I have swollen glands on my right side and I have a lot of difficulty swallowing. What medications do you recommend?

Hello Ma'am,

In most cases, if your symptom presentation is not severe, we usually wait for time and good home care to take effect! :)

There is, however, a very useful tool that allows us to ascertain the need for a doctor's visit to obtain an antibiotic. It is the modified Center score, which you can calculate using the table found on page 2 here: https://www.inesss.qc.ca/fileadmin/doc/CDM/UsageOptimal/Guides-serieI/Guide-PharyngiteAmygdalite.pdf.

Explanation of score=

If not, I suggest you stay well hydrated and take Advil (Ibuprofen), if you don't have any contraindications, such as pregnancy, at 200mg every 4 hours if needed (maximum of 1200mg / day).

Tylenol may also be an appropriate option.

If you are taking any other medications or have any health concerns, I encourage you to consult your pharmacist to check on the interaction and safety of their medications.

You can also favor cold foods and avoid irritating ones.

Note that if the symptoms persist for more than 2 weeks or if the symptoms become more severe, you may very likely need antibiotic treatment.

Finally, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, I would also suggest that you fill out the self-assessment issued by the Government of Quebec to see if screening is necessary; https://cv19quebec.ca/s/?language=fr&flow=symptomatic.

I hope this answers your question.

Maeva Di-Re, Pharmacy Student

Supervised by Alexandre Chagnon, Pharmacist

Some pharmacies have the equipment to screen for a so-called Group A hemolytic Streptococcus-B infection. You can call your pharmacy or nearby pharmacies to see if they have the equipment.

Good continuity:)