bizarre tic triggers - ideas, words, sounds

[chubbermommy]

I just want to know if anyone else's child has these weird triggers. Please note my son has Lyme and PANS, and pretty much his only symptoms are severe motor/vocal tics.

 

My son's tics are triggered sometimes by certain words/ideas (feet related, insect related, bodily functions, 'gross' things), the sounds of people coughing/sneezing/blowing nose, the sight of the above mentioned things (can't look at feet, bugs, etc). They *might* make him feel anxious, but what happens is that he has a big tic or a series of tics. For example, yesterday I asked him not to "get underfoot" when he was in the kitchen. B/c of the word 'foot', he had of series of tics - a couple of kicks, swearing, yelping.

 

This happens EVERY time he sees something he "doesn't like". Driving by a billboard advertising a pedicure - tics. Blowing my nose - tics. Joking around and he drools while laughing - tics. A fly on the porch - tics. Learning the digestive system at school - lots of tics.

 

The neuro that we see says it's like a psychological thing. The psychiatrist who assessed him couldn't categorize it into anything; she said 'unspecified anxiety disorder'. Almost a phobia, but not really a full on phobia b/c he can control the tics better when he's at school.

 

Is there something he is lacking? a supplement he should be taking? He's on abx (azith and herbal) and he takes magnesium. I was thinking about trying niacinamide as I've been reading about how it's calming and can also help tics. Any suggestions? Thanks for reading.

[sahm]

I havne't been on these forums in a long time but my son has had tics for 5 years. We have seen a lot of alternative practitioners and I've thought about this a lot. I think your son's situation makes perfect sense to me in terms of certain triggers causing anxiety within his body. The psychological/emotional stress needs to be released somehow and it comes out as tics.

 

I don't have a solution for you BUT I would look into tapping / EFT. If he could do tapping about his fears, I wonder if the tics would subside correspondingly. Have you heard about tapping? It is quite powerful and effective.

 

I feel for you! Best of luck!