dd10 is sick and reacting to virus

[Suzan]

DD10 has caught a virus of some kind that is going around (sore throat, head/tummy/back ache). It's the first time she's been sick since she started lyme treatment. It's unheard of for her to go over a year without being sick (other than lyme symptoms I mean) so that is good news. But I am very discouraged because she is crazy again. She is reacting to it like strep and had a severe episode last night that she can't even remember what happened when she was so out of control. Tonight she came to me to say she was scared because her brain was not right. She's spending much of her time in the bathroom with the lights off which seems OK because she can stay calm in there.

 

So this brings up all the questions about whether lyme is causing all of this and it should continue to get better or if she has PITANDS/PANDAS in addition to lyme that need to be treated separately. I am feeling very confused and discouraged. Of course I was hoping that the lyme treatment would cancel out the pandas.

 

I'm hoping the new doc I am interviewing on Friday has some thoughts about all this. I don't know what to expect from him but he deals with methylation and detox, nutritional imbalances, etc.

 

Susan

[Suzan]

I thought that lyme treatment <was supposed to take care of PANDAS too. Have you been detoxing correctly? Maybe try supplements to boost the mmune system?

 

I've been doing charcoal, clay, chlorella, things like this but I am wondering whether she is properly detoxing too. I give her all kinds of supplements. I don't know which direction to take now and I really am just winging it because I have not had enough professional support! I hope this new doc can help with this type of stuff. I won't know until Fridaay how much he knows about lyme and pandas but hopefully his techniques can help no matter where the underlying issue lies.

 

Susan

[NancyD]

My DD15 had something similar last week. It was going around at school and had been well over a year since she was last sick. Anxiety and moods got worse but thankfully she bounced back. I don't think this was related to Lyme or Bartonella. It seemed more like PANDAS too. I think maybe strep in her sinuses. I did up her Transfer Factor, a great immune booster. And she's already on high doses of Querciplex. Susan, I hope your DD bounces back quickly!! And I hope you like the new doctor!

Edited October 26, 2011 by NancyD

[LNN]

My DD is also having Pands-like melt downs due to a virus. I PMd you the gory details. She was a little better this morning, but it is bad. Here is my unscientific theory:

 

She is definitely an under-methylator (testing next week once she gets over this virus - don't think she could handle a blood draw right now). If she can't utilize regular folate (testing for this next week), this, plus her mild KPU, is keeping her methylation pathway (and other related detox and immune pathways) running at a very inefficient level. The body is like Simm City. It has a limited number of resources to serve a needy community. An under-methylated system has even fewer resources to go around, so it's always running at say, 50% strength, maybe making just enough seratonin to stay functional, with mild anxiety.

 

Then along comes a virus or infection and the immune system demands more resources. The body diverts resources from the alread barely functioning methylation pathway, but it isn't enough (in DDs case - there's a KPU zinc deficiency as well and immune resources are already waging war on lyme, so not many soldiers left for any new virus or bacteria). So both the immune system and the methylation system run as sub-optimal levels. Her body stays sick longer and her seratonin supplies gets even more diminished, causing the infection-triggered OCD and other Pandas issues. Life becomes miserable.

 

Total simplistic conjecture on my part. But it makes me feel better to think that if we can get rid of the virus (just picked up some oil of oregano capsules), and address under-methylation, maybe it will give her body a better shot at functioning at more than 50% (or whatever sub-optimim level it's at) and the body will be stronger to fight lyme and future infections (and have enough ingredients to keep making seratonin at the same time, so I don't have to watch her go insane before my eyes).

 

I'm starting to see it as a bunch of inter-related cogs. methylation cog/immune cog/detox cog (which may also not be getting rid of metals along with microbial toxins). Very complicated stuff. But I'm starting to get why just giving abx to kids who've been chronically sick isn't going to fix the problem for everyone. All the cogs need cleaning and support.

 

Man, I miss my days of ignorant bliss when I thought all I had to do was read a few parenting books and I'd be all set.

[JuliaFaith]

PM'd you Susan.

[Suzan]

Thanks guys. This is all really good conversations to help me try to wrap my mind around this.

 

She made it through the day today at school. By the time she got home she was emotional and started falling apart. We got her right in the bath and did that routine. Then after the bath she had really bad leg pain and torso pain which she has not had in quite a while. She is playing with her sister now which is a great sign. One thing I've noticed is she has been really hungry and not feeling well if she does not get food fast enough.

 

Susan