Tourettes...symptom or disorder

[vermontmoms]

I am usually on the PANDAS group but have also been on this group b/c one of my twins were dx with Tourettes at 4.5yrs old. At age 6 both my twins were dx with PANDAS so I switched to that board primarily. The reason I am here is b/c at age 8 my son again received another TS dx from a new neuro. But shortly after we saw an immunologist and that doc feels all my son's TS issues are caused by his immune system attacking his neuro system. This is due to the fact my son has severe IgE allergies to almost everything plus he has at least one autoimmune disorder.

 

So my question is: Do you think Tourettes is a true disorder or do you think the motor and vocal tics are just a symptom from a more severe or complex disorder or from a nutritional disfunction?

 

I guess I am asking b/c I am upset with our new neuro. The fact that she pigeonholed my son's dx and said it was TS and that was that. Now come to find out after 30 vials of blood were taken it appears my sons tics are caused by something so much more complex. I am upset that most neuros don't ever stop to ask WHY is the child is having TS symptoms. They just say it is TS and here are some meds I can give you if you like. They never even ran a blood test!!! They based their whole dx on history, videos, and initial presentation.

 

So what do you think is TS a disorder or symptoms of a more complex issue?

 

Thanks for your input!

Jen

[Wombat140]

To be literal about it, "Syndrome" actually means a collection of symptoms rather than a cause. And to the best of my knowledge, medical understanding of what causes most cases of Tourette's Syndrome hasn't got far enough to make that a misnomer. So a professional that thinks Tourette's Syndrome accounts for the symptoms is being a bit illogical - the symptoms ARE TS, and what's causing them is still anybody's guess. It's a shorthand, not really a diagnosis.

[Chemar]

I think most doctors are too quick to label any tics as "Tourette Syndrome" because sadly that is what they are taught......

 

There have been enough genetic studies to know that TS is an inherited syndrome of disorders....but I think a lot fewer kids actually have this than are diagnosed with it....and that many are dealing with other triggers for their tics than the genetic disposition for dopamine reactivity that causes motor and vocal tics in TS

 

So in answer to your question, yes, I do think TS is a disorder, inherited genetically.

However, I think TS-like symptoms are frequently misdiagnosed, especially when there is no family history.

[guy123]

So in answer to your question, yes, I do think TS is a disorder, inherited genetically.

However, I think TS-like symptoms are frequently misdiagnosed, especially when there is no family history.

 

I would agree with this.

 

Tics can be caused by more than one thing, and medical science does not yet have the ability to isolate and treat every possible cause.

[Familyof5]

my experience is that it is an immune response syndrome gone awfully wrong.