Trying to help a friend

[3boysmom]

A teacher across the hall came to me because her 18 year old son (a high school Senior) began to have some OCD issues, thinking he was not pleasing God and other things. Now this is a popular football player and on the wrestling team and offered a football scholarship recently. She mentioned that he began to want to sleep by her bed on the floor (separation anxiety?). I asked about his history and she said that he has always had a few odd issues that they could not really put their fingers on....(He asked lots of questions and needed to re-ask them some mild eye tics...) He has had odd illnesses as a child that others don't usually get. Scolded skin syndrome???--She thinks they said it is from strep...I haven't looked that up yet. Tons of ear infections as a baby. Then came mild learning issues and ADHD. All sounded too familiar!

 

Well, of course we PANDAS parents see everything as being PANDAS, however when I asked if he has been sick lately. She didn't think so. He has had a loud cough that is constant and no doctor could find a cause (couple years now) Something told me to ask about immunizations and she was surprised...said he had gotten a meningitis vaccination to prepare for college about 3 days before this troublesome OCD.

 

She took him to the psychiatrist who put him on SSRIs and suggested therapy. Said the cough was a tic. This teacher has been familiar with our 2 year journey and she was only coming to me for OCD advise. If you are like me, you eat, sleep, breath, and obsess about this illness and find that you have no other topic to discuss with people as you loose yourself in trying to find answers to save your child; and so I am paranoid of pushing the issue too much because I'm sure everyone is SICK of my obsession.

 

Questions:

 

1. What should I suggest?

 

2. What is in a meningitis vaccination...is it a live virus? Anyone heard of this one causing issues? I thought I read it in the White Paper, but it was not listed.

 

3. Am I crazy? (OK don't answer...I already know that one!)

[nicklemama]

I think I might print out a couple of the more recent papers and give it to her, especially Swedo's new PANS paper plus maybe Dr Jenike's recent paper put together w/ a PANDAS mom.