Anorexia and Strep

N is battling the anorexia full force today. He descended into a lot of anorexic thoughts last night. He ate dinner & snacks, but resisted. He didn't want to go to scouts. He is so obsessed & worried that he'll be fat when he gets up to weight. Dad was home again this morning so N made it to school on time. I just picked him up from school a few minutes ago -- and he was already fussing about having to eat & not feeling fit (we won't let him exercise until he is back up to weight).

On a different topic, I read some research this afternoon that suggests that strep can cause anorexia in some cases. I'm interested in finding more about this. N has a terrible history of strep. He's gotten sick with it every year since he was four. In fact, he finally had his tonsils removed because of repeat infections. That year he had strep 11 times! I've heard some doctors state that you can't get strep after your tonsils have been removed. But our family is living proof that that is NOT true! Three of us, including N have had our tonsils out, but we continue to get strep. And we get it bad -- high fever, headaches, vomiting, the works. N is a lot younger than the typical anorexic patient. This fact, his rapid onset of anorexia, and his history of strep make this a topic that I want to explore more.

I've put a call into his pediatrician's office to ask if we can do a blood test for strep antibodies. I'm not sure how they'll respond -- given that his current doctor has been pretty clueless about active involvement with the anorexia. It sounds like even if strep caused the anorexia, it doesn't really change his treatment. It does make me wonder, though, about using anti-inflammatory medications to address possible brain inflammation. I don't want to jump on every theory to the detriment of N's treatment. But some antibiotics, a blood test, and some Motrin don't seem too crazy to me. Some days I'd be willing to try almost anything.