ping pong strep

[croatianmum]

just came from the doc. Our younger (non pandas) child (2 yo) has strep in his troat (fewer, vommiting, not able to swallow for the last 7 days..). So, tomorrow morning I'm going to show the lab test to his doctor. he will probably get some penicilin; but the question is:
1. how long do I keep him on abx? is the usual one round of 10 days on abx engough for him to get rid of the strep? It's his 2. throat infektion in the last 4 month.
2. How do I protect my older 13 yo PANDAS child (7 weeks post IVIG, on hd abx for the last 4 month ) from getting strep again? he had the last strep infection 7 weeks ago, unfortunatly right after IVIG..
Obviusly, they are just playing ping-pong with this strep beast..how do I stop this??

[smartyjones]

i'm sorry -- I don't really know the answer you are seeking concerning ping-ponging back and forth between the two.

 

I did just want to say, in relation to the confirmed strep in the 2 yo. I believe my pandas child, now 9, onset at age 4.5, never really kicked a confirmed strep infection he had at age 2 that he had the usual 10 day course for. he has shown allergic rash to penicillin, so he was on something else. at that time, we never thought to throat swab him after treatment. he had -pandas onset in full force, 2.5 years later and very high titers. I do believe he had strep festering that entire 2.5 years.

 

i'd advise discussing with your ped, a protocol for follow up to confirm the strep has been fully treated.

[hugs2day]

We had the ping pong problem with impetigo and strep for years (2 boys 2 years apart and they used to share a room). Both would be on abx and it was still a problem. I had to go hard core to try to eliminate the source.

 

• Keep kids apart (separate bedrooms, separate tooth brushes, separate toothpaste, etc.) Replace toothbrushes and toothpastes frequently.

 

• HEPA filtiers with blue light in bedrooms.

 

• Replace utensils strep is very hard to kill. A doctor at the minute clinic suggested I clean silverware well in Clorox I threw it out instead and bought new. I also took a step further and for awhile only used disposable throw away spoons and forks, and cups and plates. Basically I had to become a germ detective.

 

• I bought an ecoquest machine that kills viruses, strep, staph, mold. This is an expensive machine but I feel it helped.

 

• I also have the kids chew Spry Gum, Rinse with xylitol mouthwash, and spray Xclear xylitol nasal spray daily.

 

• Over the past 3 years I replaced all toilets, sink handles, use Clorox on all handles, remotes.

 

• Avoid public pools, chuckee cheese, etc.

 

For the first 2 years they were both on daily abx. I currently have my oldest completely off abx unless he is sick he has been doing good for nearly a year now and my youngest can go off abx for long period of times but still has issues with impetigo and flares when losing teeth as well but nothing like he used to. Major improvements in both of them with a lot of extra steps to eradicate strep or other viruses from surfaces and airborne.

 

It sounds extreme but their health called for extreme measures.

[airial95]

We had this problem with my kids. Whenever anyone in the house (non-PANDAS) would test + for strep, our pediatrician recommended a 30 day course of abx minimum (if the adult doctors wouldn't write it, he would). It seemed to keep them from tossing back and forth a bit. And an additional "side effect", my dd was non-PANDAS at that time, although she eventually did have onset about a year later. When she did have onset, her symptoms were very mild and for almost 2 years cleared easily with a 30 day course of abx.

[T_Anna]

So the ped would prescribe abx for all the kids if one tested + for strep? And for 30 days? Just curious as we seem to attend Strep Academy : /

 

T.Anna

[croatianmum]

thank you.

i will try to do what ever i can..

[airial95]

My non-PANDAS daughter (at the time, she is now PANDAS too) would get a 30 day course only if she tested + or showed symptoms of strep (elevated heart rate, peri oral pallor, etc...) Normally, he would only give a 10 day course to strep kids, but he always did 30 days for her because of her brother.

 

He would swab the whole family. And at least one time, when Broderick was really bad and not getting better at all, he swabbed us all and gave us each a 30 day course of abx just to try to clear that particular flare.

 

T.Anna, do you have a 504 in place at the school? We have it in both kids' 504 plans that they have to notify us of strep in their classrooms, and if there is a very high number of cases in the school (even if they are not in the classroom). We have to option in those cases to keep them home as an excused absence until the "epidemic" passes. They send out notification letters to all of the parents in the class 2-3 times per year reminding them that there are immune compromised kids in the class that have severe issues to strep (we are strep only triggered) and it's critical for us to be notified of any strep infection (and we list all the other things that can be caused by strep). The school has been wonderful about it, and the parents have also all been very cooperative. Some even contacting me personally when their kids is sick if they know our kids play together often.