Chemar

Just a caution re 5HTP or tryptophan.... do NOT take them together, in conjunction with SSRI meds, or anything else that elevates serotonin, as a dangerous condition can result!!! my son took 5HTP for a while when his OCD was really bad, when he was younger. It did help but we were told never to exceed 50mg a night. A few years later when he tried it again it made him very very edgy!! as did the L-tryptophan, so the reaction can be very varied!

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=10188

We have enough anecdotal evidence just on this forum alone that suggests many kids here have tics wax when they are ill, whether or not they have PANDAS/PITAND. Where childhood infections do not appear to cause tics for most of the pediatric population, those with compromised immune systems etc can exhibit tics from illness or infection. So if a child has had recent infections, and is manifesting with tics, then one absolutely should investigate the possible connection further, IMHO

no my son went gluten free for Chron's and did not see tics go up or down it did help his GIT tho

For anyone who may not know about the rest of ACN/Latitudes, apart from the forums, here is the home page (where you can also make donations ) http://www.latitudes.org

I would just treat it very "routine" and say that you are interested in hearing from an "expert on tics" to see if there is anything you can do to help make them better. Hope all goes well. I have no personal experience with DrL as she is primarily used by PANDAS parents here, but have heard very good things about her.

Hi Emerson, if you never take them off, how can you know that you would not see a positiive response without them on? I am not suggesting they are in any way a primary cause of tics...obviously not by any stretch! Just that you *might* notice an improvement without them on.

Emerson, as you are young ..... a question for you...do you wear "silly bands"? Some parents on the TS board are documenting that they notice a possible reactivity to them.....possibly transdermal dyes and chemicals? If anyone wants you to have candy again, maybe try the healthier kinds at http://www.naturalcandystore.com

I noticed you posted on the PANDAS forum re possible Lyme? if so, then you may not see a change with just the magnesium, tho honestly it is very helpful for general calming too. you may also want to ask questions on the Lyme forum here. http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showforum=19 do you have any family history of tics and Tourette? hope you are able to determine what is causing the tics soon so that effective treatment can follow

are you referring to the Multi with bad preservatives of that name that you posted of yesterday? or the magnesium/vitc/zinc powder formula that they have now discontinued? if the magnesium powder, you should see relief within a day or two...tho for some it can take a week or so if the tics are not from TS then they may not show improvement with a magnesium supp as it is specifically recommended for TS tics if the multi, then it is the wrong product for tic relief

That must be a new product of theirs. It is not the "Kids Calm" that is referred to in posts here, which is the magnesium one, now discontinued. Pity they called their multi by the same name as that is very confusing for people I agree you should stay away from those preservatives and am kinda surprised that they would even consider adding those, especially to a children's multi Some members here have recently reported on some good multi's if you want to do a search on it if it is the magnesium formula you are looking for, the plain Natural Calm is fine for kids

Hi yes tics could definitely be caused by infections like that! you may want to also check our PANDAS/PITAND forum for further info on infection induced tics/OCD Tell the parents there of the urinary and chest infections. They mainly talk of strep induced symptoms but many have also dealt with things like Mycoplasma, which causes pneumonia/chest infections and can possibly also induce tics/OCD here is the link http://www.latitudes...hp?showforum=17 as far as people staring....well, sadly that is something people with tics get all the time, and one has to simply learn to ignore them! It is THEY who are being rude by staring!!!! she cannot help it! and if anyone says anything rude to her about it, simply tell them she has a nervous tic and cannot help making the sound.

Hi telling her to "stop it" is not the answer. If anything, it can make it worse! Children can have tics (which these sound like, vocal and motor tics) for a number of reasons, from having Tourette Syndrome, to having an infection (like strep) to having allergies to foods or things in the environment. when it is associated with a compulsive drive (which seems is occurring when she describes it as being "told" to do these tics, then it may be a form of what is known as tourettic OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder merged with Tourette Syndrome) there are other instances of compulsive or obsessive tics, seen in Aspergers Syndrome (high functioning autism spectrum) and also with kids who have chronic infections (again like strep, a condition known as PANDAS, or other microbes, known as PITANDs, which can also include Lyme Disease etc. Some children may show these symptoms after vaccines, including flu vaccines, as well as an asortment of other "triggers" So, as you can see, there are many things that can be causing these tics for this girl, but she is unlikely to be able to just "stop" doing them as they are likely neurological and not within her control! The stress of being told to control something happening beyond a child's control can in turn trigger even more of the tics. It would be like someone telling you not to blink. You can hold it for a bit but then you simply *have* to....same for a person with tics! The parents should rather try to find out what is causing the tics so as to best treat them. If they or the child are not bothered by the tics, and if the child is not showing signs of illness and seems content, then you may have to actively try to not react to them yourselves, if you are able to ignore it and just enjoy having her around. But especially don't add to the problem by telling her to "stop it ", as it is more than likely that she simply cannot. hope that gives a bit more perspective for you our main page has a bit of info about tics and tourettes http://www.latitudes.org and also has a link to a very helpful book about natural ways to treat tics and tourettes If you want to learn more about Tourette Syndrome, here is a good website http://www.tourettesyndrome.net

as this is such a big current fad, for those whose kids wear silly bands, seems some of us may have noticed them being tic triggers (possibly the transdermal dyes & chemicals?) ..... http://www.latitudes...showtopic=10805 I will lock this thread so the convo can continue on the other one...just wanted to be sure everyone who may have this problem sees the topic!

