I have Tourettes

Weatherlite

New Member
First, for those who are unaware, it's not always like you see on TV. Very few of Tourettes patients do the swearing and vulgar behavior. The majority have tics which are involuntary movements or sounds, such as clucking.

Anyway, I've had this for as long as I can remember. I even recall my first grade teacher (I'm 32 now) yanking my head back by the hair and screaming at me asking why I kept looking at the lights strangely. It was then that I started to try to control my movements. I've been able to control them ever since...for the most part. Usually what happens is the movement I want to control will stop only to be replaced with another movement but that one is less irritating or is more socially acceptable so I let it go.

Anyway, My son was exhibiting many of the same behaviors recently. I never knew what I had, only that I had a problem. So, I brought my son to the doc and got a referral to a psychologist because we thought it may have been OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) because of all of the repetitive motions. I learned that OCD needs to have a compulsive thought of something like "I have to do this or else something BAD will happen!". She said she thought it was tics or Tourettes (tics is tourettes without verbal utterances)

So, we got him tested through a pediatric neurologist and it was confirmed that he has it. Talking to the doc we were able to determine that I too have had this my whole life and that I was just one of the lucky ones who have been able to "control" it...control meaning to simply lessen its affect on our lives.

Ok, so now to my questions and theories and how this affects my "Men's Health" portion. From what I understand (and Headdoc you may be able to enlighten me more) Tourettes is caused by a problem in the brain with Dopamine. I can't find any info on if it's too much, too little, bad receptors etc etc.

Well, I originally started checking out TRT because of my sex life, or lack of. I had no desire. I slept with my wife to appease her. Sure enough I needed TRT. My desire improved a little bit but not much. My 60 y/o father has more sex in one week than I do in a month..and that's only because I just don't feel like it. So anyway, I've been on TRT for about a year. So much in my life has improved since I started it...except for this.

So, I did some more research and found out that there are various brain chemicals associated with libido...and Dopamine is one of them. So, I'm wondering if there could be any correllation to my Tourettes and my lack of libido. I haven't found any studies on this subject. I'm just wondering if taking a drug for Tourettes stabilization would also help my libido? Is this a possibility? I'd do anything to feel like I think I should. I see guys all around me who get horny at the drop of a hat and always want it. I'd LOVE to be that way....never been, not even as a teen.

Anyway, let me know if you guys have any experience or knowledge of this.

Thanks!
 
Dopamine=>tics? That makes sense, seeing as if I use a higher dosage of Adderall (which affects dopamine although I don't know the particulars) I get tics.
 
Hope you're enjoying the Big Apple abougt now. On the tourette's, it is dopamine related and dopamine plays a role in the experience and craving for pleasure. Strongly suggest that you pick up a copy of Eric Braverman's Edge Effect and take hisinventory. I can kinds guess what your profile is going to look like--butr do it for yourself. If you lived in NYC, you could schedule a consult with Dr. Braverman at his PATH Center.
 
Try learning about Monoamine Oxidase

as these two enzymes can be inhibited and dopamine levels rise. Dexedrine is also used to raise levels and many Parkinson's drugs raise libido by inhibiting MAOs.

here is a link on Yohimbe in regard to MAO inhibition but it has other useful info at the bottom http://www.yohimbe.org/chairmanmao.htm
 
Thanks for the posts and concerns. I'm just glad that I've been able to control this for so long. I'm also pissed at some military docs....mainly the psychologists. I went in earlier this year trying to figure some stuff out. Told em about my repetitive motions and sounds and figured it was something similar to OCD (remember my thoughts about my son?). Everything I told them was a textbook description of Tourettes! What did they tell me? They said I was fine. The only "problem" I had was that all of my tests indicated that I was on the SEVERE side of the spectrum for risks of depression but yet I wasn't depressed!!! Why? Because I didn't let it interfere with my work! I reminded them that it interfered with my personal life and was told that that part did not matter to them...only my work ability. Service before self! Damn military docs!!!!

Anyway, enough venting! HD, I'm leaving in the morning. While there I'll try to find that book. Prot, I'll read up on it. SWALE has fixed so much in my life. If I can just fix this I think I may be close to normal!!!
 
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