PANDAS – “pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders after Strep” – is a category of nervous system conditions that children can develop after an infection, such as strep throat. Parents of children with PANDAS tell me their child’s anxiety, tics or OCD symptoms came on suddenly – “out of the blue”. When we ask a few more questions, they often recall a memorable illness their child had – such as a fever, sore throat, vomiting or diarrhea – within a few weeks of the onset of their child’s new, neurological symptoms. PANDAS was first defined in 1998 by Susan Swedo et al. (You’ll find the reference to the published medical journal article here). As an autoimmune condition, PANDAS symptoms may get worse … Read More