Chemar

I have not heard that term before. Perhaps it is the same as biofeedback? as that uses the reverse resonance waves as "corrective" therapy? If it is biofeedback, yes , we have used it with very positive results.

Dear Wendy I dont know about the seroquel as i have no experience with it, but just wanted to say Hi and hope things get a whole lot better for you. It is hard to cope when you arent sleeping properly. Have you spoken to your doctor about this? there are lots of natural sleep aids, some of which also help with alcohol withdrawal. but I am not sure about their use in pregnancy. I know some people say that warm milk before bed is helpful. Hopefully someone with more knowledge on this will be along soon In the meantime I just wanted to encourage you as i can sense you are feeling kinda lousy. I do hope and pray things will settle down and that all will be well for you and your new baby. Stay in touch here and let us know how you are doing

Hi Your juice sounds good to me. It is when they say things like "natural flavors" or other nondescript items like that that i am cautious....but your juice sems to be only fruit and added vits It is confusing sometimes and hey! stuff will slip thru....but as long as your basuc diet is good, the occasional slip isnt going to be major drastic, unless the product is LOADED with it. Here is a real simple place to learn a bit more about the essential fatty acids like the flax, fish etc http://home.howstuffworks.com/fat4.htm

Hi there No Ginko and ginger are not from the same plant. Ginko Biloba is a tree and the herb made from it's seeds is known to be helpful with memory and concentration Here is a bit of background on it http://community.healthgate.com/GetContent...d=/tnp/pg000624 The good news with TS is that so many cases get better not worse with age, and that good diet, supplements and environmental optimization can often keep the disorder from being too disruptive. yes, there will always be the waxing and waning, and some tics are more noticeable than others, but overall, with knowledge and understanding...there is a lot more hope available now than in the past!

Hi As I have never had to deal with either strep throat or PANDAS in my TS son, I am truly ignorant from a personal standpoint on this. Just do remember that PANDAS related tics do NOT necessarily have to be related to the strep virus that causes strep throat...there are other strep viruses that can be involved, and also other viruses unrelated to strep that may also be implicated. The only way to truly distinguish between a strep throat and a regular sore throat is by a swab test done at the doctor's office. The only way to identify the PANDAS associated strep etc viruses is by blood culture done at a lab. It is however, my experience and that of many others, that an increase in tics is FREQUENTLY associated with any and all kinds of illness, infection etc. So even a regular sore throat with no strep or fever etc CAN cause a dramatic increase in tics until the illness is over (and sometimes even lingering a while after health returns) This is one of the good things re supplements and healthy diet in that I have found it has strengthened my son's immune system so that he is less susceptible to the various illnesses that always seems to be doing the rounds at schools.

Hi all some of you already know our story. My son has TS/OCD/ADD/CAPD/SID.......phew! He was on meds for a year and they not only didnt help, they brought on sude effects that were worse than what he was taking them for. Since going on supplements based on Bonnie Grimaldi's research for the TS, as well as the addition of specific ones for the OCD (5HTP, Inositol/Lecithin/Choline, GABA/B6 etc) he is like a new kid!! He also takes Flaxseed/Borage/Evening Primrose Oils and Ginko Biloba for the ADD We have found accupuncture and reflexology to be very helpful for OCD.

Hi Jennifer Yup! Vaccines are scary and I do believe the ones my son had to have (both for middle school and for his mission trip to Nicaragua) probably have contributed to a slight upswing in vocal tics since June. But, thankfully it has been mild enough not to be a problem...and the benefit of his being allowed to go on that life-changing trip have far outweighed the slight tic increase. As to the Natrol 5HTP, it has rice powder, silica, gelatin and the magnesium stearate. I wish it had none of the above, but it was a lot better than many of the other brands we looked at, and is at least free of the really yuck stuff.

