Anyone’s child have or had Tics?

[CocoBean22]

DS 8 years old started blinking hard with both eyes around 2 months ago. Then over the last week he has started shrugging his left shoulder upto his chin like he’s rubbing his chin against his shoulder.
He also had a sniffing tic a few months ago that disappeared as soon as it came.
Ive spoke to the doctor who isn’t worried and said that it’s super common in school age kids and that he will very likely grow out of it.
Has anyone else had or have a child with a tic and they disappeared in time?

Just stressing about it being Tourette’s 🤦🏻‍♀️

My son had a lot of tics between the ages of about 5 and 13 and was diagnosed with a chronic tic disorder. His main ones were raising his eyebrows, throat clearing and making an “mmm” sound, but they changed over time. I found they were worse when he was excited or nervous.

It was quite an anxious time for me because I found myself watching him for new tics and wondering whether they were getting worse. But in his case, things gradually improved and by about 14/15 they had pretty much gone, which was such a relief. He is now 19 and still tic free.

Just re-read your post and seen that your DS has only had tics for two months. He’s not in the chronic stage yet, so I think he’ll be very likely to outgrow his tics.

My DS had tics from around 8 to about 13. Blinking hard, stretching his chin up and opening his mouth (a bit like a yawn). I noticed it used to be worse when he was stressed and/or tired. He was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD when he was 12, I think they are sometimes linked. He outgrew his tics, he’s now 17 and doesn’t have any at all. I think I read about magnesium supplements at the time, might be worth looking into.

Yes, from time to time over the years. Always fade in time. Don't worry about it.

Absolutely. The shoulder shrug up to the ears thing had me worried it was undiagnosed autism or the start of Tourette's but in time, it went away.

I've no idea what caused it because life was calm and normal at the time or why it just stopped one day but I've always wondered if it was part of brain development in male children going through puberty.

Dd had tics between 8 and 15 but she did grow out of them...
so worrying at the time but yes, they passed.

Yes DD has had various different tics since age 4. She is now 9, they come and go, change, sometimes more obvious and then they go away for a bit. They are always movement related. Her twin brother occasionally has some sound ones but they've developed only since the past year, he didn't have them when he was younger.
I read on NHS that they will probably go away, but I've keep a written note of them over the years in case they don't and I need to give more information to a health professional. We just ignore them. She occasionally mentions them, we talk about how it's just something her body does, she calls them her twitches.

I had the eye blinking tic as a child (4-8yrs) and grew out of it completely.

I did end up with generalised anxiety and emetophobia later in life but not to point that it has a significant impact on my life. Never had to take medication for MH issues.

Lots and lots of children get tics (I worked in a school for ten years, so have seen a lot of tics!) - most will just go away on their own.

However, keep a note of the tics - Tourette’s is diagnosed if you have had both vocal and motor tics for at least a year.

Both my sons were diagnosed with Tourette’s (TS). DS2 was diagnosed first at age 6 (his tics started at 3), and then DS1 was diagnosed at 10 (his tics started at 9). At the height of their tics, it was very noticeable. DS1 grew out of his tics by early teens. DS2 still tics at age 18.

Apparently about half people with TS grow out of it. Most learn to manage it. DS2’s tics are now quite mild, and he can suppress them for a while. You probably wouldn’t notice his as he’s learnt to hide his tics (eg by covering his mouth when he opens it very wide, and most of his tics are under clothes).

Please remember that the portrayals of TS on TV are the extreme ones and most people with TS have a very different experience. My sons have never been teased or mocked. The tics do hurt, though :(

My son also diagnosed with inattentive type ADHD at 12, hes had a tic of pushing his chin forward for a little while, which is much more agreeable than the tic he had before that was to just let out a high pitch scream. Me and the dog have had to be peeled off the ceiling a few times, nevermind the endless cups of tea that have gone all over me. Im not overly worried, the scream went, hope the chin thing does too. Try not to fret OP.

