Will Zithromax Cure Strep Throat?

Very recently, like a lot of people in America, I got sick. It started with a fever, and then progressed to a sore throat and stuffiness. I figured I had gotten the flu, but I got concerned when my fever wasn't going away after a few days, so I decided to go to a local clinic to make sure it was just the flu. While I was there, they did a throat culture to test for strep throat. The in-office rapid strep test came back negative, but the culture that was sent off to a lab ended up testing positive for the strep bacteria. A doctor from the clinic called me and told me I should start taking penicillin to treat the strep throat, so I picked up my prescription and began antibiotic treatment. 

After 5 days on penicillin, however, my strep throat still wasn't cured, as I still had a lingering low-grade fever and a sore throat. I called the clinic and told the doctor who had written my penicillin prescription that I wasn't getting better. The doctor agreed to put me on a stronger antibiotic called Zithromax (the generic version is called azithromycin). I wanted to get better quickly so I was glad to be placed on a stronger antibiotic for my strep throat. 

A course of treatment with Zithromax is just 5 days, instead of 10 days like penicillin. The package stated that 5 doses of azithromycin is equivalent to 30 or more doses of a conventional antibiotic. For most people, you'll take 2 pills of Zithromax at once on the first day followed by 1 pill per day for 4 days, however be sure to follow the instructions the doctor gives you with your prescription. The package of Zithromax also stated that azithromycin taken days 1-5 keeps working days 6-10, so it stays active in your body a while after you stop taking it, which is great for stubborn cases of strep throat and other infections. 

I'm happy to report that within 24 hours of taking my first dose of Zithromax, my sore throat began to subside and my fever went away completely. Penicillin will cure many cases of strep throat, but not all of them. If you don't start feeling better within 48 hours of starting antibiotics for strep throat, you should call your doctor and see if a stronger antibiotic like Zithromax might be appropriate for you.