7 year old DS upset by tics

[Handofglory]

Ds has just turned 7. Started having tics a couple of months ago. They came from nowhere-started with a nose twitching one then progressed to neck stretching, hand stretching and most recently teeth clenching.

The neck and teeth one really upset him as they hurt him but he can’t stop.

He talks quite eloquently about how it feels in the build up to one and it breaks my heart that he gets so distressed.

Went to dr who said it was fairly common and that any medication he could give was very strong stuff and only as a last resort.

I’ve tried giving magnesium liquid but no noticeable effect.

Day to day we completely ignore the tics and try to distract him, keep him active and make sure he gets a decent amount of sleep but I don’t really know what to tell him when he asks how to stop them and why it’s happening to him.

I haven't really got any advice. But my dd has had some tics over the years. Since she was around 6. All sorts of different things, vocal and face movements.. they haven't really bothered her too much, and i am amazed that her peers haven't really commented. We havent done anything other than ignore. But they do accompany some anxiety issues (kind of compulsive behaviours that really annoy her, but different to the tics as more voluntary) for which I've done 'self help' books with her. She hasn't had any tics for a while now (she's 10) and anxiety seems better. So I'm hoping things will settle for your son.

Thank you. They did kind of coincide with some school worries and he does have some ocd type tendencies so I could try something self helpy around those areas.

It’s bad enough watching him do them all but worse that it upsets him.

Where are you based? It may be worth a referral if London area to the Evelina Hospital who run a tic clinic. Also have a read up about PANS/PANDAS

Not London but would travel anywhere to help him.
Is it best to wait a few more months in the hope it settles or try to get in the system as quickly as possible?

The book we used for ocd was called 'what to do when your brain gets stuck'. It was recommended by camhs. we first went though the book when she was 6 and have done it several times since. It wasn't totally relevant as she only really has the compulsions, not the anxious thoughts, but the basic CBT techniques have been really helpful.

I'm not sure how much it will help tics. My dd saw camhs for the ocd but was discharged as not really severe enough and also after 6 month wait, was better. But when it flared again at 9 I actually spoke to gp and self referred to the local child pscyh team, asking for a private consultation (in london). I was so impressed as they discussed my email at their team meeting and a psychologist phoned me back (without charge).. she gave me some tips and reassured me about some of my concerns. We never went for the full referral in the end as she settled again.

I've always wondered if her symptoms are linked to illnesses as so often she gets the tics/ compulsions after viral illness.

I have read that book - what to do when your brain gets stuck - to my ds in the past. He has had tics since he was four. The thing that stops them is reducing his anxiety. The tic can last 6 months or more and feel like it will never go but it always does when he is less anxious. He replaced tics with needing to go to the toilet last year. He once went 10 times. As soon as he came out of the bath room he had to go straight back in x10. It was awful, really affected us going anywhere always had to be near a toilet. I do everything I can to make sure he does not go back to being anxious. I think the next trigger will be when he moves to secondary school.

My GP said my ds was not bad enough for a referral to camhs.

I had tics as a child and so did 4 of my 5 dc, we all grew out of them. It's very common.

I developed some tics when I was about his age, due to a traumatic event. They still reoccur now every so often but I work hard not to let them come back.

My DD also has some; they chop and change, have done ever since she was little really.

I don't worry - I think it's common for children. I do feel for him though - my eyes would get sore sometimes with one tick, my throat with another.

Give him a hug from me!

Oh gosh-the toilet thing is interesting-we had dreadful trouble with something very similar with my dd a few years ago when she was about the same age ds is is now. also linked to anxiety. Maybe I just have anxious kids

Thank you for the book recommendation-will have a look.

He’s had a better day today-lots of playing outside after school seems to have helped.

DS aged 8 has various different motor and vocal tics and has had since about 5. We were referred to camhs and then cyps who said they wouldn't medicate a child so young and as he didn't want to talk to the psychiatrist they had to discharge him. They come and go in severity but there is always at least one on the go at a time. We go for the ignoring policy and we will see where it goes. I feel for you as it's very hard to watch as a parent.

What’s the aim with the magnesium liquid? My 11 year old does this. I’ve only just realised how bad it is really.

My 8 year old has had several tics this year from coughing to licking his fingers to grunting and even stuttering. The stuttering was the worst for us both ( seeing him upset) but they all ended up passing in a matter of weeks. It coincided with him changing schools - he loves the new school but I suspect it was anxiety related.

Interesting he has always wanted to wee a lot - teachers have commented but as the tics have (maybe temporarily stopped) he commented to me just the other day that ‘I only wee twice a day at school now’.

TunnockS-There’s anecdotal evidence that magnesium helps some children-it’s meant to be good for stress too.
Sorry others are going through the same. His teacher did say they see a lot of it in year 2. There’s at least one other boy in his class with similar so that is maybe reassuring.

Thanks, i’ll look for some. Strangely I have only just linked the strange little eccentricities ds has had - including coughing, toilet visits and now eye rolling - as being tics as when they stopped happening I was too relieved to realise he’d just moved on to something else! He will say he is not anxious and his life is pretty good at the moment, I’d have said.
OP I’m sure there are CBT related things the doctor can put your dc forward for, medication isn’t the only option.

My DD has experienced tics since at least the age of 6. She's now 9 and they have varied in severity but each have stuck around for a good number of months if not over a year.

She's recently developed severe anxiety with horrendous nausea and retching. Accompanying this has begun possibly her worst tic yet - a severe eye twitch whereby she blinks fully with one eye. As time is progressing the tic is worsening and her eyebrow now moves too with each blink.

It's very upsetting tbh as her anxiety has wrecked most things in and out of school and made her a shell of a person and now she has a tic she is very conscious of (we've tried ignoring it but she's very aware and understandly children at school have commented)

My mind is overloaded with all the reading I've done recently but in summary there are motor tics and phonic tics then these can be simple or complex (google to get exact descs). These tics tend to worsen with all sorts of factors (e.g. lack of sleep, bright light, stress/anxiety/excitement, certain foods and so on).

Our doc wasn't interested in referring us to camhs for her anxiety even though she's had panic attacks and daily nausea so I'm not sure he'd care about tics

Mindfulness and emotional regulation exercises can help with tics, along with distraction/intense concentration

Anyone had any luck/answers?