Chemar

I know this might make some upset, but I cannot in good conscience not mention what an SSRI antidepressant like prozac (Luvox) did to my son when he was 11yo. But I also need to stress that, as far as we were told by Dr Murphy at Shands, my son was not PANDAS ..... and I recognize that the OCD etc he has is intricately associated with his genetic Tourette Syndrome, and so likely in a very different category from that associated with PANDAS, which may be the reason he had a bad reaction to the med where others here are decribing good results. He had also initially been on a combination of haldol and luvox, and I know that combo also likely had a large part in things, but he did also have a period on only luvox, which was in a word horrible The SSRI did not help his OCD/anxiety/explosive issues, but made them far worse, including inducing some psychosis. It also "zombied" him, took away his unique personality and wonderful sense of humor, and dulled his musical and artistic talents. I remember the relief and joy I felt when we were in the process of weaning him off, and I saw the gleam return to his eyes and knew I was getting my son back. we have been thru many ups and downs with his health since (he is now 18), but he and we would not ever go the anti depressant route again Please know that I am not just "anti medication" ..... but I do always urge great caution to anyone considering SSRIs, especially with all the current FDA warnings about their use in kids. Check out the side effects very carefully and whether enough, if any, studies have been done on their use in children, and especially on the longterm negative effects that even short term use can have on a child's developing brain I know that living with a child who is suffering OCD/anxiety/rage/defiance etc is serious and that for many these meds do seem to help and I am thankful for that But there are also many of us who have found great help from other sources with less or no side effects. My son has just been thru an intense OCD flare, and we have been able to bring things under control again with supplements and acupuncture etc My purpose for sharing all this is to just suggest to those reading here to please not just see a prescription med as being the "fix" before you fully educate yourself on what it may break too. ... and again to those who are finding relief with them, I say congrats and may things continue to get even better Patty, I especially hope you find the right treatments to help your lil dude with all this

Hi TrentB I have heard some good reports on the Native remedies products, including their focus factor but have no personal experience many parents on the Tourette/tics/PANDAS forum here have found Kids Calm and Natural Calm exptremely beneficial for tics and restful sleep, but I dont know it has benefit for ADHD too

hi if he has a salicylate allergy or sensitivity then yes, I really do feel it could trigger tics also I wonder if these are plantar warts, thenthey are caused by HPV and so could the virus reacting to the treatment be triggering something....not sure but maybe?

hi footballguy nothing has been more immediate relief for my son's tics than acupuncture we are privileged to have a therapist who also does reflexology, electronic detox & chinese cupping, aromatherapy and also resonance biofeedback and often does these in the same session as needed for my son....and we feel all these work together for overall benefit but the needles in the correct meridians bring a calming of tics in a way that nothing else we have tried does do be sure to choose a clinical and licenced acupuncture therapist tho

hi CP he found the same spacy/edgy feeling that he now gets with 5HTP as well doc suggested 500mg l-tryptophan 3 x day but just one dose of 500mg had him saying no more! the 5HTP was just 50mg again but he refused that after one dose too. I really think the difference in the way he is reacting now to 5HTP is likely hormonal/age related and that his biochemistry has changed. when he was 11yo it really really helped his OCD dramatically he feels the most dramatic OCD relief now with the B12 (methyl cobalamin) altho he knows the inositol and B6(P-5-P) are steadily working with it. Lyn, l-tryptophan does not require rx here

my son used to do fine on 5HTP but cannot tolerate it anymore. As with his dad, it now makes him edgy and spacy but I did not notice elevated tics with it tho he had a massive flare of OCD/anxiety recently (doc thinks partially related to all the stress we were under with flooding and also the allergies/air pressure issues when the tropical cyclone Fay sat over florida) anyway, he has been on mega doses Inositol and also taking METHYL-cobalamin (NOT cyano-cobalamin) form of Vit B12 and P-5-P (for extra B6) and the relief has been remarkable we did try l-tryptophan but he did not like the effect methylcobalamin and P-5-P also help to breakdown homocysteine to methionine (thanks Kim I understand now at last ) which is no doubt helping too he also went for emergency acupuncture/biofeedback/chinese cupping detox and using the epsom salts in foot spa twice daily

Hi my son has Tourette Syndrome, not PANDAS, but has OCD also. the *WORST* his OCD has ever been was when he was on zyprexa. we only had him on it a couple of days before having to titrate down as things were so bad!!! it also caused him lolling tongue, palpitations and signs of tardive dyskinesia it was "the final straw" for us (and him!) on these kinds of meds (he had been on haldol, luvox and other before) and we were blessed to be able to find and start the natural treatments that have so helped him 5HTP really helped bring my son's OCD under control. he doesnt take it anymore (uses methionine and inositol only now) some people prefer l-tryptophan to 5HTP it CANNOT be taken with any meds etc that elevate serotonin tho as that can casue serotonin syndrome which is dangerous

