Advice needed DS1 cant stop blinking

[Shrimpets]

Hello I wondered if anyone had any advice for me, my DS1 has been blinking now for a well over a week, he is also closing them really tightly and closing one at a time, I feel so sorry for him because it must be really frustrating. This is not the first time he has had any strange movements going on with his eyes. For the last 3 years he has been doing something or another from opening them wide to turning them towards the side and moving his head. He also has been making grunting noises and sniffs a lot too. I have not put any of these symptoms together because I thought this was just him.

When I Goggled the symptoms Tourettes Syndrome keeps coming up and it all seem to fit. It says that one symptom stops and another starts well DS1 has been picking his nose for as long as i can remember and all intervention to stopping has failed, this now seems to have disappeared (apart from the odd occasion) we thought this was a habit that he could not break!

We have had his hair cut because he was growing it and has been to the opticians today and his eyes are completely fine with no infection, just so we can rule these out. His teacher said he has been doing it at school too.

Just wanted to know if anyone else has been through this. We have a doctors appointment on Wed and want to be prepared as to what to tell the doctor.

I know this is long and thank you for reading.

Shrimpets x

Hi, yes, you don't say how old your ds is, but our ds2 had a whole series of strange nervous tics from about 9 to 13. these included eyeball rolling, twitching, nose twitching, blinking, shruging, burping, over chewing and so on. One tic would disappear, to be replaced by another. if you search on this board I know you will find other threads from MNers with similar stories. In ds' case he was/is quite highly strung, very intelligent, and - at the time - subject to stress at school. He seems to have outgrown thetics. I feel sure that your ds is very unlikely to have Tourette's, just nervous movements that he will grow out of in time. we found it best not to keep picking our son up on what he was doing other than perhaps once a day, and gradually they all stopped. Hope this helps?

I started reading and thought how I was going to suggest tourettes to you so I'm pleased that you ahev already looked into it. Tourettes ranges from clearing the throat several times an hour to the well known swearing and jerking. It's an involuntary action caused by the body releasing too much energy. There was another thread a few weeks ago with the same question so I'll try to find it for you.

I used to roll my eyeballs when I was about 9 I don't know how it began or when it stopped but all I know is when I try and do it now I have a strange compulsion to keep going but don't! I think it's an anxiety thing rather than anything to be too worried about.

Hi
I had a funny eye habit when I was little (about 7?). I used to keep looking up or to the sides, i can only describe this as getting kind of addicted to the feeling of 'stretching' my eyes?? I don't have Tourettes and I'm not sure how I got out of it. i know my mum was worried for a time, I believe that in the end it came down to bribing me with a pet rabbit!
If you don't feel you get anywhere with your doctor, don't be afraid to go and see another for another opinion. It could be nothing but it could be something so don't be brushed off. Good luck.

Uppsy that's what mine was like more of a habit!

and I think I've just given myself the habit again by trying it out! (sorry Shrimpets, not trying to belittle this problem)

I know it's really compulsive isn't it i've had to sit here and stop myself doing it once i'vedone it once!

I know it's really compulsive isn't it i've had to sit here and stop myself doing it once i'vedone it once!

Try not to jump to conclusions - sounds more like "transient tics of childhood" than Tourette's. There are 3 main tic syndromes - transient, chronic and Tourette's. Transient tics are very common and grown out of.

This is a complicated article but helpful too www.postgradmed.com/issues/2000/10_00/evidente_tic.shtml

"Transient tics are common, particularly among children under the age of 10 years. In fact, about 20% of kids in this age-group have tics that disappear as they get older. Nonetheless, parents often are concerned about what strange movements or sounds mean and what can be done about them. Many have heard horror stories about Tourette's syndrome and fear a life of social rejection because of uncontrollable "urges.""

Your GP should be able to reassure you.

Thank you all for your messages thay have been very reasuring (does not look right). I always seem to think worse case senario. I do think this could be another one of his habits, but because of the amount he is doing the blinking want the doctor to check him out. I will post again to let you know of the outcome.

Shrimpets x