Response to Exposure to Illness

[Bill]

I note that a lot of kids on the Lyme and PANDAS forum "respond" to exposure to various illnesses. My son (PANDAS, Lyme & friends) does not. Period. Period with caveat, if he does, I've never noticed it. I do not recall him getting worse even when he was not on all of the ABX.

 

Anyone else who does not respond to illness around them?

 

bill

[laure]

I note that a lot of kids on the Lyme and PANDAS forum "respond" to exposure to various illnesses. My son (PANDAS, Lyme & friends) does not. Period. Period with caveat, if he does, I've never noticed it. I do not recall him getting worse even when he was not on all of the ABX.

 

Anyone else who does not respond to illness around them?

 

bill

 

 

Same thing for my dd9 (Pandas, Lyme). The school nurse dutifully calls me every time a classmate has strep, and I feel bad because I always shrug it off and send her to school anyway. That makes me think her issues are more lyme related (cyclic) than strep related?? But I am still pretty new to this disease...

[MichaelTampa]

From reading and listening, I am starting to compile a list, titled "odd little clues that lyme may be involved". On it, is being someone that gets colds/sicknesses much more frequently than others or much less frequently than others. There is some theory surrounding this, that lyme really affects a person's Th1 and Th2 cells, and the balance of these affect response to illness. So, imbalance one direction would more frequently respond to illness exposure with cold, other imbalance the person would never respond (and be mistakenly thought to be very healthy).

[laure]

Fascinating, great idea! Because my daughter is as healthy as a horse, always was! (Or so we thought) Never had symptoms of anything. I think she has vomited once in her life (strep) and almost everything she would complain of (which was rare) responded to dimetapp. Needless to say, she had strep at least a 6 times that we didn't catch it until someone else got sick.

[Bill]

From reading and listening, I am starting to compile a list, titled "odd little clues that lyme may be involved". On it, is being someone that gets colds/sicknesses much more frequently than others or much less frequently than others. There is some theory surrounding this, that lyme really affects a person's Th1 and Th2 cells, and the balance of these affect response to illness. So, imbalance one direction would more frequently respond to illness exposure with cold, other imbalance the person would never respond (and be mistakenly thought to be very healthy).

 

 

"odd little clues that lyme may be involved". That was sort of my thought when I posed the question. My son is sick much less frequently since all of this started than prior. Now, having said that, he was on the toilet last night most likely with the virus that is going around. He was fine this morning though whereas I stayed home two days this week and still am not 100%.

 

I think Buster was compiling a list of symptoms but on the PANDAS forum only? Perhaps we should compile a list of symptoms all of our child display. It would take me days to list everything as so much has become normal : )

 

We are still trying to decide IGIV or not for my son...was able to get additional explanation from our local doctor. I'm not going to be able to convey this correctly but the theory is that while there is an infection, antibodies will be made (and presumably attacking the brain) causing inflammation. If the immune system is boosted using IGIV, then the correct targeting of making antibodies directed at the underlying bacteria can then be made so the inflammation will decrease. The recommendation for IGIV was made by Dr. B. after noting that there was no increase in immunoglobulin production to strep after identifying an active strep infection. I assume this was in reference to the serotype testing performed. Also, Dr. B. diagnosed strep by looking up his nose and 'seeing' it noting that most doctors were not trained to see it by sight (I guess by the way the nasal tissue appeared). That's the only part that makes me a little nervous - why couldn't any other doctor or MRI see this infection? On the other hand, infected/inflamed tissue probably looks like a lot of things but to an immunologist who sees this day in/day out.....

[smartyjones]

Also, Dr. B. diagnosed strep by looking up his nose and 'seeing' it noting that most doctors were not trained to see it by sight (I guess by the way the nasal tissue appeared). That's the only part that makes me a little nervous - why couldn't any other doctor or MRI see this infection? On the other hand, infected/inflamed tissue probably looks like a lot of things but to an immunologist who sees this day in/day out.....

 

i would think there are drs who are skilled, trained, experienced or whatever in that and those that are not . . . our experience was we had a useless pediatrician practice when ds first showed symptoms. he was in that office maybe 4 times from late Oct to Dec with behavior, intense ear ache etc. they ran titers b/c behavior therapist suggested pandas. threw him on a CYA 5-days of azith and shrugged it off. each appt they checked ears and nose. we found a new ped who took titers seriously and gave me credit for having a brain. he said he thought sinuses still a problem by way nasal tissue looked and ordered sinus CT which showed all 6 sinus cavities infected. we never cultured it to be sure it was strep but made the assumptions b/c high titers, + throat culture and pretty classic pandas. had a second which showed improvement after keflex.

 

not sure why MRI wouldn't show but there may be an old post on pandas forum that says something about sinus MRI and CT -- you could search or post a ?

 

just saying. . . if you trust Dr. B otherwise, i'd say that adds to his effectiveness, not detracts.

Edited February 5, 2011 by smartyjones

[Bill]

Also, Dr. B. diagnosed strep by looking up his nose and 'seeing' it noting that most doctors were not trained to see it by sight (I guess by the way the nasal tissue appeared). That's the only part that makes me a little nervous - why couldn't any other doctor or MRI see this infection? On the other hand, infected/inflamed tissue probably looks like a lot of things but to an immunologist who sees this day in/day out.....

 

i would think there are drs who are skilled, trained, experienced or whatever in that and those that are not . . . our experience was we had a useless pediatrician practice when ds first showed symptoms. he was in that office maybe 4 times from late Oct to Dec with behavior, intense ear ache etc. they ran titers b/c behavior therapist suggested pandas. threw him on a CYA 5-days of azith and shrugged it off. each appt they checked ears and nose. we found a new ped who took titers seriously and gave me credit for having a brain. he said he thought sinuses still a problem by way nasal tissue looked and ordered sinus CT which showed all 6 sinus cavities infected. we never cultured it to be sure it was strep but made the assumptions b/c high titers, + throat culture and pretty classic pandas. had a second which showed improvement after keflex.

 

not sure why MRI wouldn't show but there may be an old post on pandas forum that says something about sinus MRI and CT -- you could search or post a ?

 

just saying. . . if you trust Dr. B otherwise, i'd say that adds to his effectiveness, not detracts.

 

 

Yes, not questioning his skills. More surprised by lack of others I suppose.....Well okay - after 5 years I question all doctors now! : )

 

Did just occur to me that my son has braces. Image of sinus area may not be too clear. Also, last MRI was August, Dr. B. saw him early October. Son also has allergies so would tend to keep his sinuses inflamed. Thinking out loud in this forum helps me think through these.

 

Thanks, bill