Tics After Vaccines: Could Vaccines Give My Child Tics?

Tics After Vaccines: Could Vaccines Give My Child Tics? That is a HUGE question I kept asking myself OVER and OVER again the day AFTER my 5-year-old received his vaccines. This is our story.

First of all, I want to say that this post is about an experience my son had, after having his vaccines, right before his 5th birthday. Each parent obviously has their OWN thoughts/choices and that is fine. However, these are my thoughts and choices as a parent to my children. That leads me to this question: Can you get tics after vaccines?

Tics After Vaccines

Child Well Visit and 5-year-old Vaccines:

My son was one day shy of his 5th birthday and he had a child well visit. I took him to his appointment and they told me my son needed a few vaccines and then he would be all updated on them. We had always vaccinated ourselves and our children, so I did not even think twice about allowing the doctor to administer my child’s vaccines that day. 

Trusting Doctors??

I had no reason to object, after all, I had allowed it in the past for him and my daughter. I did not know any better and certainly never read up on any of it. After all, WHY should I? The doctors say they are all safe, so that is what I went by.

We trust doctors, right??? This was just the norm for us. When we got home that night, everything was completely normal. My son did not act any differently. We had dinner and soon, we all went to bed.

The Vaccines My Son Received At His Appointment:

Since I receive SO many emails each week asking me which vaccines my son was given that day, I am listing them below for you.

*DTaP
*IPV
*MMR: I feel this is the vaccine that caused this mess!
*Varicella

His Face Was Twisting And He Was Crying

The next day, was a completely different story. I woke up in the morning to my son at the foot of my bed. His face was literally twisted and SO scary looking!!  He kept making a VERY uncomfortable-looking facial expression.

I leaped from my bed and raced to him thinking the worst! What was going on with my little 5-year-old?!? I was freaking out. My son kept doing that facial thing over and over again.

He asked me what was wrong with him and why could he not stop doing it? He started crying because it scared him SO badly. It was horrifying and heartbreaking all at once.

He Was Fine Not Even 24 Hours Before His Vaccines!

I did not know! I didn’t know what was going on. I called my hubby and explained what was going on and my hubby was just as scared as I was.

What was happening to my once perfectly healthy child? He was fine just 24 hours before! What happened in those 24 hours that would cause such a sudden and frightening thing????

We did not show our son how scared we were, I instead comforted him and told him everything was okay. Then, I would run to the bathroom and sob because I had NO clue WHAT was going on or if ANYTHING would be okay… 

 

What on earth was going on with my boy? Was it something I did? Was it something he ate or did? I was not sure. I called the doctor and made an appointment that day for my son.

First Doctor Appointment

When we got to the doctor’s appointment the doctor was not sure either, except for maybe my son had ‘tics‘. That was the first time I had heard of tics so I was curious and the doctor explained. I then told the doctor that this was the first day in all of my son’s life, that he had tics. He never had anything like this before.

Silly Faces?

The doctor referred us to a neurologist so they could get a better idea of what was going on with my boy. As we were walking out of the hospital my son started doing those twisted facial expressions even more.

I remember a lady walking by and looking at my son. She said ‘oh boy! what a scary face to make!‘. She, of course, was joking, however, my son was not. He couldn’t help the faces he was making!!!!

I KNOW that the lady did not know that my son could not help making those faces, but it still enraged me! I know it was not her fault, but seriously, don’t ever say things to people and assume your words don’t hurt. That lady should have kept her mouth closed and just smiled. Too many people who speak before they think! 

Second Doctor Visit

We finally were able to see the neurologist and he told us that our son has Tourette’s and tics. I asked what could have caused this because before he turned 5, he was fine. He had NO tics AT ALL. Nothing! The doctor gave me a few suggestions that sometimes it just happens and we don’t know what triggers it.

The doctor tried to prescribe my son some medication to help with it and I said no way. I wasn’t going to drug out my son because he had some tics. No thanks. We left the doctors with no new information and an even greater fear :/

Of course, when I got home I Googled the crap out of Tourette’s and tics. I even had a mommy group that I was a part of and I explained what my son was doing. They also suggested it could be Tourette’s. The answers I started seeing, I did not like. I then thought really carefully about ANYTHING I could have done differently that could have caused this and it kept coming back to my son getting his vaccines. A light went on in my head.

Tics After Vaccines: Could Vaccines Give My Child Tics?

Tics After Vaccines: Could Vaccines Give My Child Tics? Quite possibly, yes. I was not only shocked but felt SO guilty!!!!!!! But I just never knew. I never knew and was naive. Naive to the WHOLE entire subject of vaccines.

