My Facial Tics are really starting to bother me

[AHB900]

Hello everyone, im new to the forums and i just recently learned about these facial tics. Im 20 years old and ive been having these tics for pretty much my whole life. I never knew what it was and why i had these facial spasms. Ive been told by parents and even doctors to stop these ugly facial spasms that i have, i always told everybody i cant control it and no body believed me, this really irritated me causing my tics to worsen. Every time i tell a doctor they just tell me its in my mind and i should force my self to stop so they are no help to me at all which is why i am glad i found this website. I did some searching and reading since yesterday and i keep reading that they should go away during childhood, but ive been having these for almost 20 years now. I searched the forums but i really wanted to start my own thread to get an answer straight to me. Are these tics going to bother me for the rest of my life? Will they go away? What can i do or take to reduce these as much as i possibly can i hardly doubt i can cure it but i would really like to make it easier for me. I have difficulty driving, going out with the girls i like, going to school, out with friends, etc. These tics are really taking over my life and i really cant take it anymore sometimes i feel that i should just stay home and not go any where. Please any help would be appreciated.

 

Also just to add i do weight lift so i do take supplements. I take the following. Multivitamins, Omega 3 fish oil, creatine, Glutimine, Amino acids, glucosimin. I thought id add these because i noticed all the supplement threads.

[ilovedogs]

I'm sorry you're suffering with your tics. My son (he's 10) has mostly just facial tics and they don't seem to bother him for now. I'd never tell him it's all in his head,though! There are a lot of people on the board who say that fish oils aggravate their tics, my son is one of them. I switched him over to Omega's from flaxseed and try to make sure he eats salmon for the fish Omega's.

 

Recently, I was at my mom's accordion concert. It was a 50 piece orchestra and one of the men there had major tics and he's had them all his life. He's married, had kids and grandkids, and had a successful career. His tics are VERY noticeable yet he doesn't seem bothered by them. I keep reminding myself that tics are not a death sentence, just a minor inconvenience for most of those who suffer with them.

 

As for supplements: you'll see here that most people start on magnesium and some amino acid therapies or vitamin B's. You may want to research the amino's you are taking to make sure they are not increasing your tics. I know that our naturopath has ds on glycine but we found out that L-glutamine would aggravate the tics. So, you may want to do some research here on this site or get hooked up with a naturopath in your area for some testing and recommendations. Welcome to the board!

 

Bonnie

[AHB900]

I'm sorry you're suffering with your tics. My son (he's 10) has mostly just facial tics and they don't seem to bother him for now. I'd never tell him it's all in his head,though! There are a lot of people on the board who say that fish oils aggravate their tics, my son is one of them. I switched him over to Omega's from flaxseed and try to make sure he eats salmon for the fish Omega's.

 

Recently, I was at my mom's accordion concert. It was a 50 piece orchestra and one of the men there had major tics and he's had them all his life. He's married, had kids and grandkids, and had a successful career. His tics are VERY noticeable yet he doesn't seem bothered by them. I keep reminding myself that tics are not a death sentence, just a minor inconvenience for most of those who suffer with them.

 

As for supplements: you'll see here that most people start on magnesium and some amino acid therapies or vitamin B's. You may want to research the amino's you are taking to make sure they are not increasing your tics. I know that our naturopath has ds on glycine but we found out that L-glutamine would aggravate the tics. So, you may want to do some research here on this site or get hooked up with a naturopath in your area for some testing and recommendations. Welcome to the board!

 

Bonnie

 

 

 

I don't know how that man has been living his life that like. Mine are horrible i was on a date yesterday that i had to cut short i could not take it much more. I just looked at the supplements i am taking, and i noticed 3 of the supplements include magnesium would i need to add more? Honestly ive been taking these for a few years now i have not really seen a difference. My tics come and go. For example, i feel that during the summer im great i can live just fine the way i am in the summer i have my arm tics and my eye tics once in awhile, but when winter comes along life is horrible. I am thinking of stopping my fish oil, and purchasing Ionic Magnesium which i read about in another thread a few minutes ago. I was looking at my supplement ingredients and i really don't know what i should look for what would possibly trigger my tics in my supplements? I really wish my parents were more understanding about this situation. Also are these tics suppose to be a life long discomfort? or will they go away in the future... basically was that musician a rare case?

