Chemar

hello Hope yes, when the candida begins to die it produces toxins which in turn can make tics worse this is known as "die-off" reaction the candida clear formula seems to help in itself with that, but we have always been advised to up intake of pure (we use reverse osmosis) water, epsom salt tubs and supps/foods that help replenish the "good" bacteria...we like natural kefir best, as well as mainting the diet that best keeps yeast at bay (we use the recipes and guidelines in the Yeast Syndrome by Walker & Trowbridge) our doc also suggested the biofeedback (a complex resonance feedback technique whereby electro-magnetic waves are used to "neutralize" nnegative stuff....) along with acupuncture and reflexology. Our clinical acupuncture therapist is expert in all 3 and so this involves a single hour long session.

have you asked your doc about Candida Clear by Now honestly it is the best of the anti candida's we have ever used http://www.nowfoods.com/?action=itemdetail&item_id=73955 I get ours from iherb.com

from the way I understand it............ Omega 6 is an essential fatty acid, and should be supplemented (albeit in lesser amounts than Omega3) especially if the diet is not providing adequate amounts. however anyone with autoimmune-inflammatory issues should avoid additional omega6 (beyond that in a balanced diet) as it stimulates prostaglandins which in turn boost the inflammatory response. Omega 3 dampens the inflammatory response and so is needed in inflammatory illnesses most people get enough omega9 in their diets not to need to supplement with it, and again, we were told to avoid it re inflammation here is mrsD's excellent thread on the EFAs http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=6092

Hi CP my son doesnt have a problem with any of those foods I had understood before from Bonnie that it is mainly people on antidepressants that should avoid the tyramine rich foods and those who have B6 absorption problems http://www.bonniegr.com/ts-PLUS%20Diet.htm

well, it\'s no secret that I firmly believe in the genetic predisposition link........ tho just like at college,I glaze over trying to understand the nitty gritty of genetics beyond the basics........ so thanks Kim for this thread

great thread CP we have incorporated coconut products into daily diet the capsular Monolaurin is a specifically formulated "natural antimicrobial" and so it really does pack the full punch when needed, which is why we still give that in addition It's available from the Vitamin Shoppe http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/brow....jsp?id=CV-1068

Hi I know others have used Nystatin but our doc was not a fan of it initially we used caprylate (capryllic acid) plues diet and now that NOW foods has Candida Clear that is our remedy of choice (simultaneous with careful diet and Monolaurin natural antimicrobial)

hi Wendy could be sensory integration dysfunction related. many of our kids have it and I know whenver my son was waxing, his "senses" would become hypersensitive

when my son was on the anti candida diet and supps at first, we were advised by our physician to do simultaneous acupuncture/biofeedback/reflexology along with additional detox methods to minimize the effect of the die off. It really did help very much, along with the daily epsom tubs and LOTS of pure water interesting theory jules and likely with much merit I think that many different things can trigger tics and it is probably a combo of different factors that work together to "cause" them just as many things work together to help reduce them

I would keep going .... we did and it really helped! glad you are seeing that much improvement and hope it just keeps getting better.

my son and his 3 buddies have made it to the finals in tonight's battle of the bands at the highschool here. They are performing songs my son composed (proud mama glowing here ) he wouldnt let me and hubby go as he said we would make him too nervous...soooo as they will be onstage any time soon....I would value all thoughts and prayers for him. He was real nervous, but they have the right attitude of doing it for the fun not for the winning (tho we all clearly hope they will be placed ) I am soooo proud of the wonderful young man he has become and so thankful for the way he has risen above the many challenges that he has faced

hi I have quite a lot of posts here re anything "toothy" being a major tic trigger for my son when he was younger we had a pediatric dentist who was experienced in working with kids who have neuro issue we decided against orthoDONTICS because of the tic problem and are glad we did...his teeth grew out just fine and all their warnings were proven wrong

this may shed some light........ http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1673 genetics and hormones!

Hi Faith the way I read UMa's post she meant this past January of 2008 and it sure doesnt surprise me that she saw improvements so quickly....altho my son doesnt have a PANDAS dx, we certainly saw dramatic positive results from dietary modifications and supps for him in just a few days and by a couple of months the improvement was nothing short of miraculous!

