Chemar

Morning all ! Nancy I use the TwinLab brand of Inositol at 500mg per day (it also contains VitB6) My son does not react well to no-flush Niacin or any other additional Niacin other than that in his multi, so i avoid it. Niacin is Vit B3 while Inositol is Vit B8 Claire I do think that after long term 5HTP use, one should taper off to gradually reduce the elevated seratonin. and Yes, SJW does cause increased photsensitivity, especially to sunlight... however, it is an unlikely side effect at the minimal dose that my son takes, and he has not yet noticed any effects after 2 years of daily use. I have always encouraged my children to wear sunglasses or peaked caps when in the outdoors. I have forgotten how old your son is Claire? Just as a point of interest, I am beginning to hear from friends about mainstream docs who are approving 5HTP for anxiety, depression and OCD for their patients. Very encouraging!

My husband(also has very mild tics and OCd etc) does very well on SJW but does not react well to 5HTP...it "zonks" him for a short while and then he feels hyper.

Claire, i am pleased to report that we dont really have those kinds of OCD waxing anymore! Yes, he still gets very "focussed" sometimes over a particular subject or issue or object....but it is really different now that he is on the 5HTP/SJW, Inositol& GABA plus the B's etc! Just not the same obsessiveness to the point of overwhel,ming anymore. I do agree tho that EXCERCISE and distractions and re focussing are excellent tools to modulate the OCD stuff

Claire that sounds like a really great buddy. Isnt it wonderful when they find good compatible friends! My son really treasures them

I use only StonyField Farm PLAIN yoghurt (I add honey/maple syrup/chopped fruit etc as my family requires) It has 6 live active cultures including L-acidophilus, lactobacillus, L-casei and L-reuteri

Hi Linda and welcome Having been thru the Haldol zombie phase with my dear son for a year over 2 years ago, I can only say I sure know how you feel when you say you just want your son back!(Mine was on Luvox too, very similar to Zoloft) The med. withdrawal should be done VERY gradually and it is a very good idea to start the supplements soon to build his system (just NOT the seratonin elevating ones like 5HTP or SJW till he is off the Zoloft completely) but starting him on a good multivit with high Vit B plus extra magnesium/zinc/calcium and fish/flax oil capsules will work wonders. (There is very helpful advice on withdrawing from psychiatric drugs in Dr Breggin's book "Your Drug may Be your Problem" http://www.breggin.com/yourdrug.html (it is also available thru Amazon, Boarders etc) Withdrawing from the meds is not a pleasant experience....BUT once it is over and your son's true personality begins to re-emerge....OH WHAT JOY! All the best to you and do stay in touch with us and let us know how things are going.

dear efgh just a word of gentle caution.......it was pointed out by someone on another forum that one should be VERY careful not to let a child feel they are being punished for ticcing.....eg...if you son really loves TV, Computer, Playstation, and gets barred from it because it makes him tic....even tho you are trying to be a good parent and help remove tic triggers....yet, in the child's mind it equates to..."I tic and therefore I am being deprived of something I love because it makes me tic!" I even had to appraoch the junk food issue with my son in a similar way.....more for him to realise that it was bad for him, rather than me being the "food police" all the time Same with video games.......he now knows that explosive, flashing type games set his tics off and so limits his own time on them and sticks to ones that dont trigger the tics so much.....but we established this gradually and with his co-operation...rather than simply saying "No More!" and so perpetuating that "punished because I am ticcing" feeling...... hope I am conveying this in an understandable way !

Jean From our experience and what i have seen from others, you are describing OCD not "bad habits" Phobias and fears are inherent in OCD.....and they are very often totally irrational. The nose thing sure sounds gross, but it doesnt surprise me. Some VERY odd things become obsessions or compulsions. I have also been struck by the vast individual variation in the manifestation of OCD, especially the kind that is associated with TS. I dont think one can try to "type" these behaviours as they truly seem to be so variable. The one unifying theme seems to be the "my mind told me to do it" explanation.....sometimes expressed as "I have to, or else........." or "I dont know why but I must......." etc etc.