Flax aids in digestion, but i dont know about actual weight loss. As to the tics, efgh, you will find that the nature of TS is that tics KEEP CHANGING and they come and go all the time. This waxing and waning is very characteristic of TS. To answer your question from another thread...yes, touching and repeating are very common tics too. I can sense that you are very anxious and concerned and i really want to encourage you to take a deep breath and try to relax. Most tics stay mild and in numerous cases they even disappear after a while. If this is TS, you are going to have to learn to accept it. By doing so, you will spare yourself a lot of anxiety and stress. Yes! There are many things you can do to make things more manageable, like the good diet, careful environment, correct supplements and especially, minimal stress and anxiety. But, if it is TS, there is as yet no known absolute cure. For both my son and our whole family, our biggest breakthru came when we learned to accept the fact that he had TS, and started letting the mild symptoms be. We have actually come to find many of my son's motor and vocal tics to be rather endearing, and they are just part of him. Even his friends dont even notice the mild tics anymore. I truly think you will be so much better equipped to deal with all this if you can get clear diagnosis...whether PANDAS or simply tic disorder or actual TS or whatever....once you know what you are dealing with, you can then have a baseline of what is happening and how best to treat it. My thoughts and prayers are with you because I sure have been in the place you are now, and i fully understand why you feel so overwhelmed. Just try your best to relax...and remember....there is much reason for hope as I can testify! Goodnight

sorry for my spelling error...... astigmatism is blurred vision resulting from corneal or lens probs. Glasses helped correct it for my son

Hi again I am going to ask Ronna to pop in here as she is very knowledgable about PANDAS after her son's experience. As to Probiotics...yes, you can buy them in supplement form at health stores, or Wholefoods, Chamberlins etc.......the best ones are kept in the fridge. They are "healthy" bacteria that replace the good ones killed by antibiotics. Yoghurt is an excellent source of probiotics, but better to buy the plain kind (like Stoneyfield Farms) and then add your own fruit, honey, maple syrup and other healthy flavors.

Dear Guest 123 Have you had her tested as possible PANDAS? When the strep induced OCD/tic etc issues do occur with PANDAS, there isnt necessarily a strep throat involved......there are a number of different strep viruses and it is the "lurking" or stealth type ones that are tested for re PANDAS. The test involves a comprehensive blood culture. If you need some info on PANDAS here are some useful links The first is about a study that is now very much under way with pretty clear cut evidence for PANDAS. My son was under the care of Dr Murphy for a time when they were testing him as a possible PANDAS case(he was -ve) http://www.ocdhope.com/strepOCD.htm I dont always see eye to eye with the NIMH, but their info on PANDAS is informative, and they are funding Dr Murphy's excellent research. http://intramural.nimh.nih.gov/research/pdn/web.htm http://www.homestead.com/westsuffolkpsych/Pandas.html HTH As to the supplements that help with OCD, yes! they really do help BUT you really should first rule out PANDAS as they possible underlying cause. In that case, you need to eradicate the virus(es) and then see how the OCD does. The supps cause seratonin elevation, amongst other things, and if your daughter is in fact showing strep induced OCD rather than seratonin deficient OCD, it would not IMO be a good idea to give her the supps when what she actually may need is the correct antibiotic program. Do remember that antibiotics do also kill good bacteria etc along with the bad stuff and so always give probiotics with antibiotic treatment

Morning all Claire, the 5HTP effect was pretty instantaneous for my son. He was in SEVERE mode when he started it and the difference within a few days was dramatic. He had been on the minimal dose(only one third of the suggested daily dose (300mg=.9mg standardised hypericin) of SJW each morning for about 2 weeks before the physician okd adding the 50 mg 5HTP at night. efgh we only used the magnets provided by my son's therapist, so i cant help you much on where to find them. Perhaps Jennifer has some resources there.

Hi although eye rolling is clearly recognised as a tic, for my son it was also related to short-sightedness and astygmatism. Have you had a vision test done by a pediatric opthalmologist?

