Can Azithromycin Help Kids With Sudden OCD? A Closer Look at PANDAS and PANS

Dr. Kumar’s Take:

This small pilot study suggests that azithromycin, a common antibiotic, may reduce OCD symptoms in children with PANDAS or PANS, especially if tics are also present. While results were mixed across different rating scales, but many children improved noticeably within just 4 weeks.

Key Takeaways:

✔ Azithromycin led to a stronger drop in OCD symptoms on one key clinical scale.
✔ More kids in the azithromycin group met the “treatment responder” criteria.
✔ Children with tics showed even more improvement.
✔ No major side effects, but possible heart rhythm issues mean caution is needed.

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IVIG for PANDAS: Can Immunotherapy Help Kids with Sudden OCD?

Dr. Kumar’s Take:

This was the largest randomized controlled trial to date testing intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) for children with PANDAS and moderate to severe OCD. During the double-blind phase, IVIG showed better results compared to placebo, though this difference was not statistically significant. But after the study, pateints who had received the placebo were then given IVIG and saw a 50% improvement at 12 weeks and 62% improvement at 24 weeks. The study was safe, well-designed, and gives us another tool in our fight against PANDAS.

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