Stomach flu before each bout with strep?

[Stephanie2]

Has anyone ever seen a correlation with stomach flu and strep? I mean, each time my son has definitively had strep he has had the stomach flu (or something like it) 2-4 weeks before strep throat. I have witnessed this pattern 4 times now. Does anyone know why this would happen?

 

Stephanie

[pixiesmommy]

I have Pixie's records and almost every time I took her in for a stomach ache and she would be tested for strep (our old ped always tested no matter what the complaint) she would come back positive for strep. The ped said that some kids complain of stomach ache instead of/alongside a sore throat.

 

Now, having said that, I wonder in his situation if maybe he carries strep in his gut and when/if he is vomiting (that's what you mean by "flu" I guess?) then he is bringing it up into his throat and then gets the sore throat? Or maybe the stomach flu weakens his immune system and he picks it up while under the weather?

 

Those are just guesses...

[Stephanie2]

Has anyone ever seen a correlation with stomach flu and strep? I mean, each time my son has definitively had strep he has had the stomach flu (or something like it) 2-4 weeks before strep throat. I have witnessed this pattern 4 times now. Does anyone know why this would happen?

 

Stephanie

 

 

I want to add a question to this: has anyone's child ever had hives/urticaria with an acute strep infection?

[Stephanie2]

I have Pixie's records and almost every time I took her in for a stomach ache and she would be tested for strep (our old ped always tested no matter what the complaint) she would come back positive for strep. The ped said that some kids complain of stomach ache instead of/alongside a sore throat.

 

Now, having said that, I wonder in his situation if maybe he carries strep in his gut and when/if he is vomiting (that's what you mean by "flu" I guess?) then he is bringing it up into his throat and then gets the sore throat? Or maybe the stomach flu weakens his immune system and he picks it up while under the weather?

 

Those are just guesses...

 

Those have been my exact guesses. Also, I have read about "biofilms" and am wondering if he has strep he carries inside a biofilm in his gut which erupts when he is vomitting? Just some wild theories, but just trying to figure it out, b/c maybe if I can somehow learn how to prevent stomach flu I can prevent strep...

 

Stephanie

[pixiesmommy]

Pixie did once on her neck only

[bubbasmom]

I have 3 kids with the WEIRDEST conditions. So first, all 3 of my kids, the first symptom of strep is often stomach issues. I suspect you only take your child in once they get more of the strep sort of symptoms. Most of us don't run our kids in for just the 'puky' kind of thing. So next time your child throws up, get them tested for strep I bet it's positive.

Now for the hives. My oldest, following mono and possible strep, started hives 2-3 times a day EVERYDAY of her life for 3 years. She had to take soooo much Benedryl. She has almost 100% out grown it but it took forever. She is now left with what is called dermagraphism, which simply means 'she can write on herself'. Any scratch on her skin, not even with something sharp, something rounded like a stylist pen, will cause the area she 'writes' to raise up. It's harmless (and quite entertaining to a 15 year old!)

So for the hives you might never find a cause, other than autoimmune which is what PANDAS seems to be as well.

 

 

 

 

Has anyone ever seen a correlation with stomach flu and strep? I mean, each time my son has definitively had strep he has had the stomach flu (or something like it) 2-4 weeks before strep throat. I have witnessed this pattern 4 times now. Does anyone know why this would happen?

 

Stephanie

 

 

I want to add a question to this: has anyone's child ever had hives/urticaria with an acute strep infection?

[ajcire]

My non pandas dd often gets a stomachache when she has strep... not really weeks before it though. I felt so awful before I knew this because I kept ignoring her tummyache and then she said her throat hurt too.. then I took her to the dr. and he told me in kids strep can present in so many ways including tummyaches, vomiting and rashes.... Now sometimes when she has a tummyache is strep and other times it isn't.. makes me crazy though that I can't tell without taking her to the dr.

[dcmom]

My non pandas daughter has had strep two times. Both times it seemed she barely improved, and then would be out of school a week later for something they determined was viral. Other than these times, she is never sick. She has been having daily stomach aches since her last strep in February. We haven't been able to find the cause.

 

I really think both my kids have a hard time fighting strep...

[ajcire]

dcmom, that is interesting to me because my non pandas dd who doesn't get sick a lot either except with strep complains of tummyaches a LOT. When she is very persistent about it I check her for strep because like I said before sometimes it has been strep but sometimes she just says it so much.. My dr. was at a loss and had said I could try eliminating dairy or wheat (whichever one first) to see if that was it but really that to me is a wild goose chase and I don't think it's really a sensitivity to either of them. Plus she would starve if I eliminated wheat.

