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MMR Jab - reaction???

14 replies

Claireandrich · 20/05/2003 13:14

My daughter (13 months) had her MMR jab on Wednesday 7th May. By the Friday she had fallen quite poorly. And even now isn't quite right. I have had her to the doctors 3 times so far and to start with I got a "Well, it's probably just a virus", after ruling out ear, throat infections, etc. The last doctor has now suggested that it probably is linked to the MMR jab and she has just reacted earlier than normal to it.

She has had a very high temerature that won't come down with Calpol, Nurofen and cool baths. She has not eaten hardly at all, she is very tired and lethargic all the time. She's also been really clingy and getting upset a lot. And, every so often she gets a red/purple mottled rash over ver body. Oh, and even though red hot her hands and feet are very cold.

Even now, 12 days later she is only just improving. Last night she tried eating some pasta. She has gone to nursery today and has eaten most of her dinner. She hasn't played or talked much - been VERY quiet which is not like her. Her temperature is dropping now too.

I just wanted to let others out there know that a jab can react MUCH quicker than it says on the info sheets they give you, and to watch out for signs. And, not have to worry so much I guess.

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edgarcat · 20/05/2003 13:16

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Jimjams · 20/05/2003 13:32

claireandrich - might be worth getting a little extra vitamin A into her if you can- best to give it in the form of retinol (ie actual vitamin A) rather than from carotenes. I just say this in case the reaction is due to the measles component- it will aid her recovery greatly. Don't go on giving loads of vitamin A though as it's toxic in large doses (don't worry dosing for a few days won't make much difference- just don't go on dosing for months!)

Claireandrich · 20/05/2003 13:35

JimsJams - is that a vitamin I get from the chemist, or do you mean in her food? Sorry for being a bit "thick".

Edgarcat - I am sure your little one will be okay; most are. I don't want to worry/scare anyone needlessly (let's face it the MMr has enough of that already) but it might make people more aware that reactions to jabs can occur quite soon afterwards. Hope all goes well!

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Jimjams · 20/05/2003 13:46

either really- although the foods it is in includes things like liver or pate so I'm not sure she'd est that! It can be hard to find it in a supplement as usually it goes in in the form of carotenes.

cod liver oil should contain some - although it tastes revolting. i add fish oils to ds1s toast and pile on the honey.

Lots of research showing vitamin A reduces the severity and length of measles and also reduces the risk of complications. So should work for a live vaccine as well. Not sure what you would do if it was a mumps reaction! However the blotchiness shounds a bit like measles.

Don;t worry too much about the cold hands etc - that just happens with temperatures.

Hope she's back to her normal self soon.

Claireandrich · 20/05/2003 13:49

Thanks JimJams. Will go and have a look at the supermarket on my way home tonight. I think it is the measles bit she has reacted too. That's supposed to be the first bit of the jab that works first too.

It's horrid really as she is normaly such a chatterbox and into everything. I just want my normal little girl back now. ind I have lots of extra cuddles this past few days!

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LIZS · 20/05/2003 14:19

Hi ClaireandRich

Sorry to hear about your dd.

Our dd reacted that quickly too - same symptoms and she had jab on Monday and had reacted Wed/ Thurs. When I took her to doctor on the Friday as she had by then also come out in rash and was very down, he held his hands up and admitted that the jab had made her ill - she is just a particularly sensitive child. She did recover in a couple of weeks but was miserable for her 1st birthday party, partly why we delayed her booster as we did not want a repeat for ds' party.

However the doctor who gave the booster was dismissive of her symptoms being a reaction to MMR - too soon I was told - but the good news is that she was fine after the booster, apart from a bit of a cold which could have come from ds.

Do hope that your dd feels better soon.

Claireandrich · 20/05/2003 14:23

Thanks Lizs. Glad to hear that we aren't the only ones. It's been like a losing battle to get a doctor or HV to suggest that the MMR could be to blame! I don't want to complain or criticise the jab but I would like to know if it was that. Seems very definite now though. And at last my doctor agrees!!!

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SueW · 20/05/2003 14:52

My DD had her MMR booster last year along with DTP. She had a series of reactions which resulted in a number of calls to NHSDirect. A rash which appeared below the jab site then disappeared, then a couple of days later another rash which appeared where the old one had finished and went further down her arm.

As far as I remember, she didn't have any temperature but it's over a year ago now and I'm not entirely sure.

Jimjams · 20/05/2003 15:49

yes they don't like admitting it. My friend's daughter (who has autism- and at the time was obviously heading towards diagnosis) had the standard MMR reaction- standard time frame- 3 weeks later, high temp, measles like rash etc. The doctors still said it was nothing to do with MMR (although HV said it was).

The good thing about getting a reaction is that it suggests it has affected the immune system in some way- in other words it should have worked (measles portion anyway).

Claireandrich · 21/05/2003 21:46

Thanks for all the advice and supporting comments here. DD is finally on the mend. She has been to nursery for 2 days. Whilst there she has eaten at least half of the food offered. She hasn't really played much and has been much quieter than normal, but no trouble for them. She isn't poorly anymore, just lacks energy from no food. This evening she has been asking for extra food so she has had a couple of little yoghurts for supper too so fingers crossed we are okay again. She has even been laughing and giggling with me tonight whilst playing with her dollies.

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Jimjams · 21/05/2003 21:47

Glad she's getting better claireandrich.

sb34 · 21/05/2003 22:58

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Claireandrich · 22/05/2003 11:05

Oh, what a nightmare experience for you. Fortunately we didn't get to that point although there were times when I was all for driving her to the hospital (when the rask appeared for example, and when she was so sleepy she could hardly sit)but the doctors and Hv seemed to be telling em at the time it was probably just a flu virus. They said it couldn't be the MMR as the reaction was too early. I know now that it wasn't and the MMR was just reacting to her.

Personally, I think my DD was just too young/immature for it at just 13 months.She didn't react to her other jabs but this must have been too strong for her. If I have another baby in the future I would certainly consider delaying the jab till later.

Glad to hear your DS is well now. DD is definitely on the mend too so in a few days she should be back to her normal self.

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Jimjams · 22/05/2003 14:30

sb34 there are a few sites where you can post side effects of vacinations- in order to build up a database. Probably the best known one is on the what doctors don't tell you website.

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