Chemar

Hi Kim and welcome one thing I definitely feel your doc is right on and that is to hold off on medications. Honestly, from our experience(and that of many others) they bring side effects that are often worse than the tics! whether these are transient tics that will resolve on their own, or TS, or tics rooted in some other issue, to begin with a focus on a pure, natural, healthy diet, with magnesium supplement and a good multivit, is a really good foundation I too am not a fan of the coromega because of firstly the fact that many people with tics also seem to be sensitive to fishoil supplements. This is not so for all, but does need to be mentioned. For those with fishoil sensitivity, flaxseed oil is a good alternative to provide essential fatty acids secondly, if fishoil is not a problem for your child, rather find a brand that is pure and doeesnt have the sodium benzoate and vanillin that Kirkman puts in coromega...those are NOT good additives

hi Dylan's Mom the writing over letters and erasing them to rewrite can be an OCD behavior my son had a lot of problems with this and so his 504 plan had built in accomodations to allow him to use his AlphaSmart in class and to be able to type all homework assignments once his OCD had been brought under control with the specific supplements for it, this area also got better, tho writing accomodations remain built into his 504 as even tics can interfere with writing, especially long assignments

hi Airbucket when I was new to the world of TS, a site that really helped me was Leslie Packer's Tourette Syndrome Plus as it has a lot of really good basic info on the spectrum of disorders that can make up TS, which yes, is a complex disorder that can have a number of associated issues. Not everyone who has TS has these "spectrum disorders" and many do just have motor and vocal tics, some very mild and never complex. here is the site http://www.tourettesyndrome.net I am assuming you have already visited the Latitudes/ACN section here for TS, which has a lot of great articles http://www.latitudes.org/tics_tourettes.htm and lastly, I think TS is so misunderstood primarily because so many are ignorant and uneducated on what it is. One of the reasons my son wears his TS label openly as he strives to help clear the misinformation and stigma often associated with it

hi Laurie you have left out the safest and often the most effective supp for boosting serotonin...the B vitamin INOSITOL starting with Inositol and vit B6 may well be all that is needed (they are frequently sold combined) Inositol is generally very well tolerated 5HTP and L-tryptophan have a marked effect on serotonin and can work great for some but not for everyone, so it is trial and error if you decide on one of them (do NOT use combined) My son did very well on 5HTP when his OCD was severe Now he only takes Inositol/B6 combo samE is a form of methionine, which has been shown to be very helpful for OCD st John's wort is another serotonin booster, used most often for depression

It is great isnt it Amy...really does cover most of the stuff we discuss here, and in a clear and understandable, organized format. for anyone who needs to order http://www.latitudes.org/book.html

For those looking at natural ways to boost serotonin levels, here is info from mrsD on NeuroTalk re L-tryptophan http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=26991 interesting comment she made re who may have been behind L-tryptophan being off the market for so long anyway, the tryptophan is said to be more effective that 5HTP and so I thought this may be helpful to some members here

Although my son is now doing virtual highschool because of the health limitations with his Crohn's disease, yet I must say I disagree with not involving the school system when needed. we had him privately tested by a school accredited edu-psychologist, and got his 504 in place as soon as he entered public middle school (he had an IEP in private elementary) My son is an A student and so this wasnt done re learning disabilities, tho he does have ADD (no H) It was one of the best things we could have done as the accommodations for his tics, OCD etc were exactly what he needed. And as it is revised every school year, with a meeting to decide on the accommodations between parent and all teachers plus special ed, it didnt "follow him for life" but rather preceded him to make his time at school a LOT easier than it would have been had he not had the 504 even now, as a state registered student on virtual highschool, he gets time/pace allowances for his health issues etc I guess to us a "label" wasnt a negative thing He has Tourette Syndrome and being upfront about that at school was VERY beneficial

Trubiano this is what I know by the old name of Radiogenics (pre computer) and often now called "transdermal" testing I personally think it is ok for some things but is not always 100% accurate...I cited a recent example on another thread where a physician that I used to have very high regard for now has this "transdermal testing' in her practice and dx my son with "parasites and Epstein Barr virus" when in fact he had Crohn's disease, which only a colonoscopy could accurately dx That wrong dx caused him pain and suffering because he was incorrectly treated and some of the remedies were actually aggravating to the Crohn's Thankfully we got a second opinion when he didnt improve and this led to the colonoscopy and correct dx When we had the old radiogenics done years ago by a highly skilled practitioner, I was astounded at how things he found lined up so well with later blood and hair tests. I have no doubt that biomeridiens are real and can be used in health and healing (as proven in acupuncture) soooooooooo I guess what I am saying is......... this kind of testing has value for some things (allergies and sensitivities etc being one) but should be viewed with caution and always backed up with other tests when it comes to any major dx

trubiano did they describe the protocol many alternative treatments have been given trendier new names so this may be something we know by a different name, but might recognise if the protocol is outlined

Hi kallik we have lots of threads here on photosensitivity, and tics (search claire's posts especially on this for more info) flashing lights are a known tic trigger

Caryn good for Feingold! I am already an activist on this For those seeking alternative candies try www.artisansweets.com They already carry a lot of natural stuff and have told me they are expanding and will soon have more selections

