Tics vs. Compulsions

[purple66p]

I'm a little confused as to what is the difference between tics and compulsions? My son has a lot of hand motions (almost like he's conducting a choir), but also table taps and half standing up then sitting down. He says that he has to do these things, as I'm sure most of you are familiar with, but isn't able to state what would happen if he didn't do it. Are these motions tics or compulsions, and how can you tell the difference? These motions have really ramped up over the weekend and yesterday. He was out of town 3 days last week at a school camping trip (Yeah! First time to stay away from home!!). When he got home, tics were much worse. However, he finished his antibiotic (amoxicillin, 30 days) just before going on the trip, so I can't tell if the ramp-up is from going off of antibiotic or a response to the stress of the trip.

 

I feel like I'm in a holding pattern. We sent off blood yesterday to Dr. Cunningham so I'm eager to see the results. We have appointments the first week in Oct with a neurologist and then with the doctor that identified Pandas as a possibility (high strep titers) but only prescribed doxycycline. I asked for augmentin at the next appt but got amoxicillian instead. Now, after reading the forum and lots of articles, I will be better prepared for my augmentin argument!

[Fixit]

I'm a little confused as to what is the difference between tics and compulsions? My son has a lot of hand motions (almost like he's conducting a choir), but also table taps and half standing up then sitting down. He says that he has to do these things, as I'm sure most of you are familiar with, but isn't able to state what would happen if he didn't do it. Are these motions tics or compulsions, and how can you tell the difference? These motions have really ramped up over the weekend and yesterday. He was out of town 3 days last week at a school camping trip (Yeah! First time to stay away from home!!). When he got home, tics were much worse. However, he finished his antibiotic (amoxicillin, 30 days) just before going on the trip, so I can't tell if the ramp-up is from going off of antibiotic or a response to the stress of the trip.

 

I feel like I'm in a holding pattern. We sent off blood yesterday to Dr. Cunningham so I'm eager to see the results. We have appointments the first week in Oct with a neurologist and then with the doctor that identified Pandas as a possibility (high strep titers) but only prescribed doxycycline. I asked for augmentin at the next appt but got amoxicillian instead. Now, after reading the forum and lots of articles, I will be better prepared for my augmentin argument!

 

DS had that and the hitting tapping and the stand up/sit down is peeking out

Doc L thought these to be chorea like

[norcalmom]

My ds had/has what we call a "compulse-tic". He looks very quickly onto the sun, it looks just like a head tic, and if u didn't know he was locating the sun with his eyes, that is what u would think. He's had head jerking tics, as well as other tics, but this involves more thought, so is it mire of a compassion? Who knows. I've decided it doesn't really

Matter what u call it. It's involuntary, he might be able to surpress it for a bit but it's gonna come out.

I say had/has because for the first time since last march ds went to baseball practice (always at sunset and sun is right in line if sight, which is worst ) and did not look into the sun! He had ivig 5 weeks ago. I've been watching like a hawk. I was convinced ivig wasn't working when on last Friday night he was head compulse-ticcing but looking into a street lamp. Never saw him do that before. It was late, we were a a big neighborhood party and it was after a long week at a new school...so now I think more a function of that. The whole ivig healing process is strange-I will post more about ds ivig when we have a few more weeks under our belt. Don't want to jinx anything, but it appears it could be working.