Learn Possible Triggers

Triggers are items or exposures that might trigger or worsen a symptom in someone with a given condition. Although it is worth noting that triggers differ from one individual to another, the trigger list below serves an important purpose in opening people’s minds to the possibility that they may actually have some degree of control over their symptoms. The list can also increase public understanding of the potential role of allergy, diet, and the immediate environment in triggering or exacerbating tics.

Triggers list

Within this long list, most people reported that diet plays the largest role in their symptom exacerbation. Specifically, most common triggers in diets are cheese, chocolate, caffeine, gluten-containing foods, and dairy foods. Other common triggers include screens and electric devices, stress, and allergies. Note that “common triggers” does not mean that these triggers can induce the worst symptoms, but that they are reported by a greater proportion of patients.

Lifestyle Triggers

– Anxiety

– Car: new (outgassing toxins)

– Car or bus rides

– Disrupted sleep

– Doing nothing (boredom)

– Electromagnetic fields

– Electronic exposures

– Emotional states

– Excitement

– Fatigue

– Homes: newly built, moldy, remodeled, with allergens

– Hunger/hypoglycemia

– Lack of regular meals

– Motion sickness

– Overstimulation

– Pollution exposure

– Reading

– Showers with treated water

– Smoking and secondhand smoke; lingering smoke odors

– Stress: mental and emotional

Sensory triggers

– Eating: specific food textures, swallowing

– Fragrances

– Listening to talk about tics

– Listening to certain music (i.e., fast techno beat)

– Odors of chemicals or foods

– Seeing other people tic

– Sounds and noises

– Sweating

– Tastes, certain flavors

– Temperature, especially heat; a big change between indoor and outdoor temperatures

– Touch: clothing and other items on skin; human touch

– Visual stimulation(photo sensitivity), television and monitors, tablet screen and cell phones, flickering lights, stadium night lights, headlights, watching movies in a theater, video games

Food and beverage triggers

– Alcohol

– Apples

– Artificial colors

– Artificial flavours

– Avocados

– Caffeine

– Cane sugar

– Chocolate

– Cinnamon, Citrus fruits, Corn

– Dairy products

– Eggs, smoked Fish

– Gluten-containing foods

– processed Meats

– Monosodium glutamate

– Nitrates/nitrites

– Peanuts/peanut butter

– Preservatives BHT, BHA, AND TBHQ, sodium nitrate

– Salicylates

– Sodas: sugary, artificially sweetened or flavored, caffeinated

– Soy, Spices, Strawberries, Tomato

Toxic and allergic triggers

– Aftershave, cologne

– Air fresheners

– Air quality: poor, smog

– Animal danger: pets like cat, dog, rabbit, hamster

– Candles: chemically-scented, petroleum-based

– Carpet: new or when cleaning

– Chlorine and bleach

– Cleaning products

– Deodorants, Dust

– Exhaust; diesel and other gasoline

– Fabric softener, Facial cleansers

– Formaldehyde

– Hair products, hair sprays

– Insect bites

– Kerosene fumes

– Furniture: new, treated fabric

– Molds, Paint and paint thinners

– Perfumes, Sunscreen

– Pesticides; insect repellent

– Pollens: trees, ragweed, etc.

Weather-related triggers

– Allergy seasons

– Barometric pressure changes

– Bright sunshine

– Changes in humidity

– Changes in temperature

– Heat

– Rain

– Seasonal changes

Physical-related triggers

– Candida overgrowth

– Dental: getting spacers, braces, sealants, fillings; losing teeth

– Fatigue

– Fever

– Hormonal changes

– Infections: viral, bacterial, parasitic; Lyme, strep, other

– Jaw misalignment

– Low blood sugar

– Muscle pain and fatigue from ticcing

– Structural misalignments, in general

Medications that might trigger tics

– Allergy medications

– Antidepressants

– Antipsychotics

– Aspirin

– Asthma medications

– Cold medicines; decongestants

– Heartburn meds

– Laxatives

– Lice treatment

– Medicated shampoos

– Stimulant medications

– Vaccines (especially those containing the preservative thimerosal)

Reference: Rogers, Sheila J. Natural Treatments for Tics and Tourette's: A Patient and Family Guide. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 2008.