Hey jnt989,

I'm a 37 year male and I've been dealing with tics since I was 13 or 14 years old. My tics have moved ALL over the place during my life span. At first I developed head jerks and then my tics transitioned over to vocal tics.

The doc's put me on all sorts of medicine to try to control the tics but in the 1980's is was pretty much the old school medicine like Haldol, etc.

That was like getting hit with a horse tranq and having my mom wish me well at school. It was a bad scene all the way around. I was so tired that I slept through most of my classes.

Through the years my tics have come and gone and even came out in spells with relentless force that lasted for months.

It's interesting that I am just reading this forum because my tics that have been manageable for the past 6 years have recently struck back with force and turned into what looks like a spell that's been full speed ahead for the past year now and counting.

I can control them to a certain extend by using therapy I received that taught me to know when I am ticing and to focus on not moving that part.

I've always felt that I was a little ADD/ADHD because of the way that I get overwhelmed so easy working on easy projects. When I came back to finish the project I would just start over. That may even be a touch of OCD.

With my tics going crazy, and me not getting anything done me bosses have been on me for results so I said enough is enouh I went to the psyc doctor to see if I really am ADD/ADHD or OCD.

The psyc is going to get me a neuro work up test done to see what's going on as far as the ADD & maybe OCD goes but I will keep you posted on the outcome of all that. He told me that most likley he is going to just up my dose of Effexor to 225mg a day and then put me on Strattara for the ADD since it's a non stimulant.

But enough about me. I went through the mom thing too. At first they thought that I was making it up. Tics were not as easy to discover back then. I think for me though certain triggers make mine work.

I drink green tea everyday and it doesn't effect my tics...actually I'm drinking green tea right now.

She would actually make it worst when she brought it up / to my attention. I always told her that it was stress and no worries.

Over time she began used to it and it is just part of my life.

The psyc doctor told me that the best way to identify your triggers is to do them yourself.

Certain things set some peoples tic off and other things don't. For me stress is the #1 trigger for me.

Now whenever I feel a tic frenzy coming on I lap in some claiming ambient music and practice deep breathing. You'd been surprised how much 6 deep inhaled/exhaled breathes can relax your body.

For me though I am going to revisit my food intake, type, and things that I am exposed to then write them don't each day when I start having tic issues. If eating a certain food set my tics off then I won't eat that food anymore.

Another tip to keep in mine is that your body changes and things that didn't bother your system before can change on a dime.

Best of luck