PANDAS/PANS SUPPORT of Michiana

If you’ve clicked through to this page, chances are good you’re trying to glean trusted, reliable information on PANS/PANDAS for yourself or someone you love. Our hope is that through the information shared here, awareness grows about not only what PANS/PANDAS is, but also where members of our community can find proper diagnoses, treatment protocols, and ultimately healing.

PANS and PANDAS are pediatric-onset autoimmune conditions where a child’s immune system responds to infectious triggers by inadvertently releasing immune cells that attack and inflame the brain, leading to a variety of neuro-psychiatric symptoms. PANDAS denotes brain inflammation specifically triggered by Group A Strep (GAS) infections. However, while PANS is similar in function, it is triggered by infections such as lyme disease, mycoplasma pneumonia, mono, metabolic disturbances, and other inflammatory reactions. PANS/PANDAS symptoms generally come on intensely and seemingly overnight, resulting in what some parents describe as “a completely changed child.”

As a subset of the autoimmune encephalitis umbrella, it is extremely important for patient outcome that prompt identification and treatment is available for these children. As you navigate the information here, please remember that “one size does not fit all” for PANS/PANDAS children. The videos, published studies and resource links shared here are simply a sample of a much larger base of information available on this disease, and we will be updating as research continues to provide support for families touched by PANS/PANDAS. In the meantime, may this page bring you education, discernment, and ultimately hope in knowing that there is help available, and you are not alone in your journey.