Tell me why you don't believe in pandas

amother

Yesterday at 7:10 pm

I hear so much talk about pandas and my pediatrician is not a big believer unless there were extreme circumstances. I have a son with a more rigid personality and every time he misbehaves / has a sore throat everyone school etc quickly calls pandas. Every time I talk to my Dr he explains why it doesn't seem likely and I think it makes sense what he says. But I also don't want to miss something that could help my son. If you have gone down the pandas route and it didn't help or you also don't believe it or your practitioner doesn't why is that ?

amother

Waterlily ↓

Yesterday at 7:17 pm

I believe in actual pandas. The one where it was untreated strep and usually had a throat tic and they go on meds for a longer period and it clears up and it’s gone.

Many kids act out while they have strep, that doesn’t mean it’s pandas. It’s just an indicator that they have it and you should go test.

I don’t believe in the whole pandas/ inflammation/ gut leaking etc.. because I was around when the movement was started. It was started by people in denial that their kids had mental health issues that needed meds. I also saw the circles it goes in, it’s never cured, it’s an endless hole of you need to give your kids all types of poisons and restrict their life and yet none of these kids get better ever. A few who started down this path then went to a psychiatrist and treated the kids for anxiety and suddenly they had their life back. I think most of these kids have severe anxiety that need to be treated, some are probably exhibiting symptoms of asd adhd, and others have some other issues. It’s just sad that they can probably be helped with the proper treatment and instead it’s a childhood of being tortured.

amother

Tanzanite ↓

Yesterday at 7:30 pm

I do agree there are a subset of people that would like to blame their children's mental health on pandas but lots of times it's just clear cut. I have had instances where my kids start getting tics right after a strep infection. Sudden onset literally overnight. Never had tics before to every five seconds doing a tic. It's scary to see and you wonder what happened??!!! With antibiotics it does eventually get better. I found that ignoring the tics and not treating actually made things worse.

amother

↑ Tanzanite

Yesterday at 7:37 pm

And I would just like to add my kids that have already compromised autoimmune systems (ones with big allergies) were the ones to get tics after a strep infection. And pandas is an autoimmune response gone awry. So I feel it's related.

amother

Amber

Yesterday at 7:42 pm

As a pandas mom, it’s painful to read some comments. Of course we went the psychiatric route and got anxiety and a list of other meds to try and help our child. Until you have one of these children, it’s hard to understand it.
If your child’s behavior gets worse during strep and better once he’s treated then great! It’s when things start to get worse in many areas: rages, anxiety; odd, bed wetting, handwriting, regression, food restrictions, tantrums that aren’t the norm, anger, ocd, tics…. These are just a few things one might notice . I don’t wish PANS on anyone

amother

↑ NeonPurple ↓

Yesterday at 7:51 pm

amother Waterlily wrote:

So much misinformation Sad

amother

Marigold

Yesterday at 8:36 pm

I do believe in pandas. But a lot of problems with kids can be vague and can seem to come on suddenly and pandas has become a catch all disease. I think the treatment (months of antibiotics and anti inflammatory drugs) are problematic in itself and there’s not enough research done on how extended use affects kids. I also think some mothers lean into pandas because they’re more comfortable giving their kids antibiotics than anti anxiety meds.

The one child I know who was diagnosed with pandas by a specialist had most of the symptoms before and the “sudden onset” just didn’t seem that sudden to me. I’m not saying the child definitely didn’t have pandas, but pandas symptoms didn’t quite match the reality of what I was seeing.

