PANS
Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) is a clinical diagnosis given to children who have a dramatic – sometimes overnight – the onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms including obsessions/compulsions or food restriction. They are often diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or an eating disorder, but the sudden onset of symptoms separates PANS from these other disorders. In addition, they may have symptoms of depression, irritability, anxiety, and difficulty with schoolwork. The cause of PANS is unknown in most cases but is thought to be triggered by infections, metabolic disturbances, and other inflammatory reactions.
PANDAS
Like PANS, children with Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) have an acute onset – within 2 to 3 days – of neuropsychiatric symptoms, specifically OCD or tics (involuntary, purposeless movements). However, PANDAS patients test positive for a recent streptococcal infection, such as strep throat, peri-anal strep, or scarlet fever. Like PANS patients, they also may suffer from uncontrollable emotions, irritability, anxiety, and loss of academic ability and handwriting skills. Although PANDAS was identified as a medical syndrome more than a decade before PANS, it has been classified as a subset of PANS. To date, PANDAS is the only known subset of PANS, but we may discover more causes in the future.
Kids with PANDAS and PANS will also have other new symptoms. These can include:
- tics or jerky movements
- anxiety, depression, or mood swings
- acting aggressive or “hyper”
- using baby talk, acting clingy, or having new bedtime fears
- sudden trouble with handwriting or other fine motor skills
- new trouble with memory, reading, or math
- new bedwetting, not sleeping
- new fears about foods, eating, or choking; not eating
- new sensitivity to noise, touch, clothes, or light
- Compulsion
- obsession
Our Approach
At Holistic Health we look at each person as an individual. You can have two people with the same symptoms each being caused/triggered by different things. You can have two people with different symptoms being caused/triggered by different things. Our goal is to identify underlying issues whether it be mold, parasites, viruses, bacteria, heavy metal, or even chemical toxicity, and put together protocols using homeopathy, herbs, and supplements to help the body detox. We often see that there are multiple triggers and root issues in the cases with PANDAS/PANS. Conventional blood testing is sometimes missing these things they are not being tested for.
In addressing these issues it is very important to be supporting the drainage and detox pathways to ensure everything we are detoxing is able to leave the body. We use various protocols that include homeopathy, herbs, and supplements. Often we use a combination of these things to ensure the best way to rebalance the body.
