Zithromax question and

[Suzan]

What is a steriod burst?

 

Also, our peditrician has given me a perscription for zithromax for my 6 yr old to take for 5 days to see if it will help her symptoms. I still have not heard back from the neurologist regarding her test results. Is a 5 day pac enough to see a difference in her behavior? It is 200 mg (1 tsp first day then .5 for 4 days) She was completely out of control during the doctor's visit. That helped him be willing to try the antibiotics before hearing the test results. Based on their symptoms, he believes that PANDAS is a possibility.

 

He did not swab my 7 yr old for strep. I was totally overwhelmed at the appt that I could not even fight for it. I decided to just wait and see what happens with her. I got a note that she is doing very well in school right now so I am happy for her. She seems to be doing a little better at home too but still fighting something. We may not get to see the neuro for 3+ months.

 

Susan

[dcmom]

All kids seem to react differently.

 

It took my dd 20 days on 200mg/day of zithromax to see a big improvement. I would try the zpack, and in the meantime try to work on finding a doctor that will be more liberal with giving you the antibiotics.

 

I am very uneasy about keeping dd on zithromax, but at the same time I can't let her go back to that full blown pandas stage, it was awful for everyone, mostly her. We are trying to lower her dosing now, but not having great results.

 

I have not done, nor do I know much about a steroid burst. It is a short period of taking steroids and tapering off, maybe 1-2 weeks. This should get rid of, although only temporarily, the brain inflammation. For some, I think, the effects are very short lived, for others it can last months. From what I understand, it is not so much a viable long term treatment option, but a diagnostic tool.

[dcmom]

We have a CVS minute clinic, where I go to have the kids, and us throat cultured if I can't deal with the pediatrician that day.

 

Two weeks in to pandas dd first course of antibiotics, her sister came down with strep, which seemed to cause a flare in pandas dd. The sister had no strep symptoms, only somewhat tired and a bit of a stomach ache. I would try to get sister swabbed if in any way you suspect she is under the weather.

 

My pediatrician is a huge practice, I have lied and brought them in and just said they have a sore throat and stomach ache, just to get them swabbed. I don't really care, because they are not part of my network of doctors that help with the pandas stuff.

 

Best wishes.

[Suzan]

We have a CVS minute clinic, where I go to have the kids, and us throat cultured if I can't deal with the pediatrician that day.

 

Two weeks in to pandas dd first course of antibiotics, her sister came down with strep, which seemed to cause a flare in pandas dd. The sister had no strep symptoms, only somewhat tired and a bit of a stomach ache. I would try to get sister swabbed if in any way you suspect she is under the weather.

 

My pediatrician is a huge practice, I have lied and brought them in and just said they have a sore throat and stomach ache, just to get them swabbed. I don't really care, because they are not part of my network of doctors that help with the pandas stuff.

 

Best wishes.

 

Thank you for your replies and advice about where to get swabbed.... I think I have read this on this site, but I wanted to clarify... do you think that if your dd is exposed to strep, but does not get it, that just being exposed will cause her to have symptoms? If so, this will explain a lot for me.

 

Susan

[dcmom]

My answer is: I don't know. I have also read, here, that kids react when they are around strep, could this be possible?

 

DD definately got worse when her sister had strep, even though she was on full strength cephalosporin. She has been great for 2 weeks, except the last three days had difficult seperation anxiety (and looks somewhat pale and tired afterschool- unusual for her)- and I found out her classmate has strep. She has been on zithromax, so she can't have it, can she?

 

I can only surmise that when exposed to strep, it has been a problem. I will talk to her neuro about it at the end of the month. (I need to start making a list of questions...)

 

Have you had similar experiences?

[Suzan]

My answer is: I don't know. I have also read, here, that kids react when they are around strep, could this be possible?

 

DD definately got worse when her sister had strep, even though she was on full strength cephalosporin. She has been great for 2 weeks, except the last three days had difficult seperation anxiety (and looks somewhat pale and tired afterschool- unusual for her)- and I found out her classmate has strep. She has been on zithromax, so she can't have it, can she?

 

I can only surmise that when exposed to strep, it has been a problem. I will talk to her neuro about it at the end of the month. (I need to start making a list of questions...)

 

Have you had similar experiences?

 

Well, I wonder about it. Since they have only had strep a few times in the past years. I need to get a record of dates from the doctor. But they continue to go up and down even without a strep diagnosis. But granted, I am so new to all this and don't have a diagnosis yet.

[thereishope]

When my son was very bad off he received a 5 days worth of oral prednisone (steroid) from his neurologist. He took it at noon every day. On day 4 (after 3 doses had been taken) I saw a big improvement. I'm not saying he was back to normal, but it was like it gave his improvement a jump start. He also did not worsen over those days either.

[EAMom]

My PANDAS dd definitely will react when she is around strep. Her sister (asymptomatic) has tested positive 2x this school year, and I was positive (symptomatic) last month. We've gotten vocal tics, OCD compulsions, eating restriction, fear of sleeping alone in her room, handwriting decline, tantrums, anxiety...when others have been positive. PANDAS dd has been on 250mg/day Azith. since June. She was really great in Aug./Sept...things started to act up again in Oct. (sister was positive, lots of strep in school.) THankfully, nothing is full-blown. Her symptoms on the azith. are (max) 20% of what they were last spring pre-azith. Unfortunately, she has yet to return to her Aug. baseline. I don't know if that will happen this summer or if it will take IVIG to accomplish that.