So I am wondering how serious this is. What happened was that a little over 1 month ago I had some upper respiratory infection. It lasted a couple days and then I felt fine. It was really bad at first, my entire face hurt it was like a sinus + throat infection. I assumed it was COVID-19, so a virus, and had gone away since within a week I felt totally fine.
Then 3-4 weeks later it I guess came back in the form of a sore throat, and at this point I figured it must be a bacterial infection. I forget exactly what reasoning I used but I called up an urgent care place for "I think I have strep throat" and I drove there. I had to sit in my car, they wouldn't let me in because of an upper respiratory issue (I guess they are high alert because of COVID). When they did come out the doctor looked down my throat with one of those devices and said yes it is definitely a bacterial infection of some sort. It was all very quick.
The nurse came back out and gave me a shot. I am not sure what the shot was, I guess an IV antibiotic. Then I was given two prescriptions: methylprednisolone and azithromycin. I was supposed to take it for a week (and I did) then I think one of them was supposed to continue working for a week after cessation.
I took them all pretty much exactly as I was instructed and then after the week was over I began withdrawing from xanax, which I had been taking for about 3 months and had run out. A week of feeling pretty bad because of that goes by (some nights I didn't sleep, general feeling of just not good) and now I am totally off that stuff. However it was a very stressful 1 week period in which I did not get good sleep or eat very well.
But I noticed something on top of that. The first day or two that I stopped taking the antibiotics my throat was scratchy again. I do smoke tobacco so I figured it might be related to that, and it went away. But there is something else:
The skin on the tip of my fingers began shedding. As far as I am aware I do not have any other symptoms. Apparently this can happen from "Group A streptococcus" and I am finding mixed claims, with some sources saying that there is no need for treatment and others listing very serious complications that could happen. I keep finding my way to "Scarlet fever" and it appears to be a minor symptom of that, which happens to some people after strep throat, but I do not have any of the other symptoms as far as I am aware. I also had chapped lips which I guess is related
Really, just shedding of the skin on my fingers which by itself (as a visible symptom) is exacerbated by my tendency to bite the dead skin off.
I am wondering how serious this is? And is everything I touched (basically my entire apartment) now contagious with strep (or some other) bacteria?
Then 3-4 weeks later it I guess came back in the form of a sore throat, and at this point I figured it must be a bacterial infection. I forget exactly what reasoning I used but I called up an urgent care place for "I think I have strep throat" and I drove there. I had to sit in my car, they wouldn't let me in because of an upper respiratory issue (I guess they are high alert because of COVID). When they did come out the doctor looked down my throat with one of those devices and said yes it is definitely a bacterial infection of some sort. It was all very quick.
The nurse came back out and gave me a shot. I am not sure what the shot was, I guess an IV antibiotic. Then I was given two prescriptions: methylprednisolone and azithromycin. I was supposed to take it for a week (and I did) then I think one of them was supposed to continue working for a week after cessation.
I took them all pretty much exactly as I was instructed and then after the week was over I began withdrawing from xanax, which I had been taking for about 3 months and had run out. A week of feeling pretty bad because of that goes by (some nights I didn't sleep, general feeling of just not good) and now I am totally off that stuff. However it was a very stressful 1 week period in which I did not get good sleep or eat very well.
But I noticed something on top of that. The first day or two that I stopped taking the antibiotics my throat was scratchy again. I do smoke tobacco so I figured it might be related to that, and it went away. But there is something else:
The skin on the tip of my fingers began shedding. As far as I am aware I do not have any other symptoms. Apparently this can happen from "Group A streptococcus" and I am finding mixed claims, with some sources saying that there is no need for treatment and others listing very serious complications that could happen. I keep finding my way to "Scarlet fever" and it appears to be a minor symptom of that, which happens to some people after strep throat, but I do not have any of the other symptoms as far as I am aware. I also had chapped lips which I guess is related
Really, just shedding of the skin on my fingers which by itself (as a visible symptom) is exacerbated by my tendency to bite the dead skin off.
I am wondering how serious this is? And is everything I touched (basically my entire apartment) now contagious with strep (or some other) bacteria?