Symptoms of Tourette at 2 years old?!?

My 5 year old daughter started what I now know are symptoms of Tourette Syndrome at the age of 2.  I want to say it started with stuttering then excessive and seemingly forced eye blinking. Because those particular "tics" stopped I contributed them to normal childhood tics however every few months some new tic would begin i.e humming sounds, smelling fingers constantly.... Now at age 5 she grunts, snorts and still makes humming sounds. (Also, her father has TS - apparently it was severe as a child, however, had he not told me I would have NEVER known - he as very mild symptoms as an adult).

I believe she also has OCD as she gets VERY upset with me if I do or do not do certain things her way. I know that may sound normal for a child her age but I feel like this is different. It is so often and usually ends with a temper tantrum over the smallest things.  At first I thought it was a behavioral issue or that she was just extremely strong willed, but now i am wondering if it is OCD and that why she freaks out if she can't get her way. Oh and it is not over things like she can't have a piece of candy, it seems to be for weird little things like I closed the car door instead of allowing her.

Also, I am wondering if there is a correlation of early onset and the severity of tourette syndrome? My daughter does not seem to have a severe case SO FAR, but I am so concerned that it might worsen especially since she started showing signs at 2 YEARS OLD! Any research on this?

Thank you!

[JainMD]

Hi,
How is your daughter feeling now?
Tourette syndrome (TS) is a lifelong condition with the prevalence of approximately 1/2000 that has onset between 2 and 21 years of age. TS in most cases are autosomal dominant and the gene has been mapped to 18q22.1.
TS is diagnosed in children who have multiple motor tics in different parts of body with atleast one vocal tic beginning before age21 and waxing and waning over the period of ore than a year.
OCD behavior and ADHD are also frequently present.
Medication should be considered when the motor tics or vocal tics interfere significantly with a child's social and academic interactions, although behavior management and biofeedback programs have been successful for some patients.
Haloperidol, a dopamine-blocking agent, is effective in the treatment of approximately 50% of children with TS.
Approximately 50% of patients with TS experience OCD's.
There are drugs which can help her with OCD's.
What kind of doctor are you seeing for her? What medications is she on? In what dosages she is on?
Keep me informed if you have any queries.
Bye.

[Sierrasmama115]

Thanks for your response. She has been diagnosed by a Pediatric Neurologist with a tic disorder not officially Tourette, but I think it is just a matter of time until the diagnosis changes since her dad has Tourette. Also their symptoms started in almost an identicle manner according to his mother. This is why I am wondering if there is a deeper correlation. Why are they experiencing the same tic pattern? Now as an adult her father's Tourette has seemingly disappeared (since puberty). As a child, he was on Haldol which turned him into a mini Zombie, however the Klodipine Patch worked well for him ( he stopped all meds at age 12).
My daughter currently does not exhibit any motor tics, however I have recenlty viewed her tensing her shoulder's while simultaneously clenching her jaw and squeezing her fists closed. I have only seen her do this 2 or 3 times but I wonder if this will be the start of motor tics for her.
How can I tell the difference between behavioral issues and OCD at age 5?
What are the chances of my daughter's Tourette (or tics) being the same as her father's?

Thank you!

[JainMD]

Hi,
Your question that why are they experiencing the same tic pattern?
+ I have explained in you my earlier post that TS in most cases are autosomal dominant and the gene has been mapped to 18q22.1. Due to its genetic predisposition it can appear in similar manner.
There is very little difference between behavioral issues and OCD's. In OCD's you would find that wants to do one work repeatedly even if you try to stop it. After a while she would stop it suddenly.
I have told you that it definitely is being inherited by your daughter in similar fashion hence she having similar symptoms.
Keep me informed if you have any queries.
Bye.