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Sudden Increase in Tics


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Hi Robin,

 

About the Lexapro.....On the insert it does say that 2% of the users will develop tics. My son was on it for 6 months and then suddenly went into a full-blown tic disorder and OCD. I quickly weaned him off but now more than a year later they're both still with us, although at a much reduced rate. Looking back he had a very, very mild case of tics and OCD. So mild that I only recognize them in hindsight. He was 10 when he started on it. I am convinced that the Lexapro provoked the tic disorder and OCD to come out of hiding, so to speak.

 

Good luck in your search...

 

Lisa

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Lulegirl, Did your son take the Lexapor for OCD. My son has OCD along with high anxiety. We did wean him off the Lexapro last year and everything seemed great for 4 months then the anxiety/OCD came back very strong. I tried alterntative methods but nothing seemed to help.

 

Is your son using something else or was he able to come off the Lexapro and not need anything additional to help him out?

 

Marie, Thanks so much for the kind words. My inlaws were also insulted when I suggested that maybe the TS came from my husbands side of the family. My sister-in-law and Brother-in-law both have mild tics but dont talk about it. The family just pretends nothing is going on and infact often tell me they do not believe my son has TS. Its crazy but I guess thats how some people deal with it.

 

I want my son to be open about his TS/tics and be able to talk with me and his Dad about his feelings about this whole thing. We are very open about his TS,OCD and anxiety issues. I always remind him that God has a Good plan for his life and is always with him and will walk with him no matter what he has to face!

 

For anyone interested I have had my son on 1000mg of the L-Carnitine for 8 days now. It has always helped with eye tics such as blinking and rolling but it does not seem to helping at all with the head shaking. I am going to decrease the amount down to 500mg and then wean him 0ff completely. He takes 20 some pills a day and I dont want to give him more supplements if theyare not helping. If the eye blinking returns I will give it to him again. Robin

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Robin,

I'm very interested to hear about the details of your experience with L-Carnitine. It sounds like you started your son on 1000 mg per day. Is that correct? How did you break that up, it at all? Were there ANY side effects at all that I should be alert to if I start my daughter on it? Does it matter if you take it with or without food, etc? I read that later in the day didn't work too well because of the increased activity it caused. Any help you can provide will guide me as I think about whether or not to try it for my daughter's eye-rolling tic.

 

I totally understand what you say about not wanting to give your son anything that's not helping him. I felt the same way when we were on the Feingold diet. If it's not helping, stop it and look for something else. They've already got enough going on that we don't have to burden them with things that don't help. Oy, what a process. I hope you find something soon that helps with the head shaking.

 

Karen

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Karen, I buy capsules that are 500mg each. I have seen 250mg capsules also.

 

I give one 500mg in the morning before he eats breakfast and one before he eats lunch. He has not had any adverse side effects only a little more energy then he needs. Thats why I give it early.

 

It has always helped us with the eye tics. My son has not had the rolling just the blinking and side to side thing. It usually decreases the tics in 2-3 days. I have read where some parents keep their kids on a maintenance dose of 500mg per day if they tend to keep the eye tics.

 

(My son is 10 and weights 83 pounds) Let me know how it goes if you decide to try it. Be sure and buy a good quality brand. Robin

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Daniel, Thanks for the prayers. My son is still ticcing alot. The head shaking has carmed down a little bit but now he is bending his head forward followed by a head shake.

 

He says he just gets used to it. I dont know how our kids do it. My son will tell me to do his tics just so I know how they feel. I dont know how he does the tics all day. It would wear me out. I was watching sleeping early today and he is so beautiful and so STILL.... I just watched him and prayed that God would help me to help him. I used to pray for him to be healed but I had to let it go and just accepts Gods will for my son. I still find it hard to accept sometimes but I know God is with us. Robin

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Hi Robin,

 

Looking back it was a little odd....Beginning fourth grade my son sort of hit the wall academically. On the advice on the school, we had him tested and tested and the result was putting him on Lexapro because his adrenaline was too high (going too fast) and the Lexapro would slow it down so he could think more clearly. He did have OCD, according to him for a few years, but it was nothing we picked up on - only recognized it in hindsight. Well, I have yet to find ANYONE who knows anything or even heard about the high adrenaline thing. We haven't put him on anything else except we got him tutored when he needed it and lo and behold, he has been on the honor roll all year of 6th grade. He still has OCD things (touching things a few times) and the tics. Neither of which bother him. We just try to clean up his diet which is an on-going thing the older he gets. Have you read the book, "Freeing your child from OCD" by Tamar Chansky? It's very, very good and has lots of helpful ideas.

 

Lisa

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Robin,

Thanks for the info on L-carnitine dosing. Do you have suggestions for determing which is a good brand?

 

I hope the new head bending & shaking calms down quickly. I've also tried to do my child's tics and it is so distracting. Amazing that they stay as focused as they do.

Karen

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Karen, I buy a brand my local health food store has. Its their own brand. Sorry I cant help with that. Most Health food stores carry a couple different brands and strengths of L-Carnitine.

 

Good luck and let me know how it works.

We leave for vacation tomorrow. I am so looking forward to not cooking for 4 days!! I hop all the excitement does not start any new tics for my son.

 

Oh well if it does we will get through it. He is so excited and I know keeping him busy the next few days will help him cheer up a bit. Robin

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