 

Oh i noticed you said L-glutimine would aggravate tics. My vitamins also include Amino acids including glutimine.. should i switch to another type of mulit vit?

[ilovedogs]

Well, since most of us here are not doctors and each case is individual, I suggest you find a naturopathic doctor and read, read, read! Everyone's case is different and many folks here see different causes for their kids' or their own tics. Some have Tourette's Syndrome, others have a chronic tic disorder, some tics are triggered by environmental allergies or allergies in general, some are photosensitivity, and some are caused by strep induced PANDA's(totally separate cause and we have a section here for PANDA's). While others have heavy metal toxicity or candida(yeast) overgrowth which is causing absorption problems in the GI tract, etc. Since we don't know you or your history, I suggest reading on your own and finding a helpful natural or environmental doctor.

Write your questions down, make a list of supplements you take, and start showing your parents your research. Good luck, I'm sure others will come on and encourage you.

 

B

[AHB900]

Well, since most of us here are not doctors and each case is individual, I suggest you find a naturopathic doctor and read, read, read! Everyone's case is different and many folks here see different causes for their kids' or their own tics. Some have Tourette's Syndrome, others have a chronic tic disorder, some tics are triggered by environmental allergies or allergies in general, some are photosensitivity, and some are caused by strep induced PANDA's(totally separate cause and we have a section here for PANDA's). While others have heavy metal toxicity or candida(yeast) overgrowth which is causing absorption problems in the GI tract, etc. Since we don't know you or your history, I suggest reading on your own and finding a helpful natural or environmental doctor.

Write your questions down, make a list of supplements you take, and start showing your parents your research. Good luck, I'm sure others will come on and encourage you.

 

B

 

 

Yah showing my parents is a problem they tend to be really hard headed and wont listen to me no matter how much information i show them, and for some reason my doctors never want to take the time to actually figure my problems out. I really wanna take things into my own hands and try the natural route if all fails i will have to find a way to talk to them and make them realize what is going on. I read around alot on the forums and im getting some mixed ideas and i think first things first i need to substitute my fish oil with flax seeds, get magnesium, and stop my glutimine.

 

Also one more thing i want to add. Ive also always had a breathing problem where i feel that i cant get a full satisfying breath which results me yawning really deep and even then sometimes it dose not satisfy me. I got this checked many many times all doctors said the same thing. They tell me its a sort of asthma which narrows down my airways. They keep giving me these inhalers that dont help me at all. Do you guys think it is some how related to my tics? like maybe it could be a allergy? Im usually fine in the summer its a winter thing.

[faith]

AHB900,

hello,

re the breathing thing, I will say that is some tic or compulsion, yes, as I know I did that at one time as a child around 11 or so. It lasted a little while and then went away, if that helps any. I am here for my son who has tics, both motor and vocal. I have come to realize I did have some tics or compulsions as a child, but not obvious or long lasting. Did you ever have any vocal tic? As far as your facial tic, can you control it or mask it? by masking, I mean get it done, but sort of hide it or incorporate it into a normal movement? Also, interesting that I find my son does better in the summer too.

 

Faith

[AHB900]

AHB900,

hello,

re the breathing thing, I will say that is some tic or compulsion, yes, as I know I did that at one time as a child around 11 or so. It lasted a little while and then went away, if that helps any. I am here for my son who has tics, both motor and vocal. I have come to realize I did have some tics or compulsions as a child, but not obvious or long lasting. Did you ever have any vocal tic? As far as your facial tic, can you control it or mask it? by masking, I mean get it done, but sort of hide it or incorporate it into a normal movement? Also, interesting that I find my son does better in the summer too.

 

Faith

 

 

I dont really understand what you mean by vocal tic. My tics are the following. Blinking (sometimes holding my eyes shut), i always have to raise up my arms because my armpit area feels uncomfortable, i stretch my neck really tight, i always have to check to see if something is in its place even if i know its not going anywhere, i always check my pockets to make sure every ting is there, i always have to do a shrug movement with my shoulders, my leg does a weird thing sometimes, i always have to look to my side while driving (gets kinda dangerous sometimes), clearing my throat. I think that's all i have that's a pretty long list i don't know if its only me or others have a list this long. I honestly don't have any way of masking these tics its pretty obvious the only way i get by is by telling people who ask that winter drys out my face causing me discomfort or something. When i have a discomfort and want to blink i try to touch that area with my hands to hopefully comfort it, but it does no good for me. I just googled vocal tics and no i don't think so but sometimes while stretching my neck i do make some sound kind of sounds like im saying uhhh...