I just remembered something to add to the above.......my son uses his portable CD player with headphones whenever we travel even short distances in the car, and he also did during the flight to Managua. He says that listening to his music is the best thing for him when he travels anywhere, and we certainly have noticed that he tics less when he does so. He also sometimes plays his gameboy, but, although that occupies him, there is no positive effect from it on the tics, and sometimes the opposite!

Hi efgh sorry I didnt see this thread before. My son was away for 2 weeks, during which time his tics were AMAZINGLY reduced even tho he was in very high temperatures and "exciting" conditions. They didnt eat much other than rice and beans, and did a lot of manual lavor in the heat building an orphanage and medical clinic. The chaperones are all people from our church who know my son very well and they were quite astonished at how his tics were way down on the trip we had a discussion on this surprise tic waning at BrainTalk http://neuro-mancer.mgh.harvard.edu/ubb/Fo...TML/005327.html When we go to restaurants my son just enjoys his food but still stays away from the sodas and those kind of things. He does tic more in confined spaces, but, as I have mentioned before, we have learned to just let it be, and it seems to wane much faster than if he feels self conscious and tries to supress. We really have learned to live with mild tics and so we dont get stressed out in situations where they show slight increase.

ooooh nice trip to Cancun you are planning there! My son went on a Youth Mission trip to Nicaragua in the summer and his supps went too.......I had to send them in their original containers(I dispensed the right quantity for the trip) and had to send a signed letter from me with them as he is a minor. They were kept by the chaperones and given to him as per my instructions. They didnt have any customs problems there.

Ronna I seem to recall Bonnie once suggesting a couple of HOURS between anti and Pro-Biotics.(I believe the thread is on BrainTalk somewhere and I think she suggested 3 hours spacing)

Hi efgh the LACTO in the bacillus is related to its milk digesting properties ......no probiotics actually have milk products in them, but rather are used as a source of "good bacteria" to aid with digestion, allergies etc. http://community.healthgate.com/GetContent...d=/tnp/pg000209 HTH

Hi Claire So glad you have an answer! tho I agree, wheat is a hard one to deal with!! My son was not allergic...only "reactive" and so the homeopathy/biofeedback we did was beneficial and he seems to tolerate all foods well now. With full blown allergy, I am not so knowledgable on treatments, but i do recall that there is a program whereby you have a series of injections (ugh!) which effectively "de-sensitizes" you to the thing you are allergic too. once the series of shots is over, you go for periodic "boosters" By now they may have far more sophisticated techniques! Have a wonderful holiday and lots of blessings to all of you.

Hair analysis is useful, but nothing beats blood analysis for detailed results IMO Important tho to have the samples analysed at reputable labs .... Bonnie G has more info on this I believe.

That is SO very true!

That is EXACTLY the way my son describes it so it sure makes a lot of sense to me! You are IMHO definitely showing classic OCD so that in itself should be a great relief as there IS a reason for what you go thru and.......best of all.......it CAN be treated to make it less "bothersome"..... The conventional treatment is to use prescription meds to keep seratonin levels elevated....we found those not to help much and the side effects were nasty!!! However, using natural treatments like supplements(5HTP, Inositol, GABA) and also accupuncture and the healthy diet, has brought my son such relief that his OCD is barely noticeable now! Here below are some useful websites explaining OCD (there are MANY more, but these give a good overview) http://www.ocfoundation.org/ http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/ocd.cfm#ocd1 http://www.plain-truth.org.uk/june-aug03/ocd.htm HTH

