Amoxicillin for PANDAS initial treatment?

[Dakri]

Hello - My 9 year old son was diagnosed TS 2 years ago. He got sick while on vacation 2 1/2 months ago and has been coughing/clearing throat ever since - a HUGE increase in tics. The girl in the news (12,000 coughs a day) recently caught my attention and made me start researching PANDAS. My ped had heard of it but wasn't familiar with treatment so did some research and started him on Amoxicillin 2 days ago - for 14 days. We got back lab work today showing strep present in his body (I am uncertain what specific test was done but can tell you blood was drawn). So with no strep symptoms, a positive lab work test and having a huge increase in tics since he was sick........................do I have anyone who can say we've solved this mystery and this is for sure PANDAS?

 

My question specifically is.....................I read posts about lots of other antibiotics but haven't seen anything about amoxicillin. Are we on the right drug or not? Will there be another lab test soon to see if he clears? I'm assuming that is the next step? Thank you for any advice!

 

Dakri

[peglem]

The blood test was probably an ASO titer, which doesn't show current strep in the body, but indicates a recent infection in the past...did they swab for current strep?

If you don't see improvement in symptoms w/ the amoxicillan (and you may have to give it for longer than 14 days), then you'll probably want to try something a bit stronger. Amoxicillan did not work for us, but we'd been years into untreated strep before trying it, so your experience may be different.

I think you have good reason to strongly suspect PANDAS, but reduction of symptoms on antibiotics would be an even stronger indication.

 

As far as the "right" abx goes- it seems to vary from child to child what is effective. Many do very well on azithromycin or augmentin. Others seem to do better with a cephalosporin (keflex) or omnicef. For my daughter, zithromax seems to be the best. Offhand, i can't think of anyone who resolved PANDAS with amoxicillan.

[dut]

Hello

 

We did have a good response to amox in our dd's 1st episode. She had a massive reduction in symptoms (down to about 30% of where she'd been) in 14 days BUT knowing what I know now from reading on here, I wouldn't trust amox again I don't think. If you haven't had a swab done, that's what you need with a follow up swab sometime later if the 1st culture is positive. The amox alone could work but I think many have found they need something stronger.

 

hope this helps...

[thereishope]

Welcome.

 

My son was always given amoxicillan for his strep, but I was also not on this forum yet. I would actually notice the worsening continue for 3- 5 days and then start to notice an improvement. I must say, now that I know more, if my son get strep again, I will request something else. I often wonder if recovery would have been faster if he was on something else.

 

My son does not classic strep symptoms either. None of my 3 kids do. His PANDAS symptoms are what brings up to the dr for a strep test.

 

Here s an article that is often passed along that explains how amox and penicillan won't always erradicate strep.

 

http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/.../169459644.html