When my son was in a severe tic mode, shortly after coming off meds, the OCD and SID were also very strong and he was reactive to just about EVERYTHING The therapist who does his accupuncture/biofeedback/reflexology stuff gave him these little earlobe magnets...he had a pair on each earlobe with +ve and -ve poles in each pair(front and back of lobe) and they adhered. Well, whenever he was having a problem with any of his symptoms, he had to simply squeeze the magnets together. The results were quite amazing...calm and relaxation, tolerance level up for external stimuli, tics and OCD stuff down. I confess I dont really understand a lot of how magnetic fields and energy fields work in all this...........BUT WORK THEY DO

Hi Claire I loved what someone posted about: and someone else wisely posted: Good advice IMO If your son is calmer, i think you are very wise not to stress him into taking pills when he doesnt want to. But, at least you know about it now in case it is needed. The Natrol ones are great because they are really small capsules. God Bless and goodnight

Hi from my understanding...a simple tic(whether motor or vocal) involves a movement or sound whereas a complex tic involves a group of movements or sounds. This has no relevance to the severity of TS Severe TS is usually characterized by frequent and often painful or disturbing ticcing that can sometimes interfere with normal functioning as well as possible comorbid conditions like OCD etc Mild TS involves tics that are less frequent and do not have such a dominant effect on functioning. It may have the co morbid conditions. My definitions here are somewhat simplistic but I believe that is the basis for distinguishing simple and complex tics, as well as severe vs mild TS

Hi Mustang Carole phew! you sure have an uphill battle with those docs!! You are such a great mom to just keep persevering to do what you believe is right and valuable for your children's well being. Hang in there...we are all rooting for you

There is also a lot of growing information with regards to BORAGE OIL and ADHD and other LDs as well as other neurological conditions We use the combined Flaxseed/Borage/Omega3 and a separate Evening primrose Oil capsule and my son's grades have gone from Cs & Ds to a 3.25 GPA in 2 years. He does of course also use a lot of other supplements to help with his TS, OCD condition as well as Ginko Biloba for the ADD (no H)

Dear Sheila That is so well said! This board is like a Haven Thanks for maintaining a place where we can truly share and care Cheri

Hi the stress balls are a good thing. I also have a friend who just tightly clenches her fist instead. Not understood just how, but many people do report that tightening of muscles seems to damp down certain tics. Sleep is a biggie. The 5HTP seems to help my son sleep, as well as soft background music and a blue nightlight...... also, a warm tub just before bed with Epsom Salts added to the water. Some people also report a better sleep pattern on GABA (gamma amino butyric acid)

hi efgh yes, Bonnie's supps are capsules that can be opened up. From iHerb's Natural Pharmacy: Bonnie does not include it because not everyone with TS is deficient in nor responsive to L-carnitine. It is usually suggested to try it WITHOUT any other supps first (other than the regular multivit) If there is a noticeable tic decrease, it is probably needed! Some people use it with other supps, like we do, and some just with a multi as they find it suffiecient for their needs.

Hi Jennifer we have used the Natrol brand for 2 years now @ 50mg /day.(evenings) I have also heard good things about the NOW one

we have NEVER used neurotherapy for my son, so Claire is best to answer this. I know of people who have done neurotherapy for anxiety depression etc and say that it involved a positive tone feedback thru headphones every time they had high alpha brain waves, which are a good thing. The feedback from the tone would assist them to achieve this high alpha state and bring relief. As I say, this is an area where I am truly ignorant. We have used BIOfeedback for my son which is very different I believe. It involves electrodes and energy fields to "reverse" what is problematic. Our accupuncturist is highly qua;lified and experienced with this technique. I dont know how it works, but I can testify that, for my son, it did...he had it in conjunction with the accupuncture and reflexology, and his therapist considers this combination important as they all compliment each other. A radiogenist was also involved in this treatment for diagnostics, which we found to be uncannily accurate when compared with back up blood work. I really am not an expert on the whys and hows of these alternative treatments, but, as I say...they worked in bringing relief from TS/OCD symptoms and eradicating some infection and allergy related problems Since starting my son on the supplement program, the need for the biofeedback etc has diminished, and so now he just goes when the need arises=hardly ever. However, anecdotally, my son reports that he feels better after one of those sessions than at any other time, and that the accupuncture in particular brings tremendous calm and tic relief. We are on a tight budget, but if I could afford it, I would still take him in for one session of at least the accupuncture/reflexology per week!

Hi Ronna Nice to see you here where things are a LOT more peaceful and focussed than in some other places!

I dont know much about Feingold but it would surprise me if it oks ANYTHING with artificial color, flavor or MSG. with a ticcing child, I personally wouldnt take the chance.