Often we only think of tick-borne illnesses, like Lyme disease, as having a slow, gradual onset. We see acute physical symptoms and then months later we see neurologic or neuropsychiatric symptoms. I specifically remember a discussion between Dr. Susan Swedo and Dr. Brian Fallon at Columbia. He showed her case studies of sudden onset symptoms with Lyme disease and some of those patients were diagnosed with PANS, Lyme disease triggered PANS.
My son was bit by a tick and three days later he went to sleep a healthy six-year-old boy and woke up with severe vocal and motor tics, sudden onset OCD, and severe separation anxiety. Our world was flipped upside down overnight. After our uninformed pediatric practitioner assured me he was OK because the tick wasn’t attached long enough to transmit Lyme, I knew I needed to find help elsewhere. After connecting with many infectious disease doctors, psychologists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, naturopathic doctors, psychiatrists, and neurologists, we are finally on the road to healing!