Please help!

[Genevieve81]

Hi everyone. This is my first time posting. My 4 year old has been having tics for 3 straight months non stop. She woke up overnight with really bad head jerking. That's what made us go see the dr. He sent us to a neuro right away at children's hospital in Philadelphia. At the time my daughter started ticking we had a ton of stress on us that happened in all one week. She started school which puts a ton of stress on her. She hates school and throws up everyday, and cries all morning long. My husband had surgery, my mom had a nervous breakdown in front of my daughter and my mother in law got diagnosed with cancer. She also had a terrible fall down our stairs too. Since that week the tics have come on full force. They diagnosed her with a trainsient tics with the possibility of TS. Since then the tics have worked their way down her body. Mouth stretches arm jerking and leg movements. The head jerking is gone though so no one really notices. She did have some blinking before all this started. I changed her diet completely and started supplements. Also no TS in the family history at all!!!!!!!! So my question is could this be touretts or something from the fall or could this be stress related and go away. Also can't find any triggers but stress and non of the diet changes or supplements have made a difference.

 

Sorry this is so long, I would just really love a appreciate some input from others that have been through this.

[Chemar]

Hi and welcome

so sorry to read of all your family is going through!

 

With all the stress factors plus her fall, it would not suprise me if these tics are more related to that than TS, especially with no family history.

I know it will be hard, but try the best you can to relax around her and not add to her stress levels by showing your own anxiety or letting her know you are conscious of her tics. Often that in itself is a trigger.

 

There are many other things that can trigger tics apart from TS so do take a look at our helpful threads pinned to the top of this forum (also linked in my signature)

 

You could also try doing the Epsom baths that many find helpful....2 cups of Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate, available at most supermarkets and drugstores) dissolve in tub of warmest water confortable and soak for around 15-20 minutes. The magnesium in the salts is known to releive tics and also helps with relaxation while the sulfates are excellent for detox Best done before bed as it can male one sleepy.

[Genevieve81]

Thanks for your response. We do the salts bath three times a week and they don't calm down the tics at all but we still keep doing them jut in case. It's interesting because when she lays flat down she has no tics with her arms or head. It's weird even when her head jerks were non stop they would stop when she lays down. Just don't know for sure if this really is TS. Also the movements looks more like spasms than anything else. But also when she walks down the stairs she kicks her leg back. Wondering if maybe it's nerve damage. Would something like that mimick tics. Also the neuro did no testing on her at all to rule out other possibilities. Is that something I should ask for????

[msimon3]

Considering the tics appear to be rapidly onset and there is no family history, you should consider the possibility that the tics are a symptom of a neurological infection. I would try to rule out infection as a cause, get a comprehensive set of blood tests done to look at her immunologic function. You could also check for antibodies for infections that would plausibly cause neurological dysfunction: things like Strep (PANDAS) or tick borne diseases (Borrelia (Lyme), Babesia, Ehrlichia) are possible culprits. Lastly, while the tics are apt to command your attention, be mindful of other more subtle symptoms that might be occuring as well -- things like rashes, numbness, OCD, numbness, nausea, joint pain may seem like common fare when raising kids but may be important clinical signs of disease to be considered with the tics.

[3bmom]

Sorry you are going thru so much. I second msimon3 about getting blood work done. Don't forget to check yourself too. the stress you are under can tax the immune system and hide infections. You will then ping pong off of each other.

 

Have you tried ibuprofen? Sometimes that is a clue for inflammation of the brain.

 

Any mold issues? I posted a link a few days ago. School have leaky roofs?

 

Is your diet GMO free? Gluten free products that don't use organic corn probably have the BT pesticide toxin in it. This is about 90% of US corn. This is pesticide DNA in every cell. Our immune system won't recognize this as corn and will keep attacking creating inflammation. We also found dairy made a huge difference. In March the FDA raised allowable limits of pesticide use w/ out testing. Children and the elderly are the most vulnerable. Go organic as much as you can.

 

Has she had a gynological exam? A good friend of mine 7 year old had a cyst on her ovary. Pain in the abdomen. This shows similar symptoms to tics and Pandas with another auto immune disorder called anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis.

 

Try to find time for what I call " floor time". Just sit with undivided attention and play with her, read, color, play doh, whatever. You might find it will help with your stress too. Doesn't have to be long, you just need to be present. Hugs to you for holding everyone together. Hang in there.

[Chemar]

If the tics go away when she lies down, and started after that fall I would INSIST the neuro do more testing related to anything that may have been caused by the fall....they should at the very least do an MRI and possibly even a brainCT scan??

[Genevieve81]

Yes we are gmo free,organic gluten and dairy free and shop only at whole foods. I've changed all the chemical in my house. And have put two hepa filters in as well. Nothing seems to set her tics that I'm aware off, and let me tell you I'm fully aware of every move she's make. I think the neuro didn't want to do any testing because she had eye blinking I the past, but we thought see just needed glasses. I was thinking of going to get another opion from another neuro cause I felt comply ignored on all my issues. I'm very upset and depressed about all of this happening to my daughter, and out of nowhere. Is it normal for tics to change so often even if it's not touretts?

[Genevieve81]

Oh and on more thing I wanted to add was that most places she has the tics her joints are dislodging themselves. For instance when this first happened I took her a chiropractor and he told me her neck was dislodged, also where she has the mouth stretch her jaw dislodges like tmj also her back muscles where her arm tics are now dislodge themselves too.

[msimon3]

Tics can indeed change often. There are typical patterns of waxing and waning, which might describe overall frequency of tics in a given time period, and then there are fluctuations of intensity that range from 'barely noticeable' to 'may cause physical injury'. You are going to need to find doctors who are not dismissive and are open to finding the cause. A neurologist who can classify the type of movement disorder being experienced would be helpful, as well as a doctor with a background in immunology or infectious disease to help rule-in/rule-out any immunological processes. Whatever was happening in the weeks and months prior to the start of the tics may well be important and should be shared with each doctor in order to aid any clinical assessment. Good luck, several here have had to go through the same process and steps as you, and you have a wealth of resources and support here to help you.

Edited December 17, 2013 by msimon3