Really Bad Head Jerking

[Guest]

Hi Everyone,

 

It's been a long time, but I'm in need of suggestions tonight. All of the sudden this morning I started a head jerking tic. I'm jerking my head every 1-2 seconds. It hurts so bad. I've tried a bath, tried to take a nap (can't get to sleep as I'm jerking my head too much). I haven't had a head jerking tic in so long, but it hurts so bad today. Not much has changed. No added stress. Just started taking 200 mg of Progesterone on Saturday as I'm trying to get pregnant. We got a new 40 inch LCD TV on Saturday also. Other than that nothings changed.

 

Carolyn

[guy123]

Progesterone is a steroid, right?

 

I've heard it mentioned on this forum that steroids can exacerbate tics. I believe Chemar said her husband experienced an increase in tics after being given corticosteroids.

 

I'm not sure if that is the cause but it sounds like there's a chance it may be. You may wish to discontinue use and see if the tic subsides. I also saw a story on TV about a guy who had Tourettes and was given some experimental procedure where they place some electrodes in his brain to treat his Tourettes, which while not 100% effective still greatly reduced his tics. This guy had very bad tics before the procedure, and talked about how he would wear a neck brace to prevent a head jerking tic where he would jerk his chin downward into his chest.

Edited January 24, 2012 by guy123

[Chemar]

Hi Carolyn

 

sorry to hear of the head jerking tic.

yes, steroids are known tic triggers and so maybe the progesterone is what is causing this? With hormones, even subtle changes in one can affect others.

If nothing else has changed, and the head tic started after you began the prog...that may be the cause.

[Egyud]

My 19 year old daughter sometimes wears a soft neck collar (You know, like for whiplash) when head jerking gets bad. Her myoclonic twitches every now and again and sometimes they move to her head and get quite bad. Her doc usually ups her antibiotics until they subside a little.

I hope it goes away as quickly as it came on.

[Guest]

Thanks Everyone! The tic has lessoned a bit, not much though. I'm pretty sure the progesterone is the cause. I'm going to be on the progesterone for another two months atleast. Although I may be able to work with my doctor to see if we can decrease it a little bit, but I don't know if I'm willing to take that risk.

 

Carolyn

[rowingmom]

Thanks Everyone! The tic has lessoned a bit, not much though. I'm pretty sure the progesterone is the cause. I'm going to be on the progesterone for another two months atleast. Although I may be able to work with my doctor to see if we can decrease it a little bit, but I don't know if I'm willing to take that risk.

 

Carolyn

 

When you first start to use progesterone you can have estrogen dominance symptoms caused by progesterone mobilizing estrogen from the estrogen receptors. Estrogen is inflammatory and can cause symptoms of inflammation. Bio-identical progesterone is anti-inflammatory, but you need to make it through the dominance symptoms first, by either increasing the amount of progesterone for a while, or decreasing and slowly ramping up. This is a great website with lots of info.

 

http://www.progesteronetherapy.com/estrogen-dominance.html#axzz1kti5aC8S

 

They will answer questions you have, and they have lots of info on progesterone use during and before preganacy.

Edited January 29, 2012 by rowingmom

[Bigal]

FWIW, Fish oil and epsom salt baths help my son. I've read on this forum that fish oil can exaccerbate some people's tics. In that case,other sources of Omega 3s are better, namely flax seed oil and krill oil.