V. Strep is back

[Suzan]

I don't know why I have to second guess myself or my dd so I'm trying to supress any doubts that her vaginal strep is back. I should know by now that any complaints of "wetness" means that it's back. DD7 has had it 4 times this year alone. So dd8, who has been having increasing PANDAS symptoms over the past couple of weeks came home complaining of the wetness. I immediately upped her from 500 mg weekly of zith to 250 mg daily. I was wanting to do it anyway since she was starting to follow me throughout the house and say she just needed to be near me, to see me....and the explosivive emotions and reactions....

 

I still wonder why my girls get vaginal strep A and don't get it in their throat, at least we have not had a positive throat culture in a few years. With everything she's been through the past 2 weeks with her bad blood draws, I can't stand to take her to get swabbed down there. I'm just starting the zith up again. I know I should go and get her tested for strep. I seriously can't force myself to do it.

 

Susan

[momofgirls]

Vaginal strep?! My gosh this is getting more and more complicated. So is that something they check at a reg pediatricians office? Do they draw bood too? I am starting to wonder if mothers can be a carrier and pass it to a child during birth. I remember back when I was pregnant I tested positive as a strep carrier. During labor they administered antibiotics and said this was a common occurance and there would be no complications as long as I was treated. Has anyone heard of there being any link between this type of thing or am I diving off the deep end?

Kim

 

 

 

I don't know why I have to second guess myself or my dd so I'm trying to supress any doubts that her vaginal strep is back. I should know by now that any complaints of "wetness" means that it's back. DD7 has had it 4 times this year alone. So dd8, who has been having increasing PANDAS symptoms over the past couple of weeks came home complaining of the wetness. I immediately upped her from 500 mg weekly of zith to 250 mg daily. I was wanting to do it anyway since she was starting to follow me throughout the house and say she just needed to be near me, to see me....and the explosivive emotions and reactions....

 

I still wonder why my girls get vaginal strep A and don't get it in their throat, at least we have not had a positive throat culture in a few years. With everything she's been through the past 2 weeks with her bad blood draws, I can't stand to take her to get swabbed down there. I'm just starting the zith up again. I know I should go and get her tested for strep. I seriously can't force myself to do it.

 

Susan

[Suzan]

Vaginal strep?! My gosh this is getting more and more complicated. So is that something they check at a reg pediatricians office? Do they draw bood too? I am starting to wonder if mothers can be a carrier and pass it to a child during birth. I remember back when I was pregnant I tested positive as a strep carrier. During labor they administered antibiotics and said this was a common occurance and there would be no complications as long as I was treated. Has anyone heard of there being any link between this type of thing or am I diving off the deep end?

Kim

 

Here's what I know, which I admit is very little! Please anyone correct me if you see anything wrong!

 

The strep at birth that they are worried about is Strep strain B. The strep that is tested in the throat is strain A. They are both strep but different strains.

 

I was just tested positive as a carrier for strep B. Some docs say that strep B is not related to PANDAS, others say that all strep is related and it could affect the kids. Strep B is what you would usually find in the vagina but my kids are getting Strep A there. I guess you can get it anywhere..... They are cultured in the same way as the throat, with a swab. Not fun for a little girl for sure. It's often negative with the rapid so our ped only does the culture. I learned about it in January after my girls had a watery discharge for a few months that eventually turned into an infection looking discharge. Luckily we had a Ped who had seen it before.

 

Susan

[momofgirls]

Good information. Thanks

 

 

 

Vaginal strep?! My gosh this is getting more and more complicated. So is that something they check at a reg pediatricians office? Do they draw bood too? I am starting to wonder if mothers can be a carrier and pass it to a child during birth. I remember back when I was pregnant I tested positive as a strep carrier. During labor they administered antibiotics and said this was a common occurance and there would be no complications as long as I was treated. Has anyone heard of there being any link between this type of thing or am I diving off the deep end?

Kim

 

Here's what I know, which I admit is very little! Please anyone correct me if you see anything wrong!

 

The strep at birth that they are worried about is Strep strain B. The strep that is tested in the throat is strain A. They are both strep but different strains.

 

I was just tested positive as a carrier for strep B. Some docs say that strep B is not related to PANDAS, others say that all strep is related and it could affect the kids. Strep B is what you would usually find in the vagina but my kids are getting Strep A there. I guess you can get it anywhere..... They are cultured in the same way as the throat, with a swab. Not fun for a little girl for sure. It's often negative with the rapid so our ped only does the culture. I learned about it in January after my girls had a watery discharge for a few months that eventually turned into an infection looking discharge. Luckily we had a Ped who had seen it before.

