More questions on throat clearing

[colleendonny]

Hi all. I had a post a few weeks back on DD5 starting a throat clearing tic. I got some great advice and I even asked Dr. B about atarax. He didn't agree with it and didn't want to try it because it could make her very drowsy.

But we did restart her on a 20 day steroid taper at 15 mg of Prednisolone. On the day it started to become more of a throat clearing, rather than a throat hacking which it turned into, she starting getting sick. I thought it might have been from the perdnisolone, but I now think it was a virus, because my 8 month old got the same thing. Anyway, we had to stop all meds until she was symptom free for 24 hours hours then re introduce the meds (Prednisolone, Augmentin and azithromycin) back one at a time. Just when her throat clearing, I believe, was getting better we had to stop. I think it has gotten worse. We restarted the Prednisolone and it hasn't seemed to have gotten much better yet. But we still have some time... So maybe it will kick in soon.

 

I always thought tics were worst when they are bored? It seems opposite with my DD. She can sit here and play a computer game and hardly clear her throat. But we went to the park the other day and she was running around, literally hacking her throat every 30 seconds. Her 5 year old playmate commented to her her how "gross" her cough was And I don't think it it post nasal drip because she is not sick... I ask her id she can stop doing it and she says she can't. And she can't explain why she cannot stop. Don't tics usually occur more often when bored and not excited? Maybe I am wrong...

 

Also, the throat clearing seemed to start in Mid Feb, right after a teeth cleaning. And she also started on flouride pills. And she also has a few wiggly teeth... Could the cleaning, flouride rx or wiggly teeth be causing the tic?

Thanks for any thoughts.

[LNN]

This might not be a tic. There are many things that can trigger throat clearing, in my experience - mold, milk allergy, low level virus or infection (just b/c she doesn't look sick doesn't mean there isn't some sort of post-nasal drip). It's hard, when you have a disease, to sort thru what's a symptom and what's something unrelated. One thing that might help is a mucus thinner, like mucinex, or an antihistamine/anti-inflammatory, like quercetin. If there's a physical cause for the cough, these things may help. If they don't help, you'll be ruling things out.

[michiganpandas]

Hi...there are exceptions with my daughter...but, usually she tics with her throat clearing when nervous (and sometimes that can also be when playing..due to ocd fears she is not nervous about rational things)....also, watching tv sometimes.....but, video games and reading are usually two things she can do that I don't hear the tic. I really hate all meds and would never want to suggest something and then have it be bad for another child...but, just wanted you to know that the atarax does not make my daughter tired (although it does say it can cause drowsiness/dizziness)....I only give her a minimal amount (not the suggested for her weight, but less)....she is an ice skater and has taken it before skating and has had no problems. What I think was helpful about it is that it covered many areas of what the problem might be....anti-histamine (for inflammation/allergies)...and anxiety...but, not addicting....and also clears up some (if any) mucous that could cause a tickle in the throat.

 

 

Sorry you are having to deal with it....It is so hard to hear it (my daughter's can get sooooo loud sometimes...this is NOT her...but, this is how hers sounds when she has it....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T87zXFs4MM

 

also...my daughter had it bad and cleared more times...and the atarax brought it down A LOT...but, when my son got sick 2 weeks ago it started again...I also started the atarax and it seems to be helping. (I only gave her 1 ml per day for the days she seemed to need it)

[kren]

My 16dd developed a cough that was every 5 seconds while she was awake. It was so disruptive that she was made to be a homebound student. She, too, could not say why she had to cough, she just had the urge. While I am not sure if she did or did not have Pandas - the way we got rid of her tic was to take her to a speech pathologist. He taught her was to use her breath to stop the cough because you can not breathe and cough at the same time. The larnyx closes when you cough so you breathe to keep it open.

 

So she had to practice breathing exercises several times a day and then when she felt the urge to cough she did the breathing exercises and it eventually stopped the cough cycle. She had another episode of coughing a few months later and was able to use the breathing and it stopped in only a few weeks. She has been tic cough free for about 18 months.

 

Her cough episodes happened after a sinus infection/asthma attack. She did not have the markers for PANDAS per a couple of doctors but she was given long term antibiotics. Her other symptom was that she wanted to be right next to me or at least in the same room and that is a little unusual for a 16 yr old. For us the antibiotics plus the breathing exercises seems to have worked for her.

 

The speech pathologist said that he also uses the exercises for people with chronic throat clearing. I am not sure if that would work for you but I thought I would share the therapy.

[bulldog24]

My sons compplex tics were the worse when he was playing video games. His vocal tic... A clicking noise happened when he was nervous.

 

But those are gone now after 2 IVIG.

 

 

How long has she been back on the Pred?

 

I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.

 

Maybe a throat culture for the ###### of it?

[bulldog24]

My sons compplex tics were the worse when he was playing video games. His vocal tic... A clicking noise happened when he was nervous.

 

But those are gone now after 2 IVIG.

 

 

How long has she been back on the Pred?

 

I am keeping my fingers crossed for you.

 

Maybe a throat culture for the ###### of it?

[socalmom]

This was the first " tic" my son showed.

 

Of course we didn't realize it was a "tic" and were driven mad by it!

 

I even have it documented on a visit to the Dr when he had strep throat and the Dr. wrote this down.