The Wall Was Hard to See
This story exemplifies how it is sometimes hard to see the sudden onset or sudden worsening of PANS PANDAS symptoms as you are living (struggling) through it. Remember, someone with PANS PANDAS does...
The Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction associated with doxycycline in a patient with Lyme arthritis
Nykytyuk S, Boyarchuk O, Klymnyuk S, Levenets S. The Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction associated with doxycycline in a patient with Lyme arthritis. Reumatologia. 2020;58(5):335-338. doi: 10.5114/reum.2020.99143. Epub 2020 Oct 3. PMID: 33227092; PMCID: PMC7667941.
- A 13-year-old boy developed Lyme arthritis and experienced a severe Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction on day 7 of doxycycline treatment.
- Symptoms included low-grade fever, severe joint and muscle pain, and increased inflammatory markers.
- Unlike the typical mild, short-lived reaction seen in adults, this case was prolonged and intense.
- Raising awareness among healthcare professionals can help differentiate this reaction from allergies or other conditions, improving patient care.
Psychosocial Interventions and Immune System Function – A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Shields GS, Spahr CM, Slavich GM. Psychosocial Interventions and Immune System Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. JAMA Psychiatry. 2020 Oct 1;77(10):1031-1043. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.0431. PMID: 32492090; PMCID: PMC7272116.
- Inflammation-linked diseases cause over 50% of global deaths. Psychosocial interventions may help, but it’s unclear which work best and for whom.
- Study: Systematic review and meta-analysis of 56 RCTs (4,060 participants) across 8 psychosocial interventions and 7 immune markers.
- Findings: Interventions led to a 14.7% improvement in beneficial immune function and 18% reduction in harmful immune activity.
- Most effective: CBT and combined/multiple interventions, especially those targeting proinflammatory markers.
- Lasting effects: Benefits persisted at least 6 months post-treatment and held across age, sex, and treatment duration.
- Conclusion: Psychosocial interventions reliably improve immune function and may be a useful public health strategy.
September 26, 2020
We’re not fighting for this for us
"Last week, in part one of our two-part look into PANDAS/PANS, teens Gino Vitelli and Abby Gauch, along with their mothers, told their stories of living with the auto-immune disease. This week, in...
September 24, 2020
He woke up an altogether different child
‘He woke up an altogether different child’: Massachusetts families speak on living with PANDAS/PANS Wicked Local. By James Kukstis. Sep 24, 2020 Part one of our look into PANDAS/PANS Read...
September 2, 2020
IVIG for PANS PANDAS Study
Study To Compare The Effect of Panzyga Versus Placebo in Patients With Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome. This will be a double blind placebo study of IVIG for...
August 29, 2020
Parent Regulation Cheat Sheet
Elisha Bidwell, LMFT discusses her Parent Regulation Cheat Sheet and how PANS PANDAS caregivers can utilize it. Click to download a printable copy of the Parent Regulation Cheat Sheet Gabriella:...
August 27, 2020
Overview of Lyme & Tick Borne Illness – Dr. Moorcroft
"Education is critical to know what is out there. If we can identify cases of Lyme disease early, we can treat them right away. Then we decrease the likelihood of an infection leading to chronic...
August 27, 2020
Lyme Disease and Tick-Borne Illness Overview – Dr. Moorcroft
According to the CDC, Lyme disease is the number one vector-borne illness in the United States. The CDC believes their typical numbers are underestimating the number of Lyme disease cases in any...
August 27, 2020
Lyme Disease Treatment – Dr. Moorcroft
I often combine antibiotics with natural products, including different antimicrobial herbs and different tinctures. I look at the evidence we have; we're in an evidence-based medical culture, yet we...
August 27, 2020
PANS & Lyme Disease – Dr. Moorcroft
Do I have patients with Lyme triggered PANS? Do I have patients whose Lyme does not trigger PANS symptoms but does exacerbate the severity of pre-existing conditions or make it more difficult to...