Please help, sudden onset of tics in a 5 year old girl

[ssonheim]

It's so hard on us as parents. I am thankful it's not cancer. My hairstylist's 2 year old daughter was diagnosed with liver cancer a year ago. I try to remember that it could be a lot worse. It's just hard to watch and not know how it's going to proceed. Just trying to take it day by day. Not have regrets about not noticing this or that is difficult.

 

It's hard to know about PANDAS- you can't blame yourself! I love my pediatrician but he pretty much told me it was our Type A manifesting itself and I need to just lay off. He snickered about PANDAS. My husband totally agreed with him. I just wonder, Why not run some tests? seriously?

 

I reminded them both that she had Strep at Halloween and the pharmacy did not mix the solution correctly- I was 3 doses short. I had to go back and demand 3 more doses of that pink amoxicillin stuff. It was not "by the book" at all. In the last couple of days I was trying to scrape enough together!! I was so mad about it. What did they put in there? How could you possibly mix it 3 days short?

 

sigh.........

[ssonheim]

Tonight she asked me if she could "roll her eyes" I asked her why, and she said, because I like to. And did a few times. Then started making fart noises with her tongue. This is absolutely crazy. I just don't know where to begin. I read through the book today and there is absolutely no pattern. There could be mold at home or at school. There could be stress at school. She could be stressed by my husbands new work schedule. She's had a lot of separation anxiety lately. I just feel like crying. I have no idea what to do. Hopefully it will just be a quick fix with antibiotics.

[ssonheim]

Some updates, haven't seen a PANDAS doctor yet. Hoping for an appointment soon.

 

Ibuprofen makes tics reduce by at least 50%. Tiredness is the biggest trigger, and they gain as the day rolls on.

Eating triggers them.

She lost her very first tooth yesterday. Wondering if that triggered this 2 months of tics. Today is our best day in a couple of weeks.

Ibuprofen only works if I give it to her first thing in the morning. Otherwise it doesn't seem to reduce. Some of the blinking must be irritating and as she does it more, the worse it feels.

 

I talked to my parents and husband's parents. Zero tic disorders or Tourettes. Even second cousins and distant family.

 

 

As she gets more exhausted, her tics become longer more frequent and sometimes complex. Like last night, it was blinking hard followed by a rabbit nose twitch. Over and over. does that sound pretty severe for a transient tic?

 

 

I think it really could be PANDAS. Will continue to update.