Dd7 has impetigo - Pandas ds in exacerbation

[matis_mom]

I'll sum up the picture quickly... DD7 had stomach and joint pains (hip) last week. My PANDAS ds is a going through a very marked exacerbation, so I know there is something going on. Cultured for strep on Tuesday, negative. Rash on face over New Year's holiday, went back on Saturday, looked like Impetigo, and the prescription seems to be working. Tested for Strep again, negative. Dr. ordered x-ray of hips and took it serious. They called back saying x-rays were normal, so next step is bloodwork. So, what should they run??? I was thinking of asking for strep titers, but I don't know if that's enough to tell us much. She did have strep in Nov, did not clear on Amoxicilin, and then again in December, "seems" to have cleared it on Omnicef. I am saying "seems" because here we are, a couple of weeks after finishing the abxs, she has the tummy aches, joint pains, and impetigo, so there's definitely something funny here... I pray the pediatrician will be enlightened enough to know how to deal with this. I am having a baby in a couple of weeks and would so much like to have this thing under control!

 

We are also seeing Dr. Latimer on Thursday and I'll ask her advice, it would be cool if I could have some lab results from dd7 to bring along.

 

Any input/advice is greatly appreciated!

 

Isabel

[faith]

I'd like to help, but I can't get past the 'having a baby' part, lol! did you once say you hd 7 kids?

 

Faith

[matis_mom]

I'd like to help, but I can't get past the 'having a baby' part, lol! did you once say you hd 7 kids?

 

Faith

Yeap, that's right! You can see how I'm getting a bit overwhelmed and frustrated here after having everyone plus the dog on antibiotics, only to have it come right back... And Matias was doing so well after a month of steroids too! So, we are going back to Dr. Latimer and see what the next step would be... It's kind of hard to accept we will be dealing with this beast for a long time. I am just hoping the pediatrician will be able to help us and we won't have to be driving all over the place and paying out of pocket for every single visit. Time and money are at a premium with a large family!

[Suzan]

Congrats on the new Babe!

 

I would run the strep titers for sure (although if they are low that does not mean no strep). Also, can the skin be tested for strep?? Does she have any vaginal symptoms? If she has anything that you've been thinking is yeast, I'd ask for a culture there too.

 

GOOD LUCK and I can't wait to get your Dr. Latimer update.

 

Susan

[thereishope]

If there is strep on the skin, I don't think the titers would rise.

 

In light of the new revelation of PANDAS, have you thought about the vaccine they'll want to give the newborn at the hospital and whether you will give it?

[matis_mom]

Congrats on the new Babe!

 

I would run the strep titers for sure (although if they are low that does not mean no strep). Also, can the skin be tested for strep?? Does she have any vaginal symptoms? If she has anything that you've been thinking is yeast, I'd ask for a culture there too.

 

GOOD LUCK and I can't wait to get your Dr. Latimer update.

 

Susan

Thanks Susan! I'll ask for the titers, a CBC to make sure the standard stuff is normal, and maybe see if they'll do a stool test, as that is how we found ds's strep. He is the kind that does show elevated titers, so maybe she will too, but even if she doesn't it will give us a point of reference.

[matis_mom]

If there is strep on the skin, I don't think the titers would rise.

 

In light of the new revelation of PANDAS, have you thought about the vaccine they'll want to give the newborn at the hospital and whether you will give it?

I think the strep is probably more than just on the skin, because she has the tummy aches/joint pains, we'll see what the bloodwork shows.

About the vaccine, are you taking about the hepatitis one they want to give newborns? It was already on the schedule when my last dd was born and I declined it. PANDAS or not I think it's nuts to give a day-old baby a vaccine, and I'm particularly cautious with the newer vaccines, since they have been not been used long enough to really now for sure if they are safe. I do vaccinate my kids, I just don't follow the schedule and I don't do multiple shots in one day.

 

Now, if they had a strep vaccine, that would be something to consider!