Hi and welcome sorry to make a short post now but I did just want to welcome you and will try to post more tomorrow as have a family gathering right now. I did want to just answer re the paint....absolutely yes this can trigger tics! that, combined with all the other new things in her environment plus the chlorine, fluoride etc could all be playing a part I have been researching multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and find a lot of correlation between it and microbial infections.....you already know about the lyme and strep/pandas....but also dont overlook candida albicans, aka "yeast" infection. Many people with MCS seem to have candida overgrowth as well sorry to post and run but hope that gives some pointers for now C

many have found the amino acid L-Carnitine helpful for vocals

hi as anything beyond mild to very moderate alcohol consumption causes such high toxicity in liver and rest of body, apart from whatever its effect on dopamine.....just the toxic reaction would IMHO trigger tics also, as you do not have a clear TS dx, and therefore your eye blinking could be a result of something totally unrelated to dopamine, I would urge caution

there are a number of posts here about fish oil increasing tics my son gets very loud vocals if he takes fishoil supplement, but he can eat fish with no problems for this reason he only takes omega 3 in flaxseed oil form and freshly ground flaxseeds on cereal salad etc, never fishoil capsules or liquid supplement omega3 is so very good for one so do try with just flax not fish and see if that improves things

Hi Bonnie it really is hard to comment on a supp combo that I dont know anything about in terms of developing tolerance i feel it is always good to titrate down from anything when deciding to stop it, even a vitamin, and especially an amino acid, as when body is used to something and suddenly it is gone...that can be quite a readjustment

as long as the vitamins dont have added "fillers" and coloring etc then ok we order most everything from iherb.com as we find even with shipping it still works out less expensive I am very partial to NOW brand supplements IMO, chelated zinc is the best form...we get NOW opti-zinc

TS tics vary continuously with characteristic waxing and waning, and yes, the side to side movements can also be tics not saying that is what yours are, just that yes, these are also recognized as tics some people with tic disorders may only have a single tic, but that isnt the usual case with TS

we have been following the principle outlined in The Maker's Diet book by Jordan Rubin the only foods my son has had to eliminate for his tics are the artificial additives and processed or preserved foods...he can eat all other natural organic whole foods...all fruit, veg, grains and dairy without any negative impact on his tics or OCD

eye movements and eye rolling are also TS tics http://www.tourettesyndrome.net/Files/CommonTics.PDF

my son was using Solgar's Gentle Iron for a while when very anemic and it really is one best tolerated, but he still saw correlation with tic upswings

my son has anemia from Crohn's disease but cannot go near iron supplements as they set his tics off. he gets his iron from foods instead now

yes, they need to do initial xrays to get full info in allignment. my son has only ticced MUCH less after NUCCA as they *never* "crack but only gently apply pressure till alligned

we had other testing done and it was amazing how accurate the hair analysis was when compared with the blood/urine/spit/stool tests

lol we learn all the time...i had no idea that flax and linseed were the same. only ever seen it called linseed oil in my wood polish

Hi sorry to post and run but am working....a flag went up for me when u said "fever, sore throat...." in addition to whatever else is happening ......maybe also check for strep/PANDAS have a look at our "essential threads" pinned to the top of the forum too hope all stabilizes soon for your child

Hi I have to rush to work but wanted to mention that low zinc can sometimes indicate pyroluria which in turn can cause tics. going GFCF will be a big help if those are allergies for him Epsom salts baths (2 cups in warm tub and soak 20 min or 1 cup in warm footbath and soak feet 20 min) is IMHO one of the best detox methods around, plus the magnesium in the epsom helps calm tics too HTH and welcome I know others will add their insights for you soon

yes, the only way to definitively identify triggers is by keeping a log of food, environment etc if you have genetic TS this could also be that inherent waxing and waning of variable tics that still eludes clear explanation, nomatter how diligent one is with avoiding triggers

Hi and welcome my husband became psychotic when given clonidine for his tics and high blood pressure. this went away as soon as he came off it. our son experienced psychosis from other medications (haldol and luvox) and had a very very serious reaction to zyprexa the other side effects we observed make a long list I would just urge you to read up on both those medications (google adverse effect and the med name ) doctors are so quick to add meds or up doses when in fact it is the med itself causing the probs a book that really helped me see the light was "Your Drug May Be You Problem" by Peter Breggin MD http://www.breggin.com/ http://breggin.com/index.php?option=com_co...7&Itemid=42 there are sections on strattera and on clonidine in the book