Medications Tourette Syndrome
You may also wish to consider therapy or consulting your consultant. You can learn how to cope with your tics by working with a counselor or psychologist. There are different types of therapy. The behavior therapy is very effective in reducing your tics. There is a special type of training called habit-reversal that helps you recognize when a tic occurs and how to stop it.
Most of the times, tics are mild and don’t require treatment. Your doctor may prescribe medicine to alleviate the symptoms if they become a problem. You may have to experiment for a bit to find the best dose to control tics, but you should also avoid any side effects. Don’t panic, and let your doctor assist you with your health issue. The medications are:
Cenazine is also recommended because it may help with severe depression. Involuntary repetitive movement and weight gain are possible side effects.
AHDH medications can help with concentration and attention. These include stimulants such as methylphenidate, Metadate CD and Adderall XR. For most people with TS, medication for ADHD may exacerbate tics.
- Antidepressants Paroxetine, Fluxetine, and other antidepressants which may relieve anxiety, sadness and obsessive compulsive symptoms
- Central Adrenergic Inhibitors: Guanfacine, Clonidine and other drugs for high blood pressure that may also cure tics or rage attacks. Sleepiness is one of the side effects.
- Anti-seizure medication: Recent studies suggest that topiramate, or Topamax, is effective in treating most epilepsy patients.
- Botulinum injections: The injections in the muscle targeted might help to relieve a simple or vocal tic
- Antidepressants Fluphenazine, Haloperidol and Pimozide that work on brain chemicals called dopamine to control tics.
Children with tics or Tourette syndrome are often suffering from other conditions, such as ADHD, anxiety, or learning difficulties. Here are some treatments and medications that may help cure them.
Start with the most concerning symptoms and then move on to non-medical treatment.
Even if two problems remain unresolved, do not begin treatment with two drugs at once. It will be difficult to determine which drug is responsible for side effects if they occur. Each medication can help with two different issues.
It is not realistic to expect that the child’s behavior will improve if the parent has problems like depression, anxiety, anger or substance abuse.
Consider formal neuropsychological testing through a school system or a psychologist. Even though the majority of children have learning disabilities and tics, there are still many who are able to maintain a normal IQ.
