Chemar

Hi Lolly and a big welcome I do understand what you are going thru I will come back and post more later as I have to rush out, but just wanted to suggest that you start reading up on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Sensory Integration Dysfunction These are often seen with TS, and it sounds like your daughter may be dealing with them too. back later bye now

Hi Alison Ronna is a PANDAs expert and found that only certain antibiotics were effective for the strep elimination. You may want to PM her for details. I know there is a thread she kindly did with lots of PANDAs info on it, so you may want to search the forum for it. Her son is much improved since she implemented supplements and dietary modifications etc

Hi efgh what a very encouraging post from you My son is now so very much improved that all he currently takes is a multivitamin/mineral and his EFA combo. If we notice a tic increase (VERY rare these days ) we add the cal/mag/zinc combo Even his OCD has faded so he doesnt even take the 5HTP at present His whole system seems to have stabilised. Of course he still avoids the nasty food additives......eating healthy is just a way of life for him now and he doesnt even desire any of the yuck stuff! One very thankful mom here

The site here at Latitudes/ACN has been a true blessing to so many of us. However, it is relatively new compared with some others like BrainTalk (now on a new server but around for many many years) http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/forumd...aysprune=&f=253 and some of the other "mainstream" TS websites, like http://www.tourettesyndrome.net and many others. So I think the smaller membership here is more reflective of the relative newness of the website, as well as the as yet new aspects of natural treatment vs the conventional methods.

Hi again IMO, trying to alter a tic, unless it is something you feel comfortable doing, can truly lead to a lot more stress and eventually the tic will HAVE to be released, sometimes a lot more severely because of the suppression. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy IS very helpful with tics that are intertwined with OCD, but it is important to find a very caring and compassionate therapist for this. have you ever been to Dr Duncan McKinley's website, Life's a twitch ? http://www.lifesatwitch.com Duncan is a psychologist who has TS himself and one of the issues he stresses is the dangers of trying to suppress tics or reverse them forcibly, as it really can lead to other more serious outlets! He discusses the correct way to reverse tics.

Hi I personally wouldnt go near botox for anything. It is a poison and I wouldnt want any poison intentionally added to my or my family's bodies I just have an inherant distrust of anything to do with botox!

Hi I know a number of people who use the TS-Plus with great success and others who do not seem to react well to it. For some, it can make the tics worse when they fiorst start it and then things improve greatly It is all related to different metabolism and underlying issues that make folks react differently. many of us have put together our own supplement programs based on Bonnie's excellent research and with consultation of our physicians. That way we can "tweak" the individual supps and doseages to best suit our individual needs. All of us who use supps are immensely greatful to Bonnie for her breakthru research that has spearheaded the move toward natural treatment of TS Here is a summary of how we helped my son move from very severe TS to now very mild symptoms http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p?showtopic=687 hope that helps

another bump for simonzl and other newcomers who may benefit from this

Hi Amanda I have been in the process of moving house and so have missed a lot on the board, but I was just sooooooo delighted to read of your improvement with the milk elimination. It is so simple yet has such a profound effect when we find and eliminate "triggers" to tics or other problems. Now, as to paxil. There is now (at last) an FDA mandatory warning on all SSRI type drugs like paxil that warns of their dangers in young people. Any doctor still prescribing these DANGEROUS drugs to children really is someone I wouldnt want to go near. I am so glad you got him off it asap. Please do keep us all posted on your progress. what a blessed start to the holidays for your family

Spartan, we were posting at the same time......see my post above yours.

