Re: Strep and PANDAS

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 2/13/2005 9:19:18 PM Pacific Standard Time,

kathylr@... writes:

It's true a neg. test does not mean no chance that OCD was kicked off by a

strep infection. I don't think there's any way to rule out...it's just that

one showing elevated strep titers at the same point in time as abrupt onset

or worsening of OCD/tics, is considered suggestive

*******Dr. Swedo suggested to me years ago that my daughter's OCD could have

been set off by a previous, unnoticed, strep infection and that her immune

system then reacted abnormally to the presumably viral illness she had on Jan.

21, 1997 (our anniversary date), which is when we noticed the OCD. She has never

tested positive for strep or had high antibody titers during an exacerbation,

but Dr. Swedo apparently felt that this was not necessarily conclusive. It's

all very mysterious to me.

For what it's worth, the doctor who diagnosed Annie called it " irritation

of the basal ganglia " and what he said implied that the " irritation " was more

or less permanent (it was my impression that he was trying to avoid the word

'damage', as in 'brain damaged', even though it was crystal clear to us that

she was, considering all the other neurological problems that went along with

the OCD symptoms).

in NV