Chemar

I use an infusion/extract made from lemon grass stalks (finely chopped) and I add oils of lavender, rosemary, thyme, and oregano (just a drop or two of each) I keep it in a small sprayer bottle and refrgerate otherwise it goes off. Needs to be made fresh weekly The fleas dont like it either so I use it on the cats I have also heard that just cutting lemongrass stalks lengthwise and then rubbing on the skin is effective against mosquitoes I also keep a bottle of natural Quantum anti bug spray (also a herbal infusion) and I spray around the front door and pets bedding etc with that. Smells a bit stronger tho still nice

welcome Florida I have to rush but just wanted to recommend that while your son is having tics related to toothbrushing....maybe let him just rinse thoroughly with Listerene for a few nights we have had to do that with my son periodically in the past when he would have tooth triggered tics. Vitamin B5 is good for this too(pantothenic acid) also...re the pesticides...BIG TIC TRIGGER!!! we also have 4 cats and we only use natural herbal flea remedies (like quantum) my son also has sensory integration dysfunction, and we have found a clear correlation between sensory irritation and increased tics. We avoid all perfumed and chemical products

oh Dedee what a pleasure to read your post Your experience with Dr Murphy mirrors our own and I am so glad that you have the confirmations needed to continue correct treatments. Cheri ps fishoil is best, without a doubt. some people with TS seem to tic more on it, hence the flaxseed oil substitute but if kids tolerate fishoil well....that is by far the best source of omega 3 EFAs

Lenny be sure that. as you are vegetarian, your child is getting enough taurine, as we normally get most of our dietary taurine from meats, and taurine has been shown to be important in reducing tics in most people

Hi John yes, that is a well known issue for people with TS see, most of the time they are not focussed on their own tics...just as we are not focussed on blinking for example. however, as soon as one draws their attention to their tics, or if they try to suppress them, then the urge to tic seems to grow even stronger. that is one of the reasons that I urge parents to try not to let their kids know that they are observing their tics, and also NEVER NEVER NEVER to tell them to "stop that!"............those are major tic triggers!

Calicat, I know that certain foods have different levels of the various amino acids (eg meats and taurine) and some do have an effect on neurotransmitters, so I dont know if that may be coming into play here. and then, it may well be something metabolic that happens for him as he begins to eat and digest I hope you are keeping a journal on what he eats and how the tics manifest. that may also give you clues into possible food sensitivities

hi Mary BonTech supplements are specially formulated for people with Tourette Syndrome and are available from Bonnie Grimaldi at http://www.bonniegr.com She sells a variety of supplements in her BonTech range, of which magnesium taurate is one Mag taurate is also available at http://www.vitaminshoppe.com and their stocked brand is made by Cardiovascular research Magnesium oxide isnt totally useless and is certainly better than no magnesium!! it is just wasted a lot because of its poor absorption Many here are finding the Natural Calm/Kids Calm to be very beneficial

I so agree Alison and yes, Doris Rapp's books are so worth reading!! especially "Is This Your Child?"

someone just posted this info on another forum and I felt it was worth bringing over here as we focus so much on what happens in the GIT here

Daniel our doc said it is fine to continue monolaurin with antibiotic, but you would need to check with your doc to be sure garlic and honey are other excellent natural antibiotics, as is oregano oil here is the link to the Lyme Forum on NT http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forumdisplay.php?f=91

very helpful thread on PsychCentral's PsychoTherapy forum on CBT etc

Hi Daniel i usually allow three hours between anti and probiotics so that they dont interfere with each other, and would give the pro 3 hrs after the anti Daniel, there is no need to be alarmed yet as you have hopefully caught this in time. And not every tick bite transmits disease. But it is essential to have your Doc check him out and start immediate treatment. If for any reason your doctor suspects a Lyme disease infection, there is a lot of VERY helpful info available on NeuroTalk's Lyme Forum, and I also have friends dealing with this. MonoLaurin (by Ecological Systems, available thru the Vitamin Shoppe) is a very powerful natural anti-microbial that is even showing promise with HIV etc....where most antibiotics dont kill viruses, it appears to inhibit them. I know there are specific courses of antibiotics used for Lyme too Hoping this is able to be quickly contained. Lifting prayers for your son and for you. (((Daniel)))

Hello Ernie yes, we stress Cognitive Behavioral Therapy here as being of primary importance as a treatment for OCD, followed by good nutrition and other methods that many find helpful in conjunction with the CBT For some that may be medication, although many have found that the side effects from the meds are often not worth the benefit. My own son has had tremendous relief from OCD with a mixture of nutrition, supplements, acupuncture PLUS CBT. He tried meds for a year but really did have side effects that were serious enough for him to try other methods and thanfully, with success. CBT ranks #1 followed by getting his serotonin levels corrected with supplements. Acupuncture also has a notable good result for him. we have a useful websites and resources thread here that tries to direct people posting on this forum to good websites and info on treatment http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1963 Although the TS/tics forum here is very active, the OCD once really could benefit from more active members offering support and information to one another

thanks petb very interesting and easy to understand too

hi Calicat i am busy with work so cant post long BUT YES!! well water with metals or other such as well as mold are very possibly triggers for a lot of stuff! could that you are investigating all this very often it isnt just one thing, but a combination that have worked together to unbalance immune/allergy/sensitivity issues, biochemistry, metabolism, digestion, neurology and a whole host of things. As we find areas that need our attention, and "clean them up" to the best of our ability, so it seems we begin to see other areas of improvement too.

