Have you heard about P.A.N.D.A.S?

PANDAS stands for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcal infections.  PANDAS is an abbreviation to explain a subset of children who have OCD and/or Tourette’s Syndrome, in whom symptoms worsen following strep infections. 

PANDAS is a very new research that I have started to look into.  All of my symptoms to fit into the criteria because I did have strep, then mono, then strep, then I was healthy for a month, and then had strep two more times. This was the same winter season that I developed my Tourette’s.  PANDAS can be diagnosed, but I never did go get tested for it because it doesn’t really change anything.  It could give me the reassurance of what caused my Tourette’s, but it wouldn’t change anything about the fact that I still have Tourette’s and must now deal with it. 

For more information on PANDAS check out http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/pandas/index.shtml