Last Tuesday, Angie got a vaccination and a flu shot. By that evening, she was fevery and restless throughout the night. In fact, she awoke several times crying inconsolably, and twice the crying stopped only when she finally vomited. We had the same issue the next night. The next day, her fever broke and she was feeling fine. The doctor tried to convince me (as did every website about the flu vaccine) that any reaction she had was coincidental and not related to the flu shot...I'm not believing it.
Since those fateful events, Angie has not slept well. Several times a night you can hear her pitifully whimpering or crying in her sleep, and when she wakes fully it is with panic in her voice. She sleeps through the first 4 or 5 hours just fine, but after midnight, her sleep is very much disturbed. On one night, as I brought her into bed with us around 1:00 a.m. I watched her as she fell back to sleep in my arms. And then she stopped breathing. Maybe for 3 to 5 seconds before catching a quick breath and then stopping again. Three times in a row, and on the third breath, she let out a painful cry, as if she's suddenly gulped in too much air. Maybe the lack of breathing scared her.
I don't know what's going on. The doctor examined her and didn't see anything that should cause a breating issue. She is mildly congested, but nowhere close to what she's had in previous colds, and she's never stopped breathing before. It happens several times a night, and I think that's what all of the whimpering and crying is about.
But then, there are times when she wakes fully and refuses to fall back to sleep upstairs. Something about it scares her, I think, but I don't know what. We have a nightlight on in her room and a lamp on in the reading room (there's only a half wall between the two rooms, so the light from the reading room illuminates her room as well), so darkness can't be an issue. Maybe she's afraid she'll throw up again? Those two episodes mentioned above are only the 3rd and 4th times she's ever thrown up, the other two happening in the car soon after eating breakfast and driving on windy roads.
Have you ever run into a similar issue? What did you do? I don't really mind the waking to care for my child, but I really wish I knew what was bothering her. Her napping is just fine, usually, although she now wakes halfway through her nap requiring consolation. I just don't know what to do for her and she won't tell me what's wrong...
2 comments:
We've never had the flu shot, and I can't think of a particularly good reason to get it, but I do know that David never feels well after he gets his. I know they say there's no reaction, but I don't buy it, either.
I do know, though, that vaccinations can be traumatic. I have observed in some, but not all, of my children an obvious change in personality and behavior following one of the vaccinations. I don't know which one, or if it's the same one, but I've seen it happen.
I have mixed feelings about vaccinations, and I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. There's no easy answers here.
I hope Angie is feeling better soon. If you think something is genuinely wrong, keep pressing your doctor. The more you bother him, the more tests he'll run just to get you off his back. He'll probably turn something up, though, too.
I have to agree with Jennie here. I know you mentioned sleep apnea as a possibility and I don't think there is any way to tell if she is experiencing it without a sleep study. You're observations are probably much more accurate than your doctor shining a light in her mouth while she's screaming.
I'd keep an eye on her for a couple of days and then get back on the phone with your doctor. And if he puts you off at all, go find another doctor.
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