[dcmom]

Erica-

 

That sounds like us. Non pandas DD did not miss one day of school in second grade (for illness). The same for the first half of third. Then she got strep at the same time as pandas dd. She was home for a week, back for a week. I kept calling the doctor, because she didn't seem better. She was then out another week for mostly fatigue and stomachaches- she looked terrible. We had blood, mono and throat culture. All negative. The stomach aches continued every day (causing her lots of stress for about 6 months, she is better now- less frequent. We took her to the GI for testing- nothing.

 

I am now wondering if she didn't kick the strep. She has cultured negative two times since- but maybe it has gone to her gut or intracellular or something. I have tried eliminating foods- but same thing- she is so slim, I hate to tell her to stop eating something- when I don't know it is the culprit. There have been no pattern with the stomchaches- empty stomach, while eating, after eating, etc...

[ajcire]

dcmom, exactly! I can't figure it out...no pattern to it. Also she is my more lethargic kid.. interesting. I considered seeing a gastro dr. but don't want to put her through unnecessary testing but don't want her to think I don't believe her. My dh and my mom think it is attention seeking and nothing is wrong. I believe something is hurting her when she says it.

[ShaesMom]

dcmom, exactly! I can't figure it out...no pattern to it. Also she is my more lethargic kid.. interesting. I considered seeing a gastro dr. but don't want to put her through unnecessary testing but don't want her to think I don't believe her. My dh and my mom think it is attention seeking and nothing is wrong. I believe something is hurting her when she says it.

 

Okay Ladies-this is the exact same way my dd presented with strep before we knew she had it. No complaints of a sore throat-only headach & tummy ache all the time. Strep tests came back negative except the ASO titer.

 

Once she started daily abx the tummy aches went away.

[Kayanne]

Has anyone ever seen a correlation with stomach flu and strep? I mean, each time my son has definitively had strep he has had the stomach flu (or something like it) 2-4 weeks before strep throat. I have witnessed this pattern 4 times now. Does anyone know why this would happen?

 

Stephanie

 

 

I want to add a question to this: has anyone's child ever had hives/urticaria with an acute strep infection?

 

In July 2006, my then 14mo old son broke out in hives. Ped said his throat didn't look like strep, but swabbed it anyway, and it was....this was the first time we ever had strep in our house.

 

Since then he has had impetigo twice, and his was the first to get a strep throat this past march, and he also had a rash with it--he definately shows sign of strep in his skin.

[ajcire]

Shaesmom, are you suggesting that maybe I should have my dd (non pandas) have the bloodtest next time she says her tummy hurts and she has a negative culture? I wonder if the dr. will think I am crazy. He is on board with pandas for my ds but admits to not knowing a whole lot about it.

[smartyjones]

then I took her to the dr. and he told me in kids strep can present in so many ways including tummyaches, vomiting and rashes

 

I definitely think vomiting and rashes are related to strep!

 

In 2006, my then 4-yr-old non-pandas woke up Easter Monday with whitehead pimples on his cheeks and chin that looked like teenage acne. They went down during the day but not fully away. The next day, they were there raised again when he woke up. When we went to the dr around noon, they were again down. She said she didn't think it was strep but would test. He was + on the rapid. No other symptoms - he didn't seem sick at all.

 

Dr.s office had said they wouldn't test 22 mth old (now pandas) b/c it's so rare for under 2s to get strep but to call with any thing off with him. The next day, he threw up just after getting up. He was + on rapid. He also had no other symptoms - I now wonder if he ever got rid of that strep. I also wonder if that was some different strain of strep.

 

Pandas-son used to throw up at the drop of a hat. I used to think it was just how his body dealt with whatever it was facing. I now think it was strep rearing and then subsiding. He has also had times of very bad smelling urine.

 

When pandas behaviors began last fall/winter, he had a terrible mouth rash. He was sucking on shirts at that time & drs would say it was chapped, but I know it's not just chapped - it's somehow some other manifestation of strep or possibly herpes. He was showing pandas behavior at home in Oct but not so much at school, until he had an potty accident when there was a stomach thing going around school. He also had a terrible stomach flu around Thanksgiving. In Dec, he had ASO of 898 and + throat culture. I do think he's got strep in his gut.