Any experience of tics in children?

[JBright]

Hi everyone,
My 5 year old ds has recently started having tics, to be honest I’m completely heartbroken and scared. They are both verbal and motor tics. We have seen the GP who essentially wants to “watch and wait” but honestly I’m not sure what can be medically done anyway. DS is neurotypical, we have experienced a bereavement recently which may have been the trigger. I have never experienced them myself nor dh.
Are there any recommendations for natural remedies? I’ve seen some say they have had success with liquid magnesium, but not sure which one or how much to try?
just grasping at straws really and also hoping if anyone has positive stories to share.
thanks so much.

Hey there,
a tic like that could be caused by any number of things, and if the doctor is not worried, they clearly do not expect it to be anything serious.

In terms of natural remedies, consider switching to a nutrient dense whole food diet, one specifically rich in stuff that the brain and nerves need to grow and repair and function well.
For more info watch Georgia Ede on YouTube she details a brain healthy diet really well. Basically a child's brain and nervous system are being built out of protein and fat, so we all need to make sure these nutritional needs are being met with high quality complete proteins, from animal sources as they are complete proteins, i.e contain all the essential amino acids necessary, and healthy natural fats, like those found in meat, dairy, cheese, but also avocado, olive and coconut oils. It is possible to get all the essential amino acids form non-animal sources, but you need to carefully balance your sources, as protein sources from beans or pulses etc. are incomplete.

Sounds too simple to help, but our nervous systems need to be built and maintained out of these things, so we need to consume them.

It might also help cutting down on processed foods and processed carbohydrates as these can be inflammatory, again not good for the developing brain and nervous system.

I wish you the best of luck, and you and your child all the best.

The tics may be short term, but I would recommend reading through this website in case it’s relevant: panspandasuk.org/what-are-pans-and-pandas/

My daughter and her friend gave had tics on and off their whole lives. Some have been more noticeable than others. Theyre very very common. Especially around times of change and transitions. Honestly I wouldn't worry but just keep an eye on it. I was told the worst thing you can do is point them out. Maybe focus on some relaxation techniques and activities. They seemed to peak at aged 10. Both girls just started high school and I haven't noticed them having any tics so I'm sure they've grown out of them now, I actually remember having one myself as a kid! Not had any as an adult. In some ways I feel they're maybe a healthy way of managing anxiety rather than internalizing too much. Im no medic tho!

My daughter has eye tics out of nowhere and the a and e dr confirmed it. The gp wasn't convinced and thought it was behavioural and told me not to worry.
Dd is 2.11 months and asd.

Several months on ,they've stopped and I'm grateful to not have killed myself worrying.

My ASD/ADHD DC developed a tic at a similar age. it did just stop after a couple of years, we ignored it and didn’t make an issue out of it, didn’t discuss it in front of them, see GP or anything so they didn’t get a complex about it. It’s apparently very common.

My NT DS has had tics on and off since he was about 5, he’s now 8. They have ranged from coughs/throat clearing to eye rolling to jaw moving to finger rubbing … every one of them has stopped after a few months. My DH and I have got quite stressed about it at times (the throat clearing one in particular as it was such an annoying sound!) but ignoring is the best policy.

I do give my DS magnesium vitamins and it does seem to have helped. 150mg ones.

Thanks so much. I had thought about diet but your message really brought that to the forefront regarding what’s needed now and ok l definitely check out that link too. Really appreciate your advice thank you

Thank you so much!

I developed tics at 7 and still have them in my 30s. If gp isn't worried, it's unlikely to be anything other than tourettes or a tic disorder. They never bothered me as a kid as they were just part of me. Mine started after a traumatic event. Lots of kids have them but usually out grow.
I second don't interrupt tics. To me it feels like a build up of pressure being released and when someone points it out, that pressure release gets stopped and it is so so annoying. Imagine mid yawning and someone putting their finger in your mouth (only way I could think to explain the feeling).

Thank you, it’s reassuring to hear of situations where children have grown out of them, I am glad to hear this has happened for your daughter and your friend. Yes that’s a good way to think of it, in at least they are not just holding it all in.

DS used to have rice, but has grown out of them now. The one thing that really helped was a kids magnesium supplement, which also helped with his sleep.

*tics not rice!

