PANDAS behaviors. What are they?

[JoyBop]

I'm interested in hearing what behaviors you all see when your children are flaring, and particularly those behaviors that are not typically found in "non-PANDAS" OCD.

 

My 7 YO has the most bizarre, hyperactive and immature behavior at times, but then at other times if the day he seems perfectly fine. He speaks to me in baby talk and is obsessed with making gas sounds with any part if his body ( armpit, mouth sounds, ect) furthermore he is compulsed to smell anyone else's gas. (So sorry!) he chews holes through his clothing, gnaws on anything from Legos to any small object he can get his mouth on. He also swallows these small objects. He takes all his clothes off the second he gets home and changes his clothes constantly. He refuses to bath. He covers any scratches or bruises in his body with markers. He has complete meltdowns and fits if rage very easily and most commonly due to conflict with siblings. He has temper tantrums if he doesn't get his way, is impossible to get him to focus on homework or chores and his ability to write and draw has decreased several grade levels. He cant sut still for a minute at school and thinks everyone is put to get him. He is constantly drumming on things with his hands or pencil, makes clicking noises with his mouth and has a growing number of irrational fears. Most recently he fears that we won't love him when he gets taken to jail. He's afraid of gum, stickers, feathers, vomit, diarrhea and embarrassing himself.

 

He has many obsessive thoughts and tends to be a checker. I figure those or more of the normal ocd symptoms. I'm looking forward to seeing if your kiddos have similar issues and if you think those additional behaviors I've listed are in line with PANDAS. Prior to December he was a very charming and sweet, affectionate little guy that could definitely get revved up but was not the quirky, irritable, explosive boy we are now dealing with. I love him to pieces but I am so exhausted and am getting a little depressed.

 

Please share your LOs behavioral symptoms that are above and beyond your typical OCD type rituals and behaviors. Also how do you handle an out of control child? I'm having a very difficult time figuring out when to let it go and when to crack down. Nothing I try seems to help.

[AmySLP]

The decline in ability to write and draw, the sudden onset, the sensory problems (shirt chewing), the raging.....these immediately stick out as reqsons for testing for an infectious agents that may have caused your son's change in behavior and onset of OCD. I think all here would agree that any sudden onset would warrant a trip to a PANDAS specialist and that really. You directed your question to those who had experience with non pandas OCD but I'm not sure you'll find those parents on this forum. I thought there was an OCD/tics discussion board? Not sure, but either way anyone here will tell you your son has many classic PANDAS signs and is the right age for onset. Get him to a PANDAS doc.

 

Best of luck,

Amy

[JoyBop]

In sorry I didn't clarify. My son had a steep infection in December when all of this started and still had one when we figured out he had PANDAS just about a week ago. So there is no question that we are thinking its PANDAS and not just OCD. But I do find myself playing the guessing game because although he has had some resolution in symptoms with antibiotics there still isn't a dramatic change. I realize this could take some time.

 

My son has always has a bit of anxiety and mildly obsessive thoughts but there was a day that he just woke up and was a different child with onset of very disturbing personality and behavioral changes. I am still trying to understand the differences in behaviors found in regular OCD vs PANDAS so that I can better prepare his school/camp staff. Many of them are adept at dealing with OCD but I am needing to explain to them that this is more/different

 

I am also curious is seeing how many different behavioral manifestations we are all seeing in our children across the board. I am working on getting in to see a PANDAS specialist but I am also aware that this could take some serious time and money to happen. In the meantime thank goodness I have found this site to get us through the first steps.

[rowingmom]

Please take a look at the PANS Symptoms Scale in the "pinned" section at the top of the forum page.