[guy123]

Hey AHB900,

 

I just turned 28 and have had a blinking tic since I was 17. I'm also a weight lifter so I understand all those supplements you take

 

The only trigger I've been able to identify for myself is fish (including fish oil capsules, but also if I eat fish or sushi or whatever).

 

It's definitely not something you can control so don't let anyone give you any crap. Tics are generally a result of goofed up chemicals/signals in your brain.

 

I take a small dose of Clonidine (also called Catapres) daily and it seems to help my tic a bit. It's a prescription medication so you'll have to first find a doc who understands tics.

 

The good news:

 

There are many medications available that treat tics, but...

 

The bad news:

 

Nearly all of them have horrible, potentially permanent/fatal side-effects.

 

Clonidine is one of the more mild ones... the side effects are drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation, dizziness, and libido issues. I'm on a super low dose so I don't really have any of those (occasional dizziness when I stand up too fast).

 

Some of the other medications (specifically ones in the neuroleptic/anti-psychotic class) have side effects including tardive dyskenisia (permanent facial/body tics) and death, so you might want to stay away from those if you can help it.

 

The other medications that have decent side effects are:

 

Tenex (aka. guanfacine) - basically the same as Clonidine

Topamax - an anti-seizure medication that some people here have had fantastic results with

Marinol - made from THC (marijuana) - clinical trials report amazing results.

 

Also, depending on how you feel about it, some people with tics report that smoking marijuana relieves their symptoms. I believe that indica strain marijuana will relieve symptoms and sativa strain marijuana will make them worse (I've experienced both).

 

Other than that, there's a bunch of other tic medications but none of them really work consistently.

 

A lot of people here have a wide range of experience with vitamins/herbs/homeopathic methods, so I encourage you to search the forums and see what has worked and maybe get some ideas and go from there.

 

Good luck.

[AHB900]

Hey AHB900,

 

I just turned 28 and have had a blinking tic since I was 17. I'm also a weight lifter so I understand all those supplements you take

 

The only trigger I've been able to identify for myself is fish (including fish oil capsules, but also if I eat fish or sushi or whatever).

 

It's definitely not something you can control so don't let anyone give you any crap. Tics are generally a result of goofed up chemicals/signals in your brain.

 

I take a small dose of Clonidine (also called Catapres) daily and it seems to help my tic a bit. It's a prescription medication so you'll have to first find a doc who understands tics.

 

The good news:

 

There are many medications available that treat tics, but...

 

The bad news:

 

Nearly all of them have horrible, potentially permanent/fatal side-effects.

 

Clonidine is one of the more mild ones... the side effects are drowsiness, dry mouth, constipation, dizziness, and libido issues. I'm on a super low dose so I don't really have any of those (occasional dizziness when I stand up too fast).

 

Some of the other medications (specifically ones in the neuroleptic/anti-psychotic class) have side effects including tardive dyskenisia (permanent facial/body tics) and death, so you might want to stay away from those if you can help it.

 

The other medications that have decent side effects are:

 

Tenex (aka. guanfacine) - basically the same as Clonidine

Topamax - an anti-seizure medication that some people here have had fantastic results with

Marinol - made from THC (marijuana) - clinical trials report amazing results.

 

Also, depending on how you feel about it, some people with tics report that smoking marijuana relieves their symptoms. I believe that indica strain marijuana will relieve symptoms and sativa strain marijuana will make them worse (I've experienced both).

 

Other than that, there's a bunch of other tic medications but none of them really work consistently.

 

A lot of people here have a wide range of experience with vitamins/herbs/homeopathic methods, so I encourage you to search the forums and see what has worked and maybe get some ideas and go from there.

 

Good luck.

