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I have no place else to turn. My son, who is doing well in most other respects right now, continues to have a very disturbing obsession/compulsion. He has recently been placed on prophylactic penicillin vk, and for those who know our story, his eyebrows/lashes are beginning to grow back, so his pulling has ceased for now, as far as I can tell.

 

My son is 12 years old, in 7th grade. The problem is that he continues to make sexual comments, very disgraceful comments, to female friends. He lost his texting ability on his phone due to this, and I just found a message on his phone that he knew he would not be able to send. Prior to this, some weeks ago, he sent an inappropriate video by phone to a friend at school!! He didn't even know that kid well- just met him at the beginning of school.

 

I don't know what to do. Do I send him to a psychiatrist? Put him on drugs? Counseling? What does this kid need? I am ready to drive off a cliff- I am so SICK AND TIRED OF DEALING WITH THIS STUFF! Is this OCD or is that an excuse for just plain screwed up thinking due to poor parenting???? HELP!!!!!!!!!

Edited by Phasmid
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I am sorry you are going through this, I can imagine what a sensitive subject this can be for a mother of a teen boy. I don't have any helpful advise except to say that intense sexual thoughts are pretty common in teenage boys, but for many of our kids they have lost the filter that allows them to make good choices/judgements.

 

In the autism world, high testosterone is discussed a lot. I don't know if you have looked at any of the Geier's work:

http://autismmedia.org/media4.html

 

Outside of that, perhaps one of the mild meds such as Tenex, which is a blood pressure med used for impulsivity might be worth exploring? I understand your fears - boys can quickly be labled predators or worse for expressing sexual thoughts. I will be praying you get some good ideas from the others here today!

 

I have no place else to turn. My son, who is doing well in most other respects right now, continues to have a very disturbing obsession/compulsion. He has recently been placed on prophylactic penicillin vk, and for those who know our story, his eyebrows/lashes are beginning to grow back, so his pulling has ceased for now, as far as I can tell.

 

The problem is that he continues to make sexual comments, very disgraceful comments, to female friends. He lost his texting ability on his phone due to this, and I just found a message on his phone that he knew he would not be able to send. Prior to this, some weeks ago, he sent an inappropriate video by phone to a friend at school!! He didn't even know that kid well- just met him at the beginning of school.

 

I don't know what to do. Do I send him to a psychiatrist? Put him on drugs? Counseling? What does this kid need? I am ready to drive off a cliff- I am so SICK AND TIRED OF DEALING WITH THIS STUFF! Is this OCD or is that an excuse for just plain screwed up thinking due to poor parenting???? HELP!!!!!!!!!

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I would start by ditching the pen-vk and trying full strength azith or augmentin. The only thing that has consistently worked for my son (mostly anxiety and severe irritability) has been 500mg/day of azithromycin. We were on augmentin XR 2000mg/day for quite a while but he kept getting strep on it and behaviors kept returning. We had one dr. prescribe prophylactic pen-vk and I thought we were going to end up in the hospital until we got him moved back to azith. In my opinion pen-vk works for some, but most PANDAS kids need something much stronger.

 

I know, too, that many have had some luck with cognitive behavioral therapy for OCD so I would look into that as well, but FIRST I would insist on getting him switched to a much more kick-###### abx.

 

Good luck.... :-)

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I have no place else to turn. My son, who is doing well in most other respects right now, continues to have a very disturbing obsession/compulsion. He has recently been placed on prophylactic penicillin vk, and for those who know our story, his eyebrows/lashes are beginning to grow back, so his pulling has ceased for now, as far as I can tell.

 

My son is 12 years old, in 7th grade. The problem is that he continues to make sexual comments, very disgraceful comments, to female friends. He lost his texting ability on his phone due to this, and I just found a message on his phone that he knew he would not be able to send. Prior to this, some weeks ago, he sent an inappropriate video by phone to a friend at school!! He didn't even know that kid well- just met him at the beginning of school.

 

I don't know what to do. Do I send him to a psychiatrist? Put him on drugs? Counseling? What does this kid need? I am ready to drive off a cliff- I am so SICK AND TIRED OF DEALING WITH THIS STUFF! Is this OCD or is that an excuse for just plain screwed up thinking due to poor parenting???? HELP!!!!!!!!!

