filinha1 Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 Any parents out there carriers for strep? I have my tonsils and have a bout of strep every year. My daughter has PANDAS/PANS. Any thoughts? tx, Heather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EAMom Posted March 19, 2013 Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 (edited) Any parents out there carriers for strep? I have my tonsils and have a bout of strep every year. My daughter has PANDAS/PANS. Any thoughts? tx, Heather Do you clear the strep (recheck throat culture) after your yearly bouts? The definition of a strep carrier is (basically) someone who cultures positive w/out any symptoms. If you don't culture positive while asymptomatic then I wouldn't call you a carrier. I would imagine most people that are carriers don't even know it. Carriers can be cleared (usually azith or clindamycin work best), although these people are likely to become carriers again if reexposed to strep. Our younger dd was a carrier 3x during preschool and kindergarten (after strep notices). She has been clear for several years now (4th gr.) Azith has cleared her each time. The first time we tried to clear her with augmentin, and it didn't work. If you get strep yearly (as an adult) I would say you have a poor immune system against strep. Is it possible there is someone else (your dh?) that is actually the carrier, giving you strep? Also, if your dd might have Lyme, I think it is possible you do to...maybe that is messing with your immune system? Edited March 19, 2013 by EAMom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agnes26 Posted March 20, 2013 Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 I'm a streppy person. Always have been. Strep several times every winter as a kid. A possible case of RF @ 18. When DD started school, I started getting strep again. Now I keep randomly culturing positive for beta non group a. A round of penicillin did not clear it. My doctor is sending me to an infectious disease specialist to figure out if my immunity against strep is just poor or if I'm a carrier. I'm on Augmentin right now. My DD's ped wanted to send me to an ENT to discuss tonsillectomy, but my doctor was concerned that doing that wouldn't necessarily solve my problem. It might be part of a more comprehensive treatment plan though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EAMom Posted March 21, 2013 Report Share Posted March 21, 2013 I'm a streppy person. Always have been. Strep several times every winter as a kid. A possible case of RF @ 18. When DD started school, I started getting strep again. Now I keep randomly culturing positive for beta non group a. A round of penicillin did not clear it. My doctor is sending me to an infectious disease specialist to figure out if my immunity against strep is just poor or if I'm a carrier. I'm on Augmentin right now. My DD's ped wanted to send me to an ENT to discuss tonsillectomy, but my doctor was concerned that doing that wouldn't necessarily solve my problem. It might be part of a more comprehensive treatment plan though. Could you have Lyme? Also, how about an immune workup with an immunologist? How did they diagnose the non group A strep? Will it show up on a rapid? or culture (do you have to order a special one? Can they do strain analysis to see if you are getting a totally different infection each time, or if it is the same strain you aren't clearing? Not sure about non-group a, but for GABHS azith or clindamycin are usually recommended for clearing carriers. My younger dd was a strep carrier, didn't clear on augmentin, but did clear on azith. I don't really believe "just a carrier" is necessarily benign. Swedo said a carrier means "no immune response to strep". (Thus pandas kids can't be considered carriers b/c they have an immune response, beh change, to strep.) The question is, does your PANDAS dd react to your non-group a strep? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filinha1 Posted March 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2013 I'm a streppy person. Always have been. Strep several times every winter as a kid. A possible case of RF @ 18. When DD started school, I started getting strep again. Now I keep randomly culturing positive for beta non group a. A round of penicillin did not clear it. My doctor is sending me to an infectious disease specialist to figure out if my immunity against strep is just poor or if I'm a carrier. I'm on Augmentin right now. My DD's ped wanted to send me to an ENT to discuss tonsillectomy, but my doctor was concerned that doing that wouldn't necessarily solve my problem. It might be part of a more comprehensive treatment plan though. Could you have Lyme? Also, how about an immune workup with an immunologist? How did they diagnose the non group A strep? Will it show up on a rapid? or culture (do you have to order a special one? Can they do strain analysis to see if you are getting a totally different infection each time, or if it is the same strain you aren't clearing? Not sure about non-group a, but for GABHS azith or clindamycin are usually recommended for clearing carriers. My younger dd was a strep carrier, didn't clear on augmentin, but did clear on azith. I don't really believe "just a carrier" is necessarily benign. Swedo said a carrier means "no immune response to strep". (Thus pandas kids can't be considered carriers b/c they have an immune response, beh change, to strep.) The question is, does your PANDAS dd react to your non-group a strep? That's a lotta good questions I don't have the answers to! I'll get on finding out more about what I don't know. We live in an area with a lot of tick exposure, so the possibility of Lyme is a strong one. I've spent a lifetime getting medical care only if I'm bleeding from the eyeballs, but it may be time for a change given what my dd is going through. Thanks! Heather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agnes26 Posted April 12, 2013 Report Share Posted April 12, 2013 (edited) I'm a streppy person. Always have been. Strep several times every winter as a kid. A possible case of RF @ 18. When DD started school, I started getting strep again. Now I keep randomly culturing positive for beta non group a. A round of penicillin did not clear it. My doctor is sending me to an infectious disease specialist to figure out if my immunity against strep is just poor or if I'm a carrier. I'm on Augmentin right now. My DD's ped wanted to send me to an ENT to discuss tonsillectomy, but my doctor was concerned that doing that wouldn't necessarily solve my problem. It might be part of a more comprehensive treatment plan though. Could you have Lyme? Also, how about an immune workup with an immunologist? How did they diagnose the non group A strep? Will it show up on a rapid? or culture (do you have to order a special one? Can they do strain analysis to see if you are getting a totally different infection each time, or if it is the same strain you aren't clearing? Not sure about non-group a, but for GABHS azith or clindamycin are usually recommended for clearing carriers. My younger dd was a strep carrier, didn't clear on augmentin, but did clear on azith. I don't really believe "just a carrier" is necessarily benign. Swedo said a carrier means "no immune response to strep". (Thus pandas kids can't be considered carriers b/c they have an immune response, beh change, to strep.) The question is, does your PANDAS dd react to your non-group a strep? Yes, DD is reacting to something, and because I've cultured positive several times, I'm pretty sure it's me. We've gotten her back to 100 percent before only to have her go backwards. ID did immune panel to check for deficiencies and is recommending tonsillectomy. She surmised I was a carrier and said tonsil removal is the way to go. No reculture and course of clindamycin or azith to clear. Edited April 12, 2013 by Agnes26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EAMom Posted April 13, 2013 Report Share Posted April 13, 2013 You should reculture about 2 weeks after your last Azith or Clindamycin dose to make sure you really cleared. Did the doc mean remove your tonsils? or your kid's ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agnes26 Posted April 13, 2013 Report Share Posted April 13, 2013 (edited) My tonsils. The ID I saw yesterday ran an immune panel on me and is referring me to an ENT. She did not reculture me or give me Azith or Clindamycin. I cultured positive for beta non group A in Feb and was put on Pen VK. Recultured a week after finishing the course of abx and was again (still?) positive for beta non group A. Then I was given Augmentin. Don't know if that cleared me. I'm guessing no, but the ID says I'm a carrier and she could continue to give me stronger abx, but I'll just keep getting strep as long as I have my tonsils. I'm not sure I completely agree. I do think my tonsils need to come out, but I think Azith or Clindamycin is needed, too. Edited April 13, 2013 by Agnes26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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