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Tics seasonal?


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For 2 years in a row now my son (who is 5) has started tics in November. He always starts with nose scrunching, ads eye blinking then both tics fade away by late Feb/ March. Both years he has received the flu mist in November and that is the one thing I can say for sure has been constant. Other then that..the month they begin (November) and the time frame they lasted 3-1/2 months. They have totally disappeared again so I wonder could it be seasonal, or related to the flu mist. The tics come on with a vengence for about 2 months and then fade away over the next month. I have spoken to my ped about pandas and we did blood tests for it. All negative. I was not surprised since he was not sick at the time they began. I do think its' possible that the flu mist caused them again if he was exposed to strep prior. In any case, I find it so weird that they come on so strong and then leave for 8 months. Is this common? Anyone with a similar story?

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Hi and welcome

 

we do have members who note that the tics seem to be seasonal but generally those are ones who see an upswing during the spring&summer/pollen season due to allergies

 

but

we have had numerous reports here of a negative reaction to flu & other vaccines so it well may be something in the flu mist that he is reacting to

 

do remember that blood tests alone cannot diagnose PANDAS, but rather a combination of strep history, throat cultures, blood tests and other clinical observations. A regular pediatrician often is not up on the latest diagnostic methods

 

also note that infections other than strep can also produce PANDAS like symptoms = PITAND

 

reading what you report tho, it just doesnt sound like PANDAS/PITAND as it does n ot usually have that kind of seasonal pattern nor does it just resolve without antibiotics or some other intervention to fight the infection and reduce the inflammation

 

hope that helps

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meckert,

hello, ...I am going to put my vote in for the flu mist. Really, tho, you are lucky that the tics seem to run its course and then stay away till next season? that is pretty good. but if you are seeing definite correlation in November and after the flu mist or shot, I would forgo that next time. especially if the flue mist is live vaccine, the immune system may be running on high alert after that and cause some kick up in any nuero symptoms.

 

does your child have any other issues? I would say at least pull that flu stuff out of the equation, its a trigger for some, so I wouldn't take any chances..

 

 

 

Faith

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meckert

 

That is kind of weird because my DS started with his first eye blinking that caught my attention at 3 1/2 in November. This only lasted about a week. Nothing throughout the year and then came November again at 4 1/2 and the eye blinking reapeared for about two weeks (don't remember exaclty but know it was worst then the prior year). Once again no eye blinking till that time again. By that time I was wondering what is it with that time of the year!! I would definatly keep an eye on it and start looking into things because the spring of him being 6 I noticed spitting, mouth opening for several weeks (never really noticed it before during this time) and then came the fall of the worst time ever (7 1/2). For my son allergies are the worst!! And it definatley gets bad throughout allergy season. Also foods could contribute which I recently found out. I would start really looking into it because I now regret not nowing sooner.

 

Mar

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meckert,

hello, ...I am going to put my vote in for the flu mist. Really, tho, you are lucky that the tics seem to run its course and then stay away till next season? that is pretty good. but if you are seeing definite correlation in November and after the flu mist or shot, I would forgo that next time. especially if the flue mist is live vaccine, the immune system may be running on high alert after that and cause some kick up in any nuero symptoms.

 

does your child have any other issues? I would say at least pull that flu stuff out of the equation, its a trigger for some, so I wouldn't take any chances..

 

 

 

Faith

 

 

Well I guess I didn't include everything that went on. So it all began 2 years ago in November. My son started having the nose scrunching and added eye blinking a few weeks later (these went on together) and they were explosive. At the same time he started having horriable night terrors that would last sometimes over an hour. He was also showing ocd behavior. Always asking us if the doors were locked, if we have enough milk, what if we run out of food. Behavor that I thought were weird and concerning for a 4 year old. We went to the pediatrician and I listed everything that was going on. My pediatrician thought touretts off the bat b/c there is some family history of tics on my fathers side. (never was PANDAS mentioned) I accepted this and just went on.. thinking ok we'll deal with this, it is what it is. So I was shocked when then they slowly tapered off I thought OMG he's fine! Until this November. Overnight he exploded with the scrunching first and then eye blinking (together) . This year there was no ocd at all but he was extremely hyper. When I took him to the Dr. he was shocked by his behavior. It's like he was climbing the walls. I do think he added a slight vocal tic, only when drinking and it was after the others had faded away. I went to his Dr. convinced that he has PANDAS, that he must have been exposed to strep last year when the ocd started, maybe the flu mist pushed him over the edge and then when re-exposed to the flu mist again this year it triggered it again. I can't say for sure that he started the tics after the flu mist the first year, but I know for sure that it was days after he received it this year. My doc ran all the blood tests and of course tested neg for all things associated with PANDAS but that really didn't make a difference to me since I knew it wasn't exposure to strep that triggered it this year. I do find it wierd that it has followed the exact same pattern both years, and blessed that it tapers off for (fingers crossed) months. I will not be getting the flu mist ever again that is for sure!!! I'm hoping that it was the flu mist and we'll never have this issue again but I also think that if it was a strep exposure in the first place and the episodes were triggered again by the mist... that this could happen again. Unless the mist alone can trigger tics?? It's all so confusing when there is no answer. My friends think I'm crazy and I think my doctor does to. Also I did forget to mention that my son had feberial seizures (3 total episodes) So sometimes I think... is this related too? Could it be the winter months, being closed up in the house, could it be the stress of Christmas coming? I guess I have to be patient and see if they happen again, it's just so bizarre!!!

Thanks for your reply!

Molly

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be sure to keep a log on everything and maybe also read up some on our PANDAS forum to see if anything there makes you feel an "aha!"

 

sometimes more than one thing can be triggering things and yes, an infection that is still lurking can mean a higher susceptibility to other triggers like the flumist!

Edited by Chemar
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