 

Susan

[Suzan]

Also, my girls had yeast type infections throughout their young life. They were on loads of antibiotics for their ear, sinus and chest infections. We always assumed their vaginal issues were yeast related but no one suggested possible strep so for all I know, this has been an ongoing issue for them. But this was the first year (ages 6 and 7) where we were able to determine that something was going on that was not candida related.

 

susan

[pixiesmommy]

Funny, I was just proposing that maybe the strep they test for prior to birth could be related to PANDAS to my DH. Reason being, that some of us (me included) have said that their DCs have onset or flare-ups on/near their birthdays. I find this really fascinating for several reasons-

 

#1- If it is only strep B that they test for prior to a vaginal birth, why not Strep A? Could it be possible that we are birthing babies with vaginal Strep A and that is transferring?

 

- Also, if that is the case, could it be crossing the placenta even PRIOR to the birth? I know my DD had a fever just a few days after birth that was unexplained and has recurring fevers that are TO THE DATE predictable on her birthday each year.

 

#2- Maybe Strep B and Strep A *are* related and we do birth with strep B present. I know, personally, I tested negative for both of my DC's births, but they tested me WEEKS before my due date, and both DDs were born late, so you're looking at at least a month where I suppose I could have gotten strep.

 

#3- If it IS due to strep in birth canal, then the brain is "remembering" that somehow and causing flare-ups yearly. (The theory one therapist had for my daughter's fevers was that it was her body's rxn to PTSD - she thought due to abuse, BUT could it not be possible that it was a rxn to some weird cycle in her brain!? I would not rule it out!)

 

Sorry, I realize I am totally derailing this thread. In any case, I say you should trust your instincts if you are seeing symptoms!! Big hugs to you as you try to treat this. I would NOT want to make that dr visit either. Poor kiddos for having it "down there" of all places!

 

-Manda

[ShaesMom]

Funny, I was just proposing that maybe the strep they test for prior to birth could be related to PANDAS to my DH. Reason being, that some of us (me included) have said that their DCs have onset or flare-ups on/near their birthdays. I find this really fascinating for several reasons-

 

#1- If it is only strep B that they test for prior to a vaginal birth, why not Strep A? Could it be possible that we are birthing babies with vaginal Strep A and that is transferring?

 

- Also, if that is the case, could it be crossing the placenta even PRIOR to the birth? I know my DD had a fever just a few days after birth that was unexplained and has recurring fevers that are TO THE DATE predictable on her birthday each year.

 

#2- Maybe Strep B and Strep A *are* related and we do birth with strep B present. I know, personally, I tested negative for both of my DC's births, but they tested me WEEKS before my due date, and both DDs were born late, so you're looking at at least a month where I suppose I could have gotten strep.

 

#3- If it IS due to strep in birth canal, then the brain is "remembering" that somehow and causing flare-ups yearly. (The theory one therapist had for my daughter's fevers was that it was her body's rxn to PTSD - she thought due to abuse, BUT could it not be possible that it was a rxn to some weird cycle in her brain!? I would not rule it out!)

 

Sorry, I realize I am totally derailing this thread. In any case, I say you should trust your instincts if you are seeing symptoms!! Big hugs to you as you try to treat this. I would NOT want to make that dr visit either. Poor kiddos for having it "down there" of all places!

 

-Manda

 

My older son contracted Group B strep at the age of 2 weeks. He was hospitalized and given IV abx for 14 days. His Group B strep turned into meningitis. I was tested during my pregnancy with him and it came back negative. I had two subsequent pregnancies-one resulting in a miscarriage and then Shae's birth. During these pregnancies I was tested numerous times for Strep B because it was believed that I was the carrier who had given it to my son. I was tested on the day Shae was delivered and it was negative. I am not the carrier-my son got it from someone else.

 

I never even had strep throat until my son brought it home after starting preschool.

 

My daughter has also had random unexplained fevers throughout her life. I can't say that they corrolate with her birthday though. I can tell you that they are a symptom of having an immune deficiency disease.

 

IMO-the medical community may believe or think that all the different strains of strep are different. But if they don't have some genetic component in common-why are they all called strep?

[peglem]

My daughter has never been tested for vag. strep, but she's been treated for many assumed to be yeast infections. Her throat tests + for strep so she gets treatment for it anyway, so we don't have to go down there.

 

Susan, I'm sorry to hear the strep is back...that news always makes me so sad.

[Suzan]

Sorry, I realize I am totally derailing this thread. In any case, I say you should trust your instincts if you are seeing symptoms!! Big hugs to you as you try to treat this. I would NOT want to make that dr visit either. Poor kiddos for having it "down there" of all places!

