Homeopathy for PANS/PANDAS

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) may be diagnosed when there is OCD, a tic disorder or both suddenly appear following a streptococcal infection, such as strep throat or scarlet fever. Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrom (PANS) is a similar condition with a non-Streptococcal infection source.

My mantra is “If you’re sitting on a tack, don’t take aspirin.” Healing starts at the root cause level. For support healing chronic and complex conditions, my personal experience is that nothing beats homeopathy. Below I share recommendations for supporting PANS/PANDAS conditions as well as my PANDAS story.

Please note that I am not a medical doctor, nutritionist or naturopath and I do not diagnose medical conditions or prescribe pharmaceuticals or supplements.

Recommendations for supporting PANS/PANDAS healing

1.     Constitutional homeopathy treatment - It was a game changer for us and is what led me to homeopathy as a profession. Constitutional homeopathy supports improvement in imbalances of the energetic state. As this improves, clients typically experience significant improvement in their local symptoms and chief complaints on all levels – mental, emotional, and physical. Returning to greater balance and health unfolds over many months and years for complex and chronic conditions and homeopathy has been the only lasting modality I’ve seen that addresses ALL symptoms, even those seemingly unrelated to PANS/PANDAS.

2.     Crunchy veggies throughout the day – This is a palliative support. There is something that can be highly regulating about eating vegetables throughout the day that can be helpful in mood stabilization and regulation. **Note: this will likely not be possible for kids with restrictive eating patterns. 

3.     Know your genetics – There are several SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) that many PANS/PANDAS kids share, including the MTHFR defect. This can be important in selecting a good multivitamin, among other things. There are several good testing options available, many of which do not require a doctor’s order.

4.     Daily multivitamin – High quality, pharmaceutical grade vitamins can help fill in the nutritional gaps for picky eaters. Please note that there are versions that support the MTHFR defect if needed (see Know your genetics above. The MTHFR defect can be problematic with regular multivitamins, and the wrong multi can further irritate some kids).

5.     Omega 3s – These have anti-inflammatory properties and are made up of the good and protective fats that most Americans don’t get enough of in their daily diets. This is good for most of us that don’t eat fish on a daily basis.

6.     Vitamin C – Great for detoxification, I like buffered or liposomal vitamin c. The liposomal version is more bioavailable than the traditional water-soluble vitamin c and can cross the blood brain barrier for detoxification.

7.     Magnesium – If your daily multi doesn’t contain magnesium, please supplement with it. Many Americans are deficient, and a good high quality magnesium supplement can be highly supportive of many body needs.

8.     Mold – Check your house for mold. Just do it, even (especially) if it’s a new house, even if you’ve never had water damage, even if you don’t see any evidence. Mold is frequently in the picture for PANS/PANDAS kids and on-going exposure to mold can create health obstacles such that meaningful progress won’t be possible until it’s resolved. I’ve lived this one. Air tests can be helpful, the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI) swab test is better, and assessment for water damage in unseen places can also be necessary to completely understand the mold exposure picture.

9.  Detoxification - Many PANS/PANDAS kids have trouble detoxing, which is basically the body’s way of taking out its own internal trash. I like the highway analogy – sometimes the roads are just too narrow for all of the cars and can slow things down, creating distress for a body not able to metaphorically let the cars off the highway. We’re all increasing our environmental, pharmaceutical, and biogenerated toxins every day, if we can’t get rid of them effectively they pile up and can create issues. Homeopathy can support detox pathways as well as re-balance toxic levels of substances. In addition, some soothing and gentle support therapies can include castor oil liver packs (1 time per week), Epsom salt baths (1 time per week), and activated charcoal (1 time per week, 2 hours away from food and supplements on either side) for ongoing detoxification support. NOTE: these methods are best for people looking to boost a functioning detoxification system, some people’s detoxification functions are sub-optimized to the point that detoxification assistance creates issues.

10.  Support and care for caregivers – PANS/PANDAS is tough, can be isolating, and can feel defining for the household, the parents, and the child. The path is longer than we’d like, and it can take more than parents and caregivers have to give in every dimension – physical health, mental health, finances, social situations, etc. Care for caregivers isn’t just important, it’s critical. Give yourself some grace. Some highly beneficial practices that can help refill the tank include:

• Rely on the people that get it – the parents of PANS/PANDAS kids are the smartest and most resourceful people I know. I found I could lay my burdens down with them in a way that was different than with others. They can be a tremendous source of support with all kinds of practical resource – sample IEP and 504 plans, a script for working with a teacher or therapist, been there/done that stories for navigating schools, OT/PT programs, insurance issues, therapy referrals, etc. It was from some of my PANDAS friends that I learned about homeopathy. Their kids were improving and I wanted to learn more.

