Any knowledge on this?

[Zeldagirl]

So I'm in a bad way right now and I am always trying to get to the bottom of why I feel like this. I have read a lot on strep infections and OCD. I had a sore throat a few months ago and this OCD spiraled out of control shortly afterward. I had strep throat so many times as a child and I can't help but wonder if "PANDAS" is responsible for my OCD and if being exposed to strep as an adult could still cause a flare up of OCD. Any of you have any insight on any of this?

[Natasha006]

You need to further explain??
What kind of ocd do u have??
When did it start
Etc

[MyNameIsTerry]

Did you exhibit any symptoms of OCD with the infections as a child? Or any tics?

There are supposed to be reported cases of GABHS and non-Haemolitic streptococcus infections with adults but the research that coined the term "PANDAS" has only been for children.

So, perhaps you need to look at the diagnostic criteria to see if you experience the episodal flare ups seen in PANDAS?

[Zeldagirl]

I truly do not remember the exact onset of my OCD but I definately had it as a child. I pretty much have pure o and trichotilimania but I remember counting and having to do something so nothing bad would happen as a child, which can still be associated with pandas. I never told anyone about these things and my mother wasn't always very observant. I had many strep infections as a child and was supposed to have my tonsils removed when I was 5 or 6 but my blood work was off as they were about to take me back for the surgery. And they never took me back to have it done.

A couple months ago I had a real bad sore throat. My tonsils had white spots all over them and they hurt like crazy. Shortly afterward I had a total nervous breakdown with an OCD flare up from hell. I did take antibiotics but didn't finish them. Now I wish I had but I'm just putting this all together.

[MyNameIsTerry]

It could be the case.

Did you know that people taking strong antibiotics have been known to start experiencing anxiety leading to disorders? There are people on here that started that way.

So, it could even be that which tends to be due to the antibiotics killing off the good bacteria in our guts and leaving too much of the bad. You can treat this though.

[Zeldagirl]

I'm so confused. In read that taking antibiotics can help by killing the strep but I would hate to make it any worse. I'm so afraid to take anything :( I need to feel better because I can't go on like this. I would like to get a strep test and get my gut levels checked but I can't afford to and I'm afraid it's a scam. Plus I prob wouldn't take anything to fix it anyway. It's so rediculous.

[xvolatileheart]

I've done a good bit of research on PANDAS (I did a Master's degree in Clinical Neuroscience) so I will try to help. PANDAS has a very obvious presentation - during childhood, did you have severe sudden-onset OCD during strep infections that calmed down in between infections? If you can't remember, it's not likely to be PANDAS. The more likely situation here is that your anxiety was ramped up due to being ill. This is really common amongst anxious people. When your anxiety is worse, your OCD is of course going to get worse.

With that said, there's loads we don't know yet about autoimmune conditions. There very well could be a correlation between your infections and OCD, but there's no way to measure that right now. Your treatment wouldn't be different either, so it's no use worrying yourself about the cause. Just try and keep yourself healthy and manage your OCD with the usual therapies.

And as a medical student, I have to say this: ALWAYS FINISH YOUR ANTIBIOTICS! Incomplete eradication of bacteria allows it to mutate which is harmful to not only you but potentially the whole community. We are running out of effective antibiotics due to bacterial resistance.

I hope you get to feeling better soon.

[Zeldagirl]

Thank you for your respons I do have Hashimotos disease too, which is an autoimmune disease. I know if you have one autoimmune disease you are more likely to have others so I'm just trying to connect the dots. Do you know anything about GAD autoimmunity? That causes OCD behaviors as well :/

[MyNameIsTerry]

Definately take your antibiotics. Its only a possibility I wanted to mention as some people have experienced it. What people tend to do is take probiotics alongside them and some guidance from our NHS indicates the same as long as its under a doctors supervision.

[Davit]

Having taken doses of Antibiotics four times max dose by IV for months at a time I can safely say they won't kill you but I now have a few that cause anxiety. But I think it is by association