it really depends on the individual. my son has chemical sensitivity and so most meds have a bad reaction for him. if you do decide to use azithromycin, ask for the generic one that does not have the red dye in it. The white one still has junk in it, but with red dye (red40) a known tic trigger, you really want to stay away from that. I hope you find the answers you are searching for, but do remember that, especially as you have a family history of TS, your child may be exhibiting just that and be undergoing the characteristic waxing and waning associated.

thanks for alerting members to that.] almost all prepackaged food products nowadays have artificial stuff in them.........did you know that they use the blue dyes to make some white stuff whiter (eg marshmallows!) and also use that awful titanium dioxide as white coloring too (studies show it to be a carcinogen) honestly, we learned the hard way to read every single label and usually if the ingredient list is more than 3 or 4 items.....it is bad! Dont be fooled by the word "all natural" either. If in doubt, call the company and ask. You would be amazed at what garbage some of them are using and calling "natural"

I know they did for my son Lynn he tested it twice about a week apart. he does have diagnosed chemical sensitivity so we think that is likely why he reacts so intensely to these things but yup, the silly bands definitely caused him to feel weird and increased his tics

great to hear the multi is working well Megan my son was recently given a few of those silly band thingies. He had a tic storm shortly after putting them on, and he said he also felt weird so he took them off and things improved, but still elevated, and it lasted till he also took his epsom bath! He thinks it was likely a combo of the dye in them plus the silicone and other chemicals. I see all these little kids with their arms covered in them and feel so concerned for what is passing thru their skin, and who knows if the chew on them even!

if you do a Google search for integrative physician Virginia you will see a number of them come up. Remember, not all Integrative docs are the same, as some have different specialization, and some, just like with all docs, are better than others. I always ask a lot of questions of the doc's office bf setting any appt, and also search their name on Google too to see if anyone has reported anything about them etc

Hi to all of our members this thread is primarily for posting links to important topics here at Latitudes/ACN, whether link to a thread (copy and paste the URL in your browsers address and then paste here) or link to a specific post within any thread (if u look top right of the post there is a number eg #1...just click that and the post is brought up so u can copy and paste that URL) Any links for *other* sites, where you feel they would be beneficial to the members, are welcome, but it would be a good idea to really limit those, so that what is truly clear INFO 101 threads by our own members are grouped here, allowing all members, and especially newcomers, to be able to easily find them. We also have to be careful of the perception of "endorsing" research, products, physicians etc. If in doubt as to whether a link here is suitable, just PM me and we will check it for you What we want to do is try to only use this thread to minimize confusion and provide a comprehensive database of info that has primarily been gathered here for anyone searching for answers Please NO DISCUSSION on this thread. Feel free to start a new thread below on any topic here for discussion thanks for your help in putting this valuable resource together

based on my son's history of increased tics (and interestingly, tummy troubles) related to *any* dental stuff since he was very young, plus the fact that cervical chiropractic (ONLY NUCCA trained!) has always helped his tics, I sure would think there is some validity to this theory. But after my own checking after it was initially discussed here, I personally believe it is but one of all the multiple possible "triggers" for tics, including for people who have TS. My concern first time round ws that it may have been perceived as "the" fix for tics/TS With genetic TS, waxing and waning just seems to be an inherent reality. At least that has been our experience. The good news for us has been that a visit to the chiro, or our acupuncture/biofeedback/naturopath specialist, then helps to reduce that "inherent" waxing and seems to extend the waning periods, at least from our experience. So that may be what you are seeing Dalit. Glad to hear of the progress and hope the waxing wanes quickly!

we use only Integrative Doctors (conventional MDs or DOs who have specialized in alternative medicine) and other holistic health practitioners. Most conventional doctors will just give medications, although some will suggest CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) which is excellent for OCD My son's inositol intake from food is not over and above the up to 1 gm daily but part of it here is a site that gives food content http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1245264/an_introduction_to_inositol_includes.html

so encouraging to see your update Kevin

my son is 21 now. we first learned of inositol for OCD when he was 11 so it has been 10 years of using it at varied doses and now, getting it mainly from foods high in it, and only taking the supps as needed if he feels the OCD ramping up. And yes, he finds it very effective at the right dose. In the early days of taking it, his OCD was very severe and he was on other supps that increase serotonin too. However, if planning to use inositol with any other supps that also elevate serotonin, or with any med that does so (eg the SSRI meds) then you really should consult with a professional first as one does not want to spike serotonin because that is dangerous, and can lead to something called serotonin syndrome

Not sure if it has been mentioned here before. there are so many "end" or "cure" ebooks etc nowadays on the topic. Many seem to just be a rehash of what is posted here and on other discussion groups free! Or repeating what is in Sheila's book. I know there have been some members voicing complaints about spending money just to find it was nothing other than they were already doing. I am honestly always cautious when anyone uses the hype of "end" or "cure"....treat, yes. That conveys a realistic expectation of improvement, without the hyped promise of a cure