Thanks so much, everyone. I can tell this is a very supportive place! That is great!

He does do some type of lip smacking but not necessaily while walking around. I've seen him doing that while sitting down lots of times. This started a little over a week ago, along with the vocal tic and blinking (blinking returned, the others were new). I don't *think* that he gets tired. I think what the neuro suspects is the absence seizures, because she noted him staring off blankly in the office and when she called him, he didn't respond right away. I've seen him to that as well but he is only 4 and does seem a little spacy at times so I didn't think much of it.

I'm really on the fence about what it is.. seems like it could be the petit mal, but that doesn't really explain the vocal tic, does it? Unless he had both

Thanks for all the help!

Hi Dawn,
Thanks for sharing the info. with me. Often when I have a cp sz. I will smack my lips and sometimes I wander around. When I have an absence seizure I have a daydream look on my face and I stare for a few seconds but I wll continue to talk to others and walk around the house or work doing whatever I was doing ex. getting dinner I just don't remember anything it's like amnesia for a few seconds.
It's up to you but you might want to try putting your son on vitamin B12 or B complex vitamins. I found that taking vitamin B12 helps the nervous system and it has decreased my seizures greatly.
Also if you have an extra calendar around your house write down what time your son is having a sz. along with a descripition of the sz. by doing this the Dr. can often see a pattern as to what time of day or night he's more likely to have any sz. or what days of the month he will have more sz. A vocal tic can cause sz. I work in public school and I saw how a tic affected a student I had that caused the student to have seizures. I wish you and your son the best of luck and May God Bless You Both!

Sue

I tried to take some video, either by hiding the camera or pretending to play with the camera, telling him I was trying to fix it or something. If he thinks I'm taking pictures, he'll say "Cheese!" LOL

You can see blinking, lips, and when it's quiet enough (I have 3 kids in my house and a dog!) you can sometimes hear his vocal tic if you turn the speakers up. Here he is:

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v1...t=MVI_1274.flv

http://http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v11/ives6797/?action=view&current=MVI_1277.flv

http://http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v11/ives6797/?action=view&current=MVI_1278.flv

Any thoughts??

Dawn

I just showed the videos to my friend and she pointed out that in teh middle video of him at the table, his eyes are rolling or something, when he opens his eyes sometimes they are in a different spot.... hmmm, wonder if that means anything?

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v1...t=MVI_1277.flv

I had reviewed the videos

I SAW something in 2 videos - his eyes ROCKED and
they did ROLL upwards right after he blinked, which
is typical of a seizure-type behavior and not of a TIC
type behavior.

I am NOT a MEDICAL DOCTOR. I have had friends who
have TICS and they DO NOT have these types of
behaviors in what 2 of the videos that I saw, never had it,
and I had known them for 10-30 years before they all
moved away out of to different States. None of them
displayed anything like what your son is displaying.

I recommend a 2nd opinion if all possible and necessary,
or contact your Local Hospital for Epilepsy Support
Resource Group or Epileptologist Specialist which would
be far better for your son... AND BRING THOSE VIDEOS!

Thank you for the reply! I have the videos on my camera, but the problem is it's like a 1" screen, they can't see anything on that. Maybe I can ask the pedi neurol if she has an email address I could send the link to. I won't see her at the EEG though. It's being done at a children's hospital and she has an office elsewhere.

Hi everyone. I just found this thread

I'm so glad that ives has somewhere to ask about the seizures investigations as that's not something either of my children have nor myself have although my son did have some tests when he was little to rule out seizure activity. I've been replying to ives on the TS forum.

There are lots of different eye tics. Eye rolling can actually be a tic. I'm not saying it is in her son's case 'cause I'm not a doctor, but just wanted to post a couple of lists of tics so that might help a little. There's a lot of overlap in many different conditions. It's not possible for me to say from looking at the videos. I just hope that ives can get this sorted out as soon as possible just in case they _are_ seizure because I know that's really important.

http://tourettenowwhat.tripod.com/al...cs.htm#TicList
List of common tics.
http://www.tourettesyndrome.net/Files/CommonTics.PDF
Common Tics
Those lists are just guides, they don't include all possible tics.
The interesting thing is that if you look through those lists of tics you'll find a lot that could also be part of a seizure disorder too.

I hope you don't mind I posted that, but there are so many different sorts of eye tics. Not everyone has the same tics.

Dawn

I am going to reply here as well as on TS in case others are following and will benefit from the answers you receive

I know very little about seizures and so honestly cant comment on that........
however, the eye blinking, eye rolling as well as the lip/tongue movement were all tics in my son, To the point where had you not had a doc suggest seizures, I would have looked at your son and thought "hmmm, that looks like TS or a tic disorder"

so again confirmation on how different things can sometimes manifest so similarly, and why professional dx is so very important

will post more on the TS forum

Thanks for the info, Lara. Yep, I'm on both forums trying to get this sorted out

I have a couple more questions to bother you all with, thanks so much any response, I truly appreciate it!!

I read something someone had written about her son, saying "he wasn't having seizures at the time, but WAS having lots of activity".....

Now, based on that, could my son be having *activity* during all this blinking etc? My hubby was saying because the blinking is so frequent, it can't be seizures-- he talks to us throughout all teh blining and seems to know what is going on etc. I see what he is saying but even said to him before, maybe it is activity. Then I read what the other mom said and thought maybe that could be right...? Maybe sometimes he does stare off for a couple seconds (absence seizures) and otherwise, in between is a lot of "activity"? If that sounds stupid, please excuse my ignorance, as I'm new to all this!

Also, as far as sleep goes... he tics even when he is half asleep... barely awake but the noises stop the second he falls asleep. I do see some movements while sleeping but that could be normal in people that don't have tics, I think. He came into my bed a little while ago and went backt o sleep so I was watching him sleep. His hands, feet, and shoulders would twitch (not at the same time). Don't know if it's related to anything or not. I really didn't watch him that long, I got up and ran out here to post this!

eta: forgot another question... if he having activity, would that show on an EEG, or would it have to be an actual seizure? I don't know a lot about this.