Thank you, it’s so helpful to hear from your perspective, I’m starting to realise what we see on the outside isn’t the full picture, theres something going on inside too. I do try to ignore but it’s so hard to see him struggling/ tensing etc and not respond or try and help as his mum. I’ll keep trying to ignore as I know it can make things worse otherwise, from everything I’ve read. Thanks again I’m grateful to you for sharing.

Thank you for sharing your experience, it’s reassuring to hear of these situations where children have outgrew. I’m glad to hear this was the case for your little one.

DS developed one when he was having a tough time at school age 8/9. We never drew attention to it and it is hardly there now he is late teens. If he is stressed I see it sometimes but it’s very rare.

This is really similar to my son - he also had a phase of obsessively licking things and doing a weird movement with his neck. We found it was best to completely ignore them and not make any contact. They all seem to fade away sooner or later.

My son is ND and has a Tourette’s diagnosis. His tics were always motor but they have reduced considerably over the years (he was diagnosed at 10, 5 years ago). Now they only really occur during times of stress or high anxiety (which are quite frequent as he’s also diagnosed with high anxiety), but overall a reduction as he’s got older.
Provided it’s Tourette’s and there’s no medical underlying cause, it’s not the end of the world.

My son had it too around 7. Lots of blinking etc. He grew out of it. I understand it is really common with young boys.

My DD developed a constant throat clearing cough thing last summer - I timed it and she was doing it literally every 15 seconds at one point, I was really worried about how to handle it and it was becoming so ingrained in her behaviour. We took her to the doc and they thought maybe her tonsils looked a bit large, but they also said it might just be a habit she'd formed and to watch and wait.

It completely stopped once she started school, and I think maybe it was a kind of nervous thing she had developed over summer when she was waiting for school to start. Her teacher said it can be common, and might re-present at times of stress or change in her life in the future. She said best thing to do is not draw attention to it, and she was right.

thank you! All these reassuring stories of children outgrowing them are peeling me off the ceiling so to speak. Yes really trying to ignore/ not discuss in front of him etc, but finding it really hard! I will keep trying as I know that’s the best advice.
thank you

My highly sensitive dc started with tics at a similar age after a stressful period in our lives. They have mostly grown out of them now (tween-age) but we also took them for some EMDR a few years ago after we lost a family and all the tics and anxiety ramped back up again. Try not worry op, you sound a lovely caring mum and you will figure it all out 💐

Thank you @Snowpaw , yes it’s so hard not to worry isn’t it! I’m glad things cleared up for you and your DD.

Hey,
My 11 yr old has had them on/off for the last 2 years, they develop/evolve and at times are much more noticeable. He started high school last week and I was so worried about the impact they would have on him being able to settle but most of his friends really don’t notice or bother about them. There are a few that tease him but many more who support him,
we’ve spoken to GP/neurology/CAMHs - none of them want to do anything yet. He is otherwise NT. His diet is not great, we try to work on this but he is also quite small and ultimately I need him to eat! we have tried magnesium but this didn’t seem to help. It has definitely increased at times of unpredictability/stress but then just goes away for a few months and returns again in a slightly different form. I am presuming that he will grow out of it.
there are times that it upsets and worries me but most of the time he seems to handle it. When it’s really bad it exhausts him. I don’t have a lot of advice, just a bit of understanding. I think it’s important to have it ‘logged’ with GP in case it gets worse or starts to impact on his day to day.
@@Arthurnewyorkcity its really helpful to hear from someone who experiences this. I try really hard not to mention it but then sometimes we chat about it or he will bring it up. We just try not to be stressy about it.

My DS struggled with many between the ages of 6-12. The best thing we did was ignore them, and tell him not to try to suppress them. They went away around Year 8. He’s currently 18, had amazing A levels, has a lovely girlfriend, is currently interrailing with a big group of friends and is accepted to an elite uni.

They were worrying times with the tics. I chose not to get Tourette’s diagnosed and glad of it. He’s totally okay now. Try not to let it worry you.

Thank you @benefitstaxcredithelp and for your kind words. I so hope that we do figure it out. I just feel so helpless all I can do is keep taking myself off to cry where he can’t see me. I’m glad things got better for you all. Can I ask if you found the EMDR helpful at all?