 

 

i just got back from a coffee shop, the first thing my mom said to me was you started your weird eye blinking again in a moody way and i just walked away without giving her an answer it really irritated me. I really rather stay away from those medications if the side effects are like that lol. I don't believe in smoking MJ so i wont be doing that plus it will completely ruin my future plans. I think tomorrow i will go get myself some ionic magnesium and stop taking my fish oil maybe i can figure something out i dont know. Most of the supplements i noticed are kind of leaning more towards children so i dont know what to take. When i was out today i noticed i kept blinking and stretching my neck i was able to somehow hide them but im sure they noticed... whatever what can i do :-\

[AHB900]

I was just reading a little more about tics (honestly now that i know whats wrong with me i cant stop reading about it). Every article i read mentions a good way to treat tics are by hypnotherapy and hypnosis. With hypnosis they transfer the stress release to the toe or something so its not noticeable like when the stress release is on the face or other body parts. I searched for hypnosis and hypnotherapy on the forums but came up with nothing. Now my question is how come no body uses hypnosis as a treatment? does it really work? I would really like to go in that direction in addition to adding some new supplements to my daily life.

[Chemar]

Hi again

 

I am so sorry that you arent finding support and help from parents and doctors...that makes it very hard doesnt it

 

My son is 19yo and has been dealing with tics most of his life. When he was 10yo he was dx with genetic Tourette Syndrome, which we then realized was what his dad and grandpa had too. He still takes daily supplements, albeit in a varied form since he first started, so yes, the supps are NOT just for helping kids

 

It does seem that you have tics. the question is WHY? as that determines which treatments are most effective

 

generally it seems that magnesium is a good point to start at to see if that helps. Magnesium taurate is good (available at the Vitamin Shoppe stores and online) and many use theNatural Calm magnsium powder that gets mixed with hot water. Has a very immediate effect. Soaking in a warm bath with about 2 cups of epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) dissolved in it may really help your tics

 

have you ever has strep? there is a condition kown as PANDAS where strep (not just strep throat) can cause tics, OCD etc

 

there are other viral/bacterial and especially fungal infections that can cause tics. Candida albicans ("yeast infection" ) of the gut is a prime tic trigger. There is growing evidence of untreated Lyme Disease (from tick bites) triggering tics too

 

some people tic becasue of food or environmental allergies and some because of high toxic load (metals, pesticides, chemicals etc) Many have found vaccinations triggering tics.

 

these are just some of the many reasons people tic. so starting to sleuth why you do will also help you find the best natural ways to help yourself.

 

I hope you will start with the magnsium, and also try removing all "artificial" and chemical additives from food and see if that helps. A large number of people find that the food additives (color, flavor, nutrasweet/aspartame,splenda/sucralose, MSG, high fructose corn syrup, sodium benzoate and many others) are major tic triggers and we have some members who have been able to eliminate or at least substantially reduce tics just by getting rid of those in their diet.

 

if you take a look at the link in my signature here you will see the treatments that have helped my son. he used to tic so severely that it impaired his life.Remember tho that he has geneticTS and not everything that works for him will work for everyone. but it will give you some ideas I hope

 

also the article on tic trigger (scroll down and you will find the lists)

http://www.latitudes.org/articles/finding_triggers.htm

 

and Sheila Rogers' excellent book on natural ways to treat tics and Tourettes

http://www.latitudes.org/book.html

 

hope that helps. we are all here to try toanswer your questions and share our experiences

[AHB900]

Hi again

 

I am so sorry that you arent finding support and help from parents and doctors...that makes it very hard doesnt it

 

My son is 19yo and has been dealing with tics most of his life. When he was 10yo he was dx with genetic Tourette Syndrome, which we then realized was what his dad and grandpa had too. He still takes daily supplements, albeit in a varied form since he first started, so yes, the supps are NOT just for helping kids

 

It does seem that you have tics. the question is WHY? as that determines which treatments are most effective

 

generally it seems that magnesium is a good point to start at to see if that helps. Magnesium taurate is good (available at the Vitamin Shoppe stores and online) and many use theNatural Calm magnsium powder that gets mixed with hot water. Has a very immediate effect. Soaking in a warm bath with about 2 cups of epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) dissolved in it may really help your tics

 

have you ever has strep? there is a condition kown as PANDAS where strep (not just strep throat) can cause tics, OCD etc

 

there are other viral/bacterial and especially fungal infections that can cause tics. Candida albicans ("yeast infection" ) of the gut is a prime tic trigger. There is growing evidence of untreated Lyme Disease (from tick bites) triggering tics too

 

some people tic becasue of food or environmental allergies and some because of high toxic load (metals, pesticides, chemicals etc) Many have found vaccinations triggering tics.

 

these are just some of the many reasons people tic. so starting to sleuth why you do will also help you find the best natural ways to help yourself.

