Thanksgiving Case Study - PANS/PANDAS with Rage and Reduced Immune Function

Jonah* is a 14-year-old boy with PANS/PANDAS. At the time I met Jonah his loudest and most limiting symptoms were rage, OCD, headaches, anxiety related to trying new things, and reduced immune function. His rage was instantaneous, and he could destroy a room, scream, swear, and be violent towards family members. His mom reported that the whole house was “walking on eggshells” to not set him off. The holidays were especially difficult as spending time with extended family added pressure and never went well due to his unpredictable and disruptive behavior. When he would get sick with seemingly mild viruses, he would stay sick; an acute illness could last a month or more. Acute illness was followed by a worsening of emotional symptoms. Jonah was described as an intense child since he was an infant, but the symptoms described here were new and started after he began attending a new school with known mold issues. Note: Many, although not all, kids that have PANS/PANDAS have mold exposures in their histories.

Jonah was brought to me for homeopathic support for his PANS/PANDAS symptoms in June, 2021. He had been diagnosed with PANS/PANDAS by a leading PANS/PANDAS expert in the Minneapolis area two years before. Over those two years, Jonah’s physician had prescribed long-term antibiotics, anti-viral medication, anti-parasitic medication, and several other medications and supplements. He had also been seen for homeopathic care by a leading PANS/PANDAS care organization in another state. Despite all of the treatments over that time, his headaches had worsened, and his rage and anxiety hadn’t improved, leading his parents to look for new treatment options from a local homeopath.

PANS/PANDAS care can take years, and that is true in Jonah’s case. I have been seeing Jonah monthly for the past 18 months. Within three months of working with Jonah, he showed slow but steady improvements. Tuberculinim 6c diluted in 4 oz water was the third remedy prescribed after two other well indicated remedies didn’t yield improvements. The first potency and dose of Tuberculinum were as follows: Tuberculinum 6c in 4 oz water, stir 15x, take 2 drops, 1x/week. He has been on Tuberculinum in increasing potencies for 18 months and continues to improve with this remedy.

Response in the first month of Tub 6c: Jonah’s mother reported that Johah was less rude, less confrontational, and was ever so slightly more open to feedback. Overall, she sensed a softening in his emotional symptoms. Nothing was resolved, but there was a sense that this remedy had started to shift things in a positive direction. Since there were no new symptoms, no worsening of the “deeper” symptoms, and an indication of improvement, he was prescribed to continue taking Tuberculinum.

By the one-year mark, Jonah’s mother summarized the shift in symptoms since beginning care as follows: his rage incidents initially shortened in duration, then intensity, and finally in frequency. His last “incident” was two weeks ago and was described as some yelling that lasted about 15 minutes. His headaches are gone. His OCD and anxiety with perseverating thinking are not as intense, they’ve shifted into a manageable level of anxiety about new activities. Anxiety no longer limits his ability to try new things and goes away upon starting the new activity. She also reported that his difficulties concentrating in school have improved – this wasn’t one of the symptoms she was initially concerned with and was a welcome and notable change.

Between 12-18 months of care mark, Jonah has not had any notable rage incidents, still no headaches or OCD, and continued lower level of anxiety. In addition, his palate has expanded and he will eat a wider variety of foods. Most notable during this period was a shift in his ability to weather physical illness. Jonah still gets acute illness, but it doesn’t cause a flare of symptoms and the incidents last a week or so, which is a typical immune response for the broader population.

As of today, Jonah no longer has rage, OCD, or headache symptoms. His ability to concentrate in school has improved, his grades are good, and he eats a wide range of foods. He participates in extracurricular activities and spends time with friends at his house, at their houses, and in other locations. In addition, over the past 18 months Jonah has stopped taking antibiotics and has reduced his supplement protocol to a small number of nutritional supports. Jonah’s mother sent me a note to report that their Thanksgiving with extended family was the nicest holiday she could ever have imagined, with everyone relaxed and able to enjoy time together. She said she couldn’t have imagined this was possible 18 months ago.

PANS/PANDAS healing is not a straight line; this illness is too complex to allow for that. But support is possible and homeopathy can help.

Reach out today to begin your own healing journey with homeopathy by scheduling an initial consult here: https://suemckinleyhomeopathy.as.me/schedule.php

*Not his real name