We ALWAYS put our trust in our doctors and our children’s doctors but they are paid to say they are SAFE. I heard (and confirmed!) they even get BONUSES when they administer vaccines!!! I was LIVID for being so ignorant and not doing MY OWN research on vaccines!

Vocal Tics

My son’s twisted facial expressions lasted almost until he was 6. Nope, it did not go away, though. Maybe the twisted facial expressions did, for the most part, but now there were new things he was doing like clearing his throat OVER and OVER again very loudly.

Or blinking his eyes a whole bunch or stretching his neck/arms or a loud sound over and over again. So no, it wasn’t better, just different.

It kept changing through the years and today my son is 15 and he still clears his throat over and over again and every month there may or may not be another new ‘tic‘. But, there is ALWAYS a tic, always. They never go away. 

Self Conscious

As my son gets older he notices it more and so do his close friends and classmates. They are used to it by now and so is my son, but we NEVER know what the new tic will be, ever.

My son gets really self-conscious at school when the class is quiet and he HAS to do his tics. I feel so bad for him. But, my son has the neatest personality and I know he will be okay.

My son has told me that he will hold in his tics ALL day long at school because he is so self-conscious about them. When he gets home, he lets them out, boy does he ever. But you know what? That is okay. HOME is his SAFE place.

I have never medicated my son because of this, why would I? We have brought him to a natural doctor who prescribed him natural ways to help with tics and anything neurological-related. That has definitely helped some.

After ALL of our many doctor visits, one of the doctors agreed that the vaccines did cause my son’s tics. It was a breath of fresh air!!! FINALLY, a doctor agreed with me! He said he has seen it before in several young kids. Finally, someone believed ME.

No Thanks, To Vaccines!

My daughter and son are pretty close in age (23 months apart), so my daughter was current on her vaccines too. She never, thankfully, experienced ANY side effects from her vaccines (yet, sigh). And now, she will NEVER get another vaccine again. Neither will my precious youngest son. NO thank you!!! 

My kids will NEVER get another vaccine, ever. Not after experiencing what my oldest son is going through. I am NOT willing to take that chance. I am not willing to find out!

Am I a horrible mother because I will not vaccinate my kids anymore? I don’t think so, but there will ALWAYS be that one JUDGEY person who will say I am and you know what? That is fine. To each their own.

I would rather keep my child safe than give them something that will harm them so that other humans will be happy. Hell NO.

I won’t tell you how to raise your child, so please don’t tell me how to raise mine. I saw what vaccines have done to my oldest and by God if I will let that happen to my other two kids! 

Choosing To Vaccinate Is A Very Personal Decision

The ONLY reason I wanted to share OUR story with you all, was to just share our story. I am not putting down anyone who does vaccinate because that is a very personal choice. If your child had a bad reaction to something would you continue giving it to them? I would think not.

It is not up to anyone but YOU as a parent to do what you feel is best for your child. PERIOD. If my story helped you in any way, then wonderful! If not, that is okay too, and you can keep scrolling.

Do Your Own Research!

Do your own research, READ the vaccine inserts!!! Have you EVER read them? Do it. Research. That is all I ask. Then, after doing your OWN research and reading the inserts to those vaccines that you will be putting into your precious little one’s bodies, and you still feel comfortable with doing them, then you have done your part and you can feel confident in your decision to vaccinate.

MMR Was Probably The Culprit

As I think back and do my research, I honestly feel like what caused this was the MMR vaccine. I am not sure if my son was also having mini seizures but that would not surprise me because of the way his face was twisting and he could NOT control it at all. It was terrifying!

Possible Risks of the MMR Vaccine

Serious problems such as allergic reactions are rare. Mild to moderate side effects can happen, such as rash, fever, swollen cheeks, febrile seizures, and mild joint pain.

Until it happens to YOU or your CHILD you will NEVER ever ever ever KNOW that fear, the heartache, and the uncertainty!! It is SO scary and I wish that on NO ONE. You do what is best for your family and I will do what is best for MINE. Wouldn’t you do ANYTHING to protect your child from injury or adverse reactions? Do I even need to ask that question???

 

If you have experienced something similar with vaccines, feel free to reach out to me! I am here for you. I wish I had someone there for me when I was so scared and felt so alone. I never want anyone to feel alone like I did! So, email me! I am here! My email: [email protected]

I receive TONS of emails regarding my vaccine post. I can’t believe how many parents are going through the SAME thing after vaccinating their kids!

So, I KNOW I am not alone now! Wow. I pray for all of you that have reached out to me. We will get through this!!! Hugs!!!