Antibiotics are a safe and effective treatment for strep throat, though they will not make your symptoms go away immediately- they only make symptoms improve about ½ to 1 day faster than they would resolve without the antibiotic And if your sore throat symptoms are due to a virus, antibiotics will not help and can make you feel worse. This is why it is important to be evaluated and get a strep test before starting antibiotics. If you feel your symptoms are getting worse or not improving on antibiotics within 2-3 days, contact your healthcare provider.