Chemar

hi Evie it is your decision but I personally would not have the flu vaccination done if it has thimerisol or any heavy metal based preservative or other potentially problematic chemical better to boost the immune system naturally with antioxidants and herbal preparations like Uno de Gato

we are obviously talking about different definitions of naturopathic practicioners, orthomolecular I am referring to naturopathy as a broad holistic branch of Integrative medicine and you are referring to it as a narrow and specific qualification ie ND for example, we used to see an MD who is also considered to practice naturopathic ie HOLISTIC medicine but he does not incorporate any homeopathy in his practice and has a PA (alternative physician) speciality not an ND. Similarly the classic homeopath that my son used to see certainly considered herself as a naturopathic practitioner, with homeopathy as her specialization. She did not have an MD or an ND but a classical homeopathic qualification and a PhD and yes, I fully agree that classical homeopathy and that used by many naturopaths are worlds apart However, pedantics aside, the essence of this discussion was to point out to Patty that the "crisis of healing" that her naturopath was referring too was inherent in homeopathy and that the UNDA remedies were not supplements but homeopathic remedies, and that her child's reaction was likely the "worse before it gets better" situation that is to be generally expected with homeopathy, but that those criteria are not necessarily inherant in naturopathy in its broad holistic sense

hi Julie so glad the filter has helped we do NOT use the deionization feature of our filters because it makes us all feel weird so I would suggest caution before you try that

Hi Patty yes, we have had a number of discussions here in the past re this matter because of the preservative, thimerisol, that is a mercury based chemical used in many flu vaccines as far as i know only california has taken steps to use vaccines that do not contain thimerisol? if you do a search here for the term, you will find all the past discussions

I have encountered many practitioners who practice naturopathic ie holistic medicine without the use of homeopathy, some who will refer to homeopaths if needed, some who dont in any way use homeopathy, classic or not, directly or by referral, in their practice yes, many naturopaths do use homeopathy, but many also do not as I stated before, all homeopaths are naturopaths but NOT all naturopaths are homeopaths

Hi if you are certain this is PANDAS then yes, I agree, why subject your child to more trauma with bloodwork and yes, CBT is an excellent treatment to pursue I still would highly recommend that you look into prophylactic use of AZITHROMYCIN (aka zithromax) the parents whose children have recently been given it are reporting remarkable results and it's prophylactic use is at levels that are nowhere near as drastic as with some of the other antibiotics If you do some searches under PANDAS on the TS/tics board, there is a wealth of info there also our expert moms there will be glad to answer your questions http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showforum=1 The other treatments you are doing are very good!

Hi yes, for many of us, chiropracty is an essential part of treatment. many people only see chiropracty as something you have done when something is "out" but for people with neurological issues it is a vital component of wellbeing with TS, the musculo-skeletal system frequently is misaligned because of the tics, and this in turn affects the nervous system. So just for that reason chiropracty is important but in addition, the periodic skeleto-muscular "tone" that chiro maintenance brings is really beneficial as a whole Although our supplement/nutritional approach is vital to maintaining a stable tic/OCD situation for my son, yet he personally feels that his chiro visits, along with those for acupuncture/reflexology/cupping/massage (all dont in a single visit) are the ones he gets the most benefit from overall as an aside, my son also finds these, really helpful for his Crohn's as well Our chiro is NUCCA trained

Hi pyroluria can and does run in families as does TS, but at the same time I wouldnt be worried about your child at this time. My husband has TS, but our oldest son shows no sign of it (and is in his 20s) whereas our youngest got the whole caboodle so just becasue there are markers, doesnt mean anything will develop. But yes, it is good you know and can be vigilent, because at the first sign of anything you will know to start correct supplementing etc Had we known then what I do now, I would have started supplements and would have done oh so many other things differently for my son when he was still tiny.........but my husband didnt realise he had TS etc till our son was diagnosed 6+ years ago....he had supressed in front of people since childhood and only had mild facial tics that displayed when I met him. His tics and OCDs had been labelled "bad habits" at home and school and so he hid them........... anyway, my point is that it is good to know these things but should not be cause for worry

