Does PANDAS affect speech?

Speech, language and feeding can be impacted due to the antibodies attacking the brain in response to PANDAS/PANS. A child may suddenly begin stuttering or even develop selective mutism. Because of this, children with PANDAS/PANS are at a higher chance of coming across an SLP's caseload.


What does PANDAS do to your brain?

PANDAS/PANS causes inflammation in an area of the brain called the basal ganglia, which helps govern emotions and motor control. When the immune system creates antibodies to the strep infection, these antibodies mistakenly attack tissue in the basal ganglia as well.

What are side effects of PANDAS?

The symptoms are usually dramatic, happen “overnight and out of the blue,” and can include motor or vocal tics or both and obsessions, compulsions, or both. In addition to these symptoms, children may become moody or irritable, experience anxiety attacks, or show concerns about separating from parents or loved ones.


Is PANDAS similar to autism?

Some scientists say an immune condition called PANDAS affects as many as 1 in 200 children who have traits similar to those of autism. But many experts contest that figure — and even the condition's very existence.

What are the long term effects of PANDAS?

Symptoms of PANDAS can leave your child unable to function at school or in social situations. Untreated, symptoms of PANDAS may continue to worsen and can result in permanent cognitive damage. For some children, PANDAS can become a chronic autoimmune condition.


Toddler Diagnosed With PANDAS After Tonsillitis | Steph's Packed Lunch



Can PANDAS cause speech delay?

Speech, language and feeding can be impacted due to the antibodies attacking the brain in response to PANDAS/PANS. A child may suddenly begin stuttering or even develop selective mutism. Because of this, children with PANDAS/PANS are at a higher chance of coming across an SLP's caseload.

Does PANDAS ever go away?

According to current research, PANDAS is a pediatric disease caused by a strep infection, which is common in young children and demonstrated in these prevalence rates. PANDAS/PANS symptoms seem to flare and remit throughout childhood and disappear in adulthood with proper treatment and symptom maintenance.

Can PANDAS be misdiagnosed as autism?

PANS/PANDAS patients are commonly misdiagnosed with Autism, Tourette's Syndrome, OCD, bipolar disorder, ADHD, Oppositional Defiance, or an eating disorder. However, PANS/PANDAS patients can have co-occurring conditions of Autism, ADHD, autoimmune illnesses, immunodeficiencies, and more.


Is PANDAS an anxiety disorder?

Psychological symptoms that have been reported to occur with PANDAS have included: Anxiety or depression. Bedwetting. Changes in mood or personality, especially sudden rage or irritability.

Is PANDAS a neurological disorder?

Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with Streptococcus infections (PANDAS) is a neurological and psychiatric condition in which symptoms are brought on or worsened by a Streptococcal (strep) infection. PANDAS is a subtype of pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS).

How do I know if my child has PANDAS?

What Are the Symptoms of PANDAS and PANS?
  1. tics or jerky movements.
  2. anxiety, depression, or mood swings.
  3. acting aggressive or "hyper"
  4. using baby talk, acting clingy, or having new bedtime fears.
  5. sudden trouble with handwriting or other fine motor skills.
  6. new trouble with memory, reading, or math.
  7. new bedwetting, not sleeping.


Can stress trigger PANDAS?

PANS can be triggered by viruses, bacteria, mold, allergies, and even emotional trauma and stress! Put simply, PANS is a subtype of pediatric neurological disorders, and PANDAS is a subset of PANS used when strep infection was identified before symptoms began.

What medication is used to treat PANDAS?

Azithromycin and penicillin have been utilized in the treatment of PANDAS with observations of improvement in neuropsychiatric symptoms.

How long does a PANDAS flare last?

In PANDAS children, a strep infection occurs before or at the time the OCD symptoms ramp up. Assuming the infection is adequately treated, the first symptoms generally improve within 4-6 weeks.


Is PANDAS related to bipolar?

PANS/PANDAS is a condition where the immune system attacks the brain, causing inflammation and myriad symptoms mistaken for psychological conditions such as ADHD, OCD, and Bipolar Disorder. Unless treatment addresses the root cause of the inflammation, it can become a life-long condition.

Can PANDAS be cured in adults?

As a psychiatrist focused on the intersection of whole-body health and mental health, I have learned that PANS & PANDAS are far more common than we realize. With proper diagnosis, patients can receive treatments that not only help them manage their symptoms, but heal on a biological level.

Is there a blood test for PANDAS?

Currently, there is no single blood test that detects PANDAS or PANS. However, lab tests can guide healthcare professionals in the right direction for diagnosing and treating your child's condition.


Is it PANDAS or ADHD?

ADHD-like symptoms & PANS PANDAS

Decline in Academic Performance is a symptom category included in the PANS PANDAS Diagnostic Criteria. ADHD-like symptoms are included in this category. New onset of ADHD-like behaviors along with other PANS symptoms is one of the possible signs someone may have PANS PANDAS.

Why is PANDAS controversial?

Why Some Doctors Believe PANDAS Isn't a Real Diagnosis. PANDAS affects vulnerable children ages 3 through 13 — with boys twice as likely to be diagnosed. ¹ It causes OCD and other frightening neuropsychiatric symptoms to develop overnight. PANDAS scares the parents just as much as the children.

Can a child have mild PANDAS?

Children with mild symptoms have obvious impairments as a result of their PANS/PANDAS symptomatology, but these are limited to certain situations or settings.


Does pans ever go away?

A flare up does not last forever, and symptoms do eventually subside for most patients. In fact, some studies suggest that about 95% of kids will outgrow PANS or PANDAS by adolescence or young adulthood when their immune systems fully mature.

Do PANDAS neglect their babies?

Half of all panda births result in twins, however, it is very rare for both cubs to survive as giant pandas almost always abandon a cub if they give birth to more than one. The reason is that they don't have sufficient milk or energy to care for two so focus their attentions on the strongest club.

What happens if PANDAS is not treated?

Untreated PANDAS/PANS can cause permanent debilitation, and in some cases, can become encephalitic. Repeat strep infections can cause serious problems, so it is vital to eradicate strep. Subsequent episodes can be caused by environmental and infectious triggers different from the original infection.


How can I help my child with PANDAS?

There is a three-pronged approach to treatment:
  1. Treat the original infection with antibiotics.
  2. Modulate and modify your child's immune system.
  3. Psychological therapy and counseling to aid OCD and other symptoms.


How do you treat PANDAS naturally?

One way that probiotics may be helpful for PANDAS is in preventing digestive problems due to antibiotics, a common treatment for PANDAS. Research has found that probiotics show promise for this purpose. Another way is through the gut-brain axis, or how digestive health and brain health can impact each other.