chronic motor tic????

[31hockeymom]

My son is now 16.  He has had a particular motor tic since he was 3.  At 3 years of age, he started shaking swords as he was playing.  He moved from swords to plastic hangers, and has been shaking the hangers for 12 years.  He is extremely athletic ~ playing both varsity hockey and soccer, and is an A/B student.  He is now so strong he is breaking hangers on a daily basis.  In 2nd grade, he was diagnosed ADHD and has been on Ritalin since that time.  Doctors felt that he would stop the hanger shaking when he reached adolescence.  Is there an effective treatment?  I hate the thought of more medication, when it doesn't seem to be doing any harm.  Yet, I also hate for him to carry this tic with him to college.  Any suggestions would be most welcome.

[tryingmomof2]

My daugher shakes anything that dangles. She is 4.5  I am starting to wonder what this might be. She is pretty smart but she just loves to dangle things.  She has done this since she was a baby in my arms.  I'm going to mention it to the Dr. and I will let you knwo what he says.

[Steph4302]

Hmmm... What about OCD? Has that been considered?

While it is unusual, it might just have to be something that he will deal with on his own. He obviously maintains good grades, social relationships, and is very athletic. To me, he seems to be quite intelligent and well rounded. If this behavior is not getting in the way of him living his life to the fullest (i.e. he isn't staying in his bedroom all day to shake the hangers), then I guess it may just be a quirk that he has. Surely, it isn't dangerous but I understand your concern seeing that it began when he was very young. Does this bother him? Has he tried to stop shaking the hangers and been unsuccessful? Does he have any symptoms of anxiety (restlessness, trouble sleeping, racing thoughts, feeling on edge)?

[31hockeymom]

Thanks for your response.  Yes, it is quite interesting.  I did take him to a psychologist early on ~ she ruled out the obvious ~ Tourettes, Autism.  Everyone has stated that there are medications, but the side effects could be worse than the tic itself.  I'm not willing to risk that.  He does have some control (such as when he is at school or around friends), but it definitely is a constant action when he is at home.  He has broken hangers all over his room, and will even take clothes that are in the closet off hangers so that he can shake them.  I felt that he would be an excellent drummer ~ more socially appropriate substitution ~ but he selected trumpet.  His eye/hand coordination is superb ~ I'm sure in part to his tic.  He is an excellent hockey player (stick handling) and is also very good with video games.  Unlike your son, whose tics change from time to time, my son has had the exact same motor tic for many years.  He just says that it is a good feeling.  Again ~ thanks for your interest.  I wish you well also.

[supermomma531]

Is your son under constant doctor care? My first though is to have him re evaluated by another doctor to see if they come up with the same or similar answer. If need be, take him to multiple doctors just to be sure. I've never heard of this type of tic before. It is very interesting. Does he say anything to you about his own behavior? Does he understand his behavior? Does he have any control over it? How long does he do this for at one interval? How often does he do this? Everyday? Multiple times a day? I'm sorry if it seems like I'm prying into your situation but I would really like to help if at all possible. My 7 yr old son has gone through tic phases. His tics would change every so often. But he is also on meds for epilepsy. Have you ever had your son to a child psychologist? This is where you may have to start, see if he's on the right medication and doses. Get more than one opinion. I just wonder why he started with this particular tic? Have you or him ever thought of getting him involved into martial arts? It sound like he may be really good at it. I hope that you can get the help you need for your son. Good luck. Take care.