Tics at the age of 30

[rogjam]

I am a 44 year old male who started to develop tics in my mid 30s. They started off as facial tics( grimace) and now have progressed to some vocal tics throat clearing and tongue clicking. So as to my understanding this is not the normal pattern it usually hits early in childhood and I have no memory of ever having any tics as a child Just some foot flexing every now and then. Could there be some underlying reason that is causing theses tics to surface now are is there another medical reason that could be at play here. Please any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Familyof5]

Do you have any other symptoms? I developed tics at age 36 after never having them before. I also had a long checklist of other symptoms typically categorized as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia symptoms. My tics and other symptoms were caused by a chronic exposure to toxic mold. I'm not very educated on other causes of tics, but I'm sure that others will chime in on some of the other triggers. Good luck.

[ladyd]

Could you have developed an allergy to something in the environment or a food? It seems that some people with allergies or intolerances react with tics, rather than hives or wheezing or other more typical symptoms. I myself developed an allergy to zithromax at age 34; never had a problem with it before. Many if us have found that food elimination diets and certain vitamins/ supplements have been incredibly useful. My own son has benefitted greatly from a gluten free low dairy diet. Many of us use naturopaths to guide us on this non traditional path; the tics may be your body's way of telling you that something needs an adjustment. I wish you luck on your journey.

[rogjam]

The tics are the only symptoms right now. As far as I know I don't have any thing I'm allergic to, but I guess getting some type of allergies test done should be my next step. I started a yeast free diet along with taking a candida cleanse because I read that a overgrowth of yeast can cause some tics. And that some people have had positive results after this treatment. But getting a food allergies test makes a lot of sense. I do know that after a cold my tics are dramatically increased.

[MichaelTampa]

Another possibility is lyme disease. There is a lyme forum on here where you could get more information. Lyme disease sometimes progresses very slowly and sometimes very quickly. People infected for years would typically have many symptoms. However, frequently people do not realize they have all the symptoms they do, as they get used to them, they think it is normal part of aging, and so on.

[MichaelTampa]

And another possibility is structural issues. I do think that is why some kids get tics and then they go away without treatment as they get older. Teeth and bones in head are growing at different paces, which can put pressure on TMJ, causing tics.

 

There are some who have had very successful treatment from TS dealing with structural issues. Of course, it can be tricky to figure out if structural issue is the problem for any given person. The TMJ/dentists can look at jaw alignment related to TMJ. But there are other issues, for example, if the spine gets curved some, that can have repurcussions into the neurological system as well and cause tics. There is a place local to where I live that specializes in doing this type of work, not focused on TS per se, but fixing alignment to remove whatever problems that causes, and have trained people in other cities on this method. Of course, like anything else, this approach does not help at all if it is not the source of the problem.

[guy123]

Have you recently used corticosteroids or dopamine antagonist.

 

Edit - I mean antagonist, not agonist.

Edited April 16, 2011 by guy123

[guy123]

Do you have any other symptoms? I developed tics at age 36 after never having them before. I also had a long checklist of other symptoms typically categorized as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia symptoms. My tics and other symptoms were caused by a chronic exposure to toxic mold. I'm not very educated on other causes of tics, but I'm sure that others will chime in on some of the other triggers. Good luck.

 

How did you find this out?

 

My high school ended up being shut down due to toxic mold, and I developed my tic when I was in high school. I always wondered if it was because of the mold, but the more likely scenario in my mind seemed like it was actually caused by a corticosteroid I was on at the time (Flonase) for allergies.

[Familyof5]

It was a long road to discovery. I did have visible toxic mold growing in my office. But, even that did not convince me. I even started being treated by a toxic mold specialtist with success, and even that did not convince me. There is no support from family, friends, doctors, etc. No one believes that toxic mold can cause illness. It wasn't until each and every member of my family began to get sick that I was convinced we had toxic mold in my home. We eventually found the mold and the reason it was so devastating was that it was in our air handler and blowing throughout our entire house. We abondoned the home and all our belongings and now live in an extremely clean house (not without a ton of work to get it that way) and we are all doing much, much better. There is no doubt that toxic mold caused my tics, my husband's tics, and my children's tics (as well as many, many other awful symptoms).