My son also developed a blinking tic this time last year. He seemed to suffer from hayfever and then the blinking started and hasn't stopped - if anything it seems to be getting worse :(. I also suspect he has inattentive ADHD so maybe there is a link?! I keep reading it's a phase and he will grow out of it but it is worrying. Just keeping an eye on it at the moment as there doesn't seem to be anything we can do - we've reduced his screen time (not that he had an excessive amount) and trying to get him to sleep more in case it's linked to tiredness. Will try magnesium as mentioned by a PP.

Just want to say I’m diagnosed with tic disorder and I’m in my late 30s. I’ve had them as long as I can remember and they were always there. Tics do get a lot worse when I’m stressed and anxious but it’s ok and I manage. They are just annoying. No one ever comments.

Dont worry too much if they don’t grow out of them. They can be manageable. I work as a police detective and response officer. It won’t stop your children thriving x

Forgot to mention his age - 8.5 when he started last year

Yes my eldest had blinking and mouth stretching and they crop up from time to time, however have all but disappeared as he’s hit teen years (14 now).

I also had similar when I was younger - we just took the ignore approach and they just faded. They are so so common, please try not to worry.

Tics usually disappear. The best advice is to ignore them. They can be medicated if they are painful & affect functioning however, it’s extremely unlikely to be offered medication if there’s only a 2 month onset. They can be increased by stress or anxiety so it might be helpful to do some anxiety management. Tics can also be helped by habit reversal but it needs a specialist practitioner to do this.

My son did around that age. He was an anxious child and I think it helped him regulate. We never drew attention to it. They did stop by themselves as he matured.
He is late teens now and will sometimes rapidly move/tap his leg up and down if he’s stressed but he can control that.

My daughter had loads of tics as a young teen, she has grown out of them all
bar one, which is a funny little sound she makes, it happens so rarely now though and usually when she is gearing up to
do something. Like I would say “rights let’s go”. she’ll go brrrupt it’s fine it’s just her we never ever bring it up. The tics were always worse if anyone mentioned them btw so we did our best to ignore them

My son had tic syndrome and the tics faded out but he was also diagnosed with inattentive ADHD in his late teens. Interesting that a few posters have mentioned this type

Watching this thread. My dc has had verbal and motor tics for over a year. We suspect ASD and ADHD, waiting assessment.

I had a tic around the same age. Not that I knew what it was, my family made fun of me. My DS has had several over the years, usually when he’s tired or anxious. We generally ignore the tic, make sure he gets more sleep and check why he’s anxious. Was at its worst when he was being bullied at school.

my son (6) has just started with what appears to be a cycle of tics, they began in December when I bought him a new outfit for the school play, he said it was comfortable but kept pulling it away from his neck at the front - I’m guessing nervousness / anxiety started it - which moved on to shoulder shrugging, then rubbing his chin with one shoulder, then pulling his sleeves up and down repeatedly, now it’s a double cough, usually 3 times in a row.
He has cycled through them pretty quickly, they seem to last about a month before changing.
We ask him why he is doing to make sure he is aware, but don’t make it into a negative, just a general musing.

I was just searching Mumsnet in the hopes there would be a similar thread from a while back glad there’s a new one today. My 8 year old has had them off and on the last couple of years but they’ve really ramped up the last month and it’s so hard to watch just wish I could take it away from him. He’s not got ADHD or Autism he was seen by CAHMS when he first had them they said it wasn’t the right place for him that he should get to see a neurologist but the one at my local kids hospital won’t see them unless they are also having seizures?! Wth? Have a phone call with the GP tomorrow to see if he can push it again.

Both my children had tics and one of them also stuttered. I was very worried about the tics but they have both grown out of them. One completely and the other's have calmed down considerably.

I am 63 and have had tics all my life. I remember them starting. Mine are excessive blinking, nose pulling, shoulder moving.
Gets worse with stress. My brother has them too. I think he is possibly autistic and maybe I am too...I really can struggle in social situations. Both my brother and I have had good successful careers but I've always been a bit embarrassed by them.

Instead of hoping the tics go away, maybe hope that the discomfort, anxiety and suffering go away. Tics are just a symptom.