 

OH..Phasmid :( ...i am sorry you are dealing with this.....

Try to take a deep breath......and take a couple more.....

Try to stay calm....I know i shouldn't talk.....

It could very well be teenage, annoying, irritating, inappropriate nonsense...

he could be pushing the envelope for a number of reasons....stress at home, school, stress of being teen...

you mentioned recently he is havinb body issues...and this can go hand in hand...yes maybe pandas, but hand in hand of...who likes me, am i attractive, will this get me the "opposite sex" attention i'm looking for...but doesn't quite know how to do it...

I am not a psychologist...nor play one on tv :) ....but i do people watch....

Try to see if it is something you can talk to him about..if it is something deeper...

In the mean time....i would arrange an appoint to talk to someone professional...and you can always cancel if you need to... :wub:

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I can only tell you that I was warned a few years ago by our neuro psychologist that this was very common among boys with tourette and OCD and that I should be prepared to see it. She actually told me to make a habit of checking in his room and such for pornography. It sounded like something that she had dealt with often. I am sure it is not much different than the other OCD / lack of impulse control issues our kids deal with. If I were to see this in my son, I would probably take a 2-pronged approach - call the PANDAS doc for help with the physical infection stuff, and find a really good psychologist / social worker / counselor who specializes in kids with OCD to work on the behavioral piece. Let's face it - even if we rid our kids of infections and load them up with good antibodies... they are still going to have to deal with these thoughts and obsessions when they get sick.

 

Do you have a counselor you have worked with? Perhaps the school counselor or social worker could recommend someone?

 

Hugs to you as you go through this-- and you can send them back to me when I go through it!

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Phasmid,

I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this.

 

You did the right thing taking his phone away. Kids are starting to be prosecuted for creation of child pornography (even if its pictures of themselves, forwarded to a friend). for creation of child porn, and distribution of child porn - a count for every time they forwarded that picture on. So to protect him, and anyone involved, I'd restrict any form of electronic communication I could. Not as punishment - as protection for him and anyone on the receiving end of it.

 

This does not sound like a separate thing. If he started to compulsively wipe down his bathroom in beach twice a day, you would think pandas. its jsut a different trigger and different behavior. My child looked into the sun. I spent way to long trying to find other people that had the same behavior, and worrying about what if the next compulsion is to cut himself, or open the door while the car is going onto the highway... What matters is he cannot help himself from invasive thoughts and compulsions. In particular he can hurt himself and others with this particular one..so much more stressful.

 

Dr K told me a story while in Chicago - one of his first appointments one day was a kid that could not stop praying, and asking for forgivness...and in the afternoon, he had different that couldn't stop swearing and saying the foulest of things. To him its all the same.

 

You are not alone. Parenting a teen is difficult enough, but one with impulsivity issues and compulsions...I know I've read your posts about the trig, but did you ever get ivig or do any steroids?

 

Thinking of you-

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Thanks so much. I think it is time I medicate for these impulses/compulsions. I understand that teen boys have this going through their heads, but to make statements so blatantly and on the phone that I check... it is obvious that he doesn't think. I don't know anything about Tenex but will be looking into it.

 

 

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Thanks. We have done steroid for 30 days. We did a five day after that. He's been on biaxin, azithromycin for couple months, and now penicillin. He has had a sinus infection for past couple weeks. The penicillin may or may not have helped, but during that time I did notice YET ANOTHER bunch of crap come back behavior wise... including the impulse to use bad language (not coprolalia... he's had that too), doesn't want me to hug him, obsessive with skateboarding, obsessive over his friend (spent 24 hours with the kid and then got mad at him because other kid wanted to do something with someone else). He's holding pretty well in school, but did get two detentions since sinus infection as well.

 

I guess I try IVIG now... and then put him on psych meds after that?

