strange strep result...

[ladyd]

hi. i don't *think* my son has PANDAS, but I've spent a lot of time on the tics and tourettes board because he does have a motor tic disorder. i came by here today though because I just got a strange phone call from our pediatrician. DS came home on Friday with a mild sore throat, quick strep test was negative at the doctor's. He still has bags under his eyes (a sign of illness in him) but he said he felt better and he never developed a fever or got sicker. He said he thinks he feels better, but his throat hurts in the morning then just feels "weird." the doctor (she's really a nurse but functions like a doctor in the office) just called to say that his longer strep test came back positive for a type of strep that they don't usually treat but if he gets sicker/not better he should go back in, then maybe they'll put him on antibiotics. she said it's a kind of strep that can just exist in healthy people and the body usually takes care of it? I've never in all my years of parenting heard that one before. any thoughts? of course, i immediately want to get him put on antibiotics because of his motor tic history. not sure what to do. or think.

[Mayzoo]

Ask the office what strain he tested positive for. Then you can research it. There are many types of strep.

[blakes_mom]

My son tested positive for strep G a while back. If it is strep G I would ask for treatment. With a history of a tic disorder I would probably treat regardless.

[norcalmom]

I would treat it anyway. Find the strain, and get him on some antibiotics, and have him re-cultured in a few weeks - don't assume the short course of antibiotics they give you has taken care of it.

 

His tics could be the result of an underlying chronic infection or immune condition. Its may just be giving you a little peep at it with this culture being positive. Have his tics flared with this illness? Maybe you will see some tic improvement on the antibiotics - personally I'd get the antibiotics and start to chart if you see any tic or other symptom changes on the antibiotics. It would take at least a few days to see anything, sometimes a couple weeks, but if you start to journal now, you can compare.

 

Good luck. My daughter had this happen (she is non-pandas, but my son has pandas) - it was 3 days before leaving for a school trip and a camp (in France and England) so both the doc and I didn't want to take any chances with it and got her on the antibiotics.

 

This type of strep does not (at least is not documented to) result in post-infection disorders (like Rheumatic Fever, Dialated Cardiac Miopathy, syndenham chorea, and others)..."regular" strep can - which is why they give antibiotics for it on a regular basis.

[mom24]

I would treat it anyway. Find the strain, and get him on some antibiotics, and have him re-cultured in a few weeks - don't assume the short course of antibiotics they give you has taken care of it.

 

His tics could be the result of an underlying chronic infection or immune condition. Its may just be giving you a little peep at it with this culture being positive. Have his tics flared with this illness? Maybe you will see some tic improvement on the antibiotics - personally I'd get the antibiotics and start to chart if you see any tic or other symptom changes on the antibiotics. It would take at least a few days to see anything, sometimes a couple weeks, but if you start to journal now, you can compare.

 

Good luck. My daughter had this happen (she is non-pandas, but my son has pandas) - it was 3 days before leaving for a school trip and a camp (in France and England) so both the doc and I didn't want to take any chances with it and got her on the antibiotics.

 

This type of strep does not (at least is not documented to) result in post-infection disorders (like Rheumatic Fever, Dialated Cardiac Miopathy, syndenham chorea, and others)..."regular" strep can - which is why they give antibiotics for it on a regular basis.

I recently was treated for Strep C. It is an odd strain that even shocked our Dr. I have no idea where it came from. I did read that it is common in cattle....yuck. I eat mostly organic everything too. Thankfully my PANDAS sons did not contract it from me.