throat clearing

[colleendonny]

DD just started thick tic last week. It is her only tic, but she does it so often. Like, once per minute. Does anything help this??

[michiganpandas]

Hi...I have one PANDAS child who has had this (ESPECIALLY when nervous it shows up)...but, I also have another non-pandas child (at least non pandas for now) who has had this also...BOTH have been helped with a medication called Atarax...they both weigh about 50 pounds and I gave them no more than 10 mls per day (I usually gave them about 3 or 4mls per day) for about 3 weeks.....my son had the tic REALLY bad for about 3 months and the Atarax got rid of it in about 1 week...and it has not returned ....my daughter had it only when nervous, but then started really ticcing bad January for 3 weeks...then I started the Atarax and again it stopped in about 1 week.

 

Atarax is an antihistamine and is also for anxiety.

 

please note...that this was a very old school doctor from a clinic that randomly prescribed this for my son when I told him about the tic...he said to give it to him 3 x's per day (4 mls) for 10 days and then continue at night for a month....(but, i'm so anti meds that i did less and was soooooooo pleased that it helped!!!)

[colleendonny]

Hmmm, ill definitely have to look into it. Thanks!

[michiganpandas]

other random things that seem to help with the throat clearing are less milk/dairy

 

let me know if you try the atarax....i have been so excited that it helped (and it also seemed to really help my pandas daughter a lot with anxiety, too)....she stopped taking the atarax about 2 weeks ago and her anxiety has been at it's lowest level since thisall started last year.....she had her first slumber party at a house since this started last year when she couldn't even leave my side......she also is now taking the bus home from school...I could not be more happy! (and to not hear the throat being cleared EVERY minute is beyond exciting!) KNOCKING ON WOOD/PRAYING that it continues

[MomWithOCDSon]

While I agree that allergies and the accompanying post nasal drip probably contribute to the throat clearing, I've noted in my DS that he can go for hours without doing it . . . even during allergy season . . . so long as he's fully mentally occupied in something. It's during basic, uninteresting tasks (showering, dressing, etc.) that he'll clear his throat over and over again; it's become unconscious.

 

So, even with the assistance of antihistamines, it's possible the throat-clearing has become in part behavioral. In that case, there are some strategies you can use to help 1) make your DD aware that she's doing it, and 2) help prevent the habit from settling in more permanently. For instance, when I hear my DS up in the bathroom, clearing and clearing and clearing again, I ask him to sing a song instead. Lately, he's taken to rattling off the "Soft Kitty" tune from "Big Bang Theory," which makes us both laugh. And it stops the throat clearing to boot!

[eljomom]

michiganpandas---do you think the atarax helped because it helped with postnasal drip? or does it work somehow with the brain to work on the tics/anxiety?

[abbe]

Stop all dairy and look into Acetyl l carnitine for throat clearing

[mkur]

BOTH have been helped with a medication called Atarax

 

Thanks for bring this up - this will keep me busy for a while - very interesting

[thenmama]

My kiddos tend to fall into the same throat clearing camp Nancy (MomWithOCDSon) posted about above-- they'll be doing it constantly but I'll notice it will stop for a little while here and there, or sometimes go away for hours then return to constant again. This is my clue that it is tic vs. drip. And as Nancy mentioned, my kiddos can be prompted to shift to something else-- or unbeknownst to them I'll get them doing something else to test it and if the throat clearing stops when I do, I'll know what's what.

 

When they have legit throat/drip issues we treat whatever it is that's causing those appropriately. But usually those don't come in isolation-- I'll know they're experiencing allergies, asthma, or a cold from other signs and symptoms, as well. We find hot or warm honey lemon water helps when something is irritating the throat and causing the clearing or a cough, as does just a little spoon of straight-up buckwheat honey.

 

HTH

[colleendonny]

Thanks for the suggestions. It has lessened today.... Not sure why? We were out last night and didn't get to the pharmacy in time to pick up the rest of her Augmentin. Didn't pick it up till lunchtime today. I noticed her throat clearing was less.... Coincidence? I'm not sure...

I do notice that she does it less when she is well occupied or concentrating on something. She is at preschool now and I'm anxious to see if her teacher mentions it to me.

I'm going to look at the suggestions from above.

 

I read somewhere though to not talk about not ticcing with people because it makes it worse for them. What I read said that trying to suppress tics is like trying to not blink for a long period of time.

[michiganpandas]

we tried claritin for my son...it did nothing....and my daughter (pandas) is just like the others...does not tic if occupied...but, it got really bad in January where it was non-stop (as opposed to non-stop when not occupied)...my son was also non-stop for months....the atarax helped both....It is my thought that the atarax helped bring down inflammation, it helped break up the feeling in the throat,and also helped with anxiety...and I think this helped get rid of the non-stop/constant tic.