[sf_mom]

Isabel,

 

Congratulations on the pending arrival of your baby!!!!

 

I think you know...... Impetigo can be group A strep and mostly likely the reason for your sons exacerbation.

 

I would do CBC, Strep Pneumococcal Antibody Titers and IgG Subclasses and eventually CaM Kinase.

 

Trust me, You'll need to keep your newborn away from active strep infections so do whatever you can to clear Impetigo. Good thing you are seeing Latimer.

 

-Wendy

 

 

 

I'll sum up the picture quickly... DD7 had stomach and joint pains (hip) last week. My PANDAS ds is a going through a very marked exacerbation, so I know there is something going on. Cultured for strep on Tuesday, negative. Rash on face over New Year's holiday, went back on Saturday, looked like Impetigo, and the prescription seems to be working. Tested for Strep again, negative. Dr. ordered x-ray of hips and took it serious. They called back saying x-rays were normal, so next step is bloodwork. So, what should they run??? I was thinking of asking for strep titers, but I don't know if that's enough to tell us much. She did have strep in Nov, did not clear on Amoxicilin, and then again in December, "seems" to have cleared it on Omnicef. I am saying "seems" because here we are, a couple of weeks after finishing the abxs, she has the tummy aches, joint pains, and impetigo, so there's definitely something funny here... I pray the pediatrician will be enlightened enough to know how to deal with this. I am having a baby in a couple of weeks and would so much like to have this thing under control!

 

We are also seeing Dr. Latimer on Thursday and I'll ask her advice, it would be cool if I could have some lab results from dd7 to bring along.

 

Any input/advice is greatly appreciated!

 

Isabel

[Debbie1]

Hi Isabel,

 

My non-PANDAS son has stomach aches and joint pain. You should run the strep titers, although the pediatrician will probably also run rhuematological bloodwork looking for signs of inflamation. We had tons of bloodwork run on him - all came back normal except for high eosinophols and high strep titers. I wish I could tell you the tests to run, but we had so much blood drawn at once for several different doctors, I don't know which tests were the rheumatology tests. Do test for lyme if you have not already. Your pediatrician will likely know which labs a rheumatologist would want ordered. If I can be of further help, let me know.

 

Debbie

[thereishope]

Actually someone posted on here awhile back that a strep vaccine is in the works. But no PANDAS wouldn't want that since it would cause the body to produce antibodies, and possibly the wrong ones that causes PANDAS.

 

If there is strep on the skin, I don't think the titers would rise.

 

In light of the new revelation of PANDAS, have you thought about the vaccine they'll want to give the newborn at the hospital and whether you will give it?

I think the strep is probably more than just on the skin, because she has the tummy aches/joint pains, we'll see what the bloodwork shows.

About the vaccine, are you taking about the hepatitis one they want to give newborns? It was already on the schedule when my last dd was born and I declined it. PANDAS or not I think it's nuts to give a day-old baby a vaccine, and I'm particularly cautious with the newer vaccines, since they have been not been used long enough to really now for sure if they are safe. I do vaccinate my kids, I just don't follow the schedule and I don't do multiple shots in one day.

 

Now, if they had a strep vaccine, that would be something to consider!

[matis_mom]

Thanks all for the input and concern. They are running CBC, strep titers (he was going to do only ASO, I asked him to add AntiDNASE and Streptozyme, Sed Rate (I have no idea of the spelling, I think that's the one that checks for inflamation/possible RA?), and Lymes. The rash is a lot better, the one hip hurts when pressure is put on it, a slightly swollen lymph node on the neck, and she has headaches... Now we just have to wait for the lab results! The Dr. was very sympathetic and is trying to get this wrapped up before baby!

 

Isabel

[sf_mom]

Isabel, speak to your OB/GYN too and tell her their might be a resilient strain of strep being passed within your household. Maybe there is something they can do to be protective for your baby on the way.

 

-Wendy