Early stages of Tourette's?

[aitm]

Several years ago I started developing what appeared to be TMJ behavior. Stretching my jaw, left right, down and depending on the stress of the job frequency could be once in an hour to near constant....according to others. Mostly I have been conscious of it and in mild control. Within the last year however I have gone off into a completely different direction in guttural sounds. Not loud or vocal, but more as if stretching the vocal chord muscles or as if in a muffled cough or as in laughing with the voice box without anyone hearing you. But it is getting worse where if I put on headphones and listen to something the wife tells me it is like listening to a train engine under several pillows. I am aware of it and it drives me nuts. Sometimes I catch myself while driving and stop it and the sudden relief of energy tells me how exhausting it must be on me.

I know the first stop should be my primary physician but what would any of you suggest as the most logical dr to visit?

[Cavebear]

Several years ago I started developing what appeared to be TMJ behavior. Stretching my jaw, left right, down and depending on the stress of the job frequency could be once in an hour to near constant....according to others. Mostly I have been conscious of it and in mild control. Within the last year however I have gone off into a completely different direction in guttural sounds. Not loud or vocal, but more as if stretching the vocal chord muscles or as if in a muffled cough or as in laughing with the voice box without anyone hearing you. But it is getting worse where if I put on headphones and listen to something the wife tells me it is like listening to a train engine under several pillows. I am aware of it and it drives me nuts. Sometimes I catch myself while driving and stop it and the sudden relief of energy tells me how exhausting it must be on me.

I can't suggest a type of doctor, but if it helps any, I do the same thing to a lesser degree.  Mom used to tell me to stop "grunting".  I live alone, and the cats don't care, but I still do it. 

I think it is a subvocal sound in the larynx caused by music in the head.  It may not be as serious a problem as you think.  I hope.  I find it stops (or I don't notice) as long as there is sound in the house (radio, stereo, or TV).  Best wishes... 

I know the first stop should be my primary physician but what would any of you suggest as the most logical dr to visit?

[Baruch]

Sorry you have this.  Forced me to learn more ... and the stereotype behavior is rare ... the actual usual symptoms are what you describe ;-(  Have your primary physician recommend a specialist?  That is the usual route.

[Mr.Obvious]

Important thing to know, AITM, is that having ticks, vocal or bodily, doesn't mean you have tourette's.
My girlfriend has many, and they change over time. They are very exhausting to her and range from almost invisible to extremely visible. But it's not tourette's, she had that checked out. Instead it's "merely" a tick-syndrome. For the life of me, though, I don't really understand what the difference is. Unless, maybe, tourrette's can be surpressed with different medicine. Hers could be too, but they didn't recommend it because she's still only in her twenties and prolonged use of such medication can inflict harm and, in the long run, make you immune to it.

I'm sorry for your problems AITM. I'd recommend seeing a doctor. She made an appointment at a neurological doctor. They outfitted her with a weird helmet in all sorts of colors to map out how the circuits in her brain flowed. It took like half an hour, though it was a while before she could go. She'd also had a CAT-scan done a few years prior, I believe, to see if she had some form of brain damage. She didn't. From that last test, they also concluded she didn't have tourette's.

In the mean time; what helps my gf, is doing things she needs to focus on and physical exercise. She has less ticks during and after horse riding and knitting and the likes.

[SGOS]

I don't have enough experience with Tourettes to be of help, but I will try to follow this thread because I'm interested.

[Jason78]

I know the first stop should be my primary physician but what would any of you suggest as the most logical dr to visit?

I'd go to your GP.   I'll warn you though, there's not a lot you can do about it.

I've found that I can suppress most of my tics.   Occasionally I blurt, and people do notice.   They tend to be fairly understanding after a little conversation about it.   (No. Tourettes doesn't mean I go around swearing at everyone and everything, it just means I have a little tic that occasionally comes out as a shiver and a twitch.)