Hi Michael here is the blog for Brigadoon http://braintalk.blogs.com/brigadoon/2005/..._brigadoon.html

Hi Brenda the comprehensive BLOOD TEST is the ONLY accurate way to test for PANDAS (the throat swab can only detect strep throat, not the stealth strep) as per the NIMH and yes, seeing other people performing OCD or tics can be a trigger for susceptible people

Hi Brenda..........YES strep triggers OCD, and in fact, early PANDAS research focussed far more on the effct of strep on OCD than on tics some of our members have been reporting very positive results using the anitbiotic azithromycin aka zithromax

Hi in order to fully rule out PANDAS the complete testing should be done from the NIMH: by not doing the Anti-DNAse B, they havent tested properly from all you describe, it sure sounds like PANDAS to me also ask your doc re PITANDS BTW, we have a number of posters on the TS/tics board who have had great success using AZITHROMYCIN (Zithromax)prophylactically as a means of controlling PANDAS induced tics/OCD

I agree with Julia re where to find it in stores also, making candy is relatively easy and that way you can also ensure what goes in to it!

Hi deanna the calcium/magnesium/zinc and taurine should be given at least a month, although many people see results sooner than that I have mentioned before that my son has adverse effects when he takes a B Complex, but does well when the B's are given individually....and we dont give any niacin or folic acid beyond what is already in his multivitamin, as those are 2 B's that he doesnt react well to

Hi Julie yes, fresh paint can be a major tic trigger! for my son, one of his biggest tic triggers is chemical smells and he knows instantly when he enters a room as to whether there is fresh paint, new carpet(formaldehyde), bleach (Chlorine is a BIG trigger for him), other chemical cleaners, air "fresheners", perfume, persticides etc etc sooo IMHO, the paint is most likely your trigger! try to air the house as much as possible to help yes, TS tics wax and wane but many of us believe that this is not just random but that internal or external triggers are responsible keep us updated on the pregnancy and the arrival of junior

bumping up for hudsonsmom and others who need this info

bumping up for hudsonsmom and others needing info

Hi good idea to get reliable testing to determine just which supps are best for you however just from personal and anecdotal experience...your regular doc may not be up on all this and so dont be surprised if they give you a "say what??" attitude when you mention testing beyond what they normally do looking at the supps you are taking, I just wanted to mention that Calcium is absent and it is VERY important to take calcium along with magnesium for correct balance. It is recommended to take twice the amount of calcium than the magnesium otherwise you seem to be taking good stuff! do be sure before you go to the doc that they will do the tests you need (call up and ask) as it would be a shame to go off good supplements only to find you need to see a different doc to get the testing done. Usually 3-4 weeks is the timeframe recommended for returning your system to baseline for testing re the testing, I am going to bump up Claire's thread on that for you it really does depend on what you feel your issues may be as to which tests are most important.......but in general it is good to check your vitamin/mineral/amino acids (as well as hormones as an adult) and then to see if Candida (yeast), heavy metals or other toxins are present and also to test for pyroluria If you have never had allergy testing done, it is always a good idea to do that too anyway, those are what I think are important, but I will find and bump up the testing thread for you all the best