 

I hope you will start with the magnsium, and also try removing all "artificial" and chemical additives from food and see if that helps. A large number of people find that the food additives (color, flavor, nutrasweet/aspartame,splenda/sucralose, MSG, high fructose corn syrup, sodium benzoate and many others) are major tic triggers and we have some members who have been able to eliminate or at least substantially reduce tics just by getting rid of those in their diet.

 

if you take a look at the link in my signature here you will see the treatments that have helped my son. he used to tic so severely that it impaired his life.Remember tho that he has geneticTS and not everything that works for him will work for everyone. but it will give you some ideas I hope

 

also the article on tic trigger (scroll down and you will find the lists)

http://www.latitudes.org/articles/finding_triggers.htm

 

and Sheila Rogers' excellent book on natural ways to treat tics and Tourettes

http://www.latitudes.org/book.html

 

hope that helps. we are all here to try toanswer your questions and share our experiences

 

 

 

I will be getting some magnesium today. I dont think i had strep, but i have had something that could have been mistaken for strep. I had mono once and one other time it might have been mono again or it could have been strep i honestly cant remember what the test results said I have had tics way before that so i dont think that would be it. Allergies make sense to me because half the time in winter my eyes get teary my nose is pretty much sealed shut, but i guess that could all be from the discomfort my tics give me.

 

I will be going to get some new supllements that i have seen work for others hopeully itll help me alittle bit. Other then that i really have no idea how to start looking for things that aggrivate my tics. Would it usually be a instand aggrivation or would it come in after a few hours, days, weeks?

 

Also can i somehow find a long list of major tic aggrivators?

 

also i would like to bring up my hypnosis question one more time i would like to know why no body has gone that path ont he website is it helpful does it work?

[guy123]

i just got back from a coffee shop,

 

I think caffeine is a known trigger for a lot of people. Depending on your coffee habits you might want to see if it makes a difference for you, too.

 

I really rather stay away from those medications if the side effects are like that lol.

Me too. That's why I only use Clonidine. I take it at night before I go to bed so I don't notice the "drowsiness" side effect.

 

I don't believe in smoking MJ so i wont be doing that plus it will completely ruin my future plans.

 

What about THC in pill form (Marinol)? Most doctors won't prescribe it but some will. But I hear it's quite expensive. Do a google search for "Marinol tourettes" and you can read some studies suggesting it is extremely effective.

 

Re: your other reply: I haven't heard anything about hypnosis working.

 

The only thing I've heard of working, other than a few medications, is some electro brain stimulation, and I've never heard any *conclusive* proof (or long term studies suggesting it's safe and you don't go crazy or develop other problems).

[AHB900]

i just got back from a coffee shop,

 

I think caffeine is a known trigger for a lot of people. Depending on your coffee habits you might want to see if it makes a difference for you, too.

 

I really rather stay away from those medications if the side effects are like that lol.

Me too. That's why I only use Clonidine. I take it at night before I go to bed so I don't notice the "drowsiness" side effect.

 

I don't believe in smoking MJ so i wont be doing that plus it will completely ruin my future plans.

 

What about THC in pill form (Marinol)? Most doctors won't prescribe it but some will. But I hear it's quite expensive. Do a google search for "Marinol tourettes" and you can read some studies suggesting it is extremely effective.

 

Re: your other reply: I haven't heard anything about hypnosis working.

 

The only thing I've heard of working, other than a few medications, is some electro brain stimulation, and I've never heard any *conclusive* proof (or long term studies suggesting it's safe and you don't go crazy or develop other problems).

 

 

Im really not much of a coffee drinker but i kinda noticed yesterday after the coffee i was having alittle big more tics.... the THC pill wouldnt that effect my driving? as in i wouldnt be able to drive? I was really hoping hypnosis could help that one seems like the easy answer.. i emailed a hypnosis im waiting for a response back. I asked if he has treated anyone with this problem.

[faith]

hi again,

the throat clearing and the huh sound you mention could be considered a vocal tic. There was someone on here who posted about doing hypnotherapy with her daughter, the link is below. perhaps you could message her and see if she has any additional information for you. Whatever you are interested in, you could use the search feature at the bottom of the board to see if there is any info from other posters. You are having a good start with the advice from the other posters. I would consider exploring some of your allergies as a possible trigger.

 

 

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...hl=hypnotherapy

 

 

Faith