I am puzzled by this as we have been told to ALWAYS take a combination of calcium, magnesium and zinc TOGETHER

Hi we were advised to only use olive oil or safflower oil for cooking. For salad dressings we use olive and sesame blends and ume plum vinegar or pure cider vinegar or rice vinegar depending on the flavor we want. Also add tamari, grated ginger, grated garlic and various fresh chopped herbs. Carrot juice also adds great flavor to salad dressings

Hi Spartan the true "expert" on vitamins/minerals to supplement for TS is Bonnie Grimaldi Whether you decide to use her Bontech supplements, or simply to get guidelines based on her research and then choose other supplements, I still would highly recommend reading her website. her original suggestions for supplementing (the protocol she helped her own child with) is at http://www.geocities.com/Area51/5207/ts_ma...bonnie_sup.html and her current website is http://www.bonniegr.com Here is also a thread describing the treatments that I used to help my own son http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p?showtopic=687 hope these are helpful to you. Supplements have truly been life changing for my son, and he has gone from severe to mild TS and now takes only minimal supps as his whole system seems to have stabilised

Hi Carolyn It was recommended that we take a capsule form that has a blend of flaxseed, borage and evening primrose oils. That gives a better omega balance and just seems to work best for us.

efgh yes, my son's tics do increase with high fructose corn syrup. We are not a ketchup eating family so I dont buy it, but I know Whole Foods has healthy brands, including their own.

Hi efgh I think a lot of that article is tongue in cheek......yes, there are some ok componants in junkfood, but the bad far outweighs the good and there are healthier alternatives that will give the good stuff without the bad. as to ketchup, there are healthy brands that dont have the high fructose corn syrup or any coloring, flavoring etc in them. As to pizza, my son can happily eat it without ticcing more. We are very selective as to where we get out pizza and avoid the "deliver to your home" brands, instead either making our own toppings and using a premade healthy crust or ordering from our local REAL Italian pizzeria who do make it all from scratch and use only pure ingredients........and you can sure taste the difference ahhhhhhh For those on specialised diets, I know they have to avoid the tomotoes(salicylates) dairy and wheat/gluten so I can see where pizza may be a problem for them I am really relieved that our family doesnt have food sensitivities, but especially that we can eat natural salicylates like tomatoes and apples etc. Dr Weil just did another article on how healthy apples are, and that they have an ingredient that prevents Alzheimers, while the Mediterranean diet containing lots of lycopene from tomatoes is heralded as being a major anti-carcinogenic

No...we didnt see more tics, but he did go thru a few days of feeling just yucky. The biofeedback, accupuncture and reflexology really helps the detox process as did the homeopathy. He also drank a LOT of water and had epsom salts baths too.

Hi and welcome I am assuming you mean 1000 miligrams of flaxseed oil not grams?? anyway, my son takes 1000 of flaxseed oil and 950 mg of evening primrose oil daily along with 50mg Borage Oil He tics more with fishoil so we avoid that He is 145lb and 15yo

Hi detoxing from mercury is best done with qualified help. My son had a combination of homeopathy, accupuncture/reflexology/biofeedback and the supplement CHLORELLA, which mops up mercury in the body. HTH

we tested for PYROLURIA but did not show +ve However, I have heard from many others that the treatment protocol really helps if you do show +ve. It is my foirm belief that one should always work UP on supplements....ie start with the minimum dose and gradually work up to the one recommended for whatever condition......different people respond in very different ways to supps, even if they have the same underlying conditions. It is mainly because of variations in metabolism. By gradually dosing up, one can often get maximum benefit on a lower dose, and one doenst risk the overdose symptoms.

Marina I am absolutely delighted to read your post!! What a special Thanksgiving this will be for you Regular visits to our NUCCA Chiropractor is something we have as an essential part of my son's treatment, even tho he tics so mildly now. It is amazing how easily the neck/spine etc go "out" with life in general, nevermind tics, and how even subtle malallignment can cause so much nerve/muscle/joint irritation. The ice packs are excellent, as are those soaks in a warm tub with 2 cups of Epsom Salts. Again, thank you so much for your post Marina......I know that Claire will be VERY happy for you too, and you have given others here reason to check into all this too. blessings

