Spartan32

I am an almost 27 year old man and unfortunately my tics have been getting worse after I turned 25. A brief history: - Minor vocal tics from ages 5-6. Tics stop completely - Minor but a little more bothersome vocal tics from about 10.5 to 12. Tics stop completely - Minor head shaking tic from 15-25 - Every since I was a kid I have always had a ton of energy, anxiety and at times depression. Probably OCD as well which helped me kill it in school and college so I guess I can take at least one positive out of all of this I have been using magnesium for years, I get plenty of vitamin D from the sun, and I eat an anti-inflammatory diet of only whole foods. I also workout 4-5 days a week. Stress is a HUGE problem though. My mind never shuts off and I am always thinking. Over the past 2 years, I have developed a few eye related tics as well as the constant urge to make a "hum" noise. So now I have my minor head shaking tic which remained at the same severity and these two new tics. Very frustrating but I can still hide them for the most part in public. When I am alone they are pretty bad which is very stressful. I have also had acne since I was about 13. Mostly mild but it turned cystic at 25 at the same time when my TS got worse. It also got pretty bad when I turned 15 when I got that head tic. It's like my body 's hormones got all out of whack and it is showing through my acne and my TS. Acne, like TS, hasn't really gotten mainstream approval for alternative treatments. Benzoyl Peroxide, Accutane, Antibiotics are handed out like candy so no one can ever really find the true cause. Some women are starting to use spironolactone which is an anti androgen and select birth control pills. Obviously as a guy, I can't use them but many women are reporting a full clearing of their acne after taking these anti androgens. Does anyone have any thoughts on excess androgens possibly making tics worse? I know I could use OTC supplements like saw palmetto but I don't want to just start buying 100 supplements like I have in the past. I feel like if I could figure out the root of my adult acne, I could drastically reduce my tics. I clearly have the genes for both Acne and TS but that doesn't mean they have to manifest. I have been tic free in the past so that gives me hope.

I am going to give this a try soon. I had smoked marijuana back in high school and in college with minimal results but I may not have had the correct strain. I am going to buy a vaporizer now and stick with indica strains. Obviously, this shouldn't be given to kids (even though it is probably WAY less dangerous than anti-psychotics but thats another topic for another day) but I am interested to see if it will help me.

