Anyone with Tourette's Syndrome? I'm doing research for school, and I'd like to !

Anyone with Tourette's Syndrome? I'm doing research for school, and I'd like to know about your experience.

I am researching Tourette's Syndrome for a school project. I chose this subject because I have three autistic kids, one of whom was suspected as having Tourette's until several tests were completed. I'd like to have any feedback about your experiences, medications, or how it has affected your life if you don't mind sharing. THANK YOU!

well, I have tourettes syndrom. I was diagnosed last year at the age of 21 but it started back when I was about 4 years old. I would blink all the time and scrunch my face up. I went to the doctors and they thought it was allergies so I took meds for that but nothing worked. as I got older it go worse and I would somtimes repeat things people said and mumble things to myself that nobody could quite understand. it was tough on me becuase my friends and family didnt understand so I also got told to cut it out or stop becuase I looked retarded and kids would ask if I had downs syndrom and stuff. as I got older I could control it a bit more but it always resulted in an outburts of tics later. (never swearing...that doesnt happen to most people as some think it does) finally I got so tired of trying to make it stop I made a doctors appointment and he sent me to a neurologist when she asked alot of questions and diagnosed it as tourettes. I started out with clonidine but it made me feel dizzy as it is a blood pressure medication, and it wasnt helping anyways. I was then switched over to clonazepam but it makes me really tired and not quite feeling my self as it is an anti-anxiety med so I try to avoid the meds as much as possible. I think knowing what I have now and being able to educate people on it actually helps me control it a bit. I lead a fairly stressful life sometimes too so that adds to it. I do however lead a normal life. I am a college student studying dental hygiene and graduating next year hopefully with honours as I have maintained then through this year. I was always an excellent honour roll student and I am happily married to a wonderful man who is very supportive and can look past the tourettes and actually see me. I sometimes get stares from people in public places, but they dont bother me anymore becuase I have a family who understands and tons of friends who I have educated on it and who can also look past it. I also look forward to having children and am prepared to be fully supportive if any of them end up with it. tourettes doesnt control your life in any way as long as you remember that you have the tourettes...it doesnt have you.