what is strep titres

[monetta]

My son since he began 1st grade always got strep throat. Does that have anything to do with him having TS? Last year alone he got strep throat 4 times. I am new to all this and I want to help my 9year old with his tics. He also has a little ocd. I am reading a lot and sometimes i feel Like Im reading about my son. I want to do whaever I can. But this is all new to me. I asked my doctor what are the reasons for tonsils and he said to prevent infections I said well his don't work. My doctor told me to see how the summer goes than we will talk. He didn't get strep during the summer and his tics weren't that much. Now he is back in school and he was out for a weak for a bronctis infection and his tics are back but not that bad. Please someone direct me in the right direction. I already bought the book tic's and tourette and I still don't understand PANDa and I am overwhelm with all this info so please help and be patient with me because I feel so lost but I want to do the best for my son.

[trubiano]

You have come to the right place! I am still learning all this myself, so I will let the others answer your question. Everyone is wonderful here. I do have one question for you. When your son is on an antibiotic for the strep do the tics/ocd seem to get better?

[michele]

Dr. Murphy said the worse thing you can do is remove the tonsils in PANDAS kids. In fact someone in her research group had them removed against her recommendation.Then they though he was improved and quit the study. Now his symptoms are back and they want back in. She said the tonsils are a protective barrier and prevent from alot of virals and infections. I know my oldest was chronic with strep. She got sick and high fevers and missed alot of school about a week each time and it came at least four times a year. Well finally enough was enough and we had them out. She is much better now. However Dr. Murphy said she may be the carrier in the family and should be swabbed along with all of us.

 

 

You have come to the right place! I am still learning all this myself, so I will let the others answer your question. Everyone is wonderful here. I do have one question for you. When your son is on an antibiotic for the strep do the tics/ocd seem to get better?

[faith]

Hello Monetta and welcome,

I'm not a PANDAS mom, but I had this saved and I think it might explain this a little better for you and others looking for more info. It talks about the strep titers about 3/4 down the page. It also has links to other really good info on other topics as well.

 

http://www.adhd.com.au/PANDAS.htm

 

Faith

[monetta]

My son since he began 1st grade always got strep throat. Does that have anything to do with him having TS? Last year alone he got strep throat 4 times. I am new to all this and I want to help my 9year old with his tics. He also has a little ocd. I am reading a lot and sometimes i feel Like Im reading about my son. I want to do whaever I can. But this is all new to me. I asked my doctor what are the reasons for tonsils and he said to prevent infections I said well his don't work. My doctor told me to see how the summer goes than we will talk. He didn't get strep during the summer and his tics weren't that much. Now he is back in school and he was out for a weak for a bronctis infection and his tics are back but not that bad. Please someone direct me in the right direction. I already bought the book tic's and tourette and I still don't understand PANDa and I am overwhelm with all this info so please help and be patient with me because I feel so lost but I want to do the best for my son.

He still has his tics but not to bad but it takes a while before he is ell and than not to long before he gets sick.

[Chemar]

Hi Moneta

 

does your child already have a diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome?

 

If he has been getting recurrent strep infections then it is very possible that he does have PANDAS and that this is either making his TS worse or, that he may not even have TS but instead have tics associated with the strep

 

Here is the NIMH info on PANDAS

PANDAS, is an abbreviation for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections. The term is used to describe a subset of children who have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and/or tic disorders such as Tourette's Syndrome, and in whom symptoms worsen following strep. infections such as "Strep throat" and Scarlet Fever.

 

The children usually have dramatic, "overnight" onset of symptoms, including motor or vocal tics, obsessions, and/or compulsions. In addition to these symptoms, children may also become moody, irritable or show concerns about separating from parents or loved ones. This abrupt onset is generally preceeded by a Strep. throat infection.

 

What is the mechanism behind this phenomenon? At present, it is unknown but researchers at the NIMH are pursuing a theory that the mechanism is similar to that of Rheumatic Fever, an autoimmune disorder triggered by strep. throat infections. In every bacterial infection, the body produces antibodies against the invading bacteria, and the antibodies help eliminate the bacteria from the body. However in Rheumatic Fever, the antibodies mistakenly recognize and "attack" the heart valves, joints, and/or certain parts of the brain. This phenomenon is called "molecular mimicry", which means that proteins on the cell wall of the strep. bacteria are similar in some way to the proteins of the heart valve, joints, or brain. Because the antibodies set off an immune reaction which damages those tissues, the child with Rheumatic Fever can get heart disease (especially mitral valve regurgitation), arthritis, and/or abnormal movements known as Sydenham’s Chorea or St. Vitus Dance.

 

In PANDAS, it is believed that something very similar to Sydenham’s Chorea occurs. One part of the brain that is affected in PANDAS is the Basal Ganglia, which is believed to be responsible for movement and behavior. Thus, the antibodies interact with the brain to cause tics and/or OCD, instead of Sydenham Chorea.