I'll start with a brief timeline of my tourette's adventure . I have an extremely vivid memory of each occurrence so I don't think I missed anything Age 5: Barking vocal tic for a few months Ages 6-10: Nothing Ages 11-12 on and off for a year and a half: Simple throat clicking tic Ages 12 and a half to 15 and a half: Nothing Ages 15 and a half to 25: Head nodding tic; Not the worst thing in the world and I could control it pretty good. Was pretty mild and constant for 10 years. Age: 25 to now (I will be 26 in September so it's been almost a year of worsening): Head tic remains but is a little worse. I also now have on and off eye blinking, shoulder and arm tightening, nose grimacing, and sometimes that throat clicking tic that I had as a kid. As you can imagine, this is taking a huge toll on my mental health. I was OKAY with my mild head tic and I really came to just accept it. I am struggling significantly with this and honestly something has to give as I can't go on like this. Some More History: - Chronic Stress All My Life - I have Grinded My Teeth for Years When Sleeping I like thinking of my body as a unit and when it is out of wack, many things start going wrong. Well in 2011, my mild acne turned cystic. This of course increased my stress load a ton. I struggled with it until June of 2012. In that time I tried every topical medication and other method. In June of 2012, I requested Accutane. The doctor said not yet and asked me to try Bactrim DS first. I knew this was probably bad news but I was desperate. I took 2 pills a day for 3 straight months. No Results. Here is how that could possible tie in: (Yes, another timeline =p ) June 2012 - September 2012: Bactrim DS August 2012: Throat clicking tic comes back for about 10 days; goes away End of September 2012: Eye blinking tic for 2-3 weeks; goes away So the only 2 things that changed were an increase in stress (how much though is the question as my levels of stress have always been extremely high judging by my tooth grinding) and an antibiotic for 3 months. The story gets better though... Thanksgiving Day 2012: The throat clicking vocal tic returns Christmas Day 2012: Staph Infection on Chin; 14 days of Doxycycline Mid January - Mid February 2013: Vocal tic slowly fades and shoulder and arm tightening begin Mid February 2013: ANOTHER staph infection; In my nose this time April 2013:I see Dr. T about possible PANDAS. I had slightly elevated strep titres so we tried amoxicillin and zithromax for a month. Not much relief. He said my immunity markers were decent. May 2013 - Now: On and off periods of tics which seem to be getting worse. Now I sit here unable to stop blinking and feeling frustrated beyond belief. What I have Done In The Past Year to Help: - Anti-Inflammatory diet full of grass fed meats, a lot of veggies, low glycemic load, hypoallergenic (No gluten, diary, corn, etc), no alcohol (this has cleared my acne but done nothing for my tics). Currently following this diet. -Probiotics - Vitamins: Multivitamin from Thorne Research, Vitamin D, Magnesium (natural calm, magnesium taurate etc), Taurine, Zinc, Epsom salt. In the past when I was 15 and 25 and had the mild single tic, I hate a ton of fast food, junk, alcohol, dairy, and other non healthy things and honestly didn't notice much variation so it seems like a deeper problem than food. My whole body chemistry is somehow out of wack now. What I am Considering: Clonidine: Not something that I want to take but doesn't seem like the end of the world for an adult to take. Results seem suspect at best though. Anti-Psychotics: The Absolute LAST Resort. Side effects are ridiculous and unless I start having hallucinations I don't think I would ever take them. Marijuana: Not legal but I am at the point where I want and deserve relief so this is definitely an option. I'll take a small fine over the chance of getting tardive dyskinesia. Final Thoughts: Anyone think the Bactrim and other antibiotics could have thrown my body and immunity out of wack? Could the extra long term stress bring out new tics (wouldn't the stress just make the one I had worse? What Do I Do?!?! Sorry for the novel but doctors and neurologists are absolutely clueless or lazy. All they do is offer to prescribe dangerous medication and don't ask the very simple question of WHY. There is a reason for my tics getting worse (and your kid's as well) that goes beyond the doctor's explanation of "waxing" and "waning". Something (stress, hormonal changes, diet) all probably have something to do with it. I have done a lot of reading on gene expression and just because the TS gene is there, doesn't mean it has to be expressed. It turned itself off for me for many years as well as other people whose symptoms went into remission. Is this just dumb luck or is there a reason behind it? Things such as diet, stress, exercise, sunlight, and so many other factors can cause genes to be turned on and off. I just wish the medical community put more thought into that.

UPDATING. Since I made this thread, I decided that PANDAS was worth looking into. I have made an appointment with Dr. Bouboulis. The good news is that he accepts my insurance. The bad news is that the earliest appointment is in the middle of August I have also gotten cellulitis again from what is probably either staph or MRSA. It is most likely the same infection that I got in December but the 2 week course of antibiotics didn't wipe it out. They are going to test my nostrils after this infection clears up. I caught it quicker this time than last and got back on Doxycycline about 24 hours after the swelling started. It is half inside my nose and half on the outside so it is extremely painful but thankfully it did not spread to my eyes and brain as it will tend to do when it is in the area that I have it. So now this is 2 staph infections in less than 2 months. I am really interested to see if this could be affecting my immune system and bringing out symptoms. I still think strep could be a factor as well as I had that a ton of times as a kid so we will see. From my research, Dr. Bouboulis is the doctor that I really want to see. I do not want to wait 6 months though. Any other recommendations for doctors in PA, NJ, NY, CT, DE, and MD? I know Dr T has been recommended but I do not want to see him as some reviews on him have put me off.