 

-Manda

Hi, in no way derailing! I think your questions and thoughts are great! I am always looking for new ideas about strep B or V strep A since we deal with both here. I'm pretty sure I never got tested for Strep B during my pregnancies since they were emergency c-cections 7 weeks early and then 4 weeks early. I guess I could have had it all along.....but since my first pregnancy was suspect for an early birth, they may have tested me early. I just can't remember now. My doc did recently test me for both A and B and A was negative.

 

Susan

[ShaesMom]

Sorry, I realize I am totally derailing this thread. In any case, I say you should trust your instincts if you are seeing symptoms!! Big hugs to you as you try to treat this. I would NOT want to make that dr visit either. Poor kiddos for having it "down there" of all places!

 

-Manda

Hi, in no way derailing! I think your questions and thoughts are great! I am always looking for new ideas about strep B or V strep A since we deal with both here. I'm pretty sure I never got tested for Strep B during my pregnancies since they were emergency c-cections 7 weeks early and then 4 weeks early. I guess I could have had it all along.....but since my first pregnancy was suspect for an early birth, they may have tested me early. I just can't remember now. My doc did recently test me for both A and B and A was negative.

 

Susan

 

I'm not sure of the exact timing, but I do believe that we are tested early in our pregnancies for Strep. I think during the first trimester but I may be wrong.

[thereishope]

You're tested for strep during pregnancy a few weeks before due date. I think it may be 2 weeks.

 

I'm trying to think what could be causing the recurring v strep infections. I don't think this could be the cause but have you changed brands of soap, bleached the tub in they take baths and not showers, wipe toilet seat after every use, bought new towels or washed towels in heavy detergent with hot water? Maybe buy white towels that you can bleach in between use. Including white underwear. Maybe the detergent isn't killing it off.

[thereishope]

Okay, now I just thought of one way out there. If infected girl #1 wipes herself then goes for more toilet paper, can she be transfering it onto the toilet paper? Then girl # 2 pulls toilet paper down to use and in fact, infects herself with the tp? Sounds far fetched, but think about it....

 

Do they usually have infections at the same time?

[Suzan]

Okay, now I just thought of one way out there. If infected girl #1 wipes herself then goes for more toilet paper, can she be transfering it onto the toilet paper? Then girl # 2 pulls toilet paper down to use and in fact, infects herself with the tp? Sounds far fetched, but think about it....

 

Do they usually have infections at the same time?

 

Trust me, I've been wondering what the heck is going on and how they are getting it. I finally just assumed that they have it lurking in their bodies and we aren't getting it killed off. But that said, I'm sure we could be better about hand washing, etc. I try to make sure they wash their hands frequently and of couse especially after using the bathroom but maybe like you say, something far fetched could be happening.... I just don't know! dd7 was getting it one right after the other. She has not had it again since doing the longer round of zith. This year when we were having trouble with it, they were both getting it, starting in December 08.

 

We normally don't use hot water for laundry washing. Maybe this is a good idea to start to include underwear in with sheets and wash with hot water....

 

Susan

[thereishope]

Do you put pantiliners on them? I know they're young, but that would have "guard" their underwear. Don't use things like babypowder in their underwear, that'l make things worse. If they don't have adverse reactions to bleach, I would suggest bleaching the underwear. Hopefully, once they get older and go through puberty, they'll bodies will "clean out" any remaining, hiding strep better that is lurking in the female tract. I think you know what I'm talking about, but some men may not want to read the details:)

[ShaesMom]

Okay, now I just thought of one way out there. If infected girl #1 wipes herself then goes for more toilet paper, can she be transfering it onto the toilet paper? Then girl # 2 pulls toilet paper down to use and in fact, infects herself with the tp? Sounds far fetched, but think about it....

 

Do they usually have infections at the same time?

 

Trust me, I've been wondering what the heck is going on and how they are getting it. I finally just assumed that they have it lurking in their bodies and we aren't getting it killed off. But that said, I'm sure we could be better about hand washing, etc. I try to make sure they wash their hands frequently and of couse especially after using the bathroom but maybe like you say, something far fetched could be happening.... I just don't know! dd7 was getting it one right after the other. She has not had it again since doing the longer round of zith. This year when we were having trouble with it, they were both getting it, starting in December 08.

 

We normally don't use hot water for laundry washing. Maybe this is a good idea to start to include underwear in with sheets and wash with hot water....

 

Susan

 

 

 

 

Do you wash off the stool after each one is finished?