Chemar

Hi Beata J and welcome This is the first I have ever heard of this treatment, or of the suggestion that Tourette Syndrome has anything to do with "blood flow to the brain" needing to be restored. I thought I had explored just about every corner of the current research on TS, even some of the slightly bizarre ones ...but i have NEVER come accross this before. That is not to say that there isnt something relevant in it....I truly am totally ignorant as to what the theory would be behind this treatment. Anyway, just to give you a less costly option to think about....my son has gone from extremely severe TS/OCD/ADD to just mild tics and negligible OCD and A's and B's at school (he is in 7th grade now)..... we had him on an assortment of meds for a year, but truly found the side effects MUCH worse than his TS etc and so switched to alternative treatments primarily involving supplements based on the research by Bonnie ( http://www.bonniegr.com ) but designed to suit my son's specific needs. We have also found accupuncture and biofeedback(not neurofeedback) very beneficial...and, like most others here, saw a tremendous improvement by eliminating artificial food from his diet . A major breakthru also came in identifying and detoxing his system from yeast(Candida) overgrowth, and heavy metal accumulation (primarily mercury) I guess the concept that you posted about has merit in that usually increasing bloodflow to an organ results in increasing nutrients to it and removing toxins from it........Please do keep us posted as yopu learn more about this technique...and also stay in touch here to get great support and maybe learn more about the ways we are all helping our children. You may also want to ask on the BrainTalk Forum to see if anyone has heard of this treatment...there are some very knowledgable people and professionals who post there too http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/forumd...aysprune=&f=253

Whole Foods has a WHEAT FREE TAMARI SOY SAUCE for those who have to avoid wheat....yes! believe it or not...regular soya sauce has wheat in it!!!!!!!

Hi Just to say that Goat's milk and it's products was a big hit with my kids....my older son even decided to try his bros milk,,,and preferred it to cow's! I got ours at Whole Foods When we had our wheat free/corn free period my son loved the millet bread(frozen section at whole foods) I would lightly toast it. Claire, do you have to avoid Baker's Yeast too?? That would be a hard one! All my son's food reactivities seem to have stabilized, tho we have been advised to still avoid p-nuts and corn. (and ,of course, all the artificial yuck stuff) We attribute the de-sensitization to primarily biofeedback and detox.

I was searching for something here and came accross this thread from last year where Sheila posted some web info for alternative docs here are the links and the original thread link is posted below as the info in it given by Sheila may be very useful for some of you who are seeking good docs http://www.aaem.com http://www.acam.org the thread is at http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=79

Hi there i have noticed that some of you have a problem with posting links here on the Board...... same thing happened to me until i realised that they have to have the http:// in front of the www. in order to post! If you look at the little boxes above the open typing area when you are posting, you will see the options to customize your post, and there, along with the rest is http:// simply click on that and it will appear in a little separate box and then just add your www. to it, click "ok" and you will have a clickable link when it posts in the typing field. cool huh!

hi Renee I just posted this on the FAT thread to in response to your report back re the doc visit here is an Integrative MD in Manhattan who practices Alternative medicine....IMHO these are the best physicians as they truly see things in a very balanced "wholistic" perspective (Integrative=conventional plus alternative) http://www.boltemedical.com/ I will post other names as they come in to me

Hi Renee and so glad to hear you have a doc who didnt just try to push for medication! he is very right about a blood test being the only accurate way to test for strep related to PANDAs...also the strep in the throat isnt the ONLY one that can do this. I saw that Claire posted the link for DAN doctors for you as a start. I am still waiting to hear back from some contacts on additional alternative docs for you to consider. I have located a physician in Manhattan that may just be what you are looking for, as he is a qualified MD who also specializes in alternative medicine. Hopefully he is qualified to guide and advise you re neurological issues. here is his website http://www.boltemedical.com/ if I hear of anyone else I will post back here keep looking forward Renee.......their IS light at the end of the tunnel

Brian I am assuming you are an adult and so I am sure you do very well eating the fish and the rest of the things that are good for you. Children are very picky eaters and so , at least in my family, we maintain an excellently balanced, predominantly organic and very healthy diet AND we supplement those things that are necessary to help our son with TS/ADD/OCD/CAPD/SID etc. It has been a long, sometimes painful journey to get to the really good place that we are now in. We avoid junk food and processed, artificial foods and eat as much of the nourishing things as possible, However, because of my son's neurological disorders, he needs a lot more of certain substances than aeven a good diet provides. And so we use the supplements (the purest and most natural ones possible) that research has shown to be beneficial for his specific needs As to reports on bad stuff in food...yes, i do take them very seriously....not to the point of fanatacism, but with a cautious awareness of the dangers in the food supply in this polluted and over processed world. I am VERY satisfied with the system that we use and have seen near miraculous improvement in my son (who, btw HATES sardines!) I think one of the best things about the community here at Latitudes is that we all fully understand and respect the fact that different people have different methods and opinions on how best to manage the wellness of their own families. So we share our views and experiences, and learn so much from each other, while always realising that we each have our own personal situation to deal with as best we can.

