Treatments

Streptococcal infections are treated with antibiotics.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been shown to be effective in some children with PANDAS and to provide families with coping strategies during a PANDAS flare [Storch2006]. Caution is recommended for using SSRI's with PANDAS/OCD as there are reports of higher activation rates in such cases [Murphy2006]. In addition, there is a lack of controlled studies showing safety and efficacy of anti-tic or anti-OCD medications (e.g., SSRI and anti-psychotics) for children in the PANDAS subgroup.

Several reports have shown effectiveness of immunomodulating therapy (IVIG and Plasmapherisis) in combination with longer term prophylactic antibiotics[Perlmutter1999]. In addition, several studies have shown efficacy of longer term prophylactic antibiotics alone [Snider2005]. Some physicians will use a prednisone steroid burst for a short period of time to assist in diagnosis of an auto-immune disorder. Immunomodulating therapies are not effective for Tourettes Syndrome or other non-PANDAS OCD cases, again separating the child with PANDAS [Nicolson2000]. (insert sentence from AustismOne article)

Getting Help:

PANDAS was only identified in 1998 and as such is a recent disease [Swedo1998]. Additional research will help confirm the most effective treatment protocols.  You may need to interview pediatricians, neurologists and immunologists to find the best treatment options for your child.

Find a Doctor:

Click here to find a PANDAS doctor in your area.