amother

White

Yesterday at 8:44 pm

My son had recurrent strep and then at one point a week after finishing yet another round of antibiotics, his cultures were negative but his behavior was totally bizarre. Think hyperactive, eyes not focused... Dr said to treat as pandas. Did 2 extra long cycles of azyithromycin and thankfully he was back to himself after a few days but I kept giving it to knock it out of his system. It's been a year or 2 since and he's back to himself.
A neighbor of mine is dealing with this now but her pediatrician is giving her all different meds and I'm begging her to please talk to my dr and see if he can help because it's been months and her child is completely not himself yet

amother

Denim ↓

Yesterday at 9:20 pm

I will stand with a flag from a roof and shout that I am a believer.
I saved my childs life fighting to get blood work, diagnosis and medication.
My pediatrician and local urgent care only wanted to call hatzala and send us to a psychiatric facility.
As doctor Shulman said. "I promise you if this child is suffering from a true mental health issue antibiotics will not cure!"
She is so right The list of diagnosis placed on this child never would have disappeared with the pills this child took (and motrin and vitamins)!
I BELIEVE!

amother

↑ Waterlily ↓

Yesterday at 9:22 pm

amother Denim wrote:

I spoke to her back when she was my pediatrician and my child’s pediatrician. She believed it needed antibiotics and then it was done. She did not believe in the lifetime diagnose the pandas community believes in. So I guess you believe in the real one I mentored above. Not the other.

amother

↑ Denim ↓

Yesterday at 9:40 pm

amother Waterlily wrote:

Yes I understand what you are saying there are people hiding their children's true challenges behind a false pandas diagnosis and that is very sad.
Pandas like all diagnosis needs to be diagnosed and monitored correctly.
To clarify about dr. Schulman she does believe in long term antibiotics (we where over a year) the importance of slowing weaning of antibiotics and watching out for future reassurances (in our case any time exposed to strep). Dr Schulman does believe that there are children needing psychiatric care for mental health ilnesses, by treating pandas she is not providing care for people who truly need other medical help. Often she had to refer patients out who where coming for pandas diagnosis and she suspected other issues

amother

Starflower

Today at 12:08 am

I believe in it cause I lived it with my daughter, who has alot of symptom - joint pain, accidents, terrible OCD for hand washing and germs, rage and more.
Bh I fought until I found a Dr who believed me and tested for everything. A combination of the correct medicine and physic med to help deprogram her ocd behavior worked. Bh we got my daughter back. As quick as it comes, it quickly goes away. But to get there is often a long road thanks to Drs who are non believers, even when your child has every symptom.

amother

Lightgray ↓

Today at 3:07 am

But shouldn't there be evidence of strep to confirm pandas? We've had strep once and it felt very different than a regular cold and we treated with antibiotics right away.
I have a kid on the adhd/odd side and I know it's not easy having a child with behavioral problems. Proper diagnosis is needed and I had to adjust my parenting to help my kid

amother

Azalea

Today at 3:40 am

amother Marigold wrote:

This.

Pandas exists and it's a severe medical issue, but it has become a catch-all and people are way over diagnosing and unnecessarily pushing it as the solution to behavior problems. It's not.

Pandas exists but so do other things like trauma, ASD, psychiatric issues, etc. Just like no one would take it seriously if someone started telling every mother complaining of her child's issues "he's likely ASD, go get an ADOS done," people don't like being told that the answer to every question is "check pandas, take your kid to the expert and get your kid such and such treatment."

Sometimes pandas is the answer to "why" and treating it saves lives. But not every time.

amother

Tiffanyblue ↓

Today at 5:45 am

amother Lightgray wrote:

Pandas is not strep, though it can be caused by strep.

It's the body's immune system that was triggered by strep (also Lymes, but then it's not called pandas, it's called something else).

amother

↑ Lightgray ↓

Today at 5:59 am

amother Tiffanyblue wrote:

Pandas is not strep, though it can be caused by strep.

It's the body's immune system that was triggered by strep (also Lymes, but then it's not called pandas, it's called something else).

But if strep caused it can't you test that there was strep. If there was no strep how can it happen?

amother

↑ Denim ↓

Today at 6:06 am

amother Lightgray wrote:

But if strep caused it can't you test that there was strep. If there was no strep how can it happen?

If it was strep you will see elevated blood levels. (Not strep throat)

amother

↑ Lightgray

Today at 6:09 am

amother Denim wrote:

If itvwas strep you will see elevated blood levels. (Notcetrep throat)

Okay so that means there can be a test to determine if it was this. Either it is pandas or it isn't