• Daily meditation. There are several good apps for this, I personally like the https://zivameditation.com/online/ program. The benefits of deep breathing are well researched, it will help in the moment, as well as throughout the rest of the day. And can help with regulating how your PANS/PANDAS child is operating as well. The benefits cascade in many directions!

• Therapy – individual, couples and for your child.

• Spend time in nature. There is renewal in nature.

• Spend time in a relaxing setting that is all for you, whatever that is for you – the arboretum, the library, the mall, the movie theater, with friends at a restaurant, your church, etc.

• Eat more good food. I put more emphasis on this one after watching the benefit eating veggies throughout the day provided my son. It’s harder to have a bad day when you’ve eaten spinach with breakfast!

• Spend time with loved ones. They may not get it, but the love is deep and being seen for more than your child’s challenges can remind us of the other parts of ourselves that can get lost along the way.

• Lastly, find your fuel – a song, a friend, a TV show. We need something from time to time from the outside to pump us up a little that we can return to over and over.

If you do nothing else on this recommendation list, please do #11, get support and care for caregivers. I believe it will ultimately accelerate your child’s healing process to have a more whole and supported caregivers.

Please reach out if you’d like to have a conversation about homeopathy can support your child’s healing journey. I welcome the opportunity to work with you.

My PANS/PANDAS Story

My youngest son was 3 when he woke up with full body tics on a Saturday morning in April, over 10 years ago. I will never forget seeing his little hips bucking off his bed as he looked straight into my eyes with eyes filled with confusion about what was happening. Yes, he had a history of infections. Yes, he was an intense child. Yes, he was sensitive and had sensory issues. But that morning was different, and it was the start of a new season for him and for our family, one that would require not just new levels of care but also new modalities. If PANS/PANDAS is on the table for your child, you know what I mean.

Like so many, the next season for my son was characterized by intense anxiety, OCD, tics, oppositional defiance flares, intense attachment to me, a complete inability to see outside of himself, sensory processing issues, learning and cognitive issues, reactiveness, occasional destructiveness, and the feeling that the whole household was walking on eggshells.

In the early years, we tried everything. It came on suddenly, so surely if we found the right therapy, support, supplement, whatever, it would resolve quickly, I thought. I devoted my life to his care and to trying to create a livable household for all of us. And I can say with certainty that some (many) of the things we tried were strictly for me, so that I could have the hope that comes with having something to do that might help. At times, different things seemed to work, at least for a while. But none met the promise I placed on them and I spent a lot of money, time, effort, and emotional energy chasing solutions that ultimately couldn’t fix what needed fixing.

Then I found homeopathy. The details are different for everyone, but we parents know when something shifts or changes in our child. For my son, after his first dose of Belladonna (ONE DOSE) he walked to the car, got in his car seat and let me buckle it without issue. That remedy wouldn’t be meaningful to many PANS/PANDAS kids, and that change wouldn’t be meaningful for others but, for him and for me, it was miraculous. It was the first sign of the promise that homeopathy has ultimately delivered on for him.

It’s been over 10 years since that morning. I would describe him now as independent and confident. He has friends, plays baseball, skis, plays trumpet in his school’s jazz band and the marching band, is doing well in school, gets himself to bed and sleeps in his own room with the light out, gets along with his brothers the "right amount” of the time, and goes away to summer camp to backpack for 2 weeks at a time. He talks about college and has hopes and dreams for the future that he is living towards and is bone-deep confident in his ability to achieve. He is thriving and has the vitality I want for him.

Homeopathy is not a panacea. Even with homeopathy, the path was longer than I would have liked and there were certainly setbacks along the way. But it has been the best support for my son’s healing that I have found and has been instrumental in the healing that we all needed along the way. It’s my go-to for caring for myself and my family for headaches, anxiety, depression, bee stings, headaches, colds and flus, croup, post-covid and long haul care, hot flashes, and broken bones, amongst many others.