My heart is breaking . . .

[NancyD]

As much as I hate living with the windows closed year round this seems to work best for us! Plus, we always take our shoes off as soon as we get inside (to leave the toxins and allergens outside) and we wash our hands. In addition, dd14 takes 2000 mg quercetin daily. Really seems to help.

 

Nancy

[MomWithOCDSon]

Be sure he showers at night before bed - my son hates this now that he is teen because it is not cool... but too bad - he can shower again in the morning if he wants to - we're getting the pollen out of his hair before bed!

DS's primary PANDAS manifestation is OCD, so he would shower 10 times a day if I let him!

 

Good suggestion, though. He does shower after dinner, before bed, as a general rule. But he's got this long, thick hair right now, so who knows what it harbors between showers! Can't get him to cut it though, and I have to pick my battles.

[kimballot]

Be sure he showers at night before bed - my son hates this now that he is teen because it is not cool... but too bad - he can shower again in the morning if he wants to - we're getting the pollen out of his hair before bed!

DS's primary PANDAS manifestation is OCD, so he would shower 10 times a day if I let him!

 

Good suggestion, though. He does shower after dinner, before bed, as a general rule. But he's got this long, thick hair right now, so who knows what it harbors between showers! Can't get him to cut it though, and I have to pick my battles.

 

Ugh! Yes... middle school boy hair requires mothers to have the patience of a Saint! - Plus my son likes to do the head twist / hair flick... which turns into a tic when he is sick... then a sore neck and back! It was so much easier when he just did a brush cut!

[kimballot]

remember the allergies are likely just part of the overall problem, adding their influence on his immune system/inflammation

 

it may still be worth doing that strep test, and also checking into other things that may have caused the flare

 

I do hope it stabilizes soon. I know only too well what it does to us when we see our child flaring and feel so helpless. Take care of yourself too!

 

 

Chemar - - very true. We are on our second course of abx and a round of prednisone for a nasty sinus infection right now. To be honest, I did not even realize it was sinuses until the ENT saw him. He is finally coming around and we've had 2 days of doing homework without breaking pencils and raging for the first time in months. If allergies are a problem... you might want to check sinuses too (of course along with strep)...!

[simplygina]

i would guess he's coming down with something. allergies may be a contributing factor to opening the door for something to start brewing though. but it could be some other exposure or a virus.

 

the last exacerbation my son had in february came after exposure to gasoline fumes and a dusty moldy cabin. i couldn't believe that he was going downhill so rapidly. 2 days later he had a sinus infection and ear infection even though he was on full strength Augmentin. i think the inflammation caused by the exposures let whatever pathogen it was (i suspect strep but his rapid was neg.) really get growing and had is immune system freaking out and not working very well. like Chemar mentioned, it seemed to be a number of things that all together were just too much. in 24 hours everything cleared up with Biaxin (after 10 days of worsening on Omnicef) and he was better than before.

 

sorry you are going through this. i hate the guessing game and the waiting. pure torture.

[Joan Pandas Mom]

I'm so sorry this is happening. I really think it is the time of year. Over the last 1 1/2 my son's symptoms have REALLY ramp up too. It seems to be worst in the fall and spring. I haven't been able to test him for allergies yet though because he needs to be off abx's for 10 days and that isn't going to happen soon. He doesn't have the typical runny nose, itchy eyes though. He has bad, bad PANDAS symptoms.

[Suzan]

I'm so sorry this is happening. I really think it is the time of year. Over the last 1 1/2 my son's symptoms have REALLY ramp up too. It seems to be worst in the fall and spring. I haven't been able to test him for allergies yet though because he needs to be off abx's for 10 days and that isn't going to happen soon. He doesn't have the typical runny nose, itchy eyes though. He has bad, bad PANDAS symptoms.

 

Joan Pandas Mom, what allergy testing are you wanting to do? I ask only because my dd's did not have to go off their abx for their skin prick tests. They did have to stop all allergy meds (except nasal steroid sprays) for 7 days prior.

 

Susan

Edited April 15, 2010 by Suzan

[Joan Pandas Mom]

That's interesting. I think it was the skin prick we tried to do. It was about 10 or so small needles. When she heard he was on an abx she didn't proceed with the test.

 

I'm so sorry this is happening. I really think it is the time of year. Over the last 1 1/2 my son's symptoms have REALLY ramp up too. It seems to be worst in the fall and spring. I haven't been able to test him for allergies yet though because he needs to be off abx's for 10 days and that isn't going to happen soon. He doesn't have the typical runny nose, itchy eyes though. He has bad, bad PANDAS symptoms.

 

Joan Pandas Mom, what allergy testing are you wanting to do? I ask only because my dd's did not have to go off their abx for their skin prick tests. They did have to stop all allergy meds (except nasal steroid sprays) for 7 days prior.

 

Susan

[EAMom]

I know your son is on antibiotics and that can cause a false negative on a strep test, but it may be something to do. If you do get him a strep test, make sure the doctor remembers that he may get a false negative.

 

I agree with Vickie about getting your son strep tested (cultured)...I would also get family members cultured (before worrying about blood tests for titers). The problem with just doing titers is that it doesn't actually tell you if a family member currently has strep...or they had a past strep infection many many months ago! Also, remember that not everyone gets elevated titers (even if they have a current positive culture).

 

Our PANDAS dd definitely reacts when a family member is culture positive.

Edited April 15, 2010 by EAMom

[MomWithOCDSon]

Thanks everyone! Those of you with the idea that allergies are the trigger . . . I'm beginning to think you were DEAD on!

 

DS was in the bathroom this morning, getting ready for school, and I hear him clearing his throat over and over again. So I ask him if he remembered to take his allergy nasal spray (prescription). His response: "I forgot." To which I say, "You forgot whether or not you took it, or you forgot to take it, period?" To which he says: "I forgot to take it, period. And I forgot to take it yesterday, too!"

 

That little varmit!!! He's usually so good about it, we haven't had to issue reminders, but I guess we're back to that again!

 

Thanks, Nancy, for the Home Depot air mold kit suggestion. Definitely going to test that out. We have a dehumidifier running in the basement, 24-7, but you never know!

[thereishope]

This is also the worst year for allergies across the country, in general.

 

My non-PANDAS son takes Claritin. Usually it works fine for him. Well, not yesterday. His eyes were red, coughing for drainage. I may have to switch meds with him. PANDAS son takes Benadryl. Luckily, that seems to be keeping up with the allergeis right now.