meckert

Make sure there is no Streptococcus thermophilus in your probiotic. I made the mistake of giving my son one with it and his reaction was immediate.

I bought mine from docsavings.com Alere Rapid Strep A Test Strip 25/BX for about 27.00. They are very easy to use, and I think it was the best purchase I have ever made.

Have you thought about having a rapid strep test done? If your Doc is not on board, take him to a CVS minute clinic, if it's negative they'll send it to be cultured. Both my boys tested + this weekend. One has clear symptoms and had a + rapid, my other son rapid negative but + culture. Also Myco P is crazy bad this year. Both of these have been the lone contributor to my son's explosion of tics this year. He was put on antibiotics and they went right away. Just a thought...

Let me first say that I do not have OCD so I can not say that I know what you go through...because I do not. However, from reading your story... I think maybe you are simply not ready to settle down. I think you nailed many other people's stories in there lives esp dealing with long distance relationships. LDR are very hard and stressful! I think many people experience the same fears, high, lows that you do. I am very happily married, and some of the things you were saying ring so true in my life. The annoyances, the doubts,the I'm not good enough, then talking yourself back to reality etc. I can relate. I have severe ADD, and some OCD tendencies but I certainly do not suffer how you do. Just evaluate the relationship, is this someone who you really love, want to spend the rest of your life with? I have dated a lot of really great guys, some who I knew were not the "one" even if at the time I wanted them to be. Strong relationships are grounded in trust. If you don;t have that, it will never work. You'll end up pushing him away. I don;t mean to sound negative, I'm only saying this b/c I wish you success. If it really is the OCD taking over, then consider counseling with your partner. So that he can better understand your feelings, and can make a conscious effort to make you feel better about your relationship. All the best to you! No matter what anyone will ever tell you, even the best marriages are hard work.

After googleing hot red ears, it seems like it may be a symptom of lyme? There were lots of other possible autoimmune causes, none that were pandas related but I thought that was interesting!

Weird question: Does anyone else's kids get bright red, hot ears for no reason. I get them, sometimes only one of them, sometimes both. I feel like I have a high fever, but it will usually be slight. My son ears do the same thing all the time. Sometimes with a fever, sometimes w/o. It's sort of bizarre. Usually he does have a fever when they're red, but not always. It just always freaks me out with him b/c he has a febrile seizure past.. I know it's a weird question, he and I both have it going on right now, so that's why it came to mind.

I think after 3 days you will be fine. They say 24-48 hours. If it's not her child it will be someone else. It's so hard in the winter, everyone seems to have strep!! My son was just fully exposed to a neighbor who tested positive and by the grace of God, he did not get it! He has had mycoplasma and then back to back strep infections in the past 2 months. I thought for sure he'd get it. Good Luck!

Tami, I had a T&A in high school, and I can tell you from experience that there is a white coating on the tongue and throat. I also was coughing a lot of grey matter up. It was quite gross. I have had many surgeries including c-sections and other abdominal surgeries... by far, having my tonsils out was THE MOST PAINFUL!!! Encourage him to drink lots and lots of water. I kept a jug by my side and forced myself to drink all of the time. I recovered really quickly, but everyone is different. I do not have Pandas, so I can't say one way or the other if it will stir things up, but I do know how uncomfortable he must be. My neighbor's daughters both have had T&A's and one recovered in about 3-4 days, the other was out for 2 weeks feeling really bad. She said that she thought she was getting better, but then took a nose dive. So I just think everyone recovers differently. Keep the faith, push lots of fluids and pain meds. If he's breathing through his mouth at night, maybe a humidifier would help too. My son has PANDAS and I'd be freaking out too, it's hard not to think every little thing will make things worse, but hopefully this surgery be what turns things around for you guys. All the best!!! Molly

I was hoping you were going to say the exact opposite. My son usually spikes really high fevers, up to 105 once. When he was younger, before all of the tics and PANDAS symptoms began, he a 3 febrile seizures, one lasted for 13 minutes. I have often wondered if there was a connection between the two.

GNC sells one milligram tablets in the cherry flavor. My son loves them!! I cut them in half for my 6 year old. It really does help. If he wakes and can't get back to sleep, give the other half. The key is to start the dose out low. Molly

No way will I give my son the flu shot or mist this year. The last 2 years in a row (in November) he received the flu mist which was followed by an explosion of tics that lasted (both years) until February. Maybe the flu mist caused it (I think so) or maybe not...but I will not give it this year so if it happens again I can rule it out. Both of my boys had swine flu last year and they were totally fine. They had fever and flu like symptoms for about 2 days. Believe me, they have been a lot sicker from other viruses then from swine flu!! I think the immunizations carry a greater risk the the actual flu itself. I have started both my kids on extra vitamin D supplements along with the multi they already take. I have read a lot about it helping immunity with the flu. Google vitamin D and flu. You'll find lots of good info. Good luck! Molly