 

Oh, and by they way, steroids will cause your tics to flare and become worse. My mold specialist says that when a mold patient takes steroids, it is like throwing gasoline on a fire. So, both of your assumptions are probably correct.

Edited March 31, 2011 by Familyof5

[Chemar]

Hi

I would agree that starting tics in adulthood may point to some trigger other than Tourette Syndrome

 

It would be wise to look into allergies, infections or exposure to some toxic agent

[ladyd]

Michael... The connection between dental issues and tics makes a lot if sense. My sons dentist laughed when he told me how big my sons adult teeth looked on the x-ray, and my son had kept getting headaches in first grade. Doc thought they were from sinuses, but then we discovered all his seven year molars had come in that year.... Ouch. Now this gives me something else to consider, although i doubt I'll find a dentist around here that's knowledgeable about tics. Thanks for the food for thought.

[rogjam]

I dont take any medications are anything.I am looking toward the possibilities of structural problems because I struggled with TMJ issues before I had the tic problem. i could be way off course here but all my tics seem to be in the face and neck region so I am hoping the structural problem is at play here.

[MichaelTampa]

Yes, given what you say there, sounds like a good next step to investigate TMJ area and possibly something to move jaw/biting to slightly different location.

[guy123]

It was a long road to discovery. I did have visible toxic mold growing in my office. But, even that did not convince me. I even started being treated by a toxic mold specialtist with success, and even that did not convince me. There is no support from family, friends, doctors, etc. No one believes that toxic mold can cause illness. It wasn't until each and every member of my family began to get sick that I was convinced we had toxic mold in my home. We eventually found the mold and the reason it was so devastating was that it was in our air handler and blowing throughout our entire house. We abondoned the home and all our belongings and now live in an extremely clean house (not without a ton of work to get it that way) and we are all doing much, much better. There is no doubt that toxic mold caused my tics, my husband's tics, and my children's tics (as well as many, many other awful symptoms).

 

Oh, and by they way, steroids will cause your tics to flare and become worse. My mold specialist says that when a mold patient takes steroids, it is like throwing gasoline on a fire. So, both of your assumptions are probably correct.

 

We had toxic mold in my high school. They closed it down twice. That was around the age that my tic started.

 

Is there a link between toxic mold and tics?

 

We had a bunch of teachers and students get sick, but I think I'm the only one who developed a tic.

[Familyof5]

You probably weren't the only one. All three of my children developed tics. When I put them on toxin binding medication, it cleared up their tics. That is when I knew it was the mold. Also, like I said, I developed tics at age 36. Their tics did not abate forever though. They come back whenever they are exposed, be it chronically (in their classroom) or acutely (we spend an hour at a moldy restaraunt). If I did not have the toxin binding medication I am sure they would be ticcing all the time. But because the medication keeps their immune system clear of the toxin they really only tic when they are exposed. Now, when they tic, there is always a reason--there is always a mold exposure. It just is difficult at times to find it (the mold). And, it can be a very minimal amount of mold too. It is maddening.

 

To answer your question, there is no doubt (in my experence)that mold is the primary cause of our tics. Watch your symptoms carefully. Keep a log of where you are and how your symptoms respond. Also, see if you can get on some toxin binders to keep your system clean.

 

Mold will also cause: brain fogginess, eye tearing, light sensitivity, asthma, balance issues, headaches, night terrors, frequent urination, numbness and tingling, muscle weakness, multiple chemical sensitivity, chronic fatigue, ADHD, ADD, OCD, memory loss, sinus infections, ear infections, irritable bowl syndrome, etc., etc. Did you also have any of these symptoms? Everyone in my family had these symptoms and more. Much better now that we are living in a clean house.