Pandas Episode 3

     Everett is in the middle of another Pandas episode.  It was kicked off by the stomach flu that he had 2 1/2 weeks ago.  His symptoms started about 1 week after the flu. It looked like a mild episode until on day five he then got Tonsillitis and two days later his Panda's symptoms got worse.
   
     His typical symptoms include:  His ability to reason has regressed to that of a 2 yr. old. He is arguing over everything, and is unable to let go of an argument once it has started, becoming fixated on it.   He is having  temper tantrums over just about everything.  He is acting very very hyper and is unable to calm down once he is over stimulated.  He is running around the house, jumping, bumping, and bouncing into everything.  His movements are at times very erratic and look very "herky jerky".   He is also acting aggressively, targeting his brother, Michael. He is tackling him, running up to him and screeching, growling, barking loudly in his ear.  He is antagonizing him and trying to push his buttons.  This is unfortunate because Michael has hyper-sensitive integration  issues and after about a week of this, he himself has started to unravel.

     I knew it was a Pandas episode when he started having urinary accidents at night and even during the day.  I think the reason this happens is because when he is having an episode it seems that his whole body/brain is in a "alarmed", "anxiety" type state.  It seems to disrupt his brain body/connection, therefor, he fails to feel his own natural cues prompting him to go to the bathroom.  When he had a bowel accident, I knew for sure something was up.

     That leads me to his night fears.  While he is not a fan of sleeping in his bed, he was not complaining about it.  All of a sudden, he was asking again to sleep with me.  When he sleeps with me, I notice his sleep is not calm, as usual. He is thrashing around allot, kicking, arms flying around, flipping. This can almost be non-stop.

     His ability to focus is off.  Until today, Monday, he was doing reasonably well at school. But since the episode went to another level over the weekend, he had a hard time at school today. Unable to focus and manage school work without a lot of re-direction. He was arguing with his teacher, which has never happened in his first grade year. Up till now, his teacher has reported that he was one of her best behaved students.  He at times appears not to hear you at all, I have to call out to him several times before he responds.

   Some of the newer symptoms have been:  Complaining that the light is hurting his eyes.  He is a very skinny child.  He has been rather focused on this. He says often, "I am so skinny!!", and seems to be delighted with this.  He will not wear certain clothes because he says they make him look "fat". Really?  He does not have an ounce of fat on him. I recently re-read Dr. K's website on Pandas.  I was stunned when I read that "prepuberty" anorexia "thinking" is one of the symptoms.   I don't respond much to this, I"m afraid to give it too much attention.  The good news is that the kid eats allot.  He has not yet made the connection with eating/weight gain. God.

     One strange thing about Panda's is the waxing/waning.  For the most part, I am seeing more of a constant with his symptoms, not seeing much waning.

     Everett saw Dr. K. last Wednesday.  He started him on antibiotics for both his tonsillitis and Pandas symptoms.  He will do 10 days and then wait a week for his symptoms to go away.  If it works then we are good until the next episode. If the antibiotics fail, then we will discuss IVG.  Dr. K. says that as long as the antibiotics work we will use them until age 10. He feels that at age 10 he see's a lower success rate with the IVG.

     QAnnie