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Question about tourettes caused by medication
Hi
I have a friend who has mild tourettes. She told me that she was not born with it, that while on medication as a child..one of them being ritalin..it cause damage to her nervous system or something and ended up with mild tourettes. Was wondering if anyone has ever heard of this happening before. I thought tourettes was something you were born with. Also she says that Dr.'s have told her there is 0% chance of her passing it on to her children since she was not born with it.
I have a friend who has mild tourettes. She told me that she was not born with it, that while on medication as a child..one of them being ritalin..it cause damage to her nervous system or something and ended up with mild tourettes. Was wondering if anyone has ever heard of this happening before. I thought tourettes was something you were born with. Also she says that Dr.'s have told her there is 0% chance of her passing it on to her children since she was not born with it.
I want to address BlueEyez613 original question first: yes tics can be created by taking medications such as Ritalin. My brother was diagnosed at a very young age with ADHD and one of the first medications prescribed for him was Ritalin. This was a large mistake on the part of the doctors back then (early 1990's) as it deprived my brother of developing physically into a teen. He stopped eating which in turn stunted his growth both in height and weight. This went on for years, at the request of the specialists. Once my mom stopped giving him the Ritalin he started growing like a weed, and was back to normal but had developed multiple tics because of the treatment. The doctors ignored the tic "side effect" and told him that he would grow out of it. He was recently diagnosed with mild TS, a side effect of the Ritalin.
As a side note, I myself was diagnosed with mild TS + chronic insomnia recently, developing it at 16. My father has some tics himself but continues to stay in denial about what it is even though he has two children with the same condition, but with worse effects. All of the textbooks say that adults don't get TS, it's an illness that effects children and generally disappears after 18, but I have seen 3 specialists and they all have concluded that it is indeed TS. I have tried every natural therapy available (homeopathy, chinese medicine, hypnosis, etc) and nothing has worked. It eventually got to the point where I had to seek a professional diagnosis because the tics are starting to cause me physical harm (chest pains, hard time breathing after an episode, muscle pains, etc) and I'm afraid that eventually I might give myself a heart attack, strike or brain aneurysm. I haven't started treatment yet but I hope that my body will be able to withstand the side effects of the medication, if neccessary.
As a side note, I myself was diagnosed with mild TS + chronic insomnia recently, developing it at 16. My father has some tics himself but continues to stay in denial about what it is even though he has two children with the same condition, but with worse effects. All of the textbooks say that adults don't get TS, it's an illness that effects children and generally disappears after 18, but I have seen 3 specialists and they all have concluded that it is indeed TS. I have tried every natural therapy available (homeopathy, chinese medicine, hypnosis, etc) and nothing has worked. It eventually got to the point where I had to seek a professional diagnosis because the tics are starting to cause me physical harm (chest pains, hard time breathing after an episode, muscle pains, etc) and I'm afraid that eventually I might give myself a heart attack, strike or brain aneurysm. I haven't started treatment yet but I hope that my body will be able to withstand the side effects of the medication, if neccessary.
Don't freakout. She may be without symptoms as she becomes and adult. Everyone has to make their own decision about drugs. As you know every action cause a reaction. You need to find out more about this condition. Some with tourettes even become surgeons!. Tourettes does not affect intelligence. It is not a mental illness. My doctor says the reason it does not affect intelligence is is not mental but strictly neurological. Also insurance companies labels it a mental illness. They will not pay for treatment unless it is labeled as such. They new baby can not "catch" it from his sister. I have three brothers and they are fine and so are their children. She may have trouble with teachers not informed about the condition and some smart aleck kids but the kids will get used to her and accept it. The teachers could be a problem.
I did not have it until i was 38. I worked for eight years with it.
I wish the best for you all
vegancat
I did not have it until i was 38. I worked for eight years with it.
I wish the best for you all
vegancat
hmmm, I don't know that much about this, but my step grandaughter has it, and the neurologist said they could medicate her to maybe calm her down, but her mom says no. she is a straight a student, yes it is annoying to all around her those noises and tics, and then the typical 12 yr old behavior all adds up. I just found out they call it a mental illness now. I really never knew enough about it. sad to think that she is that smart and that maybe someday they won't let her work, cause she makes those sounds. omg well my son and his wife just had a baby 2 yrs ago, and so that is her half brother. i hope he does not get it. It could of came from the fathers family somewhere, or maybe people just get it, and thats it. it is pretty rare though.
Hi,
I am no doctor by a long shot but I had to respond. I had laser gallbladder surgery in 1990. Three days later I started ticing. It progressed from being my head only to my shoulders, bending at the waist, legs. Whole body tics. In 1993 I began to make noises. I barked like a dog and now I make other noises and scream. It took three years but I was finally diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. I never had any symptoms as a child. Absolutely none. No one in my family ever saw anyone with my symptoms EVER. So I cannot explain what happened to me or your friend but I can relate. No one on the record can explain what happened to me But off the record it has been suggested that it could have been anethesia. I'll never know. I have so many tics and noises to deal with and the depression that comes with it that I no longer work. I was asked to leave because of the noises. Doctor says you will never recover. I worked for eight years like this where ever I could. But it is so much worse now than when I began. Not trying to scare you just tell you the facts.
Vegancat
I am no doctor by a long shot but I had to respond. I had laser gallbladder surgery in 1990. Three days later I started ticing. It progressed from being my head only to my shoulders, bending at the waist, legs. Whole body tics. In 1993 I began to make noises. I barked like a dog and now I make other noises and scream. It took three years but I was finally diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome. I never had any symptoms as a child. Absolutely none. No one in my family ever saw anyone with my symptoms EVER. So I cannot explain what happened to me or your friend but I can relate. No one on the record can explain what happened to me But off the record it has been suggested that it could have been anethesia. I'll never know. I have so many tics and noises to deal with and the depression that comes with it that I no longer work. I was asked to leave because of the noises. Doctor says you will never recover. I worked for eight years like this where ever I could. But it is so much worse now than when I began. Not trying to scare you just tell you the facts.
Vegancat
Hmmmm....Since the doctor said so, i guess it could happen...but I don't even think that it could. 1st off, Tourette Syndrome isn't the nervouse system. Its the chemicals in the brain, its when you have an imbalance of chemicals or "misbehaving brain cells". I guess, if you think about it medicing might be able to do that but I really have no idea.
I do know that medicine can sometimes mess with the person and give them tics, but that is not tourettes. It is something competley different.
I was born with TS and had symptoms come up when I was 6. now Im 13...I have it pretty mild too..
Hope she is doing okay
=)
-Alexandra
I do know that medicine can sometimes mess with the person and give them tics, but that is not tourettes. It is something competley different.
I was born with TS and had symptoms come up when I was 6. now Im 13...I have it pretty mild too..
Hope she is doing okay
=)
-Alexandra
Guess no one has haha. Wanted to see if anything like this has ever happened to anyone...or to warn ppl about this. It seems awfully scary for that to happen from a medication. My friend is doing good tho. Its only very mild. It's just very unfortunate that this happened because of meds.
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