Flare without noticeable signs of infection

[dasu]

Both of my kids are now a week into a bad flare. Hyperactivity, fears, ODD, fighting with eachother, impulsive behavior, intrusive thoughts, can look spaced out at times and have episodes of this odd echoing of inappropriate or odd talk and action (example - him "quinine", her "quinine", him "hi buttman", her "hi poopy buttman" him "smeary poop" her "diuretic", they both then pull pants down and start laughing...) I am not sure if thats tourettes - as they go back and forth and say differing things - or ODD, or what. Physically they are tired and have red cheeks and sometimes slightly elevated temps. We are only able to function as a family when mom and dad each take one child, as they would get too wild together.

 

The kids were previously on curcumin, quercetin and rotations of one of oil of oregano, olive leaf extract and pau d'arco.

 

So here is the question. We saw and played with two families who may have a child with PANDAS, one about a month ago and a second about two weeks ago. I noticed some very slight symptoms (itchy red eyes, congestion) after visiting with the first family; that could be allergies though, right? Then we played with second family and about 5 days afterward all ###### broke loose. We saw a doctor and did routine blood work and Lymes test but there are no signs of infection. We subsequently saw Dr L and are on antiobiotics and steroids and are counting the days now to recovery. I would like to both understand why we had a flare without signs. Is that common? I am assuming that its not something like stress because both flared at the same time.

Edited November 19, 2014 by dasu

[Mayzoo]

For us, a flare is a sign of illness or exposure to illness. Our kiddo does not have physical signs of illness, only behavioural. When behaviours pop up, I know an illness is to blame.

 

Itchy eyes and congestion could be allergies. Did it resolve after a few days of no exposure to that family?

 

If what you are dealing with is viral, abx will only help with the inflammation, not the infection. Time, rest and lost of liquids and/or herbs are your only course of action against most viruses.

 

Not all kids respond to steroids. I am not sure why. Someone else may pop in that has a better grasp on why some respond and others do not. I have read if a flare is helped with steroids, that child is a good candidate for IVIG helping (if symptoms are severe enough to merit IVIG).

Edited November 19, 2014 by mayzoo

[awilliams74]

DS 10, experiences a flare with any close exposure to someone else that is sick. In hindsight, the majority of his flares during the first year of treatment can be traced to an illness of a family member in the home, mostly strep. He recently had a "blip" after a Halloween party in our home where a couple of friends that stayed overnight ended up being sick a day or so later - DS was able to tell us he felt his "OCD getting worse" and that someone was sick, but not as bad as if a family member were ill. I've learned to look for strep in family members even when we had little to no symptoms, but tested positive.

[dasu]

I did not know you can get infected without traditional physical symptoms.

 

My son is a slightly better. I am not sure if its the steroids or just healing time. I think he is having a reaction to the steroids as he complains of itching, particularly at night.

 

We are going to cancel thanksgiving celebrations with family (some of whom we suspect may carry strep or something else).

[Mayzoo]

I did not know you can get infected without traditional physical symptoms.

 

My son is a slightly better. I am not sure if its the steroids or just healing time. I think he is having a reaction to the steroids as he complains of itching, particularly at night.

 

We are going to cancel thanksgiving celebrations with family (some of whom we suspect may carry strep or something else).

 

Yeah, my daughter never has typical physical symptoms of illness. She had no physical symptoms when I first took her to the pedi for the blood work, to see if PANDAS was the cause for her behaviours, and to see if she may have high ASOs . When the doc did a rapid strep test, she had strep throat then, with no sore throat, fever, etc.......

 

Makes me wonder how often she was ill prior to PANDAS and I had no idea .