shaking when excited

[elmo66]

I have an 8 year old daughter that spasms every time she gets excited.  Her fingers stiffen and her face stiffens whenever she is excited about something.  We thought she would grow out of this, she has been doing this since a few months old.  It only occurs when she is excited, Never out of frustration or other emotions.  It looks as though she is having a seizure but if I touch her hands she will stop.  We have discussed trying to stop this behavior but she says that it is a part of her and she doesn't care who sees her do it.  We are worried that she will be made fun of at school.  Right now, she has no social problems but her friends have asked her why she shakes and does that with her hands.  Please advise, as her pediatrician has said that he is not alarmed and that she will most likely grow out of this.  

[Lizzy4675]

My son is ten and does the same exact thing and he has done it since a baby. I thought he would outgrow it however it seems so happen more often now that he is older and I do notice it a lot more. I have not taken him to see a doctor about the situation lately and all his visits have always shown normal results. He does well in school and sports It seem random and mostly when he gets excited.

[Pdak]

Anything to worry?

[Nissa1212]

What you described sounds exactly like my 10 year old son. Did you ever talk to his doctor about this?

[ciaran18]

When I was 25 years old I suffered from depression and I visited a phycologist to find the root cause of my anxieties. It was then that I opened up about this 'tensing habit'.

I've experienced much of the same symptoms everyone is describing here.. If I'm alone and something I see or think about causes excitement I go into 'hulk mode' like I'm about to evolve into a different Pokemon. I scrunch up my face, usually bringing my hands up to around my mouth and experience a huge influx of adrenaline even only for a few short seconds.. at which point I usually notice my previously subconscious actions and stop.

I think the adrenaline and relief that this momentarily brings me from any excitement or anxieties I suffer from are what feeds this habit into something I cannot stop doing.

@Scrynthe, I finally made my concerns about this public when I was 25 as I also noticed that I began to experience headaches (or like a constant pressure) in my left temple and doctors we're concerned that it was possibly a tumor so I had an MRI scan but results showed a healthy functioning brain. The Doctors could not relate the characteristics of my habits to anything except tourette's and autism, both of which they would not diagnose me for and of which I know I do not have.

A few years ago I was convinced that it was ADHD but I do not share many of the symptoms associated with that disorder either. So quite possibly it is 'this primary motor (repetitive) stereotypy' that Dr John Hopkins describes.

I am 28 now and still experience these fits when I am alone. It still allows me to lead a relatively normal life except I do believe this habit affects my focus, attentiveness and motivation because if something provokes me to 'have an episode', often the adrenaline following that throws me off track and I can never regain focus.

Curious to hear more about diet and whether that can effect the urge. Some adult's here seem happy to live with it but I for one would love to hear of a cure?

[Chrissy_stix]

Hi do you know of any meds that can help what you have as my son is ten years old and experiencing the exact symptoms you are describing, but he gets very embarrassed about it and children have mocked him at school because of it.

[Frosty714]

Hi, look up complex motor stereotypy. A dr at Johns Hopkins  specialize in it. I just discovered it for my son. my 9 month old has been making the O; face as well as other facial movements and stiffening his legs and waving his arms when excited. There are a couple Facebook groups and there are some  adults on there that say they have always had it and they just learned to control it as they got older.

[spacecadet2]

This doctor specialize in it but, has he found any answers?

[Aaguilar7]

I'm glad so many people seem to experience the same thing. Just because it makes me feel more "normal." Haha. But seriously I do not think it is anything to worry about. I have been doing this shaking, huming, and grimacing or contorting my face when excited since I was a kid and I still do it sometimes. I am 32. Sorry I think some kids may not out grow this as I did not and neither did my 34 year old sister. I don't think it hinders me in any real way though. I am fully concious doing this and I only do it when I'm alone. I think it may be related to stress, diet, and a neurological influence. I was socially awkward as a kid but I grew out of that and am very friendly now. The same with my sister. I am able to work, socialize, travel, drive, and do everything a healthy adult can do. I hope this helps for people who may be experiencing this or with their children. I have noticed that I do it a lot less when I am eating really healthy, which I did not as much as a child.

[Dazundlover]

Clearing Sailing above seems to have the right answer.  My son did the open mouth/ hand twitching and stiff back routine at times when he was only 3 months old up until he was about 5 or so.  I had an EEG done on him when he was 2 to rule out seizures.  He did end up getting diagnosed with ADHD and used Ritalin during school hours once he turned 10 -- which helped tremendously in school.  I think he just learned to control it.  I tend to have feelings of a rush of adrenaline myself at times for no apparent reason.  My son is 35 and I am 59 and we both are having successful lives!  Never hurts to get all things checked out and answers given by professional doctors.  But try not to make a big deal out of it -- to make them feel bad.  I just would ask my son to do something active (engage in folding towels or something similar) when he did his "act."  Perhaps this helped him recognize how to control what I feel is a "burst of energy".  God wires us all differently and we just learn how to process our environment.  (My son tended to do this when he was very tired.  He was never a person that yawned.  It was like he did this instead of yawning.)  

[Ayrica]

I have had this condition every since I was a child. I do it when I see something exciting, pleasure, or anticipated event. I am now 58. I have learned to control it a bit but never worried about it. I was never teased either once I just told others what is going on. I was told I was add or ADHD a bit. It never seemed to interfere with work or activity, but I did or still have intense daydreaming. I have had great responsible jobs and six kids. I have been married three times not good but I have to admit I sometimes got bored. Always needed multiple things to do at once, but like I said it has gotten better. I garden and yardwork for me works well. I function at a high level very mechanical and technical type self taught. School bored me but graduated. Were all wired differently I agree with you that rule out the bad things medically. At my age as well very healthy, run, no health issues and no prescription drugs used. My 8 year old son has it a bit worse than me he functions well, healthy and in time he will need to learn to live with it. Also he is very very smart. Plays sports, has great friends...

[BrinkleyKate]

My daughter is 5 and has done "the excited shaking" since she was a baby.  She is also a toe walker.  It has been brought to my attention recently that all of these things probably stem from sensory disorder.  I took her to a neurologist last week and he did order and MRI for her.  This will take place in Nov.  He doesn't seem overly concerned.  He just wants to rule some things out.