Trying to explain all of it's side effects.

The hardest thing I find about living wtih Tourette Syndrome (TS) is not actually the tics, the involuntary body part movements, but trying to explain all the side effects and conditions that come with having Tourette Syndrome. Ok, most of us have OCD, and Anxiety or depression. ADHD is also in about 60% of us who have TS, I'm likely to have never been diagnose with ADHD.

I have other conditions that I contribute to TS, like hair pulling and the need to feel the pain over and over again from a sore. Impulsiveness is another condition that I have and have to guard it closely or else I will shoot my mouth off and tell people what I actuallty think in the most improper moment.

For a long time, if I had something to say to someone, I would basically slow down or even stop what I was doing till I released that urge. It would not be released till I talked or wrote out my ideas to that person. It's one of the reason I am so guard with whom I'm friends with or have attraction too. Currently I am on medicine that helps me control my impulsiveness.

It has made me unique in the fact that I take the initative with my work and projects, trying to do the best that I can and also do a complete job and not some half ass job. I enjoy figuring things out and determine how they can be beneficial to whom I am working for.

Another condition that I have is not really TS related but recovering is. I have what you could call an allergy to tomatoes and other acidity types of foods, that couse my stomach to revolt. This effects all the parts of my body that is connected to my stomach, like my tongue. A very bad case of heartburn, but upped to the ninth degree. This also effets my tongue by making it very sensitive to the touch and develops sores along the edge from my rubbing it against my teeth.

Now, this is where my TS comes to play. It takes me longer to heal and get over the heartburn, because my tongue is still on firer. It takes about a week for me to stop sucking and touching my tongue against anything. I persopnally think its my need to feel a repeateing pain from the injury. I don't know the offical medical term for conditions like this, but I feel that some people with TS, like to do self harm, because they like to feel the pain.

Another issue that I had was sleep disorder, I had a problem keeping asleep and staying awake during the day. Since college, I would only get about forty-five minutes sleep then I would awake up. I would go back to sleep, sometimes,and wake up again in about forty-five minutes. I was able to sleep on a dime, fall asleep at any time. I did this for years, till one day I went to a new neurologist, he recommended a medicine called risperidone.

Resperidone is heavy duty and I take it will several other medicines to help me control my TS and OCD. I have to say at this point, don't go my what I say, but listen to your neurologist. Just because it works for me to control my TS and sleep habits, doesn't mean it will work for you. I'm no doctor and only been studing TS and all it's side effects because I actually have them.