32-Year-Old Woman’s Throat Pain Returns After 6-Day Steroid Course
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 5
32-Year-Old Woman’s Throat Pain Returns After 6-Day Steroid Course
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 5
Summary
A 32-year-old Boston graduate student texted her physician brother at 1 a.m. that a swollen tonsil and painful swallowing had returned after briefly clearing up.
Her symptoms had begun weeks earlier on the right side of her throat, with a visibly enlarged tonsil and pain that eased only temporarily with acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
An M.I.T. health center clinician tested her for strep—negative—and prescribed a 6-day course of methylprednisolone, saying the illness was probably viral.
By day 2 of the steroid treatment, the swelling and pain had disappeared, but the recurrence raised concern because steroids can suppress the immune response while masking an underlying infection.