 

when you have strep titres done, it measures the strep antibodies in the blood

 

The reports we have been getting here is that prophylactic use of azithromycin (zithromax) antibiotic seems to be most effective in controlling this strep and helping to reduce the tics and OCD etc associated

 

 

I see you have been given the link to that excellent Australian site with lots of good info

 

Just keep reading the PANDAS posts here and asking questions. We have a wonderful group of very knowledgable and supportive members here who will do all they can to help you find the answers you need to help your child

[monetta]

My son since he began 1st grade always got strep throat. Does that have anything to do with him having TS? Last year alone he got strep throat 4 times. I am new to all this and I want to help my 9year old with his tics. He also has a little ocd. I am reading a lot and sometimes i feel Like Im reading about my son. I want to do whaever I can. But this is all new to me. I asked my doctor what are the reasons for tonsils and he said to prevent infections I said well his don't work. My doctor told me to see how the summer goes than we will talk. He didn't get strep during the summer and his tics weren't that much. Now he is back in school and he was out for a weak for a bronctis infection and his tics are back but not that bad. Please someone direct me in the right direction. I already bought the book tic's and tourette and I still don't understand PANDa and I am overwhelm with all this info so please help and be patient with me because I feel so lost but I want to do the best for my son.

He still has his tics but not to bad but it takes a while before he is ell and than not to long before he gets sick.

[monetta]

Hi Moneta

 

does your child already have a diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome?

 

If he has been getting recurrent strep infections then it is very possible that he does have PANDAS and that this is either making his TS worse or, that he may not even have TS but instead have tics associated with the strep

 

Here is the NIMH info on PANDAS

PANDAS, is an abbreviation for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections. The term is used to describe a subset of children who have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and/or tic disorders such as Tourette's Syndrome, and in whom symptoms worsen following strep. infections such as "Strep throat" and Scarlet Fever.

 

The children usually have dramatic, "overnight" onset of symptoms, including motor or vocal tics, obsessions, and/or compulsions. In addition to these symptoms, children may also become moody, irritable or show concerns about separating from parents or loved ones. This abrupt onset is generally preceeded by a Strep. throat infection.

 

What is the mechanism behind this phenomenon? At present, it is unknown but researchers at the NIMH are pursuing a theory that the mechanism is similar to that of Rheumatic Fever, an autoimmune disorder triggered by strep. throat infections. In every bacterial infection, the body produces antibodies against the invading bacteria, and the antibodies help eliminate the bacteria from the body. However in Rheumatic Fever, the antibodies mistakenly recognize and "attack" the heart valves, joints, and/or certain parts of the brain. This phenomenon is called "molecular mimicry", which means that proteins on the cell wall of the strep. bacteria are similar in some way to the proteins of the heart valve, joints, or brain. Because the antibodies set off an immune reaction which damages those tissues, the child with Rheumatic Fever can get heart disease (especially mitral valve regurgitation), arthritis, and/or abnormal movements known as Sydenham’s Chorea or St. Vitus Dance.

 

In PANDAS, it is believed that something very similar to Sydenham’s Chorea occurs. One part of the brain that is affected in PANDAS is the Basal Ganglia, which is believed to be responsible for movement and behavior. Thus, the antibodies interact with the brain to cause tics and/or OCD, instead of Sydenham Chorea.

 

when you have strep titres done, it measures the strep antibodies in the blood

 

The reports we have been getting here is that prophylactic use of azithromycin (zithromax) antibiotic seems to be most effective in controlling this strep and helping to reduce the tics and OCD etc associated

 

 

I see you have been given the link to that excellent Australian site with lots of good info

 

Just keep reading the PANDAS posts here and asking questions. We have a wonderful group of very knowledgable and supportive members here who will do all they can to help you find the answers you need to help your child

FIrst of thank you for taking time to reply. Yes he has been diagnosis with TS when he was six years old. He does also have ocd but not that bad yet. When he gets strep the doc always puts him on zithromax. I really never made the connection with strep or his tic but I will keep a journal from now on. What should I ask my doctor to test him for? do I say test him for strep titres? Should I get him tested for respirtory allergies as well as food allergies? What type of specialist should I ask for? Is there a multi vitiams I should be given him. He does not eat any diary products or red meat. He is only given 100 juice. Any other ideas would be appreciated. THANK YOU SO MUCH I DON"T FEEL ALONE ANYMORE:)

[Toms_Mom]

Moneta,

I have been meaning to get back to you-sorry it took so long. As far as supplements the only thing I give my son right now is the kids calm(magnesium supplement). You can find it at Whole Foods or online. Whole Foods also has good multi-vitamins that we use. We also are on the Feingold diet and they give you a long list of brands they recommend for supplements. I also bought an air cleaner for my sons room and we eat mainly organic foods and clean with organic cleaners.

 

I had my son tested at a regular allergist without good results. After my insistance that he was showing reactions to milk, he finally gave him the RAST blood test and it confirmed he is allergic to milk. We then went to see an environmental MD and he tested him through intradermal injections and we found out he was allergic to corn and cane sugar as well. We are now giving him allergy extract injections to reduce his sensitivity to his allergens. You could also do the IgG test for allergies which is a lot less time consuming and just avoid all of the foods he is allergic to.

 

Starting next week the environmental doctor has recommended we start probiotics( Multi-Flora Spectrum) to build up his immune system and heal the gut- hopefully this will prevent him from developing other allergies. He also has recommended drops of 6 minerals to enhance the immune system- Zinc, Manganese, copper, Chromium, Selenium and Cobalt.

 

Our doctor also recommended Butyric acid. He says Butyric acid feeds the cells of the intestinal lining and is essential in maintaining the integrity of the gastro- intestinal wall . It helps L. acidophilus and B. bifidum adhere to gut epithelial tissue. It helps to increase the natural healing mechanism of the gut tissue. Butyric acid has a normalizing effect upon the production of 'on site' enzymes and has a supportive role upon intestinal immune resistance. Has anyone here used this before and was it beneficial for you?

 

We will start each supplement separately to watch for any reactions. Hope this helps you a bit. Mary