Nervous ticks in children

[Stressed mother]

Thank you for responding, I believe it is Tourette’s my daughter has too.... really disheartening and I hope she learns to live with it

 

[mjkacmom]

Thank you for responding, I believe it is Tourette’s my daughter has too.... really disheartening and I hope she learns to live with it

My daughter’s friend is doing great. In middle school, with her friend’s permission, my daughter recruited friends to set up a program on Tourette’s awareness day for her. They had kids did a presentation in every homeroom explaining it to the kids, and they gave out teal ribbons. This continued all through high school. So many kids went up to dd’s friend and apologized for being rude to her (she would shout out in class). Her friend went on to speak at a lot of big events for Tourette’s.

 

[mumto3girls]

Hoping that although it is already 2019, someone has feedback on the children with tics and how they have come along with the tics as well as socially over the years? I have a 3 and half year old daughter who blinks excessively , pulls her mouthed as if lips dry and makes a throat clearing sound. I am heartbroken for her and cry terribly when alone over this

My oldest DD (now 18 and about to graduate high school) starting showing tics at about age 2. The first one was stuttering. It would come for a few months and then go away and then come back. At some point she starting the grimacing/clenching thing with her face and sniffing, then it was the lip licking (had the clown mouth all winter for several years) She definitely had them through elementary school (came and went, ticking like crazy for a few months, would fade away and then nothing for a while and then they’d start up again) and they faded away completely during middle school. As far as I know, no one outside the family ever noticed them or said anything to her about them. She had plenty of friends during those years and did great academically.

Pediatrician said they were common and most kids outgrew them.

My younger girls didn’t have them.

 

[Mish]

My son is 20, he was diagnosed when he was in elementary school with Tourettes, his tics were so bad at one time and people would stare. they would change every 2 weeks. With the help of a great Nurologist and the medication combination she has him on he is tic free. Once in a while when he is stressed or tired you will see some tic but nothing like it was before. Hope this helps. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me.

 

[MamaLema]

I went through this with youngest DS when he was around 10. For an entire year he blinked his eyes very hard. He stopped that when he got a cold and started to sniff. The cold went away but he continued to sniff for about a year. The next 2 years he licked his lips non stop until they were red and raw.

Throughout all this I stressed a lot and lost sleep some nights. My doctor said you have to ignore it no matter how hard it might be. When I finally did that my son stopped.
Now he is 15 and still does the sniff thing at times but it’s only noticeable to me and it’s not too bad.

 

[Libbysmom2000]

My now successful college junior daughter suffered from PANDAS when she was about 4. Fortunately we caught it early and had a wonderful doctor who treated her. It resolved itself in a few months and she doesn't have any lingering issues.

Here's more info on PANDAS

http://pandasnetwork.org/medical-information/
Good luck.

 

[Stressed mother]

My oldest DD (now 18 and about to graduate high school) starting showing tics at about age 2. The first one was stuttering. It would come for a few months and then go away and then come back. At some point she starting the grimacing/clenching thing with her face and sniffing, then it was the lip licking (had the clown mouth all winter for several years) She definitely had them through elementary school (came and went, ticking like crazy for a few months, would fade away and then nothing for a while and then they’d start up again) and they faded away completely during middle school. As far as I know, no one outside the family ever noticed them or said anything to her about them. She had plenty of friends during those years and did great academically.

Pediatrician said they were common and most kids outgrew them.

My younger girls didn’t have them.

Thank you so much for your comment, this has helped me put things into perspective. My biggest worry was that it started at 2 years old and I was thinking this was out of the normal and therefore the tics would be way more severe over the years and last throughout life. Also encouraging to know she still had friends. My little is beautiful and loving and I am going to try to stop crying and feeling sorry for her and start accepting and coping. Thank you so much x

 

[Stressed mother]

My daughter’s friend is doing great. In middle school, with her friend’s permission, my daughter recruited friends to set up a program on Tourette’s awareness day for her. They had kids did a presentation in every homeroom explaining it to the kids, and they gave out teal ribbons. This continued all through high school. So many kids went up to dd’s friend and apologized for being rude to her (she would shout out in class). Her friend went on to speak at a lot of big events for Tourette’s.

