16th November 2007
Hi Amy,
It's all very difficult to sort out. The important thing is that you talk to the neurologist soon about it.
Tics are exceeding common in seven year olds. Normally, they are outgrown rather quickly. The diagnosis of Tourettes only applies to those who have had multiple tics for at least a year and include a vocal tic. A vocal tic isn't necessarily a word (the infamous swearing is actually quite rare); it is often throat clearing or the like. The tics of Tourettes often come and go - "wax and wane" - and usually change from one tic to another.
The scary thing is that (as you know) stimulants can cause tic disorders, including Tourettes. Interestingly, stimulants can also decrease the frequency of tics, as they did in my son who was diagnosed with Tourettes when he was younger.
So, you see, it's hard to know if, in fact, your daughter has developed a transient tic or something more serious and it's also difficult to know how much or how little this is affected by the Concerta. The best thing to do is to talk to your doctor.
Another interesting thing to consider is this - has your child recently had a strep infection, like strep throat? If so, mention it to the neurologist. In the last few years, it has come to light that the streptococcus bacteria seems to cause or aggravate tics in some people (the anocronym for this PANDAs if you want to research it).
Let us know what the doc says!
It's all very difficult to sort out. The important thing is that you talk to the neurologist soon about it.
Tics are exceeding common in seven year olds. Normally, they are outgrown rather quickly. The diagnosis of Tourettes only applies to those who have had multiple tics for at least a year and include a vocal tic. A vocal tic isn't necessarily a word (the infamous swearing is actually quite rare); it is often throat clearing or the like. The tics of Tourettes often come and go - "wax and wane" - and usually change from one tic to another.
The scary thing is that (as you know) stimulants can cause tic disorders, including Tourettes. Interestingly, stimulants can also decrease the frequency of tics, as they did in my son who was diagnosed with Tourettes when he was younger.
So, you see, it's hard to know if, in fact, your daughter has developed a transient tic or something more serious and it's also difficult to know how much or how little this is affected by the Concerta. The best thing to do is to talk to your doctor.
Another interesting thing to consider is this - has your child recently had a strep infection, like strep throat? If so, mention it to the neurologist. In the last few years, it has come to light that the streptococcus bacteria seems to cause or aggravate tics in some people (the anocronym for this PANDAs if you want to research it).
Let us know what the doc says!