tourettes or just tics?

hi everyone,

Im a 20 year old girl, and have had a motor tic, where i jolt my head/neck to the right, ever since i could remember. when i was little it used to happen sort of once a month, but about 4 years ago it got more frrequent. Now i do this every day, sometimes up to 20 times. The tics have also changed, as i jerk my shoulders forward, sometimes at the same time as my head and now (probably in the last 8 months) i've begun to shake my head from side to side.

I only try and hold them back when I'm in the spotlight, like when I'm seeing my physio, but that's when they tend to happen most! I actually quite like the physical feeling of twitching as it feels like a release.

In the past year, I've also developed a vocal tic. It's a sort of gasp/shreak. It only happens of a maximum of 5 times a day and some days not at all, but people comment on it more than my motor tic. I can't control this at all unless two come at once, maybe cos im not so used to the feeling of it creeping up on me.

Basically, I've read that if you have both a motor and a vocal tic, that is what makes it tourettes (as apposed to one or the other). However, I don't think it could be as my vocal tics are infrequent and I have only developed them since I was nearly 20.

I'd really really appreciate your input/opinions/knowledge on this so please reply. Is it a mild form of tourettes (if such a thing exists) or just tics??

SS
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I'm not entirely positive what category it would fall under. Tourettes can sometimes come and go, and it may not remain consistently frequent, but it's generally characterized by the prescence of multiple motor tics and at least one vocal tic, over the period of a year, with no more than three consecutive months of being "tic free". It is entirely possible that you can have a "milder" form of tourettes and if the onset of your initial symptomns occured before 18 you would probably be categorized as having this disorder.

Alternately, if the frequency of your tics is substantially less than I had anticipated, you may fall into one of the following categories. You would have a better idea than I would:

Transient tic disorder consists of multiple motor and/or phonic tics with duration of at least 4 weeks, but less than 12 months.
Chronic tic disorder is either single or multiple motor or phonic tics, but not both, which are present for more than a year.
Tourette's disorder is diagnosed when both motor and phonic tics are present for more than a year.
Tic Disorder NOS is diagnosed when tics are present, but do not meet the criteria for any specific tic disorder.

Hey Serena and everyone,

My 10 year old son started doing the same tic movements that you describe here. He clacks his jaw and shifts it back and forth so much. He has vocal. Tourettes is comorbid - meaning that the syndrome is never alone - there are other syndromes with it - namely Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). His OCD is bother him horribly. He came to me the other day sobbing, "Mommy - I am so tired of making everyone else feel comfortable around me and I am in so much pain." He gets headaches and his tics change every 2-3 months. The teacher felt the tics were getting much better and he didn't see my son ticing at all. I told him that it is because my son is getting better at hiding t. Tourettes is in my family (mild) but intrusive all the same. No doctor will diagnose my sone as having tourettes because he is not severe. One doctor told me, "Oh he is doing fine - it is okay to tic away at home." This doctor tested him for everything under the sun and now wants to test for lupus??? for lead?? for any miscellaneous metals?? I don't know.

Here is the thing - a Tourettes diagnosis is a clinical diagnosis; it is not a medical diagnosis. Meaning that all other syndromes and illnesses must be ruled out before a doctor will label the syndrome as Tourettes. The tourette gene has been identified, however, we do not have a device that can test for this gene.

One doctor told me that they have now lessened the "time factor" for tourettes. A person must have vocal and motor tic(s) together for 6 months.

I have my son on a battery of vitamins and am hoping that I don't have to medicate him. If you want to know what these vitamins are you can ask me - no problem.