CHILDREN - SPECIAL NEEDS COMMUNITY
PANDAS/OCD/tics Dr.?

PANDAS/OCD/tics Dr.?

My son has PANDAS and tourettes and OCD and ADHD. I was very glad and surprised to see it has been addressed so well here. We have been dealing with his symptoms for five years (almost six in Feb. ) I am so frustrated. How do you find  Dr's. who understand and can help you deal with this horrible disease? I am in Ohio. Dr.'s look at me like I am talking foreign. He is just a little guy at age six and this anxiety is tough for him . I don't know how to deal with these repetitive behaviors he gets after illness or being around strep. This fall he has been sick three times and he is now doing toe curling tics and finger cracking tics over and over. It is going on six weeks since they started. He is on several meds too, zoloft for anxiety, abilify for the moods and attention and tics. Omnicef for the strep reaction. How do I know if the meds are working if he is having these bad flair ups? The zoloft is new three weeks Fri. I think the repetitive tics maybe slowing down but he seems more irritable. He is so sensitive and cries so easily. I notice him overreacting to things. He is in OT for the fine, gross, and visual motor delays and sensory issues, What more can I do? How do I find the right Dr? I feel now he is being treated in pieces. Tics and attention and anxiety by the neuro (doesn't believe in PANDAS) and  antibiotics for the PANDAS by the immunologist who just informed me will no longer be able to write scripts because he is leaving the practice and the new Dr's want to treat him. My ped knows nothing. I am so scared that I won't be able to get him antibiotics soon. A psychiatrist who studies PANDAS. in Florida diagnosed him but she won't write scripts in another state. Should I consider IVIG and does it work in these persistent cases?
Another issue is the school. How do you get them to understand the affects of the stress and illness on him? My son is average ability so doesn't qualify for SPE but seems to have difficulty with some concepts mainly Math because he has the dysgraphia and visual perception trouble, The school is not very supportive other then giving him OT. They look at me like and I am making this up despite I came to his meeting armed with info they didn't want to listen to. Help! This is consuming my every waking minute!
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It must be very hard for you and your family because not only does your child have huge difficulties, but you are also fighting on two fronts ie. the school and the medical profession.
All I can suggest is to try and be very systematic about it.  Prioritise what is important from your child's and your families point of view and tackle 1-2 things at a time.   You can't do everything at once, you'll just burn out.  This journey is for the long haul, and you've got the rest of your life to improve your child's situation.
I would recommend that any communication with his school or medical professionals is put in writing and that you ask for replies in writing to.  File everything and keep those files for years.  You never know when you'll need them.  I would also find out about a legal advocate that has experience in educational law incase you need their advice.
If you are concerned about the school he is in, then get in touch with your local education department and find out about your local schools.  If he is of at least average cognitive ability you should be looking at schools that have experience and expertise of the disorders your child has.  OCD, Tourettes, ADHD etc can be co-morbid conditions with autism.  Therefore you might find his needs could be better met in a school that also has experience of autism.  In the UK there are schools that are called Enhanced Resource because they are mainstream schools, but they have expertise and experience of autistic spectrum disorders (or another disorder) and they have extra staffing levels and resources to meet the needs of these children.  So they maybe able to support your son better in this type of environment where around 5 children per class will be on the spectrum.  If you are in the USA you might get some advice through the Autistic Society of America.  When you have details of some schools, go and visit them.  Ask specific questions about how they would meet your child's needs.
I have recently moved my son to another school, and it really does lift the weight of frustration and stress off your shoulders if you know that your child is better supported and understood.
I don't know anything about PANDAS, I had to google it to find out what it was.  Is there anything like a PANDAS support group?  Is it possible to keep some kind of diary to help you identify which medications appear to help and which don't?  I know that will be hard to do, but I am just trying to think of a way that you can have a record of your son's health along with the medications he is taking.  Be frank and honest with the consultants.  It isn't fair that they place you the middle whilst they argue for/against a diagnosis or a treatment.
Find out if there is any way of getting some extra family support.  In the UK you can apply to an organisation called Umbrella.  You are usually on the waiting list for a long time (over a year), but they match volunteers to families.  A volunteer will come to your house once a fortnight to do anything you want really.  They can babysit whilst you go out, or play with the child whilst you do something else, or they can come with the whole family on an outing if you need an extra pair of hands, or they can take the child out eg. to the cinema.  I don't know where in the world you are, but it is worth searching and asking for any support there is because it is impossible to care 24/7 without a break.  
Finally I would say take care of your own health.  Try to do things together as a family.  You are doing the best you can, and you are doing well in a very difficult situation.
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