LoriL

Here in Canada Claritin is NOT reccomended for children- this is new as of this year- not sure of the reason, I have been directed to use Benadryl or Reactine (so far no symptoms after about a week) good luck....L

I had my daughter tested several years ago and we know that she has many allergies- we did the "scratch" test not the needles! Most of her food allergies did not register as severe,but things like grasses cats and typical hayfever culprits/symptoms rated higher. The doctor told us that she may outgrow her food allergies and to continue to allow them in moderation in her diet-which we did. However with the onset of pandas, her history of infections which are non typical presentations of strep, overuse of antibiotics and food allergies I am convinced that there are some suspicious correlations that are well worth investigating. We are starting slow introducing a probiotic into her diet and removing wheat . We are currently using a drug call fluvoxamine "luvox" and have seen significant improvements in her OCD symptoms so far.... we are just starting on this path I will keep you posted... good luck to you.

Prior to my daughters diagnosis she used to get canker sores all the time...and until I read your post I never would have made the connection -we were buying new toothbrushes/mouthwashes every week and just couldnt figure out how they kept coming back. I dont know if they are contagious or not , but my daughter certainly had them often enough yet no one else did....She rarely presented with traditional symptoms of strep, her "infections" were mostly in her ears. I can only ever remember her having two incidents of "throat infections" hmmm sounds suspicious.................. take care and good luck

We have our 12 year old daughter on fluvoxamine "luvox" and have seen significant inmprovement after just one month- her symptoms included ritual hand washing-(she was using 4 bottles of hand soap per month) and contamination issues-she would be constantly using baby wipes or bleach wipes as well as "confessions", "checking" and disturbing thoughts and imagery. This is our first go round with the pandas and we have had alot of succes with meds and CBT training to address management of behavior and thoughts- this treatment seems appropriate for her age. i have been informed however that subsequent occurrences could change the whole presentation of symptoms and we could be back at square on.........good luck to you and your family Lori

Hey all Still searching for some answers and found an exchange between some moms ( which i cant seem to find again) on the topic of dysbiosis - My daughter has suffered from ear infections her whole life more than 30- starting the day I stopped breast feeding up until she was 11 years old we struggled through rounds of antibiotics which as an infant led to thrush and then yeast infections - we have had tubes put inher ears 2 X now and so far we are infection free for at least a whole year. She has numerous allergies and "was" lactose intolerant until about 4 years old. I have in the past put her on acidophyllis (?) As I am doing my research on her ocd symptoms "Dysbiosis" keeps popping up in all the literature and I think it warrants some investigation... My daughter started exhibitng PANDAS OCD symptoms about 5 months ago (age 11) and we are bewildered which way to turn. I am glad that some parents are finding relief through the use of antibiotics as far as relieving symptoms but essentially the abs are temporarily destroying the build up of all bacteria only to have regrowth which possibly could be creating an imbalance of the natural flora and fauna that naturally occurs within our digestive systems only to have a recurrence of symptoms, further, exposure to viruses are a normal fact of life - in fact it is what builds and strengthens our immune systems. The problem is not then the exposure to viruses and abs but the fact that the immune system has been compromised and needs rebuilding I am only suggesting that the treatment we are desperately seeking for our children is not in the war between exposures to viruses and chronic use antibiotics- as i am guilty of myself- but looking at the cause of dysfunction within the immune system and treating that as a preventative measure for future episodes of illness I am curious to know if the IVIG and the steroid bursts work in this same way as antibiotics? It is not my intention to offend or challenge any course of treatments that are being used or suggested, I am just in search of my own answers and I refuse to accept that there are no other permanent resolutions Thoughts, Suggestions? One parent was talking about goat milk kefir i would like to know more about this.... thanks Lori

I have just had a very difficult night with my daughter who has had 3 "raging" episodes in the last month. She has become volatile,abusive -physically and verbally towards us, she has destroyed property- mostly her own possessions. I had to physically restrain her today and just ride out most of the rage while she is spewing vicious, hateful things at us. When the rage subsides she is sincerly apologetic and "cant believe she behaved like that", then she just carries on like it never happened. Her therapist has called this "all part of puberty- what with the hormonal changes and alll.." this is not ,nor has it ever been "typical behavior for this normally ,calm, easy going child. I am curious if others are experiencing this as well. We have real concerns about the safety of our other children and pets during these episodes. thoughts, ideas, help,suggestions? Some days I handle this really well and can see it coming on and I can difuse the situation -tonight was not one of those nights...

I am just beginning this frustrating journey into PANDAS OCD with my 12 year old daughter I have so many questions and there is so much contradiction with regards to diagnosing, treatment and recurrence. I identify with so many of you when you say that you had put your child to bed one night and they literally wake up the next day with these inexplicable symptoms. I have worked in Mental Health for many years and have never observed/experienced the onset of an illness as quickly as this. We are in month 4 of these symptoms now -some days are good, somedays are not- just when some symptoms subside others become more prevalent. We have started the medication/CBT route with her with some progress but it really is one step forward and two steps back. My Questions -and i am just going to throw them out there are Can children recover from PANDAS- that is become symptom free? Will further strep exposure trigger the onset of symptoms yet again? Can the strep also go on to attack other organs in the body -as this has been identified as an auto immune disorder? Can the sypmtoms change or do they stay the same? ie My daughter did not develop tics- but could she in subsequent exposures to strep Do food allergies play a role in PANDAS? Could Gullain-Barre syndrome be a factor in this disorder?- daughters paternal grandmother has had one episode of this disorder, though daughter has never been diagnosed. Any ideas/answers out there? I do have a book written by Tamara Chansky (sp?)" freeing your child from ocd" which is absolutely fantastic!!! I sincerely empathize with all of you out there going through this and would greatly appreciate any info support you can offer...

I would love to be included The issue is my son is 15 Im confused first I was told that it cant be because of his age and now hes being treated for pandas blood test neg for strep and then he gets strep also since hes been on the zith 2 months his ears are so clean no wax at all his ears dont hurt maybe the infection is in his ears? Hi Diana I would also like to be included in your "roster", I have just begun this frustrating journey with my 12 year old daughter and am finding contradicting information on this topic at every turn. please add me to your list Lori.Abbott@telus.net