Wow, it's been quite a summer. In late April/early May, my son (age 10) began exhibiting OCD behaviors (frequent hand rinsing), also holding his hands up (so as to not touch anything) while he was sitting. In early June he told me he was fixated on numbers (looking at things a certain number of times). I spoke w/the school psych who mentioned in passing the strep connection, but I didn't consider it at the time as he hadn't had strep (that I knew of) and his paternal grandmother I was told had OCD (she didn't really, she has other anxiety issues, phobias). I took him to a therapist who noticed a tic and suggested he needed meds for his condition. This really concerned me, he already takes daily medication for asthma, I didn't want to add SSRI's to that mix and I didn't feel like he was that bad. Then in mid-July we took a trip, we noticed several new Tics and he was extremely clingy to me and was acting much younger. My husband commented that something medical had to be causing this, I agreed and then looked up information and came across PANDAS. It described him to a T. I took him to his pediatrician, he seemed open to the possibility and ran the strep tests and blood test for ASO/AntiDnbase). The rapid strep came back neg, still awaiting the culture (mix up at lab), however, his ASO levels were elevated. He doesn't know how to treat and suggests a neurologist. I found one via the doctor list Beth Maloney has (out of network), she can't see him until late September, another claims to treat PANDAS, he's in network, so I'll try him, but not completely confident as I've read here that others haven't had much luck in NE Ohio finding a doctor.
Reading all of this info on this forum is helpful, yet also completely overwhelming. I feel like I need a medical degree to help my son. Fortunately at this point, his symptoms are not preventing him from doing his everyday kid things, he still goes to swim lessons, piano, plays with friends. I'm concerned once school starts his symptoms will get worse (the tics are definitely worse when he's anxious, we noticed it in large crowds at a baseball and soccer game). I just wish I could convince his ped to start him on antibiotics...what could it hurt? But I know they don't like to just give them out. Has anyone found a good doc in Ohio??
