Revisiting the Interaction Between Alcohol, Tourettes and Tics
A reader wrote to ask about the interaction between alcohol and tics or Tourette syndrome. Dr. Albert Robbins, an ACN Latitudes advisory board member, provided the response to that initial question.
The answer was featured in our article “Can Alcohol Increase Tourette Syndrome Symptoms?” Then, a follow-up question came in:
Can these reactions [symptoms of tics from alcohol] ever subside? For the past 2 weeks my tics have flared out of control. I’ve also been drinking a lot the past 2 weekends.
Dr. Albert Robbins
Folic acid, a B vitamin, helps to metabolize alcohol. It can be purchased at a pharmacy or healthfood store. Also, too much alcohol can drive magnesium, glutathione and a number of B vitamin levels in the body lower. Nutrient supplementation for these may be helpful.
Anything that helps to metabolize the alcohol and get it out of the body more quickly will probably help, like going to the gym and getting on the stair climber for 30 minutes or jogging for half an hour. Or getting in a sauna and sweating it out.
But the best future plan of action and my advice for Tourette patients would be to learn something from a bad experience. Try not to repeat the same mistakes over and over when you see reactions, whether to drink, certain foods, or other situations.
If you have trouble with peer pressure, when someone offers you a drink you could say that you are on medication that prohibits you from drinking alcohol. Ask for a tomato juice, orange juice or water. Try to strengthen your sense of discipline and limit or stop the alcohol drinking completely if it affects you so adversely. You’ll feel that much stronger and confident in yourself.
