Aa
Has my mother developed some kind of odd neurological condition?
My mother is 62 years old. Sometime back in her late 40's or early 50's, she started getting really, really bad OCD-like patterns. She'll turn light switches on and off many times before leaving a room, pat her leg with the palm of her hand every few seconds many times in between doing a task, keep pushing on/touching stuff many times, etc. She gets these odd body jerks constantly. She won't talk about them and I don't know if she has asked a doctor about any of them because she's one of those people who thinks a doctor should magically know everything and won't share smaller details or be precise about describing things. Plus there's probably a "shame" factor that she feels for some reason, as well.
So basically in her upper 40's or lower 50's, she started developing these odd "tics" where she turns/jerks her neck left and/or right and it seems to vary in rapid-fire patterns. Her head is upright when she does it, so she's not leaning her head over or anything. So she might turn her head in a jerk-like fashion about 3-4 inches to the right, then bring it back to the center, then back right, then back center, then back right, then back center, then back right, then back center again. She'll do this within a matter of seconds and does it all day long every day. She does the same thing with it jerking to the left side by 3-4 inches and back center again. Sometimes it alternates back and forth from left to right for a set number of times. When reading, she will stammer between words audibly and do the head jerk thing a number of times after 2-3 words when starting a sentence, then start repeating the same words over and over again. So she might read, "The lazy brown d-- *head jerk jerk jerk* The lazy brow- *head jerk* "The lazy brown dog slept on..." and she'll finally complete it. Not sure if that's OCD or what. The simplest things seem to have become hard for her to do and I don't know why. She gets up 1.5 hours before work and still isn't read when it is time for her to leave. It didn't used to take that long for her to get ready.
In addition, her body "jumps" every few seconds. If she's sitting in a computer chair, it is like her legs or core of her body or something just "jerks" out of nowhere as if her legs are propelling her to get out of the seat or something. Usually just about an inch or two. She does it in the computer chair, sitting on the side of her bed, in the car while driving, etc. Sometimes one shoulder will start ticking/rolling forward from the shoulder or one arm will start jumping up and down in a tic-like fashion. When she gets nervous driving, it gets even worse.
If she seems someone looking at her, she'll start flipping her hand out as if explaining something using hand gestures while talking. She never does that otherwise.
While using the computer, I see her hand on the mouse and as she has it spread out, it is like it is "pulsing" and she contracts and expands her hand about half of an inch off from the mouse every few seconds. I heard "pulses" in her breathing (as if "breathing tics" are there) that seem to coincide with her jumps/jerks of her body. She breathes a little harder or something right when the tic happens and it goes back to normal. A family member noticed it and said, "Why do you keep jerking your head like that? It's like you've got a bug or something" and she got all defensive. It gets terrible in line at the store if people are behind us. She'll keep looking back at them every few seconds and watching everything around her every few seconds. Even laying down at night, it is like she "can't be still" or something without twitching or moving every few seconds. It is very noticeable to others and hard to watch her struggle with it, but she won't talk about it and I can't make her.
What could this be? She's obviously not interested in talking about it. Unsure if she has gotten medical advice for it. Her mom (my grandmother) has "the shakes" pretty bad neurologically and has been a nervous wreck for over half of her life, but those are more like severe trembling shakes and nothing like what my mother has.
So basically in her upper 40's or lower 50's, she started developing these odd "tics" where she turns/jerks her neck left and/or right and it seems to vary in rapid-fire patterns. Her head is upright when she does it, so she's not leaning her head over or anything. So she might turn her head in a jerk-like fashion about 3-4 inches to the right, then bring it back to the center, then back right, then back center, then back right, then back center, then back right, then back center again. She'll do this within a matter of seconds and does it all day long every day. She does the same thing with it jerking to the left side by 3-4 inches and back center again. Sometimes it alternates back and forth from left to right for a set number of times. When reading, she will stammer between words audibly and do the head jerk thing a number of times after 2-3 words when starting a sentence, then start repeating the same words over and over again. So she might read, "The lazy brown d-- *head jerk jerk jerk* The lazy brow- *head jerk* "The lazy brown dog slept on..." and she'll finally complete it. Not sure if that's OCD or what. The simplest things seem to have become hard for her to do and I don't know why. She gets up 1.5 hours before work and still isn't read when it is time for her to leave. It didn't used to take that long for her to get ready.
In addition, her body "jumps" every few seconds. If she's sitting in a computer chair, it is like her legs or core of her body or something just "jerks" out of nowhere as if her legs are propelling her to get out of the seat or something. Usually just about an inch or two. She does it in the computer chair, sitting on the side of her bed, in the car while driving, etc. Sometimes one shoulder will start ticking/rolling forward from the shoulder or one arm will start jumping up and down in a tic-like fashion. When she gets nervous driving, it gets even worse.
If she seems someone looking at her, she'll start flipping her hand out as if explaining something using hand gestures while talking. She never does that otherwise.
While using the computer, I see her hand on the mouse and as she has it spread out, it is like it is "pulsing" and she contracts and expands her hand about half of an inch off from the mouse every few seconds. I heard "pulses" in her breathing (as if "breathing tics" are there) that seem to coincide with her jumps/jerks of her body. She breathes a little harder or something right when the tic happens and it goes back to normal. A family member noticed it and said, "Why do you keep jerking your head like that? It's like you've got a bug or something" and she got all defensive. It gets terrible in line at the store if people are behind us. She'll keep looking back at them every few seconds and watching everything around her every few seconds. Even laying down at night, it is like she "can't be still" or something without twitching or moving every few seconds. It is very noticeable to others and hard to watch her struggle with it, but she won't talk about it and I can't make her.
What could this be? She's obviously not interested in talking about it. Unsure if she has gotten medical advice for it. Her mom (my grandmother) has "the shakes" pretty bad neurologically and has been a nervous wreck for over half of her life, but those are more like severe trembling shakes and nothing like what my mother has.
COMMUNITY LEADER
So, I think it is fair to ask your mom when the last time was that she had a physical. The offer to go with her. Tell her you are concerned about some of her movements. She's aware she has this going on. You can phrase it so that it is gentle.
I have a son with motor and vocal tics. They are related to anxiety and get worse when he is nervous, anxious or excited. Sometimes when bored as well.
But are these tic like or tremor like?
I have a son with motor and vocal tics. They are related to anxiety and get worse when he is nervous, anxious or excited. Sometimes when bored as well.
But are these tic like or tremor like?
COMMUNITY LEADER
It sounds like she has a tic disorder like Tourette Syndrome. Have you ever asked her if she has talked to her doctor about Tourette's? Maybe if you say the specific name instead of doing like the relative did and implying there was something wrong with her, she will open up about what she has discussed with the doctor. (If anything.)
1 Comments
(Oh, and before you discuss it with her, look up tic disorders in general, and also Tourette's.)
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Women's Health Community
STDs can't be transmitted by casual contact, like hugging or touching.
Syphilis is an STD that is transmitted by oral, genital and anal sex.
Normal vaginal discharge varies in color, smell, texture and amount.
Bumps in the genital area might be STDs, but are usually not serious.
Chlamydia, an STI, often has no symptoms, but must be treated.
From skin changes to weight loss to unusual bleeding, here are 15 cancer warning signs that women tend to ignore.
