Would you medicate?

penguin

Tue, Feb 06 2024, 10:57 am

I believe I read that Yanky Weiss who helps people with stuttering can also help with tics (and maybe even Tourettes?) Though I would definitely try a PANDAS-aware doctor first.

amother

Tue, Feb 06 2024, 4:46 pm

The pandas levels came back normal.

My son is too young to know what he wants.

We saw a local tic doc. We have an appt in a few weeks by Dr. Lubarr in Manhattan.

amother

Tue, Feb 06 2024, 5:14 pm

Lkwdmom4 wrote:

To answer your question: Yes, I would medicate if the tics were impacting my child significantly. I did and it made a world of a difference.

What medication were you prescribed?

amother

Brown

Tue, Feb 06 2024, 5:45 pm

My dc had very bad tics. We had already tried treating pandas and didn't help. What did end up working was a combo of Bach flower remedies, craniosacral therapy, and kinesiology. It took time but we kept at it for a few months, adjusted the Bach flower remedies and eventually bh the tics dissipated.

amother

Pumpkin

Tue, Feb 06 2024, 6:00 pm

Does he have other PANDAS symptoms or just tics? If he does I would do homeopathy. Even if he doesn't I would do homeopathy Smile

they aren't covered by insurance though and it can get expensive. We use resiliance naturopathic.

amother

Wandflower

Tue, Feb 06 2024, 6:08 pm

amother OP wrote:

The pandas levels came back normal.

My son is too young to know what he wants.

We saw a local tic doc. We have an appt in a few weeks by Dr. Lubarr in Manhattan.

Pandas is not diagnosed based on levels. It's diagnosed based on history and symptoms. Titers may provide a clue, but they're not necessary. Many many kids have been helped by pandas treatment despite never showing elevated titers. If I were you I would do the motrin/benadryl trial, and or try to get 30 days of antibiotics. If you see a difference you'll know what you're dealing with. You can always come back to meds if you choose, but treating pandas offers you the chance at an actual cure.

amother

Tue, Feb 06 2024, 6:44 pm

amother Wandflower wrote:

That's so interesting. Dr. Kirschenbaum at Dr. Diamond's office (who I thought knew about Pandas) said the levels are fine so it can't be Pandas.

amother

Tue, Feb 06 2024, 6:48 pm

amother Wandflower wrote:

I second the antibiotics. Strep and other hidden infections are a huge trigger for most people, even if bloodwork seems fine.

A trial of motrin and benadryl can tell you if inflammation is driving the tics. This can also be used as a treatment for flares for up to 2 weeks at a time.

High doses of NAC (or glutathione) can be very helpful.

Lots and lots of magnesium, including lotions and footsoaks.

Gaba and l theanine increase the good neurotransmitters that can balance out the ones that are causing tics due to excess (usually too much dopamine and glutamate, this will increase serotonin and gaba, the calming neurotransmitters).

Cbd oil

Homeopathy can be huge for tics. With a licensed classical homeopath.

Working on gut health. Probiotics, ferments, removing inflammatory foods like sugar, gluten, dairy, soy, treating yeast and parasites.

How do you go about doing a trial of Motrin and Benadryl?

amother

Wandflower

Tue, Feb 06 2024, 6:51 pm

amother OP wrote:

That's so interesting. Dr. Kirschenbaum at Dr. Diamond's office (who I thought knew about Pandas) said the levels are fine so it can't be Pandas.

It's a common misconception, even among doctors. But if you look up the official diagnostic guidelines you'll see that titers are not diagnostic.

amother

Wandflower

Tue, Feb 06 2024, 6:55 pm

amother OP wrote:

How do you go about doing a trial of Motrin and Benadryl?

Motrin every 6 hours, benadryl once in 24 hrs. I give benadryl at night because it can make them drowsy. If you want you can try a non drowsy anti histamine like claritin or zyrtec. Try to get dye free because dye in itself can cause tics and other behaviors. Do this for3 days.

amother

Tue, Feb 06 2024, 8:09 pm

amother Wandflower wrote:

If you do this and the tics disappear then you know it's pandas?

amother

Wandflower

Tue, Feb 06 2024, 8:28 pm

amother OP wrote:

If you do this and the tics disappear then you know it's pandas?

I wouldn't expect them to disappear, but they should become less frequent.

It would indicate that inflammation is a contributing cause to the tics. Pandas is caused by inflammation in the brain. The immune system attacks the brain instead of attacking strep bacteria. An immune attack means inflammation.

Motrin is an anti inflammatory so it stops this inflammation to the brain. Benadryl is an anti histamine, histamine is a chemical that's involved in the inflammatory immune response. So if these 2 medications help, you'll know that inflammation and the immune system are somehow involved. It's likely strep that's triggering the immune system to attack the brain, but it could also be other things.