Comments On This Case By The Homeopath

by Kari J. Kindem, AIT, CFHom, CHP, CEASE, Classical Homeopath, PANDAS / PANS Specialist

This is a story of a girl, now age 12 who recovered from PANDAS / PANS. Her recovery took place over a period of about 2 1/2 years in my homeopathic practice and her care began with me at age 10.  At the time this story is published, I was the last in a series of four other classical homeopaths who had treated this child over a period of about 5 years.

PANDAS is an acronym for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections. Also known as PANS: Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome.

Symptoms include ADHD type symptoms, anorexia, anxiety, bedwetting, depression, germ phobias, mood swings, OCD, tantrums, repetitive motions or noises, motor tics, anger, rage and sensory issues. Read more about my PANDAS treatment with homeopathy.

Overview of the Case Challenges:
This girl's mother is a Strep B carrier. The girl was fully vaccinated per the current schedule and these vaccinations exposed her to toxic heavy metals like mercury and aluminum as well as other toxic vaccine adjuvants (download CDC list of vaccine excipients). She was also prescribed asthma medications, antibiotics and other suppressive drugs during her childhood by her various doctors.

Clinical Tests:

• Several food allergies had been muscle tested prior to her homeopathic care beginning and she was on a gluten free diet before and during homeopathic care.  Her mother fed her a very healthy and organic diet both prior to and during our chronic care. 

• A Vitamin D blood test with her doctor indicated she had quite low Vitamin D, so daily supplementation was begun. 

• I consistently see recurring sore throats and strep throat infections in such cases and this girl had a repeated sore throat history as well.

• I also requested that an ASO Titer test, a blood test for the Anti-streptolysin O antibodies be done with her doctor when we suspected PANDAS. Her labs however DID NOT show high levels of antibodies to strep above the normal range. Yet, all the symptoms indicated PANDAS / PANS including the onset cycle at an earlier age.  

• This is not uncommon for some children to not show high strep titers, yet to have clear PANDAS / PANS symptoms. In this case, I always treat the CHILD AND THEIR SYMPTOMS, not their labs and I proceeded accordingly.

Case Progress:
Her improvements in general health and wellness as well as from her PANDAS / PANS symptoms were slow and steady, progressing forward by month, over the 2 1/2 period chronic care.  Her recovery and detoxification with homeopathy took place slowly and steadily during this time.

We used both chronic homeopathic remedies in ascending potencies this child's case.  We did acute dosing for various acutes that arose during her care.

We also used several nutritional balancing supplements, including Omega-3's, probiotics, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, iodine and a multi-vitamin that supports methlylation pathways with the correct forms of methlyfolate and methlycobalamin.  These supports were on going during the period of his homeopathic care to support her immune system.

During this time, her episodes of recurring sore throats also continued to decrease in frequency and intensity. Other PANDAS / PANS symptoms began to improve noticeably including:

• Her intense rage and emotional outbursts began to diminish.

• Her phobias and fears reduced.

• Her intense anxiety about her mother's well-being began to slowly improve.

• Her OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) particularly about clothing improved - where she insisted on wearing the same outfit nearly every day to school, she started to change.

• Her refusal to shower or wash her hair and her self-care improved.

• Her academic anxiety began to improve as did her school grades.  She grew more confident again in her school work.

Challenges To Homeopathic Progress:

• This child's mother was adopted, so a full medical history was not available in this case.  Even so, the clear symptoms in the child and her mother being a strep carrier pointed to PANDAS / PANS especially with the sudden onset and the intensity of this girl's emotional behaviors, which were out of character prior.

• During care, this child had a severe staph infection, diagnosed by a lab test which I suspected was from repeated insect bites. This further taxed the child's already weakened immune system and slowed progress until that problem was fully resolved.

• I successfully treated the staph infection with homeopath to fully resolve the infection in about one week, without the use of any antibiotics.  Antibiotics would have only further suppressed and further weakened her already struggling immune system.

• There was no knowledge and little true compassion for this child's by her doctors. They did not know or understand that this child was suffering from was PANDAS / PANS. This this was further traumatizing especially to the mother on an emotional level and also delayed a correct diagnosis for the child.

• Sadly, because this child's medical doctors were NOT supportive or had no practice knowledgeable of PANDAS / PANS criteria in her case, they implied blame on the mother (and father) on their parenting skills, pushed the idea that what this child needed was better parenting, discipline, counseling and possible drugs.  Her teachers did  the same. 

• PANDAS / PANS is a significant medical condition, that needs healing and support - not judgment!

The Outcome:

This girl  is now in middle school and is more confident, optimistic and thriving!  She is beautiful and takes care of her appearance. Her OCD is now in the past, as is her  rage and the family turmoil over helping her with issues has finally gone. She is an excellent student, has many friends, is sweet, very athletic and heavily involved in music, theatre and creative arts. Her anxiety is reduced and her family relationships more peaceful. She lives at a renewed level of health and vitality as she approaches her teen years.  Her mother has also learned how to effectively treat the basic family acutes very successfully, at home with her remedy kit.

We can clearly how profoundly homeopathic medicine has changed this girl's life and her whole family dynamics....for the better!