Children with Tics

[Tomader]

Does anyone have a child who has a tic?? My daughter goes from clearing her throat to blinking her eyes. I feel so bad because I know she can't help it. She is 10 and this has been going on for years One stops and a new one starts. I was just wondering if anyone else has a child with any type of tic?

 

[SplashMtnCrew]

OP my brother had the blinking tic until he was about 20yrs old and then it just stopped. I know other people that had a tic as a child and it just stopped at the older teen years. It'll be okay!

 

[emer95]

My 14 year old DD does this thing where she sort of clears her throat/sort of laughs really quietly, over and over. It comes and goes, and she never realizes that she does it. It takes EVERYTHING I have in me to just ignore it, which is what her doctor told me to do. Sometimes I have to put headphones in, because it really makes me crazy. We worry that she does it at school and kids will make fun of her. the doctor said she will outgrow it.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Id have her checked out by pediatric Neuro ....or atleast be sure the pediatrician is aware of it...
Has it gotten worse, more frequent, increased with stress situations?
Does it bother Her? Does she shy away from others because of it?

ANy other things you also notice, no arm movements, or fist clenching?

Tics can come and go....some kids outgrow it....some do not and they can get more pronounced or only show with increased demands/heavier school loads etc...
Id just get her checked out and put your mind (and hers) at ease
Good Luck!!!

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Coughing/clearing of throat tics are also a sign of an anxiety or panic disorder.

ETA: it is not ALWAYS from anxiety or panic disorder. However if everything else has been ruled out, it is another thing to consider.

 

[woodkins]

My ten yr old daughter does...she and my husband both have Tourette syndrome. He has both motor and vocal tics. My daughters current tics are eye blinking, and a "fake" cough. She will also lick her fingers. The tics can wax and wane and change as well. This is typical. Tics usually ramp up as puberty approaches and tend to decrease as they reach adulthood depending on the severity of the TS. A great resource is the Tourette Syndrome Assocition website.

I think having a dad with TS makes it more "normal" for her to have them. She sees it is accepted with our friends, coworkers etc.

 

[poofsgirl]

My oldest son had them and they were probably at their worst at that age (preteen). Some changed over to new ones and others were just there (the finger sniffing drove me nuts!) He is now 21 and he has outgrown them as far as I can tell, If he still has any they don't stand out like the noises and head rolling did.

 

[EmJay2001]

My DD twitches her nose. Drives me crazy sometimes, so very distracting when trying to talk with her. She started about 1 year ago and she now 12. I hope she out grows it.

 

[jane2073]

My daughter has them. Some are mild and some are a little more pronounced. Right now it is throat noises. Before that was head shaking.
We have seen a child neurologist a couple of times and he said she is fine. As long as it is not affecting her self esteem, then she does not need treatment.
Tics are not necessarily a sign of panic/anxiety disorder. Our doctor said she is just as likely to have them when she is really excited. And we have seen that.

The most important thing is to not make a big deal about it. Not easy when it is a really noticeable tic, but we manage.

 

[JessicaR]

They seemed to run in my family. Sister, nieces, nephews, and my oldest son. All resolved on their own. It was very hard to ignore is which is what my pediatrician told me to do. I would mention it to your doctor for sure to rule out anything serious.

 

[StephMK]

My DS has had them for the last 4 years or so. He is turning 11 this week. His definitely change and come & go. It seems to be seasonal with spring & fall being when they are most noticeable. There was one year in school that they were really bad and went away over the summer. He also had a teacher who really didn't like him that year so I've always wondered if stress made them worse.

Luckily, DS comes across as very matter of fact and is honest about them with kids. He just shrugs and tells them it's just something he can't help. I don't think he's gotten much teasing. I worried about middle school this year but he said it didn't come up too often. When it did, he just didn't worry about it and no one made a big deal over it.

The dr keeps telling me he'll outgrow them. He saw a neuro a few years ago after they started & he said it was transient tic disorder, not Tourette's. Most of DS's are motor/facial and the sniffing and throat clearing was only early on. He says they are pretty common but we don't know anyone else who has them IRL.

 

[Tomader]

My oldest son had them and they were probably at their worst at that age (preteen). Some changed over to new ones and others were just there (the finger sniffing drove me nuts!) He is now 21 and he has outgrown them as far as I can tell, If he still has any they don't stand out like the noises and head rolling did.

I have a older sister who does the finger sniffing. My younger sister and I thought that was the strangest thing. I never knew that was some type of tic?? She would also clear her throat a lot when were growing up. 30 years ago you never really researched things like we do today. My daughter with that clearing of the throat and cough drives me crazy. I try really hard not to make her think about it.

