Tourette's Syndrome

General Information on Tourette's Syndrome

Tourette’s syndrome is an inherited neuropsychiatric disorder that causes frequent muscle and vocal tics. Muscle, or motor, tics are repeated involuntary muscle movement. This could be as simple as blinking or coughing to as big as an arm moving. Vocal tics are repeated involuntary sounds made or speech. These tics are often felt before they are performed, but the suppression of the urge to do whatever the tic is eventually becomes too great. Tourette’s syndrome most commonly begins during childhood and is three times more common in men than it is in women. Tourette’s syndrome was once thought to be a rare disorder and was most commonly associated with the symptom of making random inappropriate remarks. Now it is realized that this symptoms is only seen in a small percentage of those with Tourette’s syndrome and no longer thought of as rare. Most cases of Tourette’s syndrome remain undiagnosed due to the mild form that it presents in.

Symptoms of Tourette's Syndrome

Muscle tics – repeatedly blink eyes, coughing, moving the head from side to side, stretching, kicking, hitting, etc.
Vocal tics – humming, grunting, yelling, swearing, inappropriate comments, etc.
Social anxiety
Impulsive behavior
Aggressive behavior
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Difficulty learning

Treatments For Tourette's Syndrome

The treatment for Tourette’s syndrome is dependent of the severity of the case of Tourette’s syndrome. In mild cases of Tourette’s syndrome, mild sedatives such as benzodiazepines are helpful. In cases where obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety are common symptoms, clonidine may be used due to the fact that the drug blocks certain neurotransmitters that cause the tics. This drug should be used with caution due to that fact the drug is used to treat high blood pressure and can cause the blood pressure of the affected person to become to low. In severe cases of Tourette’s syndrome, antipsychotic drugs may be helpful due to the fact that they suppress the tics. Botulin injections into the muscles may also be helpful to reduce tics.

Personal Experience

Tourette's Syndrome - personal experiences