Joint pain

[momof3inTN]

My ds, 10, is having severe knee pain, to the point of he doesn't even want me to lightly touch him. I can't tell if they are swollen, they have always been big.

 

Not sure if this is a PANDAS issue or if he needs to get to the ER now? I can't get anytime off work right now to get him in to the ortho, hoping next week.

 

Anyone deal with this before?

 

Thanks

[Phasmid]

If they are that painful, and truly there is swelling, then this is something that should be evaluated sooner rather than later. Can he walk? This may be juvenile rheumatoid arthritis with or without PANDAS. But to let you know, my son has elbow joint pain- started with the other symptoms. Always been there- comes on and then disappears. Should rule out something more serious though before chalking it up to PANDAS. Strep can trigger arthritis. It is also well documented that Candida albicans, the common body yeast, can also trigger arthritis.

[Worried_Dad]

Our PANDAS son's symptoms began (at age 10) with severe joint pain that moved from joint to joint. This is a classic symptom (called migratory polyarthritis) of acute rheumatic fever, another in the spectrum of post-strep autoimmune disorders related to PANDAS. There may also be nodules around the inflamed joints that are similarly linked to ARF. (Our son was originally diagnosed with ARF / Sydenham's Chorea, later changed to PANDAS.)

 

Post-GAS autoimmune mechanisms are also implicated in reactive arthritis. And swollen, painful joints can also be a symptom of Lyme, I believe.

 

As Phasmid said, I'd definitely take this seriously. Could be related to PANDAS or could be a sign of another infection at work.

[NancyD]

My DD14's joint pain started with her knees a few years ago. She has had PANDAS since age 2. My joint pain started in my knees in Oct and migrated quickly to my hips and back. We were both diagnosed with Lyme. Since being on Augmentin XR,, Azyth, and Tindamax (and me on Doxy) for a few months we have not had any joint pain since.

 

I would encourage you to rule out Lyme disease and other possible co-infections.

[Suzan]

For us it was lyme too. My dd9 had pain so badly at times that she could not walk. I had painful knees when I was young and had to wear tight bands to be able to walk without pain. In retrospect we think it was lyme. But I would have him checked out by the ortho and also tested for lyme.

 

Good luck!

[Tenacity]

As indicated by the variety of responses here, joint pain is a symptom with more than one possible cause.

 

My child suffered excruciating episodic migratory joint pain -- elbows, knees, knuckles -- when his worst exacerbation hit. But no doctor ever found any swelling or nodules, and acute rheumatic fever was always ruled out. So, it would appear that, although such severe joint pain could be a sign of rheumatic arthritis, it can also be a symptom of PANDAS and Sydenham's chorea, in the absence of acute rheumatic fever. Mysterious stuff! . . .

[EAMom]

Just to add to the list...viruses can also cause this (viral arthritis)!

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001453

[Guest pandas16]

I have PANDAS and I was diagnosed with reactive arthritis- it's arthritis that appears after an illness but I did have Rheumatic Fever

Edited February 2, 2011 by pandas16

[LNN]

Agree with all the above posts. While you are waiting to get into a doctor, make note of anything else that's unusual. Check his neck and armpit lymph glands (and other lymph areas). My son often had a swollen gland only on the left side of his neck - asymmetrical swelling can be a symptom of tick-borne illness). Take photos if you think the swelling will show up, or take a washable marker and circle the swollen areas and then take a picture, so you can document the size of the swelling. Make note of what helps the pain - motrin, charcoal? and when the pain is better or worse during the day. Is there any tingling or pain elsewhere - soles of feet?

 

The cause can be several things. But one thing for sure is that it isn't normal. I hope you're able to find relief quickly.