Hi again efgh....I REALLY do want to recommend again that you try to find a doctor who is clued up about supplemnts and alternative treatments.........although most "natural" products are safe...still, and ESPECIALLY with a child, I personally feel that it is important to treat under the guidance of a physician.....ideally someone medically qualified or at least someone with qualified knowledge. Although you will always get great info here from people's own experience and research etc etc......still.....it does not compare with first checking this info or ingredients etc with someone qualified......perhaps even email Dr Rogers here if you are not sure about something...her broad knowledge and experience and qualifications are truly impressive! Many of us here love to try to be helpful, but we are (for the most part) not qualified to do anything other than to share our personal experiences or info that we have learned.....and often, especially when there are many different threads running...we arent necessarily giving the kind of detailed attention to specific things that a physician or qualified person would......for example, in glancing thru your multivit ingredients...I spotted herbs etc that I questioned, but did not even notice the Iron on top...because I wasnt specifically looking for it So, you can see why it is good to seek info here....but then even better to check everything with someone qualified to make recommendations for your child's specific requirements. I really do have to commend you.......you are so very diligent in seeking out info and finding so much ......your child really is blessed to have a parent so determined to find the right course to follow! I am surprised that the Epsom Salts is pricey where you are! Are you looking at a pharmacy? cos their prices are always silly! I would try a supermarket or discount store and compare price there. Hope you have a happy day.....

Hi efgh I have heard a lot of good reprots about the Dead Sea salt and mud products. Epsom Salts is very inexpensive. I buy it in cartons for just a few dollars. (cheapest at WalMart) Iron supplementation is problematic sometimes when it is given to individuals who dont need it. I know that it is generally recommended to stay away from iron supplements unless there is a diagnosed iron deficiency We get quite sufficient iron in a healthy diet of poultry/beef and green leafy vegetables. I only use iron free multivits for our whole family. 5mg for a child sounds VERY high to me! here is the blurb on iron at iHerb http://community.healthgate.com/GetContent...d=/tnp/pg000458

Hi Corlette and welcome! You have done a good thing by starting out on Bonnie's supps....that certainly isnt haphazard as the evidence for positive results with specific supplements is pretty overwhelming! . As to muscle tone...my son did have poor tone at one stage but it was linked more to his SID (sensory integration dysfunction) than TS per se......he had occupational therapy and showed tremendous improvement. Allergy testing and other specific analysis is very helpful as individuals do vary enormously in the foods that they react to, as well as to the balances of minerals etc in their systems. Hair analysis is particularly useful in identifying any toxins like mercury etc and again there are good natural ways to deal with these. Many people have also benefitted by having blood tests done to check for parasites(eg candida=yeast) andalso to determine blood levels of various essential nutrients so as to better formulate the supplement treatment. This really is a continuous learning curve, but you will find that knowledge truly is power, and once you start specific applications, the results are so very rewarding! All the best

Hi laura and welcome Excellent advice that you have from Claire! As a general rule on diet......the more natural the better.......a good start is to eliminate all artificial stuff.....colorings, sweeteners, additives&preservatives etc etc and make sure you give a good multivitamin(again, without colors etc) Try to avoid anything with MSG and high fructose corn syrup, as well as propylene glycol. Some people benefit from eliminating certain food groups or substances....but this is usually related to food allergies....eg some are lactose intolernat and so seem to tic less when dairy is eliminated....others dont tolerate gluten well and so do better when the diet is wheat-free.......etc etc Basically, one really learns about food tolerance as you start keeping a record of what foodstuffs seem to trigger more tics. The specific supplements that are helpful for tics are documented in many of the threads here.....with magnesium(balanced by calcium and zinc) and B vitamins topping the list, followed closely by Essential Fatty acids, Lecithin and others Many of us have found these dietary changes to have had remarkable results in TS symptoms being less intense. HTH

My son takes Ginko Biloba along with a combination of flaxseed,Borage and marine lipid oils and has had a tremendous improvement in his ADD and overall performance at school. Borage oil in particular appears to have a very positive effect on his ADD.

Hi You are describing symptoms that my son has had too. It sure sounds like OCD to me! Since he has started avoiding artificial foodstuffs and taking special natural supplements his OCD is almost non-existant. Before (even on medication) it used to literally rule his life!

efgh, I have no info on GABA re tics....only for OCD. We use the NOW brand which has GABA and B6 combined Also, from an earlier question pantothenate is the same as pantothenic acid

efgh I am sure Jennifer will be along soon to answer your specific questions, but I just wanted to mention that NATROL has an excellent combo EFA where there is Flaxseed, Borage and Fishoil together in one capsule. That is what my son takes.