Developed tics at 19yrs of age? Never had them before.

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Hey.

Around a year ago I started getting tics and not mild ones it's like full on tourettes or something. They're huge and loud shifts most my body every time

Basically mostly head/neck spasms, flicking head back lightning fast, thrusting arms back, shoulder throws and the worst are the vocal ones, throat clearing, quiet noise and whe I don't hold it back I scream loud as I can for a brief moment.

I'm 20 now but at 18 somethinghappened and ever since I've had trouble getting to sleep, and ever since then I go to bed at 6am on average and wake up at 2pm. When I was 18 and a half I tried weed for the first time and have since basically done it every day for the last 2yrs as it's the only thing that can help my sleep if I dont have it I'll stay up a couple hours longer and it takes almost 2hrs to fall asleep compared to 10 minutes. But when I have a smoke my tics seem to get worse, I also noticed video games recently make them extremely worse. Would anyone be able to help me out? I've had them constantly for the past 2 hrs and they gradually got worse over time to the point where I now can't hide them in front of my friends. But the thing is before my health changed and I got sleeping issues I never had them in 18 years ever. Anyone know what could be causing this? Thanks. I was also diagnosed pdd-nos.

See a doctor ASAP, hon. There's something going on and it needs to be identified.

I've had Tourettes for as long as I can remember so maybe I can give you some input. Appealing to my own knowledge, tics tend to emerge during childhood, when a person is around 4 or 5 years old, and grow progressively more pervasive as they age. In a number of people, those symptoms tend to wane as they approach adulthood and, often, they go away completely. I can't say I've ever heard of the opposite, though. If it's giving you major concern, have it checked out by a doctor and get a professional opinion. If for whatever reason you end up showing full blown Tourettes, it'll be your choice of whether to seek treatment. Many of the medications used to treat Tourettes end up causing worse problems than the symptoms themselves, though, so it's not an easy decision to make. Keep in mind I'm no doctor though, so don't take my advice as an authority, but I hope this can at least give you some guidance.

There are many medical conditions that do not present themselves until adolescence and adulthood. Schizophrenia, a form of mental illness, usually does not appear until late adolescence...just as a person is beginning college. A devastating medical disorder is "Huntington Disease" and this affliction does not occur until late in life when one is in their 30s or 40s.

It is best to seek a medical diagnosis as your symptoms could possibly become more serious.

Meds can cause movement disorders, particularly anti-psychotics. You didn't say in your OP whether or not you've taken any meds.

I've had tics my whole life, but they got quite significantly worse at age 21. They got worse due to a medication I was taking, but they stayed worse, and now I have to take meds for the tics, too.

See a doctor to find out what's up.

Go to your doctor ASAP! Also, the weed could be contributing (tell your doctor about it) & I'd definitely avoid videogames b/c they can be linked to seizure disorders (if your really bad the tics could have something to do with seizures. Also, avoid driving.

I started developing similar tics myself over a year ago. I saw a neurologist, who assured me that the problem is "normal in young men your age." Then I expressed my cynicism to a friend, who told me that he's recently started getting tics too. That didn't really clear up the issue (obviously) but I basically just set it aside one the grounds that finding (and affording) a decent doctor in this country is impossible and I'm somewhat apathetic about such things anyway. If it's normal, great. If it's the onset of Huntington's, I'll have some fun, then jump from a high place. There, problem solved. Can't worry about all this crap.

I guess the sole consolation is that the tics do seem to correspond to stress levels. I would imagine that a legitimate neurodegenerative disorder would affect me all the time, even when happy. OP, do you notice a similar connection?

I developed most tics and twitches later in life....don't know if I always had some and never paid attention, but I think the increase in noticeable ones is related to emotional trauma and not just AS by itself.

I definitely agree that you need to go see a neurologist right away. I just wanted to pop in and quickly say that your tics definitely are not from Tourette's, because a person must have developed tics by the age of 7 to receive a diagnosis of Tourette's.
-OddDuckNash99-

That is outdated now. Professor Mary M Robertson has described adult onset Tourettes, which although rare, is possible. My tics didn't start until I was 10 but I have been diagnosed with Tourette syndrome as it is now obvious. I also know a man who is in his 30's who suddenly developed all the symptoms. 4 years later, they haven't gone.

OP definately see a specialist, it may or may not be Tourettes. My number one advice though would be to stop smoking weed. That's really bad for your brain anyway so it could be worsening things.

I'll echo those who've said to go to a doctor.
It's probably nothing, but better safe than sorry. It might be normal, and nothing to worry about, or it could be a symptom of something worse...
Set up an appointment with your primary care physician asap, just in case.