PANDAS Depression

[Mason]

Does anyone have experience with Remeron for depression associated with PANDAS?

[bronxmom2]

Can you tell us more about the depression? Is this depression in a child, or an adult?

[peglem]

We tried remeron...we got rages. tried a lower dose...rages. Gave up. It sounded like such a good idea to try it- my daughter needed sleep and appetite stimulation. Wish it had worked. But,my child tends to react badly to anything that is anticholinergic...even benedryl affects her that way.

[Mason]

Can you tell us more about the depression? Is this depression in a child, or an adult?

11 year old boy, diagnosed with PANDAS and IGG anemia at age 9; on homebound schooling; in counseling for chronically ill children.

[EAMom]

What other treatments is your son receiving? abs? I think being on the right anti-biotic at the right dose is going to be the best treatment for the depression. Advil might be worth adding in too (if you aren't doing steroids).

[mama2alex]

What medications/treatments is he doing for the PANDAS? For the IGG anemia?

[Megs_Mom]

Can you tell us more about the depression? Is this depression in a child, or an adult?

11 year old boy, diagnosed with PANDAS and IGG anemia at age 9; on homebound schooling; in counseling for chronically ill children.

 

We don't have experience with depression drugs - but have experienced PANDAS depression. We treated this with therapy, although I think that getting remission for the PANDAS would also eliminate the depression. Do you have Tic or OCD dominent PANDAS? If OCD, I'll PM you a few ideas.

[Mason]

We did lots of antibotics when first diagnosed two years ago then antibotics as needed with flareups. No treatment for the IGG anemia since it is considered borderline/low by the numbers. He was under the care of Dr Murphy until she moved, then local peds office. He basically had a severe level with first diagnosis then much improvement with small flareups then another major flareup last month which included depression. We are looking for new doctors and considering more extensive treatment plan.

 

When advil is given, how much is given?

[EAMom]

So is your son on antibiotics now? which one and what dose? How much does he weigh? Antibioitics (appropriate type and dose) are critical for PANDAS kids. I know a lot of docs (and NIMH) aren't officially endorsing long term antibiotics (which IMO should be given until well past puberty) which is also unfortunate, as that is what these kids really need. Abs will do more for the depression than psych. drugs which tend to back-fire in lots of PANDAS kids. And, when they do react badly to psych drugs, it is sometimes hard to tell what effects are from PANDAS and what are from the drugs.

 

Advil is by weight. For example, a 50 pound child could take 200mg 3-4x daily short term (a week or so). (This is the same dose you would give if they had the flu.) If you wanted to be cautious, long term, you might want to decrease that to 1-2x daily. Always give it with some food to prevent stomach upset.

 

I would also recommend throat culturing family members to make sure everybody else in the family is negative (no strep carriers). My PANDAS dd will react when family members have strep (younger sister is an assymptomatic carrier) so minimizing this exposure is important as well.

[KeithandElizabeth]

EAMOM

 

Has your daughter had strep post IVIG? If so, how were her symptoms?

 

Elizabeth

[EAMom]

EAMOM

 

Has your daughter had strep post IVIG? If so, how were her symptoms?

 

Elizabeth

 

She hasn't had strep and her sister hasn't had strep since IVIG (early Aug.)...so no strep exposure that I know of.

 

9/34 kids from her class got H1N1 early in the school year (late Aug). She was fine but we're pretty sure she already had it in June.

 

2 weeks ago, younger sister had a 1 day fever (strep neg) and I got it 1 week later...so far PANDAS dd has been fine (it's been 1 week since I got sick).

 

So, PANDAS dd hasn't really been sick (with strep or anything else for that matter) since IVIG in Aug....