Can Diet Change Help My Son’s Tics? (Premium)
This message was received from a reader in the UK:
I wonder if you could assist with what would be the best option for helping our 7-year-old son. He appears to have tics. Over the past year or a little longer, he goes through stages where, to summarize, he has done one or more of the following for a month or so; then he lapses into a calm period before the motions start back up again:Opening his mouth momentarily as if he’s yawning.
1) Vocal noises such as “huh” (not the word)
2) Nodding his head (current phase)
3) Pointing repetitively
4) Used to squat down or kick his leg out (initially).
We were referred to a pediatrician, and he had an EEG, which came back normal. They also took blood samples and it showed his vitamin D levels low, for which they have just treated with a supplement.
I’ve read it could be diet that is causing the tics? Is there someone we can see to assist him? He is now aware of his situation. Thanks, Marc
This is tourettes syndrom and it is genetic. There is nothing wrong with having tics. Celebrate that your child is unique. He is perfectly okay just as he is. Looking for ways to change him only causes problems. Accept him as perfect the way he is and do not even notice his tics.
In the future it will be possible to change a person’s genetics, but we were born too soon.
Hi James, It’s great to have acceptance of tics and that some people don’t mind having them. But there are kids who find it very difficult to complete school work while, for example, their head is jerking a lot or their eyes keep twitching or rolling; they can’t even read easily or focus on their work. Some have serious issues where years of tics have affected their body, worn down their neck bones for example or injured muscles. Some people hit themselves until they are black and blue and they want to stop. There’s lots of reasons people don’t like having tics besides the social issue.
You are right there is a genetic component. But there is also an environmental factor. Scientists are looking into this, because there has been a big increase in tic disorders over the last 20 or 30 years. It doesn’t help the child to ignore something in their environment that is making the tics worse. This is an issue every family has to decide about for themselves.