Hi if she was on Prozac it would have helped to elevate serotonin which has a lot to do with mood etc supplements that can help here are Inositol (a B vitamin) and sameE or methionine 5HTP in low doses can also be helpful but needs to be taken cautiously as it can make some edgy and it should NEVER be taken with SSRI meds like prozac, luvox, paxil etc adding extra Vit B6 is also very beneficial, as is eliminating those offensive artificial colors, flavors etc

emma Inositol ( a B vitamin) is a very good and safe supp for OCD as is samE or methionine some also find 5HTP (or also tryptophan) helpful but it needs to be used with caution, especially with meds basically things that elevate serotonin help with OCD

hi Emma I am not sure if your child has a dx of Tourette, but if so then yes, there are characteristics of the OCD that seems to often occur with TS that are somewhat different from the "classic" obsessions and compulsions, although these can still occur too It was actually an associate of dr Murphy's,who is now resident in New Zealand, who taught us about this while my son was his patient for a year. (He is the doctor I will forever be greatful to as he helped us wean my son off the meds that were hurting him so) Anyway, for people with TS and OCD there is often overlap between the two so that tics can become OCD like and OCD things can become tics. That is a simple way of explaining a complex situation, which we were given some very interesting research backup on The OCDs can range from "having to" perform certain actions or say things ritually or a specific number of times until they are "just right", having to "report" their actions and or words, plus the other classic things like "checking to be sure", organizing, and of course also the thoughts, fears, phobias etc etc that occur often with OCD

yes Michele, touching can be representative of other disorders I was just pointing out that it can ALSO be a TS tic, and is documented as such

kallik have you looked at the sticky above for "Finding Medical Help" we used an Integrative doctor. Many have also had success with DAN doctors, environmental docs and DOs as well as naturopaths I feel most important is before you even book and appointment, ask if the dic is experienced in treating the issues most important to you

touching other people or things can also be a TS tic

I will be adding my post soon Kim...just looking for a file I kept earlier on my son's vaccines as we started them while still in s.africa and continued when we moved here when he was 2yo He started the eye blinking/rolling shortly thereafter. In our case, even tho we have a clear family history of TS on my husband's side, yet I still feel the vaccinations were one of the triggers for the gene switching on in my younger son. I know I have mentioned before that I also think the middle school vaccines may have contributed to the onset of the Crohn's I was heartbroken to hear that a friend of mine's grandson, already compromised by strong drugs that his mom had to take for a thyroid condition while pregnant, was given 4 vaccination shots in one session (one being DPT) at just 2 months

Hi tooth grinding aka bruxism can also be a tic, best helped by extra vitaminB5(pantothenic acid) my son found tooth powders or gels to be better than pastes as his SID does make him hypersensitive to certain textures, paste being one he uses the fluoride free tom's naturals gel or the tooth powder from our dentist fluoride has a very negative effect on my son

hi Caryn magnesium taurate seems to be what is most recommended, mainly becasue of the combination of magnesium and taurine, both of which seem to be advantage in reducing Tourette tics, plus that this form of magnesium is well absorbed the essence here for tics in general is absorbable magnesium (which btw magnesium oxide is poorest absorption yet seems to be the form used in most supps ) I think one of the reasons the "Calm: products work so well is that it provides a highly absorbable form (magnesium citrate) in a liquid medium, so making it quickly available also the reason the epsom salts tubs work so well is the dermal absorption of the magnesium sulfate

If the TS dx is correct then yes, just like my son yours is reactive to dopamine, with the seat of the problem in the basal ganglia. It isnt that there is too much dopamine as such but how the system reacts to any increases in dopamine That much is known re TS it is just that the conventional medical protocol is to treat this with drugs here, we try to see beyond the dx to what is triggering the reactivity. Even tho there is no "cure" per se for TS as yet, there are enough of us here alone to be able to declare that there are better ways to reduce the frequency and intensity of TS tics than with brain drugs especially magnesium, as per Bonnie's and other research, is very important in all this here is the link to Bonnie's published research the 'triggers' for tics are what we mainly discuss here, and this is covering not only those who have Tourette , but also those who have tics related to other issues, and also those who may be misdx because key factors that are triggering their tics are not known or are overlooked by conventional medicine. here is Sheila's article on finding triggers for tics

welcome airbucket itsme is so right that just spending time reading thru threads here and searching keywords can help you possibly put those pieces of the puzzle together honestly, if I had to sum it all up in three words it would be "Nutrition is Key" to beginning a protocol to help your child eliminate all junk food and artificial additives and begin a healthy diet with good supplements to suit your child's unique needs try to find a good doctor who sees outside the box and is clued up on the many things that can trigger tics, or intensify them in those with a genetic predisposition, as in TS I cant post long right now but as you begin to research here and elsewhere on the web etc you will find so much info I would also highly recommend the book by Sheila Rogers to help guide you through the maze http://www.latitudes.org/book.html

Kim yes.......that's why I posted the link to the critique rather than directly to the study! my reason for posting was that I was pleased to see Journal Watch immediately sending out an email giving the possible bias of the study rather than just following suit with the study's hyped heading.

yup Kim.........the medline abstract had me boggled and not a little irked too the reason I appreciated the critique tho was that Dr Geller clearly stated the shortfalls in the study

one of the best books with good recipes is The Yeast Syndrome by Morton Walker and John Trowbridge we did not go on a 'yeast free" diet but rather a diet that starves Candida hi, Michele,we have never used BonTech supplements........ I based my son's initial supplement protocol on Bonnie's *original* plan for her child, back before she started BonTech. I put together combinations for my son based on her suggestions and that of our doctors, after testing. here again is the link to our treatment protocol http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=687