I am thinking that the use of Flonase and a steroid inhaler may have been the thing that increased my tics over the past few months. I had a consistent mild head tic for 10 years but that all changed and now I have about 4 new tics. I had an upper respiratory infection over the summer and used those medications for it. The tics didn't just show up at once but came gradually. I am literally desperate at this point but can not seem to find a good source of help. I am finally going to visit a neurologist and request medication as this is ruining my life. Do any neurologists actually look for underlying causes? If steroids do increase tics, could they actually look into what that is doing to the body of someone with Tourette's? I would love to be fully examined and have tests run but it seems like that isn't the norm. I just wish these doctors that we paid so much to visit were willing to not just follow the protocol of diagnose and medication right away. Sometimes I think that my chronic and extreme stress is keeping my tics alive more than anything.

I used it for a few months back in 2008 and again in 2012 for mood. Honestly, i didn't notice any changes at all regarding tics or mood negative or positive.

Thanks for all of your replies. Very helpful. Here is my biggest concern. I have read that some of the methods that are used to treat PANDAS are things that are discouraged against for people with classic Tourette's Syndrome. I have read on the "Tourette Syndrome and Tics" forum that people with classic Tourette's that have taken steroids such as prednisone have had huge increases in current tics and sometimes new tics added. One of the other recommendations that is made is to heal the gut and clear possible candidas. Long term courses of antibiotics would not help with that and possibly make my gut situation worse (if it's actually bad in the first place that is). My question is how thorough are these doctors in making the diagnose of PANDAS and beginning treatment? Is it somewhat speculative where he may think I have PANDAS from blood work so he will give me a course of antibiotics or prednisone to see what happens? While I really want to pursue this and still may, I am scared that I have classic Tourette's and using antibiotics for a few months or a steroid will make my problem worse long term. I am new to this so I may be wrong but my OCD is making me consider all possibilities

I was wondering if anyone has experience with fermented cod liver oil and increases in tics? I began taking a product called Blue Ice Royal which is a blend of fermented cod liver oil and high vitamin butter oil for my adult acne in September. I began taking this product after reading this article http://www.westonaprice.org/cod-liver-oil/cod-liver-oil-basics and finding out the differences between most cod liver oil brands which are synthetic, and the fermented brand that I purchased. After 2 weeks or so, my acne cleared for the first time since I was 13 I have used every product on the market and nothing ever got me clear. I still use Benzoyl Peroxide, Tazorac, a cleanser and a moisturizer from Cerave in large amounts (Possibly another trigger? lol ). My skin stopped producing excess oil and I literally had no more inflammation or cystic pimples. Fast forward to the last week of November. Since that time, I have developed about 4 new tics in addition to my head tic. My head tic was my only tic for the past 10 years so something is severely messed up in my body. Over the past 2 weeks, I have stopped taking the cod liver oil for a few days at a time and my acne comes right back as well as excess oil. The tics do not go away but they also did not show up right when I started taking it so it is hard to tell. I am speculating here but one of the main things about this product that is supposed to be good is that it raises levels of vitamin A and D in our bodies. This does not happen immediately and takes a few weeks to a few months. Is it possible that the increase in Vitamin A or D is causing more and new tics? I want to stop taking it for a few months but it is literally the only thing keeping me clear. Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the info. I will probably end up seeing him regardless of the price as he seems to be a trusted doctor here. I never thought of lyme but I will definitely look into that as well. Honestly, I have no other symptoms. I fall asleep easily, stay asleep for at least 8 straight hours, plenty of energy, never headaches or muscle pain. Basically my tic, now tics , anxiety, bruxism, and stress are my issues.