In addition to the very serious problem with fish toxicity, there is also the issue that, for children needing therapeutic doses of the Omega 3 EFAs, one would have to get a lot of fish into them!!! My son loves salmon...but if I gave it to him every day.....he would soon grow to loathe it

In fact.....prayerful TIME is the essence! I truly am on a very tight budget now, and have NO insurance ....but have found that caring physicians will allow you to slpit payments over time, and charge fairly....and, if you shop around carefully, the supplements dont cost that much (certainly nowhere near the cost of the precription meds!!) Here is Scripture that has given me great hope and endurance during the tough times....it is my prayer today for Janice and for all here.

Dear Janice I couldnt help tears when I read your post. I too had my son's life devastated by the various medications that he was prescribed...but God is able to restore ANYTHING and He has worked a miracle in my son's life. We will all be praying for you and your precious son. Please stay in touch with us. with much love and blessing to you Cheri

Hi All our newest member, Renee is looking to find an alternative physician in the new York City area...preferably Manhattan. Does anyone have any recommendations? thanks

Hi Renee from iherb.com's excellent encyclopedia of all supplements Taurine is an amino acid, one of the building blocks of proteins. Found in the nervous system and muscles, taurine is one of the most abundant amino acids in the body. It is thought to help regulate heartbeat, maintain cell membranes, and affect the release of neurotransmitters (chemicals that carry signals between nerve cells) in the brain. Bonnie ( http://www.bonniegr.com )has found that when magnesium and taurine are combined ie magnesium taurate...it is very beneficial in reducing tics. The combo that my son takes is 800Cal:400mag:50znc and then he takes the separate 500mg capsule of taurine His multi has an additional 200 calcium, 100 magnesium and 15 zinc I used to give him the mag combo and taurine in the mornings , but now I give it at night and give the multi in the morning along with his EFAs and other stuff. I switched to evenings after reading of the relaxant effect of magnesium taurate. I MUST STRESS AGAIN that I have a great alternative physician who approves the supps I give, and a naturopath as a friend who guides me too. I am going to start a new thread to see if anyone can recommend a doc for you in Manhatten (My husband is from NYC too )

efgh just an additional question may i ask why you decided to switch from flax to fish?

hi efgh from my personal experience, your son could ONLY BENEFIT from Evening Primrose oil ( and you too...I have been using it for years...every woman should!) The main reason why you should now use it IN COMBINATION with the flax is that, based on research, people who are sensitive to fishoil are deficient in GLA...and Evening Primrose Oil is very rich in GLA. Flaxseed Oil is excellent, but alone it does not supply GLA or the full spectrum of EFAs that your son needs.... I really recommend adding the Evening primrose and, if possible, also the Borage Oil. I would think his multivit is suppluing enough Vit E For the record...I also cant take fishoil....it repeats on me(ugh...fishy burps are horrible ) and messes my digestion and seems to leave me feeling "odd"......

I have, but only with our physician's approval and only because my son is not on any medications. They work differently and so compliment each other rather than accentuating.....also, my son takes the lowest doses of each. Kim, there are people who react negatively even to "natural" products and so my advice to you would be to first run this by your doctor (or someone who is trained in naturopathy) and start with just ONE (I would suggest the 5HTP at 50mg in the evening) try that for 2 weeks and then, if you still feel it is necessary, add the GABA at minimal dose.

Hi Jeff dont forget to include the Evening primrose and if possible, the Borage Oil too.....flaxseed oil alone just doesnt seem to fully provide what is needed in the EFA spectrum, and, if you are sensitive to the Fish oil, your system NEEDS the GLA that Evening Primrose provides.

Hi Claire poor thing! I sure remember that feeling of one step forward..two steps back....but, as you know I am sure...you are actually making tremendous progress...just having to do the old trial and error that we have all had to experience. For the record....my son's detox was done by FIRST eliminating parasites eg the candida and THEN building the antioxidant levels and LASTLY doing the heavy metal detox....all complimented as I (repetitively I Know ) mention...Biofeedback, accupuncture and reflexology. These really do lessen the unpleasantness of the die-off and detox reactions. Our physician believes that this is the only truly effective way to proceed and stressed the importance of lots of water through the whole process. (She has read Children with Starving brains, plus The Yeast Syndrome and many of the other excellent books mentioned here, and so basis most of her recommendations on these proven protocols. Hang in there Claire....you are such a blessing to your son by striving to bring him the best quality of life possible. even tho things sometimes get jumbled and overwhelming....you know you can see that light at the end of the tunnel.... my prayers continue for you...for clear guidance and direction....and deep insight and wisdom.