Hi Jenz and welcome yes, accupuncture works wonders for my son's tics and OCD......it is not a cure, but helps to calm the tics for long stretches. We did use the Chinese herbal remedies for a while, but, although we had no adverse reactions to them, we found that a change of diet with correct supplements was more beneficial to my son. The herbal practitioner said that sometimes one has to try a different range of mixes to get the right blend, but we were so satisfied with the results from our other natural treatments, that we didnt want to experiment more. However, the accupuncture is a firm part of my son's treatment. He also benefits from reflexology and aromatherapy

Hi Lulu yes, the dustmites live in bedding, mattresses, carpets, stuffed animals and just about everywhere else you can imagine....there is absolutely no way to totally eliminate them and so you just have to do the best you can. As Claire has suggested, start with the bedding......if you cant afford the covers yet then double up pillow cases and sheets (use only cotton if possible) and do NOT use feather pillows!!! Cottonfiber is best. You do need to wash often, but it really does help aLSO, if you get special covers, avoid ones with plastics in them as that brings it's own problems as well as discomfort as it makes your sweat. We were also advised to use Lysol disinfectant spray when our son is out of the house and spray down everything daily as it kills dustmite This is especially good for carpeting etc and those beloved plush toys One can get relatively inexpensive air purifiers these days too Just remember, you can only do your best and dustmite are simply a fact of life so dont go crazy over it....one step at a time as every little bit helps

Hi Denise Rage and anger issues are not a symptom of Tourette Syndrome per se, but can often manifest with it, either as co-morbid disorders OR as a result of frustration/misunderstanding and other psycological issues that folks with TS sometimes endure. Your son seems rather young to have the latter condition so it may well be that he is experiencing some form of co-morbid issue. ALSO rage can be triggered by adverse reaction to foods or environmental triggers etc Do start to read thru some of the very valuable info here, as even things like allergies or junk food (eg artificial colouring or MSG etc) can trigger moods like rage outbursts. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is very beneficial in helping with anger management . Just as a footnote here......my son has ADD & OCD & SID (sensory integration dysfunction) as well as central auditory processing disorder...... We have noticed that anger can sometimes be triggered by something impacting one of these issues..for example, if he has a label in a shirt irritating him because of his SID and it persists, he can suddenly have a spurt of fury because of it, or if he is focussed on something obsessively and someone talks or interrupts...again anger can erupt Since we began natural treatments and also detoxed him from heavy metals (especially mercury) and Candida (yeast) , as well as avoiding artificial food additives and other yuck stuff.......we have noticed that his moods are far more stable and that he isnt as "short fused" the eruption at Mom is actually a strange compliment......it seems our kids feel comfortable to "let it out" with us ......still, unbridled anger is something that does need to be reigned in GENTLY and with deep understanding as it will cause lots of social issues if not dealt with. The important thing is for you to try to get to the root cause...is it chemical imbalance, allergen, toxin etc causing it? and then seek to deal with it. Hope you will stay in touch and let us know how things go and what you find to be the cause(s) HTH

Hi Natalie and Chuck I only have a few minutes to post right now, and so will try to pop back later to answer some specifics for you Natalie, but just wanted to let Chuck kn ow that my husband (57yo) didnt realise that the "stuff" he has had (and also hidden for the same reasons as you) were TS tics. It was only when we were going thru our son's diagnosis 5 years ago that my husband suddenly went "aha!!!....NOW I understand what I have!" Just to encourage you both again too........my son was severely impacted by his tics and OCD etc initially but is now living a very happy and full life and med free, mild tics and doing wonderfully academically and socially. We noticed his earliest tics (in retrospect) when he was an infant.......he made clucking noises and when just a few months old would roll his eyes a lot. Doctors said it would all pass but as he got older he would always tap things or swing his legs etc. Wasnt till he was 10yo that we got a diagnosis of TS, when the tics manifested rather severely. He is now 15 and has been on the supplements for 4 years and WHAT a difference! ok gotta run....will try to check back later bye now