Daughter, the little coughdop, apparently has a vocal tic?

[viiswi]

Hi

My daughter started coughing after a virus last summer.

She hasnt stopped. She coughs as she feels her throat is tickly.

Sometimes her voice is a bit hoarse. She swallows a lot during sleep too.

No coughing at all during sleep.

We've been to the GP loads of times. Everything normal.

GP gave us a peak flow meter to use. Peak flow was regular and always the same.

Then we tried a nasal spray. Made the cough worse.

Tried the brown inhaler and after 6 weeks the cough stopped!

After a week of no cough, we saw someone at the hospital.

He said she ha s vocal tic.

I really don't understand this, as she coughs and clears her throat because it tickles. Surely that is NOT a tic.

I think since being off the inhaler, her voice is getting croaky again.

I really dont know where to go from here.

ANy advice please?

My DC did develop a throat-clearing/cough tic for a while - it went after a while. It becomes habit for them, basically.

But if your DD has been cough-free on the inhaler and it comes back without the inhaler then go to GP again.

At the moment you just think it could be getting croaky again so nothing to do but wait. The best thing is to not draw attention to it - checking up constantly can make it worse if it is a tic.

Hello

The paed said it wasnt asthma as no coughing at night, lol.

I wondered if the inhaler had finally started working after 6 weeks or maybe the change in the weather?

He is the main man to see for allergies, it's his speciality.

x

If he’s the main man, then listen to him. I mean if the cough comes bs k with a vengeance you’ll need to think again, but my DC’s was definitely a tic, and definitely was worse when relaxed e.g. watching TV, and it did go away after maybe 8 weeks ish.

Hi NoSquirrels

Did your DC have a tickly throat and a croaky voice?

That's the bit I don't understand about having a tic.

x

I had one as a child and can remember my throat being "scratchy" if I didn't cough. It lasted a few months, then disappeared however it still surfaced from time to time if I felt stressed. As an adult, I've learned to suppress it but I still get the scratchy feeling when I'm under pressure.

Tickly throat - certainly if we asked why they were coughing they’d say because they “had something in their throat” and it began with a bad cold & cough, but it was just habit - the “something” wasn’t really real, iyswim.

Croaky voice - coughing lots (even if it is “just” a tic) can give you a croaky voice.

Basically- the cough tic developed from a “real” problem but then became a habit that was no less “real” to DC even though there was nothing actually medically wrong.

So the cough tic can be because of a tickly feeling (psychological), or because coughing a lot causes your throat to dry up (physical) but neither means there’s anything more sinister going on than just a tic.

Does that make sense?

Basically it drive us bonkers for a bit, but then it went. Obviously you’ll want to keep an eye on it but it could be “just” a tic even though she’s got a tickly throat.

My child had this tic. Amongst others. He said it tickled and he needed to cough...then I realised he felt like he needed to give an answer to me questioning his cough and that is why it was “tickly”
He sounded hoarse and occasionally HAD a sore throat, because he coughed so much!

If it is a tic, and attention is being drawn to it, it will continue. If you ignore it, dont mention it, don’t look in her direction when she does it and don’t ask her anything about it, it should go away.
I tried the placebo effect with my son and that worked also.. gave him water and sugar and told him the drink was to fix his throat tickle. That a few times alongside ignoring it , and it disappeared.
So the inhaler COULD be the same thing. Kind of a placebo affect on the tic. She THINKS it’s making it better so it goes away.

Hope this is useful

Oh and my sons tic came from having a real cough too in the first place.
Totally agree with NoSquirrels post.
I reckon all the doctors trips etc will have encouraged the tic and that when that all stops you will find it will disappear 😊

Oh wow!

Thank you so much.

Totally makes sense now.

I was imagining all sorts thanks to my anxiety and Dr Google!

Im so worried it will come back.

The paed said her virus started it off.

It's just so refreshing not hearing the constant throat clearing and cough. He also mentioned that some children wipe the end of their noses up with their palms - guilty of that too! (Sorry for that awful description).

Thank you everyone. I truly appreciate it xx

Your welcome.
Honestly my best advice is pretend it’s not happening. And she will eventually stop.
Although if prone to tics she may develop others. My son started with the cough and when one finished a new tic would begin. Hopefully this doesn’t happen for you but if you are interested, the other tics Included wiping his nose on sleeve, hard blinking, funny eye roll things, eyebrow lifting, the sniff...
All separately and all lasted longer when acknowledged.. I know it’s VERY hard to ignore!

Hi

Actually, I had tics when I was a child.

One was snapping my head back and another was opening my mouth wide and then into an O shape.

I didnt even realise I was doing it.

It went.

Yes, hopefully the inhaler was the placebo effect she needed.

xx

I sure this is what my daughter had recently. She had a cold and a genuine cough.
But cough didn’t go.
It lasted for months.
I noticed a few days ago that she’s not coughing as much .
She also wouldn’t cough overnight.

Luckymummy22

Hello

I hope it continues to go!

xx