Migrating Polyarthritis?

[Debbie1]

My non-PANDAS ds has recently been experiencing joint pain. The pain moves - it is not necesaarily the same joint each time, but it is always on a joint. My ped is concerned that this may be PANDAS related - ds does have high strep titers and he said this is sometimes seen in rheumatic fever. Has anyone had this with their PANDAS kids?

[matis_mom]

My non-PANDAS ds has recently been experiencing joint pain. The pain moves - it is not necesaarily the same joint each time, but it is always on a joint. My ped is concerned that this may be PANDAS related - ds does have high strep titers and he said this is sometimes seen in rheumatic fever. Has anyone had this with their PANDAS kids?

My ds12 has the joint pains/swelling. I am not sure if it's rheumatic fever/rheumathoid arthritis/reactive arthritis, but his doc thinks it's definitely strep related (although they are still considering Lymes). Joint pains and swelling seem to coincide with higher anxiety/OCD. Have you noticed any connection? I just started keeping a log of symptoms to help me make connect the dots.

They quadrupled one of the abxs at the last visit to deal with the joint pain/swelling, and it seems to be working.

His doc is also concerned about possible heart involvement, have you had your son checked?

I am assuming he is already on antibiotics right?

 

Isabel

[Megs_Mom]

I hear this a lot with PANDAS children, although we never had any joint pain (a LOT of stomach pain!). Just be sure to rule out Lyme & PANDAS. If you research on Lyme, there are specific test that you need to run. I think these two illnesses should be ruled out anytime there is joint pain or rashes and OCD. Doesn't mean that it is either of these, but it is worth checking. We had a rheumatologist rule out both, after some suspicious blood tests at our neurologist.

[lismom]

yes, my son had this. His lasted a couple of months and now only very occasionaly. No doubt my son had rheumatic fever last spring from an undiagnosed strep from fall of '08. He is on full strength zithromax, tics are primary symptom and after just getting over H1N1 not as severe as when this all started. Kathy

[Suzan]

My 8 yr old has this. The doc's do not believe she had rheumatic fever and she's had RA tests and various other tests to see if they can find anything but have not been able to. I have noticed though, that her pain goes away with ongoing antibiotic treatment.

 

Susan

[brooke]

My 8-year-old son has this too. Some days it is really bad. The antibiotics seem to help though.

 

Does anyone's child have weird hot flashes? "Brain swishes" as my son calls them??

Thanks!

[lismom]

My 8-year-old son has this too. Some days it is really bad. The antibiotics seem to help though.

 

Does anyone's child have weird hot flashes? "Brain swishes" as my son calls them??

Thanks!

 

Yes, my son had hot flashes when he was at his worst with rheumatic fever. I could actually feel his skin and it was warm but I took his temp a few times at the start but he didn't have one. I don't remember him refering to his head though. Kathy

[Worried_Dad]

Polyarthritis was our son's first symptom following a high fever. It's a classic rheumatic fever symptom. He was originally diagnosed with ARF as a result.

[matis_mom]

So, if a child has PANDAS and RF, is the treatment any different? Or will the strong antibiotics prescribed for PANDAS take care of the RF as well? Or is RF something that just goes away on it's own, and you only have to worry about a possible re-ocurrence if you are exposed to strep again? I've been looking this up and can't seem to come up with a clear answer.

[Debbie1]

Thanks for all the responses. I guess our next stop is the rheumatologist (now if I can just find a good one that takes insurance...)

[matis_mom]

Thanks for all the responses. I guess our next stop is the rheumatologist (now if I can just find a good one that takes insurance...)

Debbie,

Please keep me updated on what the rheumathologist says. We are starting new abxs and steroids so I am hoping that will help the joints too, but I might have to go see one too!