PANDAS DISEASE: A hidden reason for your child's behavior!
Obsessive compulsive, tics, tourettes, ADHD, 'ants in pants', oppositional &/or defiant, clingy, mood swings, bed wetting, impulsive, compulsive . . . at least five of these? Sudden onset at around or after age 4 years old?
You may be dealing with more than your garden variety hyperactive child, this may be PANDAS whose source is rooted in a streptococcus illness which your child has had. He may no longer have the active strep in his body, but will be REACTING to the strep neurologically and behaviorally all the same!
If you feel so drawn, check out the following links and information:
http://intramural.nimh.nih.gov/pdn/web.htm
http://cbtny.com/pandas
"PANDAS is a disorder that typically begins in early childhood (ages 4-10). PANDAS symptoms include tics, obsessions and compulsions, mood swings, temper tantrums, attention difficulties, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and unusual movements called choreiform movements. PANDAS has an episodic course which comes and goes with the strep infection. However, the child may or may not have strep symptoms so it is often difficult to tell if you are dealing with PANDAS or not. In fact, many individuals never experience acute strep symptoms, and exacerbations can occur immediately following or several weeks after acute strep symptoms disappear. Symptom exacerbations are often rapid and dramatic, while symptom remissions are often slower."
http://intramural.nimh.nih.gov/pdn/recent_publications.htm
http://www.tourettesyndrome.net/links_pandas.htm
"What are the diagnostic criteria for PANDAS?
Pandas is diagnosed if there is an episodic history of the following symptoms associated with strep infections.
Presence of Obsessive-compulsive disorder and/or a tic disorder, ADHD symptoms or oppositional behaviours
Association with neurological abnormalities (motor hyperactivity, or adventitious movements, such as choreiform movements)
Paediatric onset of symptoms (age 3 years to puberty)
Episodic course of symptom severity. (symptoms come and go)
Association with group A Beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection (GABHS)
GABHS evidenced by either a positive throat culture for strep or positive for streptococcus serology (ASOT or AntiDNAse-B)
A history of Scarlet Fever or Rheumatic fever "
http://www.adhd.com.au/PANDAS.htm