Both boys doing better on Augmentin.

[Stephanie2]

DS6, despite most pandas symptoms being gone (day 5 of augmentin after strep), still has this cough/throat clearing tic. The way I see it I have three options, what would you do?

 

*wait it out

 

*add in some olive leaf (did the trick last time)...but is that safe...

 

*add a steroid

 

I'm already doing ibuprofen - not doing much for the tic (which is historically the case for this guy)

 

Ds2 is much better, tic 90% gone but he's fussier than he was before I started the augmentin. maybe this is some kind of die-off or maybe the diflucan is not working...uuuugh, gonna have to study my spreadsheets (such a fun activity)...

[MichaelTampa]

Please remember, when making this decision, steroids are said to be bad for those with lyme, as it suppresses the immune system and allows the lyme to grow. Something to keep in mind, relative to how confident you are or aren't that lyme is not involved.

[thereishope]

What has been their timeline in the past once starting antibiotics? I think it's awesome so many symptoms are already gone. I did only a 5 day burst on day 5 of antibiotics for my son in his second exacerbation and it did help and the improvements of the short burst stayed (not temp). I think you can wait since "only" one tic is remaining. My son was in dire straits. Since the 2 year old is doing better, but still irritable, perhaps wait on any steroid right now in the 6 year old in the event the strep isn't fully erradicated in the 2 year old. I don't think a 5 day burst would lower the immune system much, but don't take chances it does either.

 

Hard decision.

 

Has your boys ever had a steroid before?

[mom love]

Hi Stephanie,

 

I was thinking of you and your boys this morning, hoping they were doing better. I'm so glad.

 

I have been reading up on the blood brain barrier and the effects of closing and opening it (which is done on purpose with certain medications in certain cases with certain infections so that an antibiotics and other medications can get to the brain). What I have been reading, in the case of active bacterial infection, it may be best to leave it open so the bacteria can better be reached. IMHO, from what I have read about some of these bacteria, I am not convinced that this is only an antibody attacking the brain causing inflammation situation. Some bacteria can attach to any organ in the body and change the cell it is attached to in time. Molecular mimicry refers to not only antibodies attacking cells that look similar to the bacteria cells, but molecular mimicry also refers to when a bacteria attaches itself to a host cell, hides in it, and gets into places it shouldn't because it has changed to look like the host cell.

If I were you, I would save the steroid for after the infection is cleared if they are not back to 100% or their baseline by then.

[Stephanie2]

Please remember, when making this decision, steroids are said to be bad for those with lyme, as it suppresses the immune system and allows the lyme to grow. Something to keep in mind, relative to how confident you are or aren't that lyme is not involved.

 

This is a very good point, Michael. Both of my boys made some good improvements in the past on steroids, but my 2yo clearly had some issues with his impetigo flaring after a 20 day taper. (BTW, my igenex kits are on the way!)

 

 

What has been their timeline in the past once starting antibiotics? I think it's awesome so many symptoms are already gone. I did only a 5 day burst on day 5 of antibiotics for my son in his second exacerbation and it did help and the improvements of the short burst stayed (not temp). I think you can wait since "only" one tic is remaining. My son was in dire straits. Since the 2 year old is doing better, but still irritable, perhaps wait on any steroid right now in the 6 year old in the event the strep isn't fully erradicated in the 2 year old. I don't think a 5 day burst would lower the immune system much, but don't take chances it does either.

 

 

Hard decision.

 

Has your boys ever had a steroid before?

 

I guess you are right that they might be playing off of each other's infections a little until they have gotten further into the abx treatment. I think today was only day 2 or 3 for ds2....not to mention I just found out that our regular babysitter's little sister just had strep - babysitter got a sore throat that cleared on its own after a few days. So maybe it will take some time (that reminds me I need to go around and disinfect the house tonight).

 

 

Hi Stephanie,

 

I was thinking of you and your boys this morning, hoping they were doing better. I'm so glad.

 

I have been reading up on the blood brain barrier and the effects of closing and opening it (which is done on purpose with certain medications in certain cases with certain infections so that an antibiotics and other medications can get to the brain). What I have been reading, in the case of active bacterial infection, it may be best to leave it open so the bacteria can better be reached. IMHO, from what I have read about some of these bacteria, I am not convinced that this is only an antibody attacking the brain causing inflammation situation. Some bacteria can attach to any organ in the body and change the cell it is attached to in time. Molecular mimicry refers to not only antibodies attacking cells that look similar to the bacteria cells, but molecular mimicry also refers to when a bacteria attaches itself to a host cell, hides in it, and gets into places it shouldn't because it has changed to look like the host cell.

If I were you, I would save the steroid for after the infection is cleared if they are not back to 100% or their baseline by then.

Thanks! I didn't know that about the molecular mimicry and the bacteria being involved as well (although I think that is the case with lyme, no?)

Edited December 22, 2010 by Stephanie2