ScaredMom

Hi, It's been a while since I was last on this site. And it will be 2 months on March 15th since my son started the eye blinking and nose scrunching. To date, we have been to a pediatric opthalmologist, his pediatrician and an allergist. His pediatrician said it's allergies and prescribed nasal spray. The allergist said the symptoms are classical allergy symptoms and said my son has asthma too. She said to continue using the nasal spray and and allergy medicine for 2 weeks and if that doesn't work, we'll try something else (we're on our 5th day). We were also given an inhaler for asthma. My son will be 5 years old in a couple of weeks. Thus far, his "tics" come and go. Most days if you weren't looking, you won't know he has them. Last Sunday would be the 3rd time I noticed since it started that it's picked up again. He's still doing the eye blinking, nose scrunching and he stretches his mouth sideways like kids in preschool would when asked to smile for a picture. It seems to me too that everytime his symptoms picks up, it is followed by coughing and sneezing a few days later. He also complains of a head ache. He complained of a headache too the 2nd time time his symptoms picked up. And him and my husband always starts the symptoms of coughing and sneezing a few days apart. The last week has been above freezing where we are so my husband blames that on his allergy symptoms. My son's however started back in January which was definitely a freeze. As a background, both sides of our family has no history of TS or even tics of any kind. My father and sister both have severe asthma and majority of my husbands family have severe allergies including asthma, with one cousin getting allergy shots. His preschool is very "allergy conscious" as they have two children in class with severe allergies. Previous to Jan. 15 when I noticed his blinking, he was in the ER for a high fever. He was put on 10 days of antibiotics and Tamiflu (we were on a cruise to South America a week before that hence the Tamiflu). Those meds ended on Jan. 9 and he started blinking on Jan. 15. It seems that he blinks/scrunches more when he is idle (like being read to or watching TV) or during meals. His blinking is "bad" again for 3 days now. No OCD or ADD or ADHD. His teacher says he is one oh her "best sitters" (by that I take it to mean, he sits still). So is there a way I can tell if this is the travelling tic or a precursor of Tourettes? Thank you as always. I don't know what to say or do except to pray for my beautiful son.

Hi, he did say they itched the first time I asked. So we suspected allergies as both sides of our family has terrible allergies. Previous to our eye doctor appt., I had him on Loratadine and that didn't seem to do anything. We also have dust mite covers, air cleaners, etc. The opthalmologist who is also an MD said she did not see any evidence of allergies. She said it was a tic. Up to that point, I refused to call it that. This would be my first encounter with tics so I didn't know how they look like. I only know it from You Tube but yes, it did resemble some of the clips but not as severe. We had lunch with my in-laws yesterday and I asked Mom if she noticed the blinking and she said yes but if I hadn't mentioned it earlier, she said she's not sure she might have even noticed it. Thank you.

Dear Lenny, I am new to this so please pardon me if I am not doing this right. I am a mom to an almost five year old boy -- precious and perfect! Two weeks ago today, I picked him up from his preschool and noticed him blinking, rubs his face and then wipes his nose with his sleeves. Thankfully, no vocal tics. We had our pediatric opthalmologist appointment yesterday and we were told he has 20/25 vision. I was broken. I had hoped to get him glasses and that would be it. Like yours, we have no family history of TS or even facial tics that both grandmas can remember. His teachers in school says he is more advanced for his years and has not exhibited any OCD or ADHD behavior. He can be rowdy at times but no more rowdy than any boy his age. I am so touched when you said that these tics made you love your son even more because that is how I exactly feel. I too pray for this to go away but until then, I remind myself that when I was pregnant and I was offered a test to see if the baby is going to be normal, I rejected the test and said what difference does it make? Even if he turns out to be less than perfect, he is my child and nothing will chance that. Thank you for the encouragement. I will be praying for your son too and all the parents who has to see their children go through something like this.