Anonymous wrote:Anybody’s tween boy have this? Please describe experiences. Kid is sensory oriented in general, normal intellect/high IQ. No motor tics. Just vocal.

We saw improvement with this habit therapy specialist https://www.cbittherapist.com/

Anonymous wrote:List of what makes our DCs tics worse:

Candy

Other dessert

MSG in boxed foods (like boxed seasoned rice)

Antihistamines, which can sneak into some cough syrups

Singulair

Food dyes? Not sure yet, but we avoid.

Too much screen time.

Fatigue

Stress

Coming home from school

We share lots ot tic triggers (I’m pp with ds with allergies). I have come to think about it like he has a visible alarm that goes off when something is not doing him good or when he needs to take a break.

Anonymous wrote:Just to add: my DS's tics seem to be related with allergies, he has very mild environmental allergies and when he is feeling a little unwell he tics more.

My niece had vocal tics and after all the diagnostics done, they found out it’s due to asthma. After she got treatment for it, it went away.

List of what makes our DCs tics worse:

Candy

Other dessert

MSG in boxed foods (like boxed seasoned rice)

Antihistamines, which can sneak into some cough syrups

Singulair

Food dyes? Not sure yet, but we avoid.

Too much screen time.

Fatigue

Stress

Coming home from school

DD has it every once in a while. Her doctor said it’s usually stress induced. The advice given was to identify the stressors, lend support and don’t highlight or emphasize on the vocal tic.

Anonymous wrote:Just to add: my DS's tics seem to be related with allergies, he has very mild environmental allergies and when he is feeling a little unwell he tics more.

unfortunately, antihistamines can make tics much worse

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Anonymous wrote:There's habit therapy for tics. Can find a virtual provider. They teach competing thing to do that's less noticeable. Our DC's gets soo much worse if she eats candy (sugar or food dyes?), or takes antihistamines, including those antihistamines added to some cough medicines or Singulair. Also screen time makes it worse, especially tik tok.

Really? Tik tok? I’ve read those articles but i couldn’t understand how watching videos would make tics worse?

Tic Tok tics aren’t “real” organic tics. They are imitative and what doctors call psychogenic or “functional.” They are psychiatric. Other tics are not.

DP. Many people still don't seem to know about this? Whether they are "real" tics or not, kids getting tics from watching tiktok is a real phenomenon! I've known two sets of tweens who started having psychogenic tics from watching social media. There are articles about this if you google. If you start watching one tourette's video the algorithm keeps feeding you more and more.

Is it imitative?

Yes. These are not organic tics.

I googled. This is highly disturbing.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's habit therapy for tics. Can find a virtual provider. They teach competing thing to do that's less noticeable. Our DC's gets soo much worse if she eats candy (sugar or food dyes?), or takes antihistamines, including those antihistamines added to some cough medicines or Singulair. Also screen time makes it worse, especially tik tok.

Really? Tik tok? I’ve read those articles but i couldn’t understand how watching videos would make tics worse?

Tic Tok tics aren’t “real” organic tics. They are imitative and what doctors call psychogenic or “functional.” They are psychiatric. Other tics are not.

DP. Many people still don't seem to know about this? Whether they are "real" tics or not, kids getting tics from watching tiktok is a real phenomenon! I've known two sets of tweens who started having psychogenic tics from watching social media. There are articles about this if you google. If you start watching one tourette's video the algorithm keeps feeding you more and more.

Is it imitative?

Yes. These are not organic tics.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's habit therapy for tics. Can find a virtual provider. They teach competing thing to do that's less noticeable. Our DC's gets soo much worse if she eats candy (sugar or food dyes?), or takes antihistamines, including those antihistamines added to some cough medicines or Singulair. Also screen time makes it worse, especially tik tok.

Really? Tik tok? I’ve read those articles but i couldn’t understand how watching videos would make tics worse?

Tic Tok tics aren’t “real” organic tics. They are imitative and what doctors call psychogenic or “functional.” They are psychiatric. Other tics are not.

DP. Many people still don't seem to know about this? Whether they are "real" tics or not, kids getting tics from watching tiktok is a real phenomenon! I've known two sets of tweens who started having psychogenic tics from watching social media. There are articles about this if you google. If you start watching one tourette's video the algorithm keeps feeding you more and more.

Is it imitative?

Both my children also have mild Tourette’s. My DD has primarily motor tics and my DS mostly verbal. They are twins and they started around age 6. We did a round of CBIT therapy during COVID but it didnt seem to make much difference. They both seem to control them enough at school that it doesn’t impact them socially. I notice that the tics increase a lot right when they get home from school and are relaxing- it’s as if all the pent up tics come out once they’re home and in a safe space. My sons tics are definitely decreasing in number since he turned 13. My daughters don’t seem to be waning as much. The link to viral infections is interesting- I have read about a possible connection between strep bacteria and tics as well but I don’t notice a difference in tics before and after antibiotics they’ve taken for other illnesses.

Just to add: my DS's tics seem to be related with allergies, he has very mild environmental allergies and when he is feeling a little unwell he tics more.

My DS 13 has had tics since he was 5. Mostly motor, some vocal, always rotating. They come and go, but the last couple of years they have been less intense and now he started stuttering a little bit. Had Tourettes diagnosis from age 7, no treatment other than magnesium supplements. It seems to get bad with viruses, as a pp said. Hasn't really been a problem at school or anywhere else. I noticed them more than everybody else (I was having a really hard time when he was little, with anxiety for the future). I have read the whole internet about it hahah. So if you have further questions maybe I could help. But aside from supplements and keeping healthy in general I really don't think there is a lot to be done about it. He was offered online CBT but passed, he doesn't seem to mind so much (as me).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's habit therapy for tics. Can find a virtual provider. They teach competing thing to do that's less noticeable. Our DC's gets soo much worse if she eats candy (sugar or food dyes?), or takes antihistamines, including those antihistamines added to some cough medicines or Singulair. Also screen time makes it worse, especially tik tok.

Really? Tik tok? I’ve read those articles but i couldn’t understand how watching videos would make tics worse?

Tic Tok tics aren’t “real” organic tics. They are imitative and what doctors call psychogenic or “functional.” They are psychiatric. Other tics are not.

DP. Many people still don't seem to know about this? Whether they are "real" tics or not, kids getting tics from watching tiktok is a real phenomenon! I've known two sets of tweens who started having psychogenic tics from watching social media. There are articles about this if you google. If you start watching one tourette's video the algorithm keeps feeding you more and more.