Hi kimwal GABA( Gamma Aminobutyric Acid) is best known as a stress reliever and anti anxiety supplement here is a good link for info on it http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/subs...5,10027,00.html 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid that is the intermediate step between tryptophan and the important brain chemical serotonin. Increasing seratonin levels helps to combat depression, and also seems to ease the symptoms of OCD here is a good link for info on 5HTP http://community.healthgate.com/GetContent...d=/tnp/pg000141 hope that helps you with the info you need. If not, let me know as i have lots more links for them

Renee...thanks for the kind words! I know how desperate and alone I felt when my son was first dx and how I wish I had found these kind of support and info groups then........but, I sometimes feel that we had to go through what we did in order to be able to truly testify as to how alternative treatments just DO work better than prescription brain-drugs, and how one can go from the depths of despair to tremendous hope and finding the blessing in the challenge of living with a TS spectrum disorder. It is good that you are beginning to supplement....you may have seen the thread here and at BrainTalk started by efgh on Fish vs Flax Oil....more and more I believe the evidence is showing that it is good to combine the two, and that including Evening Primrose Oil and Borage Oil is a big plus. There was a study done in the UK some while back, where they achieved remarkable results in a test group of ADHD kids by simply rubbing Borage Oil into the skin (it has a delightful smell too)......there was an improvemnt in concentration and attention and memory as well as a lessening of hyper behaviour I posted the article on the old brainTalk board and will try to locate it and post the link here.....it must have been at least 6months or more ago.... As to the magnesium taurate....there is pretty clear evidence from bonnie's excellent research on a magnesium factor being imortant in the tics associated with TS. She has found that the magnesium taurate form is most effective....but, as far as i know, only Bonnie and The Vitamin Shoppe sell this form at present. My son takes a separate 500mg TWINLAB capsule of taurine along with his calcium/magnesium/zinc combo tab.......I have noticed that his tics do wax slightly when we skip the taurine, and increase dramatically if the magnesium combo is dropped too. The best kind of doctor to see is what I call a conventionally trained alternative physician....ie a doctor who has been through regular medical school and also has qualified in alternative medicine. However,these are often very hard to find (tho thankfully increasing) so some people see naturopaths, some see environmental medicine doctors, some DAN doctors etc etc Let us know your general location so we can see if anyone has any recommendations on good physicians in your area.

I notice that Mrs Doubtfyre has responded to this question on BrainTalk and has suggested that those who show a reaction to fish oil should take flaxseed plus Evening Primrose oil, which supplies the GLA that fishoil sensitive individuals seem to need. I truly feel that having the Evening Primrose oil in my sons EFA mix is of vital importance. I have been taking it for many years as it is highly recommended for all women, and especially those who may suffer with PMS

Hi Jean my whole family reacts badly to taking Vit B Complex.....we find it better to take the Bvits in our multi (dont seem to have a bad reaction there when it is mixed with everything) and then take the extras separately.....so my son gets extra B5, B1 and B6 for tics. Mega doses of B6 for tics are only necessary in the condition known as PYROLURIA which has been extensively researched and experienced by FJ* on brainTalk. She has suggested that, for people with pyroluria, high VitB6 and Zinc seem to be very helpful in reducing tics You can PM her thru her profile on the new BrainTalk board The Old brainTalk board is still up as "read only" so thankfully we can all still do research there a......it just runs very slowly...there are a lot of bugs in the system and that is why they switched to a new server for the forum

efgh sugar free gum probably has an artificial sweetener in it and so would cause increased tics. I have always preferred flaxseed, borage and evening primrose to fish oil, but, because only the marine lipids contain the full spectrum of EFAs needed, i give my son the combination of all....the fish,flax and borage come in a single capsule and he takes a separate evening primrose. Some people DO seem to have a reaction to fishoil...either because of allergies or other reactivies and sensitivities.... the real expert on this is Mrs Doubtfyre on brainTalk and you can email or PM her thru her profile there

Dont worry efgh..... aloha lipoic acid and alpha linolenic acid are NOT the same thing, and you are doing a GOOD THING by using the latter now for your son remember...anytime you are confused on the similar sounding supps....a great place to get info is at iHerb http://www.iherb.com/

Hi a friend of mine is looking to find a good alternative physician in the Toronto area... her son's issues are such that it would be best for her to have someone who is a fully qualified doctor but who practises natural medicine. if anyone can help, could you please post the info on the braintalk forum here http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/showth...read.php?t=5141 thanks so much...it would be a real blessing to be able to help her and her son as they have been thru a very rough time now for years, and the meds just arent helping him.