Do you have a tic?

[goldengirlz]

I was just diagnosed with ADHD.

One of the criteria that my doctor used to decide if I had ADHD versus Generalized Anxiety Disorder (because apparently they look similar), is the fact that I have tics.

He says that tics are VERY commonly associated with people with ADHD.

I'm just curious. Do you have tics? What are they?

Apparently I crack my neck, do a weird "pursing" thing with my mouth and, more noticeably, I have a thing were I push my ear under my fingernail. I cannot stop it (and have tried) and have given myself a somewhat deformed "cauliflower ear" over the many years since childhood that I have been doing it.

Delightful.

Is this truly part of ADHD? Can anyone relate?

[corrinekay]

Yes, my daughter has adhd and also has a tic. She constantly clears her throat, and makes noises by blowing air from her nose. It seems to me as a nervous tic of some sort. It is uncontrollable by her and is almost constant, and gets worse if she becomes nervous. It is a sign of adhd and add. It sometimes is made worse when you start treatments for the adhd. You will have to find a medication that helps control the tics that you have. I hope this helps. Corrine

[index.html]

Although many people with ADHD have tics (and some have the tics of Tourette's Syndrome), they are not part of the ADHD diagnosis. There are many disorders that commonly occur along with ADHD; they are known as comorbid disorders. Examples are the tic disorders you mentioned, OCD, CAPD, anxiety, and depression. There are others.

What is part of the ADD diagnosis is fidgetting. Most adults control their hyperactivity and don't get up from their desks to run around at inappropriate times like kids do. Instead, they fidget.

Corrine is correct that ADD medications can worsen tics. If you start a stimulant you need to be very mindful of how it affects your tics and let your doc know asap if your tics get worse. Interestingly, though, stimulants can decrease tics in a few people.

[tangled2884]

I was diagnosed adult ADHD about 6 months ago. Prior to that I couldn't understand why my eyes were almost impossible to control. I would blink and blink then close my eyes and couldn't open them. They felt dry. My GP prescribed drops but they didn't work. It wasn't until my Psychiatrist had a light bulb moment and told me that I was ADHD and that it was a facial tic. I also fidgeted. He had taken 8 years to arrive at this diagnosis, and he said I had hidden it extremely well. He started me immediately on Dexamphetamine and I haven't looked back. I feel well for the first time in something like 25 years. I am 56. The tic has vanished.

[goldengirlz]

what is dexamphetamine?

Is it the generic for ritalin? Or is that the brand name?

That's so great you got your tics and ADHD under control. It IS amazing that one can have a tic and the world not know it. Including yourself! I am still in shock that I have tics. I never knew...