What are the signs of mycoplasma?

[matis_mom]

My 7yo has had a persistent dry cough for over a week, and he is just not feeling well, and his temperament is quite affected. Pandas ds13 is acting out. Could it be that the 7yo has walking pneumonia? I took him in Saturday and they said his lungs where clear. I know something's up, but I really am afraid if I go there playing the paranoid mother I may loose whatever little credibility I have left at the peds, and then I'll get no help.

 

What are the clinical signs of m. pneumonia? Would they hear anything in the lungs? Do they do x-rays? How is it diagnosed?

[Tamistwins]

My son had or still has mycoplasma pne. He did have a cough but we would not have known he had it had we not had a blood test. Just like testing for strep titers they test for mycoplasma pneumonia igg and igm.

[thereishope]

My non-PANDAS son had a cough when he was dx with Myco P. We dismissed it since we thought the cough was due to allergies. Anyway, our doc just listened to his chest and diagnosed it.

[matis_mom]

My non-PANDAS son had a cough when he was dx with Myco P. We dismissed it since we thought the cough was due to allergies. Anyway, our doc just listened to his chest and diagnosed it.

We have allergies in the picture too, but the lungs checked out clear. I just don't know what to do anymore. I can't watch another child go down the PANDAS hill. If his mood and the cough don't clear in a couple more days, I'll have to take him back in and insist they run some bloodwork

[colleenrn]

Common symptoms include the following:

 

•Chest pain

•Chills

•Cough, usually dry and not bloody

•Excessive sweating

•Fever (may be high)

•Headache

•Sore throat

Less common symptoms include:

 

•Ear pain

•Eye pain or soreness

•Muscle aches and joint stiffness

•Neck lump

•Rapid breathing

•Skin lesions or rash

[thereishope]

I agree. If the cough stays then get it rechecked.Cough was my son's only symptom.

 

My non-PANDAS son had a cough when he was dx with Myco P. We dismissed it since we thought the cough was due to allergies. Anyway, our doc just listened to his chest and diagnosed it.

We have allergies in the picture too, but the lungs checked out clear. I just don't know what to do anymore. I can't watch another child go down the PANDAS hill. If his mood and the cough don't clear in a couple more days, I'll have to take him back in and insist they run some bloodwork

[airial95]

My non-PANDAS daughter had Myco last year, and a dry cough was her only noticiable symptom. Dr. dx with just an office visit.

[GraceUnderPressure]

My ds13 has had a lingering dry cough for over a month - he's been on zithromax for about a week now - is myco not responsive to zithromax or should we be looking for a different culprit?

[DebC]

Our non PANDAS son had surgery in October and about 5 days post op (on a weekend, of course), he developed a dry cough that was persistent and sounded a bit odd. Since he had been intubated during surgery for several hours, I suspected mycoplasm. I took him to an urgent pediatric care center close to our home and they said he just had a cold virus. Two weeks later, the cough was a bit worse, , and our PANDAS daughter, who had been symptom free for months, walked into the kitchen after being mildly scolded and flipped a chair over on its side (very uncharacteristic for her). I turned to my husband and said, "Our son has mycoplasm and it's causing our daughter's symptoms to flare". I made an appointment the next morning with our pediatrician and he listened to our son's chest and thought it sounded suspicious. He sent us for x-rays and sure enough, it was mycoplasm. Within 72 hours of our son starting antibiotics, our PANDAS daughter was back to her normal self. She never contracted the illness as she was on a prophylactic dose of azith. However, she was obviously making antibodies to it which caused a mild exacerbation of behavior.

Edited March 29, 2011 by DebC

[thereishope]

Myco P is suppose to be responsive to Zithromax but our PANDAS PITAND kids don't always fit the majority rule. My non-PANDAS son was give a 5 day script for Zith, the cough lasted for about a week after the script ended (doc said that's expected and normal) then he was fine.

 

I remember reading when Myco P first became a highly discussed subject on here that some were being given Biaxin. Whether or not that finally cleared it, I don't know.

 

My ds13 has had a lingering dry cough for over a month - he's been on zithromax for about a week now - is myco not responsive to zithromax or should we be looking for a different culprit?

Edited March 29, 2011 by Vickie

[AmySLP]

Just learned that our 4 y/o has/had this by chance with a blood test Dr B. ordered. No symptoms upper resp.-wise, but rashy as could be for several weeks and behavioral symptoms in that time period. Last thing I would have ever guess to come back postitive and it was a really high number-tested with Igg & Igm.

[heatherdawn]

My dd9 has chronic mycoplasma and does not have anything ever show in her chest. And she has battled that dry cough for years:( It wasn't until it turned into PITANDS recently that we did the blood work and was positive.

 

If you suspect, you should just take him to the immunologist and get tested.

[tpotter]

I had persistent cough and asthma that I just couldn't get rid of for 3 years! When symptoms would escalate, the only abx that ever worked was azith (which happens to be one of the two top abx for mycoP.) Even though I went to 2 asthma specialists and a pulmonologist, no one thought to test for mycoP. When my kids went to see Dr. B. he tested the whole family for strep and mycoP. That's how I found out that my IgM and IgG were both very positive for it (I had managed to spread it to everyone else.)

 

If you are even slightly suspicious, ask the dr. to test for it. It's a simple blood test. I'm still trying to get over the symptoms 10 months later, and am seeing a lung specialist at the end of May to make certain that we are getting it all, and that I don't have permanent lung damage from it.

[EmilyK]

I had persistent cough and asthma that I just couldn't get rid of for 3 years! When symptoms would escalate, the only abx that ever worked was azith (which happens to be one of the two top abx for mycoP.) Even though I went to 2 asthma specialists and a pulmonologist, no one thought to test for mycoP. When my kids went to see Dr. B. he tested the whole family for strep and mycoP. That's how I found out that my IgM and IgG were both very positive for it (I had managed to spread it to everyone else.)

 

If you are even slightly suspicious, ask the dr. to test for it. It's a simple blood test. I'm still trying to get over the symptoms 10 months later, and am seeing a lung specialist at the end of May to make certain that we are getting it all, and that I don't have permanent lung damage from it.

 

Good to know! My youngest and myself are both allergic. I'm asthmatic and he was just evaluated for asthma two weeks ago. At the same time, my oldest started to flare up with PANDAS symptoms again. I'm thinking we should all be tested for mycoplasma? The blood test will be simple for me, but not so simple for the 6 and 7 years olds in question

[beeskneesmommy]

For my son, then just turned 4,cough, typical kid fever (not terribly high but in the low 100's for a day or 2), chest that got tighter sounding. Took him in and he was dx w/walking pneumonia. Titers showed Myco was elevated whereas 6 weeks prior to the pneumonia when titers were taken, Myco was normal.