Demystifying PANS/PANDAS Podcast
Demystifying PANS/PANDAS Podcast
Podcast Description
Welcome to the Demystifying PANS/PANDAS Podcast with Dr. Nancy O'Hara! Ever wondered why some kids experience sudden, life-altering behavioral changes? This podcast delves into PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Strep). Experts explore the triggers, symptoms, and innovative treatments for these autoimmune disorders, blending science and heartfelt guidance. From strep to Lyme, natural therapies, emotional support, and recovery stories—this is your guide to hope and healing.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast primarily focuses on PANS and PANDAS, covering topics such as the science behind these conditions, symptoms, treatment options, and personal recovery stories. Episodes include expert interviews explaining causes like strep and Lyme, discussions on natural therapies, and practical advice for parents and caregivers navigating the challenges of these disorders.
Welcome to the Demystifying PANS/PANDAS Podcast with Dr. Nancy O’Hara! Ever wondered why some kids experience sudden, life-altering behavioral changes? This podcast delves into PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Strep). Experts explore the triggers, symptoms, and innovative treatments for these autoimmune disorders, blending science and heartfelt guidance. From strep to Lyme, natural therapies, emotional support, and recovery stories—this is your guide to hope and healing.
In this episode, I wanted to demystify something that gets missed far too often: the role that tick-borne and vector-borne infections can play in a child's PANS or PANDAS. Dr. Casey Kelley and I talk through why most families never remember a tick bite, and how other carriers like fleas, lice, mosquitoes, and pets mean a clean history does not rule infection out.
We walk through the symptom patterns that may raise a flag, the honest limits of testing (antibody tests can read falsely negative in the sickest kids), and why she sometimes weighs empiric, clinician-guided treatment by asking a simple question: what would we do differently with the result? She shares how she treats children like small adults with kid-sized doses, opens detox pathways before antimicrobials to ease reactions, and leans on foundations most parents can start with: sleep, anti-inflammatory food, nervous-system and vagal support, Epsom baths, and time.
This is not a quick fix, and I never want a parent to leave feeling more afraid. Dr. Kelley's own reminder stayed with me: create joy, even if it's just being silly and dancing in the kitchen. That counts. It is treatable. It does exist. And it takes a village.
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About the Guest:
Dr. Casey Kelley is the founder and medical director of Case Integrative Health in Chicago, where she practices integrative and functional medicine with a focus on complex chronic illness, including tick-borne and vector-borne disease. She earned her medical degree at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, has been a member of the Institute for Functional Medicine for more than 15 years, and is a former board member of ILADS. She also teaches clinicians and patients through her Groundwork for Healing course.
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Social Handles:
Website:https://caseintegrativehealth.com
Groundwork for Healing:https://healwithcase.com
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Nancy O’Hara, MD, MPH, FAAP, FMAPS
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This podcast is produced by DrTalks.com
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