Other Health Problems That Can Occur Along With Tourette's Disorder
The two main disorders associated with
Tourette's disorder (TD) are:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Up to half of children who have Tourette's disorder also have
ADHD. And more than half have symptoms of ADHD.1
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Up to two-thirds
of children and teens who have Tourette's disorder are thought to have some
degree of OCD. And about one-third of adults who have Tourette's have OCD that
has been present since adolescence.1 Symptoms of OCD
can be mild.
Children who have Tourette's are also at increased risk for:
- Depression. This can be a side effect of some
medicines used to treat tics. A child with Tourette's may also become depressed
when he or she first starts showing signs of another condition, such as ADHD or
OCD.
- Anxiety disorders or
phobias.
- Learning disabilities or difficulties.
- Behavioral problems. Children with
Tourette's disorder who also have other conditions (such as ADHD, OCD, or
anxiety disorders) may exhibit aggressive, hostile, and immature behavior.
- Self-injurious behavior. Some tics may lead people with Tourette's
disorder to injure themselves even if they don't mean to.
- Sleep
problems. People with Tourette's disorder may have trouble falling asleep, be
restless during sleep, and talk during sleep. They may also sleepwalk or have
nightmares.
- Bipolar disorder. Some children and teens with TD also
have this condition in which feelings of depression alternate with feelings of
high energy (mania). In many people, episodes of either depression or mania are
followed by periods of normal functioning.
You may try keeping a record of your child's symptoms and behaviors.
Write down what kinds of tics or problem behaviors your child has, when they
get worse, and the events that happen around when they occur. Keeping such a
record can show patterns that may help identify triggers, which can help you
better manage your child's symptoms. It may also be useful if your child is
starting new medicines. Be careful not to cause your child more stress by doing
this. Don't approach this in a way that makes your child uncomfortable or more
self-conscious than normal.
References
Citations
Sadock BJ, Sadock VA, eds. (2007). Tic disorders. In
Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry: Behavioral Sciences/Clinical Psychiatry, 10th ed., pp. 1235–1243. Philadelphia:
Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | John Pope, MD - Pediatrics |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Karin M. Lindholm, DO - Neurology |
| Last Revised | July 26, 2011 |