 

 

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Oh, Phasmid--I feel for you. Our son's anxiety has netted him 8---yes, 8 charges of assault in a month's time. We go before the juv court officer in a week. He has been in and out of the hospital for a month. We have had DHS on our doorstep & they came to the conclusion that we were doing everything possible--actually impressed with our history. (Probably a refreshing visit to them! I would like to have a little refreshment!! Ha ) We have letters from the docs detailing dx, tx, and goals. The court officer has these. Where am I going with this--Even though the docs all agree that most of Evan's behavior is due to his illnesses, for his protection, while we are treating him , & until he is more stable he is at home & not in school. We are skating on thin ice, and with a JCO that thinks a PMIC is the place for him we can not chance school. From a practical standpoint, continue doing everything YOU can to protect your son from himself while you get him well.

 

I hope this makes sense. Prayers to you.

 

DAwn

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IVIG has been a huge help for my son...and even just the past week we saw more gains. At 13 weeks post ivig. His compulsion to look into the sun - gone. Tics - gone. Sleep issues - gone. Bed wetting - gone.

 

remaining behaviors that are problematic - still has issues with me (yes..only me swallowing in front of him. But, just yesterday after having a great past week mood-wise, I asked him if he wanted to work toward getting (some video game he wants) if he could eat in the room with me (30 times), starting out REALLY small. He was in! - he stayed in the room for 5 bites last night without going nuts - tonight we'll try 10 - than at the end of the time he will have a meal with me -thats the goal he's working toward anyway. Now, I've also given him an out...if he can't stand it he has an alternate thing he can do to earn..he can go for a mile run. That way he isn't punished for not being able to complete the program. He doens't mind running that much (we are a family of runners) but eating with me is much less effort.

 

So, its like our own little exposure therapy, he is totally in. Up until this point I don't think he would have ever considered it. he just literally had NO control over the intrusive thoughts (the image of me swallowing would "stay in his head for like 20 minutes" and he would get very angry at me. He would rather cut his arm off than watch me eat..but now, it still bothers him - but it isn't for as long, and he doesn't get as angry. so, maybe he's ready to "unlearn" that response to this trigger.

 

anywhow - just wanted to share our story with you. It works for compulsions. Sounds like you son just switched from one complusion to an another - like the way my son's tics used to move around. (and I used to hope his compulsion to look into the sun would become handwashing - like all the other "normal" ocd kids!)

 

Have you done a cunningham's test?

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I would start by ditching the pen-vk and trying full strength azith or augmentin. The only thing that has consistently worked for my son (mostly anxiety and severe irritability) has been 500mg/day of azithromycin. We were on augmentin XR 2000mg/day for quite a while but he kept getting strep on it and behaviors kept returning. We had one dr. prescribe prophylactic pen-vk and I thought we were going to end up in the hospital until we got him moved back to azith. In my opinion pen-vk works for some, but most PANDAS kids need something much stronger.

 

I know, too, that many have had some luck with cognitive behavioral therapy for OCD so I would look into that as well, but FIRST I would insist on getting him switched to a much more kick-###### abx.

 

Good luck.... :-)

 

I agree.

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Thanks for making the great point about the intrusive thoughts. Yes, I think the compulsions DO morph from one thing to another. This is just going to continue. I think the antibiotics work wonders for the motor and vocal tics in MOST cases. He responded within 24 hours to antibiotics, each of his acute episodes. I think the compulsions and not right thinking is more involved.

 

My son's most recent stuff, just to remind, came at same time he had a sinus infection. Mycoplasma?? His TEACHER was ill with pneumonia!!! She came to school for a couple days before being diagnosed.

 

After reading this, I am abandoning antibiotics and will ask doc to go ahead with IVIG order!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

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Thanks for making the great point about the intrusive thoughts. Yes, I think the compulsions DO morph from one thing to another. This is just going to continue. I think the antibiotics work wonders for the motor and vocal tics in MOST cases. He responded within 24 hours to antibiotics, each of his acute episodes. I think the compulsions and not right thinking is more involved.

 

My son's most recent stuff, just to remind, came at same time he had a sinus infection. Mycoplasma?? His TEACHER was ill with pneumonia!!! She came to school for a couple days before being diagnosed.

 

After reading this, I am abandoning antibiotics and will ask doc to go ahead with IVIG order!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Phas...i know this is a decision that you thought about thoroughly....and i just want to vocalize..cause sometimes you just need to hear someone say..i support you. This thing is a long journey. Not for the weak!!!!

We are all here for you and your ds! And of course if you change your mind..that's ok too!

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