Jasminky....not sure if your doc told you but melatonin and serotonin are linked in their synthesis from tryptophan in the brain just a note on melatonin...some people (eg me and my son) need this in miniscule doses only (300-600 MICROgrams) whereas others do better on higher doses. For those that respond to small amounts, taking more can have the opposite effect and make them very edgy and restless

welcome Uma and thank you so much for sharing your duaghter's story with us I was interested to read that you also give the coconut products ...we use the monolaurin (lauric acid) as a natural antibiotic, and the more I read about coconuts the more impressed I am! all the best

hi mom2a yes my son has always dealt with a lot of anxiety issues which seem to be connected to the OCD he has, which in turn is connected to his Tourette Syndrome boosting my son's serotonin levels really helped the anxiety a lot (we used inositol, methionine and 5HTP) and when his anxiety was really off the charts, we used GABA for two weeks and it made a BIG difference My son also responded well to the samE form of methionine, but that is kinda pricey

Hi we found 500mg of L-carnitine per day to be optimum dose it can take up to two weeks for some people to fully react to a supp so please dont give up too quickly also do want to point out that if you arent already supplementing with magnesium, then that may really help. I firmly believe the needed supplements work best *together*

Hi nurseq when tics manifest after strep, PANDAS is a very real possibility Most neurologists and mainstream doctors do not yet acknowledge or understand PANDAS, so even if you go to the pedoatric neuro, he may do no more than tell you your child has a tic and wither wait it out or medicate it with a neuroleptic etc. However, do be careful re the meds (apart from the antibiotic) as the std meds for tics may not be a good thing in PANDAS cases In the meantime the things Patty has mentioned sure may be helpful, and if you look at our sticky 101 thread here, you may get some more pointers http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2459 our other parents dealing with PANDAS will be able to guide you more in that area too

thanks for posting that Kelly yep...more an more pieces falling into place re my son's history. he had only been on the Haldol for 2 weeks when the psychotic reaction started and when we had to rush him to the ER ......what did they do...........gave him intravenous haloperidol , admitted him to the hospital, kept injecting him with more haldol and added luvox to the mix and then sent home a thoroughly messed up kid............... I need to dig out my son's blood test analysis and reports from Shands. Back then, I knew very little about PANDAS and so didnt pay that much attaention to the actual results but rather just accepted the report saying that he didnt have elevated strep antibodies and therefore was not considered PANDAS

Hi CP & Heather from the way I have understood it, modulation of the immune system means keeping it balanced rather than boosted. Heather, when my son was suffering the severe Crohn's symptoms and after the colonoscopy, we agreed to a trial of the Asacol plus asazine, along with levsin, tagamet and prevacid. however my son being so sensitive to meds just really didnt like the way it all made him feel and so we gradually started introducing the more natural plan and the dietary modifications and got him off the meds, despite the dire warnings from his GI doc , who wanted him on Remicaid . We obviously turned down prednisone etc as steroids are known to be tic triggers. I was reluctant on the protein shake at first, as so many seem to have reactivity to soy, but my son wanted to try it and seems to do really well on it. Genisoy products are not genetically modified nor aluminum stored etc, and thankfully the dreaded carageenan isnt in it, nor any artificial stuff . He uses the chocolate one only for that reason as their is the icky vanillin in the vanilla one............ CP, do be very careful of pure oregano oil as it is VERY POTENT, one or two drops in a large glass of water is more than enough!! and yes, we were told not to use it beyond when needed The Candida Clear by NOW contains magnesium caprylate,oregano oil, black walnut, Pau d' arco, and Biotin ps just an FYI for anyone reading....the soy shake is *not* IMHO a source of some of the supps my son needs for his TS/OCD and so he *adds* those to it. I would not suggest the soy shake to anyone with soy/nut sensitivities or necessarily even for kids. My son is 18 now and so past the peri-pubertal years when the possible oestrogenic effects of soy may not be a good idea. Anyway just wanted to clarify that my son uses the shake more as a protein/vitamin base for his health mix, and for some of the vitamins/minerals/trace elements it provides. He no longer takes a multi but does add a number of other supps to this mix for his overall health conditions.

hi Emma yes he has vocal tics still, but they are so minimal and not bothersome in the overall pattern of where his tics have been over the years, that it really doesnt need anything specific. he was making an "eh" noise a while back and tried the carnitine again but he didnt like the way it made him feel and stopped it. when we first started the carnitine years ago he had very very loud piercing screech tics and also hollering ones. they were blended with OCDs and he "had to" do them over and over till they were "just right"... It was a really difficult tic phase as those kinds wake the neighborhood, nevermind when one is driving The L carnitine was a real blessing for him then!