Hi dianeri and welcome I am just bumping this up in case anyone can give you input.

welcome Calicat Good for you for being pro-active in researching what is available to help your child to better health we look forward to your participation here

thanks patty yes, they are clearly talking of overdosing or taking magensium supps long term WITHOUT balancing other minerals, alkalis and bases etc ie BALANCED supplementation in co-operation with good nutrition and diet from that site you linked

Patty Please would you link to sources when making these kinds of posts "I have just read on the Internet" is honestly not a way we can address information. The internet is filled with MUCH really good info, but it is also filled with a lot of unsubstantiated opinions which may or may not have any truth to them. Even what we discuss here should always be evaluated carefully! We are not experts...only members who share their opinions, experiences and personal research I have been using epsom salts baths since I was a child as my mother believed in the health benefits of sitz baths, and my son has used them now since he was 10 yo (7 years) neither I nor he have ever had a rash or skin problems from it The benefits of epsom salts tubs for my son has been immeasurable, but as with anything else in life, it needs to be used correctly to work properly

Hi Patty as with all supplements, magnesium should be used in a balanced and dose appropriate way Overdosing, or dosing in an unbalanced way, can lead to many other problems with magnesium as with anything else I would be VERY careful in where your source of information is. Many people can make many claims on the internet...one has to be diligent in selecting reputable information or further researching info to determine whether it is just someones opinion or whether it is backed up by studies and/or anecdotal evidence that is convincing I have said it before and I will say it again..............I firmly believe that it is supplementing with the CORRECT supplements that an individual requires, and doing so in the correct COMBINATIONS and at need appropriate doseage that is beneficial I become very concerned when I see a particular supp being hailed as THE one that helps. it may help initially because of the deficiency in that supp...BUT...at the end of it all it is very very necessary to balance that supp with the OTHERS that work with it biochemically AND according to the specific and individual needs, overall biochemistry and metabolism of the person...also whether they have other incorrectly balanced nutritional issues, allergies or illnesses in their system I am told that even blood type should be accounted for as well as a host of other fine tuned markers that we are only beginning to glimpse the complexities of (eg the methylation, sulfation, oxidation etc etc issues) That is why I always urge people to balance their magnesium intake with calcium. Minerals work in the body in harmony with one another and upping one without balancing the others can unbalance everything. One also has to consider regular dietary intake when adding supps so that one doesnt overdose. So, whereas for most people a 2:1 ratio of calcium:magnesium is considered optimum, for others the ratio may need adjustment, dependent on the individual's biochemistry and metabolism Patty, if you can find the source that you got this info on, please link to it so we can see exactly what it is that they are saying. I would urge everyone not to now stop using magnesium based on such a vague and unsubstantiated report. I have a feeling that any malabsorption issues are likely linked to incorrect supplementing procedure.

I would once again like to recommend the forums at Psych Central where they have a far more active OCD membership http://forums.psychcentral.com/

Deanna I am a firm believer in the COMBINATION of needed supps being effective rather than just one supp it would all depend on whether your child needs and tolerates L carnitine, AND on what other amino acids, vitamins and minerals you are supplementing with, along with dietary intake

Hi Julia yes, allergies could be triggering this but I am also wondering if anything hormonal might be happening in your system, mainly because of the dramatic mood swing. Also, could you have been exposed to any illness? chemical? etc any new foods? new car? new carpeting or pain or furniture? pesticides in house or yard? these are my first thoughts

Hi JMT and welcome to Latitudes/ACN your child may well have hereditary TS or another tic disorder, but that doesnt exclude environmental factors from possibly playing a very big part in the intensity and frequency and duration of the waxing phases my own child does have genetic TS, but I have most certainly seen how everything from every aspect of diet and nutrition to fluorescent lighting, dusty rooms, gasoline fumes, perfumes, chlorine, extremes of heat and cold, illness, stress, and a whole host of other environmental factors are the things that make all the difference imaginable as to whether his TS manifests severely or mildly when we slip up on diet, or when he is exposed to his specific triggers, of which I have listed only some above, things get worse for him. When we are diligent in providing his body with the diet and nutritional supplements he requires, he has a MUCH better time, with only occasional and passing tics, instead of continuous and wide ranging phases that come with his triggers. We had a disastrous year on prescription meds, and I would certainly list them as possibly his biggest trigger ever!! And we tried a number over that year.....I still cringe when I think back on it That is one of the reasons that I volunteer my time and experience here at ACN, because the difference in my son now and then is so amazingly positive, and I feel it is my absolute duty to let others know there IS another way to help with TS and tics. This site is filled with testimonies of people who have seen remarkable improvements with alternative treatments, and also those who have finally started seeing results because possibly there has been misdiagnoses, and it is actually strep, or allergies, or photosensitivity or deficiency in essential nutrients, etc Cheri

Marianne as far as I know, Centrum, in addition to being full of much synthetic stuff, also contains artificial coloring, which is known to be a BIG tic trigger as well as a trigger for other neuro issues like hyperactivity, OCD, rages etc