I was wondering if PANDAS in adults exist? I am 25 years old with tics, GAD, and OCD. Here is a little timeline of my symptoms. Age 6: Barking vocal tic for 6-8 months from what my parents remember Age 7-10: No symptoms Age 11: "Hum" vocal tic for about a year. Age 12-14: No Symptoms Age 15-25: Head Shake Tic Since the end of November, I developed about 4 new tics. A vocal tic, a blinking tic, a facial grimace tic, and a shoulder tic. They did not all appear at the same time but slowly over the course of the last 2 months. My OCD is as high as ever. It is probably worse because these new tics are causing me an unbelievable amount of stress. A few things that have changed for me over the past 6 months. June 2012: I started seeing an NUCCA chiropractor in hopes of him relieving my one and only head tic. It did nothing for my tic and I am afraid that this could have caused these new tics. I saw him from June until early October twice a week. June 2012: I took Bactrim DS for my adult acne (I just can't win), for 2 months. December 22, 2012: I got cellulitis on my chin which required 2 weeks of doxycycline. Few more things about me: - tonsils and adenoids removed as a kid - strep throat a few times as a kid. - seasonal allergies since I was a kid and asthma as a kid I really do not know what to do at this point. Something is clearly wrong as for the past 10 years, I have had 1 tic which I learned to live with. I live in NJ and saw that Dr Trifiletti is only a few hours away from me. The cost of seeing him seems extremely high though and I don't know if I can afford that now. Are there any other doctors in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, or Maryland who treat PANDAS? Is PANDAS even a possibility at my age? Thanks in advance.

I never ended up scheduling an appointment and never did any additional research. Sorry to hear about your son and I hope you find some relief for him.

Not a parent yet but I have had tics since I was around 7 and my older brother has never had them. I am 25 and he is 28. Come to think of it, out of my brother, mother, father, 4 late grandparents, 5 uncles, 3 aunts, and around 20 cousins, none of them have tics besides me.

Thanks for your reply. I think I am going to go to my ENT and possibly start on allergy shots. I actually had started on them a few years ago but stopped for some reason after a few months. I have had the skin prick tests and a ton of things showed reactions. I am just hoping it won't take 5 years like your son . Ah braces, that was a fun time. I still laugh when I think back of me trying to hide them from my friends in middle school by talking without opening my mouth all of the way. As much as your son hates them now, they are so worth it and I am sure he is going to love the results when he gets them off. Spartan....PLEASE be very very cautious about using anything that is a steroid if you have TS! Steroids can trigger tics in people with TS due to their effect of increasing dopamine. This may not be the case for you but if you look back on some other threads here you will find that many parents have reported a major ramping up of tics when their kids used those steroid inhalers!! Thanks for the heads up Chemar. I am going to avoid the steroid inhalers for now as the last thing that I need is more tics.

Thanks for the reply. Was this done at a "regular" allergy doctor as opposed to a natural focused one?

After years of casually trying to treat my tics with methods discussed on this forum, I really want to give it a serious 6-12 months of consistency. I am going to be taking probiotics (Dr. Ohhira's Professional Formula), L-Glutamine (Optium Nutrition), and Now Candida Clear to heal my gut and clear candida if that is an issue. I figure that none of these can hurt and probiotics are good for everyone and Glutamine is known to help with muscle recovery from my weight lifting. I am also going to be avoiding fast foods and center my diet around whole and nutrient rich foods. I am going to follow the guidelines in Dr. Weil's Anti-inflammatory diet. In addition, I will be getting extra magnesium through epsom salt baths, natural calm, and taking a "safe" multivitamin that I have researched. My question is how do I deal with the environmental or seasonal allergies? I understand that things like mold, pollen, and dust can be triggers. It seems to me that these are harder to avoid as I can keep my house clean and use an air purifier, but I can not control these allergens outside and anywhere else that I go. As I am out of my home more than I am in it, this seems like it could be a problem. I have struggled with seasonal allergies as a kid and also had asthma. The classic symptoms such as runny nose, itchy throat, come a few times a year and always go away after a few days of clariton. I was wondering what the best long term treatment is to help with tics and overall health? Allergy shots? Regular anti-histamine use? Daily Quercetin? Thanks in advance!