A drug that worked well for me was Klonipin. My neurologist had also tried certain parkinson's medication which worked well. The only one I had issues with was Requip, it worked for my ticks but gave me very bad tingling sensations in my arms and legs. It's worth asking your neurologist about though. Hope this helps.

my son takes aripiprizole (abifily) it has worked well but this yr hes had several beakthrough tics which is causing him problems

I got put on valium for my dizziness and it is seeming to help calm down the tourettes... maybe ask the doctor about that as the others pose more risks. I'm finally not flailing all over literally with dystonic tics like I used to....

Hugs,
Kris

PS: Sticking a straw or popsicle stick in the back of the jaw and clenching on it can help. It presses on the nerve.

I am on Clonidine

I was on that too... Clonidine. But, they took me off of it really quickly because standing my blood pressure was something like 87/53... I was passing out hundreds of times a day the time I was actually on the medication. Scary medicine even as a patch... Glad you are doing well on it though :-).

Has anyone tried Aderall for the ADD or ADHD with TS?

Dr put my grandson on Adderal because his brother has success with taking it for his ADHD but he does not have TS. It took 4 days before it made a hugh difference in the increase of his tics... so didnt work for him. Dr is trying one more stimulant before going to a non stimulant to help with his focas in class. School starts Aug 8th so hoping to find something that works for him. We tried the Rescue Remedy during last school year but it only last a few hours and he is not allowed to take it to school with him because it is not a script.
Just thought I would give you an update. No one commented on if their child or them self had been put on stimulants for ADD having TS so wanted to let you know it has not worked (so far) for us.

mgibbs:- My son also has tried the stimulants and they make his tics much worse plus he hates how he feels on them. He's the same on tic medications they make him feel terrible. The sad thing is, his tics, especially his vocal tics are non stop and aggressive so he really needs help with them. I feel like I am between a rock and a hard place trying to help him. We have an appointment with a new neurologist in August who is very familiar with ts, so I'm hoping he something to offer. My thoughts are with you in your struggles.

Thanks for your response. Today he will start Focalin. I have read so much bad stuff on it as well as some good. I just know it will cause more tics but we are tryin it anyway. He tried strattara last school year but he could not urinate with that one. High school is going to be so difficult for him as I am sure holds true for everyone that reads this forum. And like you said, what do we do to help. The neuro just wants to use more dangerous meds in my opinion. If they are not on medication the school seems to 'blame' parents for not making them take meds and we are the reason they cant function in class. I do not k now where to go next.
Thanks for writing.

Thank you all for your replies. My original post was about my son. He is 10 and has TS and ADHD. The TS wasn't so bad until puberty started. He had been on risperidone but I was afraid of the long term side effects and he was gaining weight so we took him off.He has always been on strattera for ADHD and it had worked well until last fall when we tried to increase it, the tics became worse.The Dr suspected his brain was not mature enough to process a certain drug that is found in both risperidone and straterra. We tried concerta 2x but he cannot tolerate any stimulant as his tics go through the roof! So we put him back on straterra for the ADHD and he tried clonidine for the TS. He did ok on the clonidine but not as well as he did on risperidone. So as of now we are on straterra for ADHD and just started halidol a few days ago. Halidol is what they have been suggesting for months, even with a second opinion, so we finally decided to try it. I just always fear the long term side effects these adult drugs will have on him later in life. But right now we are left with little choice. Some tics are so bad I have to take him for massage therapy. We've even tried an osteopath. I feel for him and feel so helpless as his mother.

Hi Melanie, Haldol is an old medication, but a goody for knocking out tics. Unfortunately it has a terrible side effect profile. If you were worried about Risperidone, Haldol is worse and has more side effects. I've tried these meds for my 18 year old ts son, but he cant seen to cope with any of them. I know how utterly exhausting and stressful all this is and how helpless us mothers feel. My thoughts are with you.

Melanie, We also tried straterra and it caused a problem for him not being about to urinate. I guess that is a little known side effect that the dr was not even aware of until he looked it up. Also clonidin and tenex. The Folcalin is on day 4 today, tics same so far and without being in school , its hard to know if it helps the focas problem in class. He goes back aug 8th, in a week. He does not like not being able to eat or sleep so hopefully this drug does not cause him that problem but helps with the ADHD. I know I want alot... thanks for posting.

mgibbs:- keep up posted on how things go with the Focalin. Hope it works out well. Are you using any tic medications?

Kgore, thxs for the post. I am concerned about haldol. It feels like no choice is a good choice but we are hoping he gets relief with no side effects. The Drs tell us he has responded "differently" to the meds than most kids. So we are hoping haldol works for him. He's been on a very low dose for a week with no change at all. We go back this afternoon for an increase. Keep your fingers crossed pls!

mgibbs, I hope the Folcalin works for your son. This can be such a struggle as a parent, I can only imagine how our kids must feel. And I do not think that you want alot at all, just whats best for your son and I hope you find what works.

It's nice to have people to talk with about this, it makes it a bit easier to deal with. Thxs so much :)

Not using anything for tics right now and hoping the Focalin does not make them worse. He seems to think they are alittle worse but I dont see a diff like i did when he tried the adderal for a week. There was a real increase with that. He is on 10mg a day of Focalin. He also tried Rescue Remedy last school year and his teachers told me he showed alittle improvement with it but only lasted the first 2 periods, about 2 hours. We have a meeting tomorrow at the highschool with the ESE specialist and today i learned all his new teachers will be there too. I was glad to hear they will be there He will be nervous to his tics will be in full swing which is what i want , his teachers will see the real him. I plan to take the rescue remedy with me and ask if it is something he can keep in his pocket and use when needed. I am alittle scared of it too but we gotta do something. He just will not make it in highschool without some kind of help. Haldol sounds scarey to . Hope it works for your son. Thanks for posting ladies, yes its nice to have someone to talk to. I will keep in touch with my sons meds too.