Chemar

Hi Nola glad to hear you are making progress the Kids Calm has been discontinued so people now use the original one NATURAL CALM It is available at health stores and online. (The Kids Calm liquid you can still find but that is a different thing, it is a multivitamin, not magnesium) epsom salts is magnesium sulfate, 2 cups in a warm tub of water with 20 min soak before bed seems to calm tics. available at Target and supermarkets/pharmacies Bonnie Grimaldi is an inspiration to many of us as she initially formulated a vitamin/mineral supplement plan to help her child, and posted it online. She has subsequently come out with her own products, BonTech http://www.bonniegr.com I have not ever used her products for my son as we put together individual supps, based on her original plan for her child and it worked so we stuck with it. Some of our members do use her products with much success tho some have reported sensitivity, thought to possibly be to the soy? HTH remember to read the pinned Helpful threads for more info. I also have that link in my signature below here on what helped my son

This is the Natural Calm product we use http://www.iherb.com/Peter-Gillham-s-Natural-Vitality-Natural-Calm-The-Anti-Stress-Drink-16-oz-454-g/5121?at=0

Hi I have a friend who has used the light therapy for S.A.D (depression) but have not heard of it being used for tics.

IMPORTANT: The Kids Calm magnesium powder that many write about here has been discontinued and the liquid multivitamin that it has been replaced with is not the same thing! The Natural Calm is the best for helping with tics now that the Kids Calm powder is no longer available (magnesium citrate powder that can be mixed with water, juice etc)

Hi if your daughter's tics "transition" from one type to another, that could be waxing and waning as well..as one tic wanes, another waxes. The vast majority of people who have tics, whether TS or another tic disorder, only exhibit the tics without any comorbid symptoms Allergies can trigger tics. Some of those medications you mention have been documented here as triggering more tics, but I forget which were ok and which not so a search would hopefully bring up the info for you If your child has environmental allergies, there may also be dietary allergies or sensitivities that could be contributing to the tics. Lots of info here on that as well

my personal choice would be to use one of the natural antifungals rather than a chemical concoction like Diflucan, but then my son has extreme chemical sensitivity. We like Candida Clear by NOW as it has a mix of excellent natural yeast busters you may well see an increase in symptoms with the die off (herxing) and so increasing probiotics, epsom baths and pure water intake is beneficial.

Hi I do not know the supplements you purchased, but as long as they do not have artificial ingredients in them, it should be ok. If you Google the words Naturopath and your city you should come up with some results, though you will need to check first what they practice. I would suggest an Integrative Doctor (again Google with your city or area) They are trained MDs or DOs who have also specialized in alternative & naturopathic treatments. Epsom salts is magnesium sulfate. bathing in it seems to help calm tics and promote relaxation and detox. Most of us use 2 cups epsom (get at Target or your supermarket) in a tub of warm water, soak for 20 min before bed. One can also do foot baths

Have you tried Inositol for the OCD? It really does seem to be the one with least side effects and a gentle action. It is Vitamin B8 My son has tried various things over the years, (including 5HTP, which initially worked wonders but then made him very edgy...tryptophan was not a good fit for him either!) He has found methionine or samE helpful for short periods. But consistently, Inositol brings the best relief for him when OCD is waxing. he takes 500mg daily and ups it when the OCD is bothersome.

as far as I know only applesauce from golden delicious would be ok Kevin I am 99.99% sure it is golden not red delicious that are low in salicylates

if he has salicylate sensitivity it could be the apples? Apples are high in salicylate (except for Golden delicious) http://salicylatesensitivity.com/about/food-guide/

My prayers will remain lifted for you. Never forget that God loves your daughter even more than you do I know how hard it is when we want to fix whatever is wrong for our children. That is what moms do! and so we feel helpless and afraid when we don't have the answers to make things right. Please don't give up hope. When I was at my lowest point once with my son in severe waxing, a friend surprised me by telling me to read a forum for parents with terminally ill kids. At first I was taken aback...I had expected her sympathy, not this!! But she was right. I got things back in perspective . I had to accept the reality of TS, while having clearer vision to keep searching for the right way to help make things better for my son. I stopped insisting on a "cure" as being the only answer to my prayer...and instead prayed for guidance and strength to help him have the best life possible, even if he was not "cured". I pray you will have that peace that passes all understanding, and that you will have clear guidance and direction going forward.

Yes, we had been using many alternative things as it was clear something was not right with my son. He was already seeing a naturopath and homeopath, but we had not yet formulated any fixed plan as were mainly doing various testing. He was on some homeopathic drops and pillules. His exacerbation happened just bf Christmas 1999, shortly after his 10th b'day. We were very against getting medications when the TS/OCD dx came in early 2000, as we have always been holistic in our health perspective, but sadly, when things were eventually so very severe for my son after more exacerbations, the combo of the school, the neurologist, psychologist and psychiatrist scared and bullied me and dh, and persuaded my then 11yo that it was the only way he could have any quality of life so the year of the medication nightmare began.....ugh, I still struggle to think back on that year I thankfully found a copy of Latitudes magazine at a friend's house in late 2001, when my son was in severe withdrawal from the meds, even tho under physician care. I learned from there about Bonnie's plan for her child (long before she had Bontech supps) and I found her then yahoo page with her supplement list. Took it to our naturopath and the rest is history...things kept getting better even tho we still have had the ups and downs that living with neuro and autoimmune illness brings. The Crohn's threw us a curveball (symptoms began in 2004 but correct dx only in 2006) Son has always had digestive probs tho, since infanthood, and one of his early dx from the naturopath was "leaky gut syndrome" and candida overgrowth, along with Epstein Barr virus. quote in my signature says it all: "When Life brings you to your knees...you're in a good position to pray!" honestly, God alone knows the mess I really was inside. I was totally terrified and felt hopeless for my son's future. Only one thing got me through that time. Prayer. I know I found that Latitudes magazine as an answer to prayer that day. I had been begging God to show me the way to help my son.....and I was finding it in those pages.......I eventually joined the forum to share the success we were seeing as a way to "pay it forward", and that is why I am still here

