Tics

[ZebraF]

3 weeks ago my DD6 came out of school very upset. She had been told off in a lesson and a couple of other girls then started teasing her about it and according to the teacher she didn’t stop crying all afternoon. She was inconsolable when she came out of school - I have never seen her so upset. That weekend on the Sunday afternoon, she started doing repetitive sideways head movements and rolling her eyes to the side. This carried on for a couple of days then lessened and became very infrequent. It seemed to be linked to anxiety from the school incident and I breathed a sigh of relief thinking it had gone.
The movements returned at a birthday party last weekend - she was very excited and it was at a busy play centre. They then stopped for a few days afterwards but returned again on Thursday. I contacted GP using the online service, and offered to send videos. GP didn’t ask for the videos and diagnosed tics based on my description. His advice was to ignore them.
I have now noticed they are interfering with her reading - she is usually a prolific reader but is now choosing to read far less and is using a bookmark underneath so she can follow the lines. She had an eye test in December which was fine but I’ve booked another eye test which is on Thursday.
The movements have continued to be very frequent over the weekend and I have noticed other people giving my daughter strange looks because the tics are worst when she’s talking to people. Also frequent when watching tv. She has no idea she is doing anything different. They don’t happen when she’s focused on things like Lego, drawing or when she’s singing. She is on holidays from school now so I was expecting things to improve but if anything they’ve been worse since school ended. I am struggling to follow the advice to ignore them and I am becoming more worried.
Does anyone have experience of eye/head tics in children? Is it normal for them to be very frequent? Can they affect reading?

My eldest had them when he was younger. Often more noticeable when stressed. Like yourself I did consult the gp and they gave the same advice. After searching online I found they are brought on by the lack of magnesium. Try magnesium rich foods or a supplement. I gave my son a supplement and the tics did go. Once I stopped the supplement they returned. I continued with it for a few months and they did stop. He hasn't had them for a while now but probably is still deficient in magnesium (fussy eater). Hope that helps.

My ds10 has them and they started around that age. They come and go and definitely much worse when tired, stressed or anxious. Best advice is not to pay them any attention. If any help he doesn’t get bullied at all for them, In face his friends call them his “superpowers” 💞

My dd had them last year when going through a lot of changes, she’s a lot older than your dd, was doing A levels and applying for uni, they continued through exams and during the summer holidays they got worse. Dd has a diagnosis of Aspergers and I was worrying about her developing Tourette’s (we like to worry 😬). Once settled at uni the tics have vanished but I worry they will return when she comes home as she seems more settled at uni than at home.

I think most of the time they just disappear, or they just come and go when anxiety/stress levels are high. With my dd mentioning them just made things worse. When they were at their worse she was hurting her neck so was well aware of them.

My DD (12) developed facial tics about 3 years ago when she was going through a stressful time at school. Like you, we were advised to ignore, which we did. The seem worse when she's tired or upset, but have lessened a bit. Interested to read PP above about magnesium supplements, I'll give that a go.

My 8 year old daughter had a tic last year. I initially thought she injured her neck as she kept stretching it so I took her to a osteopath. She said it was a repetitive movement and thought it was a tic. It got worse and worse despite me ignoring it, begun to cause her distress. It was much worse when tired, stressed or anxious. I used rescue remedy on her which helped a little, kept stress very low and increased exercise which helped.
Out of the blue she told me 3 months later she was being bullied. Literally overnight the tic disappeared. I'd address her stress the best you can.

My DD has Tourettes (fully diagnosed) and her tics started from age 4. We spent years ignoring them because the VAST majority of tics in children are temporary and will gradually go, even if they fluctuate for a while. They're often brought on by anxiety or upset, it's just the minds way of dealing with emotions.

I did a lot of reading around it, as the tics worried me, but the best thing to do is ignore them unless your DD brings it up with you herself. People do stare at my DD and adults sometimes think she's rolling her eyes at them. They're definitely worse when she's tired, after school or excited.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply. It is reassuring to know that ignoring them is the right approach - easier said than done! I will also look into magnesium.

Hi,
may I ask How much magnesium and what age was your son.

Floradix liquid Magnesium. The children's vitamins in the same range have magnesium too I think. They are suitable for ages 3 upwards but please do check the labels. Ask at a pharmacy and Im sure someone will point you in the right direction. Hope that helps.

Thank you so much 😊