Hi Patty I think it is very important for you to distinguish between NATUROPATHY and HOMEOPATHY Naturopathy is a HOLISTIC approach to health and healing and encompasses many and varied treatments, ranging from nutrition to supplements to detoxification to acupuncture etc etc etc etc. Some naturopaths are homeopaths too, but MANY do NOT use homeopathy in their protocol........so altho all homeopaths are naturopaths....not all naturopaths are homeopaths Homeopathy is a very distinct branch of medicine where one is often told that things will get worse before they get better. Classic homeopathy treats a condition with minute doses of substances which, by themselves, would actually cause the condition. By treating with these substances that would, in large doses cause disease or irritation, the idea is that the body's own immuno and biochemical systems will be activated and so bring about healing and balance. ( vaccination uses this principle in a way too, by giving miniscule quantities of a disease causing microbe and so stimulating an antibody defence mechanism so that the body can fight off the disease if ever exposed to it in future) But the important thing for you to note is that homeopathy does operate with this "worse before it gets better" principle because of what it is trying to achieve I have looked up UNDA remedies and they are HOMEOPATHIC detoxification remedies! so I really do think this distinction needs to be drawn as it could be confusing to some who may read this thread and become alarmed at naturopathy, when in fact, your doctor is using homeopathy I have the utmost respect for homeopathy per se, but it was not suitable for my son and he did develop more tics from the homeopathic pillules he was given years ago (this was before we had our formal TS diagnosis) Once we had the TS dx, our homeopath openly told us that she did not feel we should continue with homeopathy as she felt it was not a treatment compatible with the complexities associated with Tourette's and its co-morbid conditions Also There are numerous anecdotal reports here on this board that MANY people with tics cannot tolerate fish oil supplements That is not because they cannot tolerate naturopathy...quite the contrary....it is specific to fishoil supplements There are also many threads that explain how very important it is to have individual testing done before beginning supplement and many other naturopathic treatments because the treatment needs to be tailored to the individual's unique biochemistry and not every supplement that works for some will necessarily work for others. And yes, when there are underlying issues like Candida yeast or others infections, heavy metal or other toxins etc etc things do sometimes get worse first because those issues need to be eliminated before supplements etc will work effectively The doctor you are seeing appears to be far more of a HOMEOPATH than a broad spectrum naturopath and so my personal feeling is that you may well need to find an INTEGRATIVE Physician who has experience in treating tics and Tourette's by holistic/naturopathic/alternative/complementary means. Hope that sheds a bit of light on things for you and helps you to distinguish between homeopathy and naturopathy, and also helps you decide on whether you want to pursue the homepathic route, where to be fair, your doctor is being very honest with you in that, with the methods and remedies that they are using to treat your son, the inner healing process will be a long and possibly drawn out one, and where things may well get worse before getting better I really do want to encourage you to not be put off naturopathy because of what you are experiencing with homeopathy.............but rather to explore the other options and decide if a more holistic approach would not be better for your son

hi Michael Cognitive Behavioural Therapy(CBT) is the best way to train one's mind to help with OCD also re autism, there is an online game called Brigadoon that is supposed to be very helpful for people with Autism/Aspergers in terms of coping/social etc skills.......I have no personal knowledge of it but have heard good reports of it

Patty yes, OCD can also wax and wane for his age, probably the safest supplement to start him on for OCD is Inositol, one of the B vitamins also, do note that artificial food dyes (the red, yellow, blue etc colouring) as well as artificial sweeteners like Nutrasweet/aspartame & Splenda/sucralose as well as MSG (monosodium glutamate) and other artificial food additives and preservatives are known to intensify OCD, as well as tics my son has found that many of the things that trigger his tics, also trigger his OCD Have you read Sheila's Tic Triggers article? http://www.latitudes.org/articles/finding_triggers.htm ps yes, starting on a calcium and magnesium supplement is good

Hi Saflyfish I have not heard of the Linden method? could you elaborate some

Hi Luke and SDK yes, touching things and also the symmetry, nail biting etc are all documented symptoms of OCD anything where one feels a "have to" do it or a "do it just right" feeling is usually OCD if it is mild....and not bothersome to your own life or interfering with relationships, then I personally feel let it be

Patty the socks on sounds sensory to me too.........possibly the pressure from the socks on his feet is comforting to him There is a great book by Carol Stock Kranowitz called "The Out of Sync Child" that deals with Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID) re the wiping of his mouth..............hmmmmm.........when my son was younger he had an OCD where he HATED saliva in his mouth and was always going to the basin to spit it out or carried tissues so he could spit into it. Maybe what your son is doing is an OCD behaviour? both SID and OCD are frequently found in conjunction with TS

he goes once a month, Patty........when he has been in major waxing in the past he went weekly or fortnightly when things were very mild he went every 3-6 months for a "tune up"