I noticed that Megan has recently posted on other threads that she is very pleased with the results of the Progressive multi

Lisa if she is prone to strep then you really should check into PANDAS/PITAND more PANDAS = Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcus (ie strep induced) PITAND= Pediatric INFECTION Triggered Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder (ie triggered by an infective agent) (basically, PANDAS is a type of PITAND that is strep induced) have you looked at our PANDAS/PITAND forum here http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showforum=17

I really do have to add a word of caution here to avoid jumping to a diagnosis simply because of a single symptom.... where eye blinking can be the "first tic" in many tic disorders, this does not mean it is *always* the first tic, nor does it mean that every child who exhibits unusual eye blinking is manifesting the beginning of a tic disorder One of the reasons I mentioned having eye tests is that some kids who need prescription glasses can have eye blinking manifest. Eye movements can also be associated with seizures, allergies etc. So where yes, this may be the first sign of a tic disorder....it may also be indicative of something else and therefore an evaluation by a physician and a pediatric opthalmologist really is recommended.

Hi mythree what you are describing almost sounds like tourettic OCD patterns. With chicken pox being part of the Herpes virusfamily, I guess you may be seeing a PITAND type reaction with this waxing. Pity they did not check for strep just in case. There is also always the possibility that you see the waxing as part of a die off reaction (herxing) of the microbes being killed by the antibiotic. Not sure what all Biaxin takes out? Do keep going with the healthy nutrients and supps, and maybe also add good antimicrobial foods like the raw local organic honey and garlic, coconuts if she tolerates them, turmeric etc hope she feels much better soon.

Hi Lynn it really is hard to determine which came first for my son as looking back, he likely had tics from a very young age. He also had what we now know as tourettic OCD when younger. In fact, we got the OCD dx before the TS one, and he was dx with ADD, CAPD and sensory issues in preK. The TS dx came when he was 10, and had a very dramatic exacerbation of tics, depression, anxiety, OCD etc, similar to that described by many of the PANDAS parents. He did not appear to have PANDAS tho, but likely was PITAND, with the backdrop of the inherited TS . I had an older son so was able to compare development and definitely, my son with TS had more issues right from birth. lol now don't punch me but I agree...stay vigilant... but stop worrying

Hi there, it really isn't possible to try to make suggestions as to doses and brands for your child as there are so many variables. Have you tried to find a physician or someone with knowledge of supplements (eg a naturopathic practioner). That really is the best way to go, and what we did. It is also a good idea to have the child's eyes checked, as well as an eval by the pediatrician to be sure you are in fact looking at tics. It depends too on why your child is ticcing, especially as all you mention is eye blinking. Remember, my son has genetic inherited Tourette Syndrome spectrum of disorders. But there are many other things that can cause tics so what we did is simply me sharing his story. My son's program was uniquely designed for him and has continued to evolve over the years, so what worked for him may not for your child. Cleaning up a child's diet of all artificial ingredients seems to help most people, while adding basic nutrients(vitamins, minerals etc) in sufficient quantities also seems to have a universal positive. Many seem to find magnesium beneficial for tics in general, both the oral as well as epsom salts baths. Beyond that it really is impossible to be more specific, other than to try things one at a time, at lowest dose, and then gradually work up if you feel it is helping

Hi Christo was your child on a multivitamin/mineral supplement before starting the rice cereal often kids with tics who are not on any extra vitamins will show improvement as soon as they start a multi so perhaps that is the benefit you are seeing, along with probiotics and the epsom baths glad it is working well God Bless you and your family too.

I dont know what to suggest as I am uncertain of what supplements may be available to them there. Magnesium is always what one thinks first when TS may be the cause of the tics, supps as well as the Epsom baths. But honestly, when they have tried so much and not even seeing any improvement with meds, I would question whether a TS dx is accurate Is there also OCD?

I posted that article on NT's Schizophrenia forum and was interested to see mrsD's response re the cytokines in pregnancy etc http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?p=716079#post716079

yes, we have been through that one, including when son had a tourettic OCD thing to touch the back of his throat on the pharynx Is he sure it is a tic and not GIT related? ie is he nauseous or any other digestive distress? or does he feel this is primarily a tic?

MonoLaurin (=lauricidin = lauric acid) from coconuts is another antiviral (general antimicrobial) that we have found really good I have heard there are even encouraging trials done on some HIV patients with it. I get ours from my local The Vitamin Shoppe, (occurs naturally in breast milk btw) we also like Olive Leaf Extract we use a lot of natural antimicrobial foods too, including local organic raw honey, garlic, ginger, turmeric and oregano oil, amongst others.

bumping this up for anyone who may not yet have seen it and would like to help with fundraising or to make a donation http://www.latitudes.org/donate.html

There is a Donate section on the main Latitudes/ACN homepage in case anyone is able to do so http://www.latitudes.org/donate.html someone on the PANDAS forum also reminded members that some corporations will match your charitable giving so do consider that as well