GBS is not likely to cause swollen joints.

Rheumatoid arthritis does not always have good testing success.
I had it done twice over the years, and my doctor said false negatives are quite common. As the disorder progresses, the
immune factors may become evident later.

This sounds like an autoimmune disorder. Arthritis like this can come from Lyme disease and also some vaccines.

Strep can attack joints too. So I am thinking the doctors will explore these options.

She has been tested for Lyme and it came back negative.

I agree, it just might be an autoimmune thing.

I wonder if this might be an allergic reaction to the antibiotics she was given while she had the strep (back in August)??

thanks much

Melody

It is always possible it is a delayed allergic response.
Penicillins typically can do this...stimulate the allergic responses, after the drug is discontinued.

Also some infectious arthritis type things happen because of the type of infection.

In a person with genetic gout... when white cells die off after infection they dump purines into the blood and can set off gout attacks. This is not typical in children, but theoretically possible.
They can test for gout with blood work. The only children I've seen with this were on chemo for leukemias, etc. When those millions of white cells die from the chemo they dump the uric acid into the blood stream even in children. This is called secondary gout and usually resolves when the purine blast is over.

Lyme titers come back negative, because they abort the immune response when they treat with antibiotics. If they treated prior to the titer being drawn, and the antibody titer had not reached the levels required to call it positive, it is possible to have Lyme and for the test to be negative. It happened to me. Fortunately, I had the bite and EM rash, and a titer just below the cut off.

I would wonder where she was when on vacation?

Hi, well we just got word that she's been sent home on crutches and will be going to physical therapy. I don't think they want to hear too much from anyone. They are a very private bunch. I'm lucky that I found out what I found out. She is back on antibiotics and she is currently on prednisone.

That's all I know.

And I really do thank you for all your good info.

Now if the doctor told the parents that he thought it was a virus, why on earth is she on antibiotics?

Curious, no??

Melody

The antibiotics are for the potential of this being an infectious arthritis. Doctors do that...as a precaution.
And in a way it is a therapeutic "challenge". If she resolves with this intervention it more or less points to an infectious process.

If she does NOT respond...it means one of two things.
1) it is not an infectious process
2) the antibiotic is the wrong type--and a biopsy is needed. Typically this is a needle aspiration of the joint.

Removing some fluid can show both types of gout, and infectious organisms.

But in a kid, they won't do that until there is no response to conservative care, so far attempted. Many doctors know that things often resolve on their own, and they may wait for that.

My goodness, the things I learn from you, the things I can't share with them because they WOULD NOT welcome this info BUT, if they ever ask me "Melody, can you run this by your friends on the net", I'd be happy to pass along ALL the info you have provided.

You are a godsend. It's lucky that I listened to you. And wait until you hear this.

Ever since I got the Vitamix and every night I make a frozen blueberry, orange sorbet with ice and stevia (which I never used to have in my life), well, in the a.m. my sugar is 87 and in the later afternoon, my sugar is 126 so whatever I'm doing (whether it's my sprouting, my eating extremely healthfully, or my vitamixing, SOMETHING is working on my body to make my cells more insulin sensitive, RIGHT?

And someone wrote on one of the message boards that drinking a quarter cup of Aloe Vera juice (in the brown bottle) has been known to significantly lower Blood sugar to the point that many type 2's no longer need insulin.

Now here's my query on that one. If my taking a little bit of insulin is working FOR ME, and it's taking the stress off of m pancreas, why would I go off insulin. I think this info applies to the people who can't stand taking a shot every day. Doesn't bother me in the least.

Melody