Good to see people are understanding and positive

 

[MomRN]

A thread so close to home. My son has had tics since 3 years old and at 6 years old was diagnosed With Tourette Syndrome.

Tourette can be more than tics, and those are more of an issue than the tics. The anxiety, OCD, sensory issues, adhd. My son is turning 13 this month and is refusing medication now.

 

[mjkacmom]

My now successful college junior daughter suffered from PANDAS when she was about 4. Fortunately we caught it early and had a wonderful doctor who treated her. It resolved itself in a few months and she doesn't have any lingering issues.

Here's more info on PANDAS

http://pandasnetwork.org/medical-information/
Good luck.

A friend’s daughter had PANDAS when she was younger.

 

[mumto3girls]

Thank you so much for your comment, this has helped me put things into perspective. My biggest worry was that it started at 2 years old and I was thinking this was out of the normal and therefore the tics would be way more severe over the years and last throughout life. Also encouraging to know she still had friends. My little is beautiful and loving and I am going to try to stop crying and feeling sorry for her and start accepting and coping. Thank you so much x

You are very welcome. There was a time when I worried about it constantly and tried to hide my stress about it from her as I knew it wouldn’t help her to know that I worried about it. Yet she is fine now and hasn’t had any tics in years. My best guess is that they were gone by aged 12. I warned her teachers during those elementary school years and asked them to let me know if she was disruptive in class. Much to my surprise, most of them hadn’t even noticed. One teacher, who had noticed, told me many kids have tics and at that age even kids who don’t are often doing “weird” things and it would have to be really extreme for anyone to focus on it.

 

[Stressed mother]

A thread so close to home. My son has had tics since 3 years old and at 6 years old was diagnosed With Tourette Syndrome.

Tourette can be more than tics, and those are more of an issue than the tics. The anxiety, OCD, sensory issues, adhd. My son is turning 13 this month and is refusing medication now.

It really adds an extra challenge and as I have said I feel heartbroken and need to remind myself that it is not a life threatening disease. I just feel sorry for her. As you are saying, your son has it and so do others so I guess people do cope.

 

[cinnaminny]

My middle son had some odd tics. They tested him for all kinds of things, they never could figure out what the deal was. Really he had a hard time not writing awkwardly, was a bit disorganized.
My kids were nearly 10 years apart. I had my youngest and he had a severe speech disorder. He had speech Apraxia. But as he grew older I realized it was more than just his speech. Without my youngest I would have never learned that two of my children have, global dyspraxia. The tics that they sometimes have are called stimming. If you notice planning issues, awkward handwriting or difficulty tying shoes look into it. Daniel Radcliffe also has Dyspraxia.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

Youngest had similar issues when she was young but more severe and had anxiety and other issues. She would touch walls in a pateren, many other things.
Eventually led to medication and I fought very hard to put her on minimal amount though Doctor said it might plateau and we need to increase. She was taking half a pill the whole time and all of us were surprised we never needed to increase.
She was on medication for roughly 3-4 years never needed to up dosage and then then she began to weed off it.
She still has anxiety but everything else is gone.
She is very aware of her having anxiety but she wanted to ween off it at that time we were between Doctors as ours moved and by the time we saw one she was off. New Doctor was happy to hear she was okay and prescribed an anxiety pill to take when she needs.
She takes now and then but she would rather not. Very proud of how she deals with her condition, makes me feel she will be able to deal with it as an adult.

 

[Stressed mother]

Youngest had similar issues when she was young but more severe and had anxiety and other issues. She would touch walls in a pateren, many other things.
Eventually led to medication and I fought very hard to put her on minimal amount though Doctor said it might plateau and we need to increase. She was taking half a pill the whole time and all of us were surprised we never needed to increase.
She was on medication for roughly 3-4 years never needed to up dosage and then then she began to weed off it.
She still has anxiety but everything else is gone.
She is very aware of her having anxiety but she wanted to ween off it at that time we were between Doctors as ours moved and by the time we saw one she was off. New Doctor was happy to hear she was okay and prescribed an anxiety pill to take when she needs.
She takes now and then but she would rather not. Very proud of how she deals with her condition, makes me feel she will be able to deal with it as an adult.

