509Momof2

@jason_dfwThank you so much for that response. It's what I needed to hear.

Thanks for the info. Having had yeast overgrowth myself I totally get how that affects your body. So maybe that's it. Really appreciate the information!

@maryangela WOW, thanks for this information. My husband was never on board with the PANDAS idea (still isn't, when I share the with him, he'll probably roll his eyes and call me paranoid!), but I still wonder if that has something to do with this. My nephew has TS and my son's tics don't look at all like his, although I understand tics are very variable from kid to kid. I'm so glad your son is almost fully recovered! The fact that my son's movements started after a long illness and they wax and wane based on his illness, he gets respiratory issues probably more than most kids (we may look at undiagnosed food sensitivities), he has really bad dark circles under his eyes that seem to be worse the days he's ticcing more, and all of his movements center on his head and neck and generally sound like he's clearing his throat, lead my gut to say that there's underlying illness or an immune issue involved. I would love to know where you took your son. Our traditional pediatrician continues to tell us that its nothing to worry about, and his aren't super severe so it's easy to brush it off. After talking with a friend who's DD was diagnosed with severe PANDAS, we saw Dr. Kovacevic in Lisle but we didn't come to any conclusion. Our DS has no psychological issues (does great in school, no anxiety, fears, OCD, ADHD, etc) and the typical antibiotics and steroid course didn't make a difference, so that steered us away from PANDAS. We were told the steroids and antibiotics would stop his tics but they didn't. And our pediatrician doesn't believe in PANDAS (which I don't understand) so we just stopped heading in that direction. Thanks for reaching out. Hoping to hear from others who have seen the same thing.

Hi there - My DS (9) came down with a tic a year ago, after a long respiratory illness. He would clear his throat often, then it moved to a tic where he looked like he was slowly stretching his neck. The whole time he would also say his body needed to stretch, manifesting itself in him standing in awkward positions, sometimes with his hand on his hip, looking like he was almost trying to stop his muscles from moving. We talked to the doctor and she said it was probably just a transient tic and it would stop. We also had him checked for PANDAS and that was ruled out. Then last fall, all tics seemed to stop. Earlier this year, he came down with another respiratory thing. Shortly after, he began clearing his throat, and as of late, he was making a slight high pitch wheezing noise and moving his neck just slightly (most couldn't tell this was going on, but we could) saying he was also "clearing his throat." Then a couple days ago, he came down with another respiratory thing (this is always what he gets when he gets sick) and all of the movement and wheezing noises stopped. Like, totally stopped. His body looks relaxed (not like his muscles are tense) and he's not making any noises other than coughing. We're holding our breath that this continues but find the timing very strange. I'd think they'd get worse when a kid is sick. Is this a normal phenomenon?

Thank you all for your responses! @cova I am so interested in the treatment you mentioned. We're in Bolingbrook so Lemont isn't too far. So just today, DS has come down with what we think is a cold, but I'm wondering if it could be an undiagnosed allergic reaction to food (sniffles, lots of gunk in his throat). He's now legitimately coughing (vs. what we have thought was a throat clearing tic), and oddly, his tics have completely disappeared. His neck movements and stretching movements that were very obvious yesterday are gone. It's very strange (in a good way, I guess?). Most of what he has is in his neck or head area so now I'm wondering if it's all related to undiagnosed allergies. Any insight on that?

Hi there - My 9 yo son has had what our doctor called transient tics on and off for a year. They started after he had pneumonia last winter, with a throat clearing that was legit at first, then we realized he was just doing it over - and over - and over, well after he was better. Then last summer, those went away and he had a very mild shoulder thing where he would sort of roll his shoulders back like he was stretching, and he always seemed like he had to stretch. Then we were so happy when everything went away in the fall, and all continued to be well until this spring, when he got a cold and the throat clearing continued, Then it stopped, and the stretching motion came on. Now he's not stretching, but the throat clearing is back, with a high pitched sigh/squeal (or what sounds ike it), or humming a song. For the squeal, he says he's clearing this throat and he has to do it. I'm really stressed out and have cried several times tonight, worried that it's getting worse (he's never had two things go on at the same time). I'm especially worried about him going to school next week and making audible noises in class. I'm turning to this forum for advice, and really advice for me - how do I not feel so upset? I know things could be much worse. Where do I turn? Do I call the pediatrician? Does he need a neurologist? Any advice is appreciated.