The Silver Lyming: Dr Cristina McMullen, PANS/PANDAS and Naturopathy Specialist #86

My guest in this episode is Dr. Cristina McMullen. Dr. McMullen has been actively working in the field of alternative healthcare since 2005. From a young age, she had a strong desire to learn everything there was to know about the body and how to heal it naturally. She began by attending Everglades University, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Alternative Medicine. She then became a Certified Wellness Coach through The International Association of Wellness Professionals. Finally, she earned her Doctorate of Traditional Naturopathy from New Eden School of Natural Health and Herbal Studies, completing her dissertation on the complex pediatric neurological diagnosis of PANS/PANDAS. Dr. McMullen discusses her experience treating children with pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders, including PANS and PANDAS, which are characterized by sudden onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms following streptococcal infections in children under 12. She explains that while there's no single diagnostic test, practitioners diagnose based on clinical symptoms such as anxiety, OCD, and extreme food restrictions. Treatment typically involves a multi-faceted approach, including antibiotics to address underlying infections, immune modulators, and behavioral therapy, though the diagnostic criteria and treatment options are still controversial and limited to pediatric cases. I have not had a specialist on PANS/PANDAS so I am hoping this episode will help shed some light on that challenging topic as it affects children, who are also the hardest hit population from Lyme and tick-borne illnesses. These two things go together many times: Lyme and PANS/PANDAS. Please share this episode because I often think that I had the vocabulary to tell doctors how I was feeling and they still missed the diagnosis of Lyme, but children may struggle even more to elaborate their symptoms and issues well. It is important for us to understand about how this affects children. If you are looking to contact Dr. McMullen, she can be found at Longevity Health Center (http://longevityhealth.com) in Roswell, GA and does see clients both in-person and virtually, depending on your needs.