Tics increase when trying to be still...yet stop when asleep...does th

[worriedmommy]

I'm new here. My 5 yr old daughter started with tics a few weeks ago...sudden onset from nothing to thousands a day. Over the past few weeks we've been trying to pinpoint a trigger. We're already looking into the PANDAS theory as her sudden onset conisided with an outbreak of strep at her school. What I can't understand, however, is why the tics seem to not bother her if she's talking or moving around. (They NEVER interfear with her speaking). It's when she tries to sit still to do school work, watch TV, eat a meal or snack, listen to a story, or color...they go out of control. Her poor body just jerks and tics away. However, the minute she falls asleep, they stop.

 

Is this normal of Tourette's to have the tics increase while still, and then go away completely during sleep?

[Chemar]

Hi and welcome

yes it is very normal in TS to have tics stop when asleep and yes, many patients seem to be fine when active, but tic more when they need to be sitting still

[CSP]

My son tics more when still too. He can play baseball, do his martial arts class...ect... BUT READ A BOOK! No way. watching tv was so bad we just stopped watching as a family. I hated football season.

 

Now at 16 it still happends but not as bad.

 

I hope this calms down for her soon this just breaks a parent's heart to watch their child ticcing away, and we can't find that one thing that will help.

 

Have you tried the epsom salts bath?

 

Glad your here,

 

cp

[worriedmommy]

We tried epsom salt baths for 5 days, but I stopped them...don't know why exactly. Do they really help? Is it something that should be noticable right away, or does it take a number of days?

[Chemar]

yes, IF these are TS related tics then Epsom Salts baths should help

 

2 cups epsom salts in a tub of warmest water before bed. soak for 20 minutes. do not rinse off

[faith]

worriedmommy,

It is common for tics to present more when someone is considerd "idle", mainly because there is more concentration and awareness of the ticcer to the feeling or urge to tic. I know its hard to understand, but alth my son is the one with TS (and you've probably come across me on the PANDAS board as well), I myself have some minor tics, so I can explain what a tic is a little better for you, for I kind of know what it feels like. If you met me, you would have no idea that I have any tics, because I don't do anything obvious, and I can certainly just not do it in front of anyone. but if I am alone, and just watching tv or reading in bed, I am more aware of the 'urge' to tic and so being that no one is around, I might let out a flurry of head tigtening tics or tapping something a few times. A tic is prececed by a physical urge, but I think it is somewhat mental too, kind of like what you might feel if someone pulled one hair on your head and tugged at it, it feels very 'nervewracking' and annoying, and you might want to rush up and scratch it to get rid of that feeling. but if the person kept tugging at it, you will continue to feel that feeling, and thus the urge to scratch it in order to releive it, and so the cycle of urge and feeling of momentary relief and urge and momentary relief, and then another urge and so on and so on. When a person is engaged in other physical movements and using their senses in unison, the 'urge' is not as predominant, and so it can be ignored for a bit. ... don't know if any of this makes sens, but I know it is hard for parents to understand what a tic must feel like for their kid and maybe not understand why they can't control it or only do it at certain times and not others. A tic is not a totally uncontrollable movement, in the sense that the tic or movement doesn't just 'automatically' happen with no preceding thought or concious effort to do so. If a person has a tic where he extends his arm, it is not that the arm just jutted out uncontrollably, it is that the person felt the urge to do so, most likely for that movement gives them a secondary or momentary relief of the tension or urge built up in that particular place. the person percieves that this movement will bring releif, but it only does for the second that it is being done, and the urge or tension comes right back, and so the person does the movement or tic again and again in order to relieve it. The problem is, that it in reality doesn't alleviate it altogether or necessarily for a long period of time. I do beleive that the urge or feeling to tic does calm and lessen over time, wether it is due to age or whatever reasons, it is possible, and so a particular tic can disappear for a time, only to return months later or be replaced with some other type of tic.

 

Don't know if I've done a good job in explaining this, but I hope it helps parents to understand a little better what ticcing may feel like.

 

Faith

[ilovedogs]

I actually see ds tic no matter what he's doing and he's just the opposite of what I hear on here! He tics more when he's moving around and less when he's still. Go figure! Our big triggers are stress and excitement and allergies(we just haven't pinned down which ones they are!).

[Santi]

worriedmommy,

It is common for tics to present more when someone is considerd "idle", mainly because there is more concentration and awareness of the ticcer to the feeling or urge to tic. I know its hard to understand, but alth my son is the one with TS (and you've probably come across me on the PANDAS board as well), I myself have some minor tics, so I can explain what a tic is a little better for you, for I kind of know what it feels like. If you met me, you would have no idea that I have any tics, because I don't do anything obvious, and I can certainly just not do it in front of anyone. but if I am alone, and just watching tv or reading in bed, I am more aware of the 'urge' to tic and so being that no one is around, I might let out a flurry of head tigtening tics or tapping something a few times. A tic is prececed by a physical urge, but I think it is somewhat mental too, kind of like what you might feel if someone pulled one hair on your head and tugged at it, it feels very 'nervewracking' and annoying, and you might want to rush up and scratch it to get rid of that feeling. but if the person kept tugging at it, you will continue to feel that feeling, and thus the urge to scratch it in order to releive it, and so the cycle of urge and feeling of momentary relief and urge and momentary relief, and then another urge and so on and so on. When a person is engaged in other physical movements and using their senses in unison, the 'urge' is not as predominant, and so it can be ignored for a bit. ... don't know if any of this makes sens, but I know it is hard for parents to understand what a tic must feel like for their kid and maybe not understand why they can't control it or only do it at certain times and not others. A tic is not a totally uncontrollable movement, in the sense that the tic or movement doesn't just 'automatically' happen with no preceding thought or concious effort to do so. If a person has a tic where he extends his arm, it is not that the arm just jutted out uncontrollably, it is that the person felt the urge to do so, most likely for that movement gives them a secondary or momentary relief of the tension or urge built up in that particular place. the person percieves that this movement will bring releif, but it only does for the second that it is being done, and the urge or tension comes right back, and so the person does the movement or tic again and again in order to relieve it. The problem is, that it in reality doesn't alleviate it altogether or necessarily for a long period of time. I do beleive that the urge or feeling to tic does calm and lessen over time, wether it is due to age or whatever reasons, it is possible, and so a particular tic can disappear for a time, only to return months later or be replaced with some other type of tic.

 

Don't know if I've done a good job in explaining this, but I hope it helps parents to understand a little better what ticcing may feel like.

 

Faith

 

Faith you did an amazing job explaining tics. My 7 yr. old boy has TS and its really bad. He appears as though he is convulsing all day long. Sometimes he has relief and no tics at all. But when they are bad its horrible. He gets so tired. Andrea