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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou'll likely start by seeing your family doctor or pediatrician. However, in some cases when you call to set up an appointment, you may be referred immediately to a doctor who specializes in conditions of the nervous system (neurologist).
Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment.
What you can do
- Write down any symptoms experienced, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
- Make a list of all medications, vitamins or supplements currently taken.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
- Make a video recording, if you have a video camera, of a typical tic to show the doctor.
Prepare a list of questions for your doctor to help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most to least important. For Tourette syndrome, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- Is this condition likely temporary, long term or lifelong?
- What's the best course of action?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What websites do you recommend?
- What family and patient support groups are there in my area for people with this diagnosis?
Don't hesitate to ask other questions during your appointment anytime you don't understand something or need more information.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor will likely ask you a number of questions, including:
- When did the symptoms begin?
- Have the symptoms been continuous or occasional?
- How severe are the symptoms?
- What, if anything, seems to improve the symptoms?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen the symptoms?
- Disorders usually first diagnosed in infancy, childhood, or adolescence. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed June 26, 2012.
- Jankovic J. Tourette syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed June 25, 2012.
- Tourette syndrome fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/tourette/detail_tourette.htm. Accessed June 25, 2012.
- Bloch MH, et al. Clinical course of Tourette syndrome. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2009;67:497.
- 5. Kurlan R. Tourette's syndrome. New England Journal of Medicine. 2010;363:2332.
- McNaught KS, et al. Advances in understanding and treatment of Tourette syndrome. Nature Reviews Neurology. 2011;7:667.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 6, 2012.
- O'Rourke JA, et al. The genetics of Tourette syndrome: A review. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2009;67:533.
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