Adult onset tics. We’ve had vocal (tuh, moan) and motor tics (head jerk mostly, but other quick movements once in awhile too, lip up, eyebrow up, diaphragm tics or losing the breath) and initially when it flared up - a response of panic and hyperventilating-all probably from weaning off of an antipsychotic, low dosage sleeping pill and low dosage lorazepam. Also came off of an antihistamine when smoke cleared from forest fires smoke blowing in from afar. On meds a month. Weaned across 3 weeks for antipsychotic. They say slow weaning for people on long term meds. I think they are wrong. They need to wean 10% not sooner than two weeks even when on meds short term. Especially if put on a high dosage short term. We had headaches, lightheaded, trouble eating before supper and anxiety and motor and vocal tics. Hypersensitive system. Did you wean off any meds? If not I guess it could also be the increase in stress/anxiety. We had to go back on a low dosage mirtazapine at night to get some sleep and a low dosage quetiapine across the day and evening to reduce hypersensitivity to stimuli and anxiety. Tics have slowly been reducing over the last 8 months but are not gone. Clonanzepam was tried initially as well and was helping but his body was becoming more and more tolerant and when it would wear off it wasn’t good. So discontinued and don’t recommend that. Any decrease now we do slowly and increase periods practicing slow breathing, laying down listening to music and anything to reduce anxiety and stimulation. For him tic triggers are lack of sleep, stress, irritation, sadness, frustration, sounds, cold temperature (even giving him a cold mug or touching him with a cold hand). It’s like his body is hypersensitive. It has gradually been improving but he has had to do all of the above and low impact exercise and vitamin supplements- Bs, niacin, small amount iodine, E, C, krill oil, probiotic, eating super healthy. Tic flare ups - Try Laying down and breathing 4 in and 4 out and using a distraction like music and headphones. Work isn’t an option yet. Also a morning routine. Wake up, headphones and music, meditation, and then a cup of tea. Walk. Did you decrease any Med? Could it be a withdrawal syndrome. If not I think it could still have been triggered by stress/anxiety. Or I have also seen people talk about the immune system attacking the basal ganglia if there was a strep virus or infection. Some people also believe there can be illness due to an infection in the teeth or under a root canal. We don’t have dental issues. In our case I think it was anxiety caused by withdrawal from meds or the brain not having enough time to adjust to the withdrawal from meds. Withdrawal tardive syndrome is the best guess for the cause in our case. As you try different things please post them. I see some people have tried CBD oil yet others said they would need to be on it nonstop. We haven’t tried that one yet. I’m also seeing some literature thinking immune reactions linked to many psychiatric illnesses or muscle jerks. Do you have allergies or asthma? We do. So I also wonder about the immune system. Sounds like you did have lots of responsibilities and stress when yours flared up. I see some natural paths talking about adrenal fatigue but I have no idea what they do about it. It’s such a guessing game. We did not have hyperactivity or pleasant feelings associated with the tics so maybe our situation is a bit different in terms of causal agent. I do suspect some genetics are more prone to tics. I see some info about MTHFR gene yet others dismiss that. All would probably agree that a B vitamin may help people with that gene. Some have taken gluten out of their diet and found tics reduced. We haven’t tried that yet. Have you? But again please post things you have found helpful or not helpful as you try different things. I see a utube called comprehensive behavioral therapy. One thing they recommend for verbal tics is breathing in through the mouth and out through the nose to provide an opposite and competing reaction. It is suppose to take less and less time to master and helps the prefrontal cortex to start putting the brakes on. I guess it takes practise and you also use distraction to not think about tics. Have you tried this? We are on a very low dosage mirtazapine and quetiapine but the doc is thinking about adding tetrabenazine. Has anyone tried tetrabenazine. Reluctant to start a third medication.
Adult onset tics. We’ve had vocal (tuh, moan) and motor tics (head jerk mostly, but other quick movements once in awhile too, lip up, eyebrow up, diaphragm tics or losing the breath) and initially when it flared up - a response of panic and hyperventilating-all probably from weaning off of an antipsychotic, low dosage sleeping pill and low dosage lorazepam. Also came off of an antihistamine when smoke cleared from forest fires smoke blowing in from afar. On meds a month. Weaned across 3 weeks for antipsychotic. They say slow weaning for people on long term meds. I think they are wrong. They need to wean 10% not sooner than two weeks even when on meds short term. Especially if put on a high dosage short term. We had headaches, lightheaded, trouble eating before supper and anxiety and motor and vocal tics. Hypersensitive system. Did you wean off any meds? If not I guess it could also be the increase in stress/anxiety. We had to go back on a low dosage mirtazapine at night to get some sleep and a low dosage quetiapine across the day and evening to reduce hypersensitivity to stimuli and anxiety. Tics have slowly been reducing over the last 8 months but are not gone. Clonanzepam was tried initially as well and was helping but his body was becoming more and more tolerant and when it would wear off it wasn’t good. So discontinued and don’t recommend that. Any decrease now we do slowly and increase periods practicing slow breathing, laying down listening to music and anything to reduce anxiety and stimulation. For him tic triggers are lack of sleep, stress, irritation, sadness, frustration, sounds, cold temperature (even giving him a cold mug or touching him with a cold hand). It’s like his body is hypersensitive. It has gradually been improving but he has had to do all of the above and low impact exercise and vitamin supplements- Bs, niacin, small amount iodine, E, C, krill oil, probiotic, eating super healthy. Tic flare ups - Try Laying down and breathing 4 in and 4 out and using a distraction like music and headphones. Work isn’t an option yet. Also a morning routine. Wake up, headphones and music, meditation, and then a cup of tea. Walk. Did you decrease any Med? Could it be a withdrawal syndrome. If not I think it could still have been triggered by stress/anxiety. Or I have also seen people talk about the immune system attacking the basal ganglia if there was a strep virus or infection. Some people also believe there can be illness due to an infection in the teeth or under a root canal. We don’t have dental issues. In our case I think it was anxiety caused by withdrawal from meds or the brain not having enough time to adjust to the withdrawal from meds. Withdrawal tardive syndrome is the best guess for the cause in our case. As you try different things please post them. I see some people have tried CBD oil yet others said they would need to be on it nonstop. We haven’t tried that one yet. I’m also seeing some literature thinking immune reactions linked to many psychiatric illnesses or muscle jerks. Do you have allergies or asthma? We do. So I also wonder about the immune system. Sounds like you did have lots of responsibilities and stress when yours flared up. I see some natural paths talking about adrenal fatigue but I have no idea what they do about it. It’s such a guessing game. We did not have hyperactivity or pleasant feelings associated with the tics so maybe our situation is a bit different in terms of causal agent. I do suspect some genetics are more prone to tics. I see some info about MTHFR gene yet others dismiss that. All would probably agree that a B vitamin may help people with that gene. Some have taken gluten out of their diet and found tics reduced. We haven’t tried that yet. Have you? But again please post things you have found helpful or not helpful as you try different things. I see a utube called comprehensive behavioral therapy. One thing they recommend for verbal tics is breathing in through the mouth and out through the nose to provide an opposite and competing reaction. It is suppose to take less and less time to master and helps the prefrontal cortex to start putting the brakes on. I guess it takes practise and you also use distraction to not think about tics. Have you tried this? We are on a very low dosage mirtazapine and quetiapine but the doc is thinking about adding tetrabenazine. Has anyone tried tetrabenazine. Reluctant to start a third medication.