 

[flexsmom]

My DD started with a throat clearing, moved on to blinking, did a head-thrust-chicken thing for a while, then went back to the throat. This started when she was 7 or 8. Her grandmother is a pretty severe OCD (which I also fight - knowing that it's there!) and our doc basically said that tics are a fairly common thing with kids, most outgrow them, and that those with OCD-genes typically have them more. Unlike others on this thread, however, after a year or two, he didn't advise that we ignore it, but rather to point it out. DD is 14 now and she self-recognizes when it begins....almost chuckling to herself when she's watching TV and notices a consistent humming sound that she figures out is coming from her own throat! She used to compete on pointe in ballet, and I'd notice more tics as we approached a competition. Now it usually starts up around semi-finals and finals, so anxiety is definitely a trigger for her, which she now knows. Self-awareness and time - as she gradually has matured - has made the difference with her ability to stop them as quickly as they creep back in.

 

[mirage0306]

My ten year old has a tic--well, probably a couple. A few years ago he started quietly clearing his throat while reading or watching tv. He doesn't do that much anymore, but he has been nodding his head since...hmmm, about last August. He tends to do it while he's watching tv or reading, or being read to. The head nodding tic came on very suddenly, which made me nervous. I took him to the doctor that week, who gave him an exam that came back normal, and sent him for blood work that also came back normal. I scheduled an appt for him at UNM dept of pediatric neurology as soon as I could, but it was months later. By then he was still doing it, but I wasn't as worried.

The doctor there was amazing. She couldn't have been less concerned. She gave us some tools to help in case he ever was bullied about it, some handouts and links to websites. She said tics in kids are common, they sometimes go away, and sometimes don't, but even if they don't, you can still do anything you want with your life and gave my son an example of a surgeon she worked with who had it--it didn't impede his ability to operate at all. She said she absolutely did not need to see him again.

I have noticed a possible tic in my younger son at all, but am trying to be more relaxed about it. They really are common.

Some people say tics can be a result of a magnesium deficiency. You could try epsom salt baths or a supplement like Natural Calm (watch out--too much can result in loose stools). You can try to figure out the trigger...for some kids it's anxiety, others it can be allergies (happens mostly in the spring, for example). If you can work on lessening the trigger, the tics might slow down a bit, too.

Hang in there. They really are super common.

 

[Disneylover99]

I love all these reassuring responses!

My son also has tics that change from time to time. He is 9 and a half and he has had them since about age three. Some tics are verbal and some are not. A pediatric neurologist examined him several years ago and told us not to worry. My son is also a little bit OCD and is a bit distracted, but doing well in school and seems very happy!

 

[Malibustyle23]

My DS is going into the fourth grade in the fall in the summer right before second grade into the second grade he started his tics.

It started with blinking It was pronounced blinking that would come and go and we could never tell when it was going to start or when it would stop. Later that year he started with a throat clearing. The throat clearing is the same as the blinking. We never know when it will arise or when it will end. Sometimes it's for seconds long, sometimes it is for hours.

His pediatrician sent us to a neurologist who checked everything over and deemed it as motor and vocal tics. Tics that last longer than a year can be considered Tourette's Syndrome. Since it does not affect him, his school work, his home life, etc the dr found no reason to put him on a medication or do anything else to deal with it. Eventually it may go away, he may live with it forever we will have to wait and see.

Since this has happened the eye blinking has since diminished almost completely. Rarely do I ever notice it anymore. The throat clearing is still here though. Somedays it is horrific, most days it is never heard.

Although I never know exactly what his triggers are I have noticed that when he is tired, anxious and nervous it does come out alot more. He has since been diagnosed with ADD and has started medication. His dr made sure to only try out certain ADD meds because others can cause the tics to become more pronounced.

My one main tip is after getting the all clear from your pediatrician/specialist is to just ignore it. I know personally how difficult and frustrating it can be but the need to stop, correct, make it an issue or even punish them for the behavior can only make it rise more and make them more self-conscious. His neurologist (who ironically suffers from it himself) says that at ds' age he can not control the fact that he is doing it and most of the time probably does not even realize that it is happening. Eventually once he gets older he may be able to control it once he gains the control in that area of his brain if it doesn't go away on it's on.

Good luck! Sorry I was so long.

 

["Got Disney"]

My boys and my DH all have Tourette Syndrome so yes...they have many tics....they deal fine with it and they explain to there friends why they do what they do since kinder...they change up from time to time...some stop and new ones start...let me tell you trying to sit and watch TV with them is a pain...all the noices and movements....they tell me they are not ticking but tocking ...we all make light of it so do do there many many friends.

They are also both on medication for OCD and ADHD which comes with Tourette Syndrome....they were diagnosed at around 7 years old....they are 16 and 19...one to be a Senior and the other in college.

 

[LucFerrari]

Does anyone have a child who has a tic?? My daughter goes from clearing her throat to blinking her eyes. I feel so bad because I know she can't help it. She is 10 and this has been going on for years One stops and a new one starts. I was just wondering if anyone else has a child with any type of tic?

Hi, I am one of those children, yet I have almost 30 at once. They should usually go away, but try to make your child do excessive exercise and try not to mention the tics at all. It helps to ignore it. Have a conversation with the family because ignoring it helps your child to not do it as much until it is merely even a tic at all. Hope this helps