-on-penicillin-how-long-til-strep-symptoms-subside/776974/10 "2017-01-14T02:36:07Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#):
>
> Antibiotics do **NOT** shorten the duration of strep throat symptoms unless the infection is caught within the first 48 hours. Even then, they only shorten the duration by about 18-24 hours. What they do is greatly reduce the chance of the strep throat turning into a nastier strep infection which could damage the heart or the kidneys. People otherwise recover from strep throat, whether they’re on antibiotics or not.
“Rheumatogenic” strains of strep are so rare now that there isn’t even much need for antibiotics to prevent rheumatic heart disease except in theory. And antibiotics have no effect on instances of post-infectious glomerulonephritis.
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### Author:  [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-starting-on-penicillin-how-long-til-strep-symptoms-subside/776974/11 "2017-01-14T03:42:49Z")
I’m on day 4ish of what I assume is/was strep. White spots on the throat. I did not go to doc or get antibiotics. I’m feeling mostly fine now, but what I did to sooth the throat is drink ice cold beer. Mind you a LOT slower than I usually do. My wife claims I was making it worse. But I figured since I wasn’t on antibiotics, it shouldn’t matter (since aiui, alcohol prevents antibiotics from working). What’s the straight dope?
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### Author:  [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-starting-on-penicillin-how-long-til-strep-symptoms-subside/776974/12 "2017-01-14T03:47:28Z")
> [@USCDiver](#):
>
> “Rheumatogenic” strains of strep are so rare now that there isn’t even much need for antibiotics to prevent rheumatic heart disease except in theory. And antibiotics have no effect on instances of post-infectious glomerulonephritis.
The incidence of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) varies greatly depending where in the world one is and the hypothesis that the decrease is primarily due to the change in strains is, to my read, still only suggestive. Other factors, like changes in living conditions, in other host factors, and more access to treatment, are also felt to play roles ([a good enough review](http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/42/4/448.full))
Also, and as also pointed out in that link, there is in more recent decades an increase in invasive streptococcal disease syndromes, such as streptococcal toxic shock. These are serious conditions.
Biggest reason though to treat and treat quickly is to decrease the period of infectivity and decrease spread. Typically not contagious after being on med 24 hours. Symptomatically from the point of diagnosis odds are that it will take 48 hours of being started on meds and if not treated it likely would instead take two days.
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### Author:  [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-starting-on-penicillin-how-long-til-strep-symptoms-subside/776974/13 "2017-01-14T10:52:54Z")
Alcohol does not prevent many antibiotics working, but it might induce nausea with a couple of them, and it might affect how the alcohol effects you.
Seen a couple cases of rheumatic complications of strep. I’m more worried about shock and meningitis which are also rare. Quinsy is more common.
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### Author:  [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-starting-on-penicillin-how-long-til-strep-symptoms-subside/776974/14 "2017-01-14T13:02:22Z")
> [@DSeid](#):
>
> The incidence of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) varies greatly depending where in the world one is and the hypothesis that the decrease is primarily due to the change in strains is, to my read, still only suggestive. Other factors, like changes in living conditions, in other host factors, and more access to treatment, are also felt to play roles ([a good enough review](http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/42/4/448.full))
>
> Also, and as also pointed out in that link, there is in more recent decades an increase in invasive streptococcal disease syndromes, such as streptococcal toxic shock. These are serious conditions.
>
> Biggest reason though to treat and treat quickly is to decrease the period of infectivity and decrease spread. Typically not contagious after being on med 24 hours. Symptomatically from the point of diagnosis odds are that it will take 48 hours of being started on meds and if not treated it likely would instead take two days.
That’s a good review article. I doubt anyone is going to be studying it anyway, but regardless of the cause of the decreased incidence, I would guess the NNT to prevent a case of ARF is pretty high. Certainly PCN or Amoxil are pretty well tolerated in any case.
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#):
>
> Alcohol does not prevent many antibiotics working, but it might induce nausea with a couple of them, and it might affect how the alcohol effects you.
>
> Seen a couple cases of rheumatic complications of strep. I’m more worried about shock and meningitis which are also rare. Quinsy is more common.
I hadn’t heard the term quinsy before, had to look that one up. I have heard of quincke though!
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### Author:  [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2017, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/after-starting-on-penicillin-how-long-til-strep-symptoms-subside/776974/15 "2017-01-14T17:37:41Z")
Be sure to TAKE EVERY pill until they are all gone! (As directed.)
People who don’t finish their antibiotics cause antibiotic resistant strains of diseases which are NO LONGER TREATABLE by that antibiotic!