Ask Dr. How to test for PANDAS?

[Guest guest]

I would like to ask our daughter's doctor to check for PANDAS. What specific

test would I ask her doctor to order? Are there any other infectious diseases

that we could test for? This appeared to come on suddenly in February. She seems

to fall more in line with the description of PANDAS in Dr. Chansky's book than

the rest of the book. Some other odd things: Her thyroid is low, but all other

thyroid tests are normal. Despite her low thyroid something is keeping her

going. She hardly sleeps, and if we don't defuse her tantrums, they can last for

several hours of kicking, hitting, and screaming. Her white blood cell count is

4.0. This is lower than what it was when she was previously on a low dose chemo

medication (for a chronic idiopathic inflammatory condition). While on the chemo

medication, her white blood cell count hung around 5.0 and 5.5. She is 12 and

due for her first period to start. She has had migraines her whole life but

hasn't had one since this started.