Is Your Child Struggling with PANS/PANDAS?
- The number of PANS/PANDAS cases is rising.
- PANS can be triggered by infections or non-infections.
- PANS symptoms can come on rapidly, or can happen slowly over time (unlike popular belief in conventional medicine)
- Functional medicine providers get to the root cause of PANS, instead of just focusing on antibiotics usage.
- The functional medicine approach focuses on testing, diet, supplementation and other holistic methodologies.
More and more kids are being diagnosed with a chronic condition. Actually, a whopping 1 in 2 kids have some sort of chronic condition ranging from eczema to asthma to autoimmune disorders and even neuropsychiatric issues. Included in these are the rising cases of PANS/PANDAS.
What is PANS/PANDAS?
PANS stands for pediatric acute onset neuropsychiatric syndrome. PANS/PANDAS are forms of infection-triggered autoimmune encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), which causes a disruption of a patient's normal neurologic functioning.
When PANS is triggered by strep, the diagnosis is then considered as PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections).
While many other infections may trigger PANS (such as Lyme's disease, herpes 1 and 2, roseola virus, Epstein-Barr virus, along with others), PANS doesn't always have to be triggered by an infection. It can also be triggered by non-infections like environmental toxins, heavy metals, and mycotoxins.
Symptoms of PANS/PANDAS
These symptoms usually come on very rapidly or seemingly overnight. Keep in mind, however, that these can also become apparent slowly over time.
- Anxiety
- Rage/Irritability
- OCD
- Sensory Sensitivities
- Sleep Disturbances
- Inability to Concentrate
- Food Restriction
- Cognitive Decline
- Urinary Problems Like Frequent Urination
- Handwriting Decline
- Dilated Pupils (due to constant fight or flight response)
Risk Factors for PANS/PANDAS
A study conducted in Sweden found that 48% of patients had a family history of developmental or neuropsychiatric disorders in a first-degree relative, and 48% had a family history of inflammatory or autoimmune diseases in a first-degree relative.
Conventional Treatments of PANS/PANDAS
Unfortunately, since PANS was only recently discovered and recognized, many children with PANS/PANDAS are often misdiagnosed and are treated with psychotropic drugs to manage their symptoms. The conventional medicine approach fails to resolve the root underlying cause.
Functional Treatment of PANS/PANDAS
Knowing what kind of infection you are facing and understanding the child's immune system function is extremely important. Functional medicine providers use lab testing to find the source of the infection to utilize targeted therapy. These can include:
- Testing their reaction to anti-inflammatory medication
- Using the anti-DNase B strep antibody marker
- Ordering a Cunningham panel to look at autoimmune antibodies
Steps a functional medicine provider might use to address PANS/PANDAS cases include:
- Take an in-depth medical history to find the underlying cause
- Address drainage pathways to prepare the body for healing
- Address parasitic infections (often a primary driver)
- Address mold toxicities
- Address heavy metals
- Address the specific triggering infection (strep, Lyme, EBV, etc.)
- Support the nervous system and brain
- Use anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nutrition
- Support the gut microbiome
How Long Does it Take to Treat PANS/PANDAS?
The timeline for healing from PANS/PANDAS varies depending on the individual child, the severity of the condition, the triggering infections, and how quickly treatment is initiated. Generally speaking, functional medicine practitioners see improvement within 3-6 months, with many children experiencing significant improvement within 12-18 months of comprehensive treatment.