Hi Heather so glad to hear how those supps have helped your son Mine had the colonoscopy in June of 2006 that confirmed the Crohn's. he also had a fistula at that time and was in agonizing pain daily (would wake around 3-4 am) I have been thru hard times with him suffering the tics and OCD and med reactions and withdrawals.... but honestly seeing him in so much pain was just awful. We had a lot of misdx before the colonoscopy. the Maker's Diet is a testimony of how optimized nutrition can promote health and healing and is written from the perspective of Jordan Rubin, who had Crohn's himself when younger. Dr Rubin's own testimony is an amzing story, and the book also has the detailed phases of his diet plan, plus a wonderful recipe section and a very helpful compendium of suppliers of wholesome foods my son's main anti ulcerative/anti inflammatory supps for the Crohn's are Boswellin/Curcumin (curcumin is from turmeric), slippery elm bark, white willow bark, and DGL-liquorice root. When he has pain (hasnt been for a long time, he also takes cramp bark, plus extra garlic and ginger supps) He takes his supps twice daily with a Genisoy protein shake that has a good multivitamin/mineral content, and he adds his powder and liquid TS supps into that mix too. Since he started that whole mixture he has not had pain flares. He hasnt had blood tests for a while as he has had an OCD related metal/needle aversion and I dont feel a need to stress him out while he is doing so well. But based on his lack of pain and good digestion, plus the healed fistula, I think we will be pleased when he next does CP, yes, I have long suspected microbial involvement in aspects of my sons illnesses, and now some GIT docs are suggesting involvement of mycoplasma pneumonii bacteria in Crohn's. My son takes the monolaurin and olive leaf extract in alternate months and yes,CP, the Candida Clear that he takes 10 days in every month contains oregano oil! I do think the "natural antibiotics" help him overall, tho as mentioned in another thread...I cant say for sure that they directly help the tics/OCD or if benefit they have on the Crohn's trickles down to help tics/OCD...but whatever it is...the whole caboodle sure has him in a good place healthwise at present

hi Tx my son reacts real quickly to supps and we noticed a dramatic reduction in his screech vical tic within about a day or two after starting the L carnitine. I should mention he cant take it anymore...it makes him feel "weird" now so not sure what has changed in his biochemistry to bring that about. But some years back it really really helped him when he needed it most

hi Tami my son's anti-inflammatory diet and supps etc are pretty specific to his IBD of Crohn's, and so someone with say, arthritis would possibly need it somewhat different as my son's is very GIT oriented. I think that for all inflammatory illness, avoiding anything that stimulates prostaglandins is a good idea, and so where before my son would take an omega 3-6-9 mix of oils as supps, now he only takes flaxseed oil and uses a lot of flax in food. (he tics more with fishoil otherwise that would be our #1 choice mixed with flax for his EFAs) And of course he already avoids all the artificial and chemical junk they stick in most processed/packaged foods..we cook most everything from scratch with a few exceptions of things he has tried and trusts re purity of ingredients We cook with a lot of anti-inflammatory foods, like garlic, ginger, turmeric (he also takes boswellin/curcumin and bioperene as a supp), cayenne etc and he has to avoid some acidic foods, tho he can have a few in moderation. We use olive oil when needed in cooking, and pure organic butter (I also make my own ghee) The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin (book, not website) was really helpful to him, and tho we dont follow that diet to the letter, yet we abide by many of the principles let me know if that is what you were looking for ...otherwise dont mind getting more specific re the GIT/Crohn's aspect if needed I do have a thread about it at NeuroTalk tho I havent updated there for ages and probably should as my son really hasnt had a Crohn's flareup in a long while now http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=9831