So much of your post reminds me of me and how I was feeling in the midst of my son's tics. He has had two explosive episodes that lasted for about 3 months. They always start in November and end in late Feb- early March. They start out explosive with nose scrunching adds eye blinking, sniffing and then slowly taper off. Both times my son had the flu mist, and I think (atleast this past year) they were related to that. I did try the kids calm and I think it helped. I also gave him 500 mg of vit C to help boost his immune system. I tried the flax oil but had a hard time getting him to takle it. My child is extremely picky!!! I used motrin incase there was swelling in his brain from the vaccines. I think the thing that helped the most was epsom salt baths every night. That and time... I am so sorry you are feeling so helpless. I remember feeling that exact way. I would lurk on this forum for hours trying to find an answer, a cure for my little guy. I never posted though because I felt so crazed that I couldn't even put into words how I was feeling. Now that things have calmed down it's easier for me to talk about. All I can say is just shower him with love, hugs and kisses. I would talk about it with my son a lot trying to get an idea of what he was feeling. I beat myself up a lot that I gave him the flumist. I have a strong family history of ADD (I have it ) and also tics that a lot of men have on my side of the family. I think maybe it's genetic and it was triggered by vaccines or allergies. I still have not figured it out. All you can do is try to figure it out and if you can't it's ok. Some kids have tics.. mine included.. and that's just the way it is. It doesn't make them any less amazing (infact it makes them more amazing) All we can do is love them to pieces and try and do the best we can. I encourage you too get all the info you can and try everything that makes sence for your son.. This forum was amazing in my time of darkness. I found so much strength from here and never once spoke a word to anyone. Please don't beat yourself up. From your post I can tell you are an amazing mother and you love your son so very much. At the end of the day, that is all that matters!!! -Molly

Well I guess I didn't include everything that went on. So it all began 2 years ago in November. My son started having the nose scrunching and added eye blinking a few weeks later (these went on together) and they were explosive. At the same time he started having horriable night terrors that would last sometimes over an hour. He was also showing ocd behavior. Always asking us if the doors were locked, if we have enough milk, what if we run out of food. Behavor that I thought were weird and concerning for a 4 year old. We went to the pediatrician and I listed everything that was going on. My pediatrician thought touretts off the bat b/c there is some family history of tics on my fathers side. (never was PANDAS mentioned) I accepted this and just went on.. thinking ok we'll deal with this, it is what it is. So I was shocked when then they slowly tapered off I thought OMG he's fine! Until this November. Overnight he exploded with the scrunching first and then eye blinking (together) . This year there was no ocd at all but he was extremely hyper. When I took him to the Dr. he was shocked by his behavior. It's like he was climbing the walls. I do think he added a slight vocal tic, only when drinking and it was after the others had faded away. I went to his Dr. convinced that he has PANDAS, that he must have been exposed to strep last year when the ocd started, maybe the flu mist pushed him over the edge and then when re-exposed to the flu mist again this year it triggered it again. I can't say for sure that he started the tics after the flu mist the first year, but I know for sure that it was days after he received it this year. My doc ran all the blood tests and of course tested neg for all things associated with PANDAS but that really didn't make a difference to me since I knew it wasn't exposure to strep that triggered it this year. I do find it wierd that it has followed the exact same pattern both years, and blessed that it tapers off for (fingers crossed) months. I will not be getting the flu mist ever again that is for sure!!! I'm hoping that it was the flu mist and we'll never have this issue again but I also think that if it was a strep exposure in the first place and the episodes were triggered again by the mist... that this could happen again. Unless the mist alone can trigger tics?? It's all so confusing when there is no answer. My friends think I'm crazy and I think my doctor does to. Also I did forget to mention that my son had feberial seizures (3 total episodes) So sometimes I think... is this related too? Could it be the winter months, being closed up in the house, could it be the stress of Christmas coming? I guess I have to be patient and see if they happen again, it's just so bizarre!!! Thanks for your reply! Molly

For 2 years in a row now my son (who is 5) has started tics in November. He always starts with nose scrunching, ads eye blinking then both tics fade away by late Feb/ March. Both years he has received the flu mist in November and that is the one thing I can say for sure has been constant. Other then that..the month they begin (November) and the time frame they lasted 3-1/2 months. They have totally disappeared again so I wonder could it be seasonal, or related to the flu mist. The tics come on with a vengence for about 2 months and then fade away over the next month. I have spoken to my ped about pandas and we did blood tests for it. All negative. I was not surprised since he was not sick at the time they began. I do think its' possible that the flu mist caused them again if he was exposed to strep prior. In any case, I find it so weird that they come on so strong and then leave for 8 months. Is this common? Anyone with a similar story?