7 Year Old with Motor Tics - need help

[Father of Three]

Hi all, I am new to the forum and need some feedback. My oldest son (7) started doing this weird thing a few weeks ago that looked like a "twitch" or "spasm" in his arms. Sometimes one arm, sometimes the other, and sometimes both. When it happens it happens every few seconds and looks like a slight contraction or ... well... a "twitch". Like his arm muscles just slightly flex and release. He seems to be able to control it when you ask him - or at least suppress it a great deal - and he has not suffered any loss of strength or coordination, and is not even complaining when it happens. It is also not severe enough to cause him to drop things or lose control of his hands. He also widens his eyes on occasion or twitches his nose but that has been going on for much longer and doesn't happen all that often. When he was 6 he was diagnosed with a slight LD and is on an IEP at school.

 

Anyway, we took him to the pediatrician as soon as we noticed and she recommended a pediatric neurologist. For some reason I decided to look up his symptoms online and was terrified to see what comes up (various degenrative neurological diseases). So I got myself really, REALLY upset over the whole thing and by the time we saw the PN (this past Monday) I was a mess.

 

She (the PN) said not to worry. She said that she believes that he is just having motor tics (even though you sometimes see it in his sleep) and that he will likely outgrow them. She also scheduled him for an EEG but she said it was just a routine procedure she recommends for almost every child that comes to see her with new symptoms. She seemed very casual about the whole thing and even laughed when I said that I had been worried that it could be emerging signs of a degenerative disease. His EEG is scheduled to take place in a couple of weeks.

 

So my question to the forum is this. Has anyone else seen or experienced similar little "spasms" like I described above that are just motor tics? I feel like I have been given the best possible news regarding his situation but for some reason I just can't get over the worry that it could be something else. I have even seen it happen while he is staring at the television and is totally unaware of his surroundings so I know he is not even aware that it is happening.

 

Sound like motor tics?

[ilovedogs]

Hopefully you'll get a few responses here from folks who have seen tics in their kids similar to your son's. I am new here, too, and just wanted to let you know that you are not alone. My son started with facial tics back in November and yes, it did scare the cr*p out of me! The pediatrician didn't even suggest a neurologist and said it was just a childhood tic and that he would out grow it most likely. Right now I see eye blinking, eye winking, and sometimes head tossing. Most neurologists will order the EEG so that's pretty standard stuff. What you will find here on these message boards are folks who are trying to help their kids with natural and alternative methods in order to reduce or eliminate tics.

It will take you some time to gleen all the information from this site but I encourage you to take some time to read through some threads just so you know you're not alone! I'm finding that my son's tics don't bother him as much as they bother me, LOL. So, hang in there and be patient with yourself as you search for answers both here and in the medical community.

Hi all, I am new to the forum and need some feedback. My oldest son (7) started doing this weird thing a few weeks ago that looked like a "twitch" or "spasm" in his arms. Sometimes one arm, sometimes the other, and sometimes both. When it happens it happens every few seconds and looks like a slight contraction or ... well... a "twitch". Like his arm muscles just slightly flex and release. He seems to be able to control it when you ask him - or at least suppress it a great deal - and he has not suffered any loss of strength or coordination, and is not even complaining when it happens. It is also not severe enough to cause him to drop things or lose control of his hands. He also widens his eyes on occasion or twitches his nose but that has been going on for much longer and doesn't happen all that often. When he was 6 he was diagnosed with a slight LD and is on an IEP at school.

 

Anyway, we took him to the pediatrician as soon as we noticed and she recommended a pediatric neurologist. For some reason I decided to look up his symptoms online and was terrified to see what comes up (various degenrative neurological diseases). So I got myself really, REALLY upset over the whole thing and by the time we saw the PN (this past Monday) I was a mess.

 

She (the PN) said not to worry. She said that she believes that he is just having motor tics (even though you sometimes see it in his sleep) and that he will likely outgrow them. She also scheduled him for an EEG but she said it was just a routine procedure she recommends for almost every child that comes to see her with new symptoms. She seemed very casual about the whole thing and even laughed when I said that I had been worried that it could be emerging signs of a degenerative disease. His EEG is scheduled to take place in a couple of weeks.

 

So my question to the forum is this. Has anyone else seen or experienced similar little "spasms" like I described above that are just motor tics? I feel like I have been given the best possible news regarding his situation but for some reason I just can't get over the worry that it could be something else. I have even seen it happen while he is staring at the television and is totally unaware of his surroundings so I know he is not even aware that it is happening.

 

Sound like motor tics?

[mom2a]

Father of three,

 

I am also new to posting on the forum but have been following this forum for the last 2 years since I found out my son has Tourette Syndrome. Just tell yourself one step at a time..and remember to breathe..I remember too well the day I found out my son was starting to display tics like his dad......I think I cried for 3 days straight until I realized I was feeling sorry for me....his father, my husband is a wonderful well adjusted man who happens to have tics....my job as the mom was to make sure my son grew up like his dad and becomes that same wonderful confident person regardless of tics.

 

If it turns out your son does have TS, this is the best place you can end up......for support and knowledge. I completely overhauled my son's diet and uncovered sensitivities and for the most part you can't even tell he has tics. He gets occasional flare ups with seasonal allergies (and now losing teeth)but for the most part his body does great because we keep the sensitivities low!!

 

As a parent I know you just want to fix it and make it all better but re-assure yourself that whether it's just transient tics or Tourette Syndrome you will be fine. You will be able to handle this because that is what us parents do.

 

My husband does arm twitching (flex like and then release) he also does some eye movements but ya know.....it just becomes who they are...I try to imagine him without these tics and it's really hard.....it's who he has been since i've met him!!! I've learned the more you focus on it and draw attention to it the more stressed they get and the more they do it.

 

Hang in there and try not to stress out too much.

 

Mom2A

Erin

[Father of Three]

Thanks for the feedback. Honestly if my son has tics, TS, or anything similar I will be fine with the situation. It's just that when his muscle jumps it looks so much like a spasm of some sort that I was (unreasonably) self-convinced that I was seeing the first signs of ALS, MS, or something similar. Anyway Mom2a, give your husband a huge hug for me... I'm just really happy to see that someone else has a similar tic and that it IS in fact a motor tic.