It is great that she is able to deal with it and I think how we handle situations influences the outcome,. I hope my little one copes the same over time

 

[Stressed mother]

My middle son had some odd tics. They tested him for all kinds of things, they never could figure out what the deal was. Really he had a hard time not writing awkwardly, was a bit disorganized.
My kids were nearly 10 years apart. I had my youngest and he had a severe speech disorder. He had speech Apraxia. But as he grew older I realized it was more than just his speech. Without my youngest I would have never learned that two of my children have, global dyspraxia. The tics that they sometimes have are called stimming. If you notice planning issues, awkward handwriting or difficulty tying shoes look into it. Daniel Radcliffe also has Dyspraxia.

I am a nurse working with rehab for stroke patients etc and we deal with dyspraxia and apraxia. I will read about global dyspraxia.

 

[cinnaminny]

I am a nurse working with rehab for stroke patients etc and we deal with dyspraxia and apraxia. I will read about global dyspraxia.

When I first read about it, I was afraid that something happened when he was first born. (It was a hard delivery) but I guess some kids are just born with this issue.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

It is great that she is able to deal with it and I think how we handle situations influences the outcome,. I hope my little one copes the same over time

Thanks
She is a very strong kid.
She will ask you for support you can ask for support and still be very strong.
I was very nervous about her taking medicine fearing she would be on it rest of her life.
However at the same time I could not deny she needed it, I really feel she would have had a breakdown if not for it.
However first doctor barely met with her prescribed very powerful medication and I told my wife I do not feel riht about this guy. If you see someone make sure you look into them thoroughly and investgate strongley everything they suggest.

 

[Hillbeans]

Hoping that although it is already 2019, someone has feedback on the children with tics and how they have come along with the tics as well as socially over the years? I have a 3 and half year old daughter who blinks excessively , pulls her mouthed as if lips dry and makes a throat clearing sound. I am heartbroken for her and cry terribly when alone over this

Wow. I responded to this thread in 2007 and my 7 YO son is now 18 and is finishing High School. The tics have not gone away completely but I think at this point in the game, at 18, they are just part of who he is - in fact, they are very mild now compared to when he was 7. He had a short hospitalization for depression when he was 16 and was diagnosed with mild OCD, but I noticed a huge, positive difference in his behavior between the ages of 16 and 18. The tag pulling is definitely still there and most likely will always be, but he has channeled his energy into sports and work and going to the gym, so in a way, he has an outlet for the extra "energy" that I always thought he had.

I have grown up and outgrown (for the most part) a bad stutter, it's so mild now as an adult, but at ages 5-6 it was really bad. I do think some things kids do outgrow. I think behavioral therapy is still considered one of the best ways to deal with these as it's hard to get them to just go away, but managing them is an important skill to learn early on. I wish you all the best.

 

[Stressed mother]

Wow. I responded to this thread in 2007 and my 7 YO son is now 18 and is finishing High School. The tics have not gone away completely but I think at this point in the game, at 18, they are just part of who he is - in fact, they are very mild now compared to when he was 7. He had a short hospitalization for depression when he was 16 and was diagnosed with mild OCD, but I noticed a huge, positive difference in his behavior between the ages of 16 and 18. The tag pulling is definitely still there and most likely will always be, but he has channeled his energy into sports and work and going to the gym, so in a way, he has an outlet for the extra "energy" that I always thought he had.

I have grown up and outgrown (for the most part) a bad stutter, it's so mild now as an adult, but at ages 5-6 it was really bad. I do think some things kids do outgrow. I think behavioral therapy is still considered one of the best ways to deal with these as it's hard to get them to just go away, but managing them is an important skill to learn early on. I wish you all the best.

Great to hear feedback, thank you for responding