Chemar

http://psychiatry.jwatch.org/cgi/content/f...?q=etoc_jwpsych

here is the correct link http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pepsi-Refres...82.309749594..1 long links get abbreviated when they post to the board and so one cannot just copy and past direct from another post but rather need to repost the whole link I will correct the link in the first post as well

ps I should add that both 5HTP and tryptophan can make one very sleepy so best taken at night

my son successfully used 5HTP The body makes 5HTP from tryptophan and both are converted to serotonin in the brain. the intitial effect of the 5HTP (low dose @ 50mg each night) was a life saver for my son. It stopped the very very serious problems he has having with his tourettic OCD, anxiety, depression etc Once things had stabilized, he weaned off it and stuck with Inositol and methionine as his primary serotonin boosters when he had a waxing some years later he tried both 5HTP and tryptophan and like Michael mentioned, both wired him and made him spacy and edgy, the opposite of what they should do. so he never tried them again and instead switched to the samE form of methionine which seems to really work well for him

throat swabs (especially the rapid ones) dont always detect the strep. there is no definitive test for PANDAS & PITAND but rather a clinical evaluation based on a number of parameters, including blood tests that may indicate which antibodies are present you can learn more from this compilation thread on our PANDAS & PITAND forum http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=3928 not all kids who have tics necessarily have infection as the trigger, but it is worth checking into, if only to rule it out

Hi yes, we have experience in transdermal testing, both from a traditional radiogenics therapist as well as a more technologically advanced version at an Integrative MD's office. when we had subsequent blood tests done on certain things that showed up after the testing, it amazed me just how accurate the electrodermal testing was. In addition to other things, it showed my son had Epstein Barr Virus and candida albicans infections. I do think that, as with all testing and treatment, one should be sure to pick a qualified professional. Sadly some alternative therapists are IMHO charging way over the top for some of these things. Always ask upfront about costs.

PANDAS = Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptooccus PITAND = Pediatirc Infection Triggered Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders we have a forum here for PANDAS & PITAND http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showforum=17 when I mentioned I was referring to that possibility also, with you introducing cows milk...you may want to check for dairy allergy, a cause of tics for some

Hi and welcome the first thing that strikes me is the possibility of photosensitive induced eye "tics" or blinking as even a train journey has that flicker effect as the light and lotion interact. If you search "screens" under user name Claire, you should find a lot of info on it Have you noticed any other sensory issues ie hypersensitive to textures of clothing, strong smells, loud or very high or low frequency sounds. Perhaps I missed it in your post, but have you had your child checked for any possible seizure activity? usually most people with Tourette Syndrome do *not* tic in their sleep. In fact it is the one time when for many it is the only time of the day when their tics stop. so your child ticcing notably during sleep again makes me wonder if you are seeing something else beyond possible TS or transient tics is there any family history of tics or Tourette Syndrome? OCD? the other symptoms as you noted can be related to the autism/aspergers spectrum, as well as Tourette Syndrome, or might be separate diagnoses. It isnt unusual for kids with neurological issues to have more than one those were just some initial thoughts while reading your post there are many and diverse things that can trigger tics, from infections (eg strep) to food allergies, so there is lots of ground for you to cover. But just start a step at a time so you dont get overwhelmed and hopefully you will soon have answers and effective treatment for whatever is causing what you are noticing with your son

I get ours in cartons at Target, or the bags at our Publix supermarket. averages around $3 for 4 lbs

ps also never take zinc on an empty stomach! some supps, like methylB12 and samE etc are best on empty tummy, but zinc without at least a light meal preceding it, can also make one feel ick

OptiZinc by NOW foods is the only one my husband can tolerate it is chelated zinc monomethionine and copper The one my son and I take is a blend of chelates, zinc gluconate and zinc citrate usually it is better tolerated if it is a chelate, and also best taken with a B6 supplement. we use the P-5-P form also be sure he actually needs zinc, as some people are very sensitive to overloads of it

we have documented evidence that waxing moon means waxing symptoms for my son with TS/OCD (from years of keeping a journal on what makes histics and/or OCD wax) thankfully since his overall condition has been so mild for years now, the waxing is minor. But when he was younger, and still in severe state, it often brought crisis level waxing the link between the full moon and waxing of neurological/ psychiatric conditions is accepted in hospital ERs The term "lunatic" comes from luna, the Latin for Moon I dont think it is a far stretch to consider the effect of the moon's cycle on the human body when we know how dramatically it affects the tides and crops

i dont see it on iHerb's list of drugs that potentially have supp interactions, either as tenex or it's full name guanfacine http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetContent....hunkiid=33801#T but still wise to check with the doctor, or possibly even better to ask the pharmacist do be prepared tho that the doctor may also tell you that there is no way supplements can help tics If I had listened to the ones who told me that, my son would never have shown the remarkable improvement that he has!

Chap, I would imagine that spray on magnesium would work the same way that the epsom salts does to deliver magnesium transdermally. Schnauzer, mag taurate is supposed to be the best form for TS, because both magnesium and taurine are helpful in reducing tics, but we have had isolated reports of some kids (albeit a minority) not reacting well to taurine so that is something to be aware of. I am not aware of anyone reporting adverse effects with mag glycinate or mag malate in fact I read an article recently suggesting magnesium malate is a good choice for those with neuro issues

Hi have you had your child evaluated for possible PANDAS or PITAND? when one sees a waxing of tics and/or OCD with illness, there is always the possiblitiy that it is related to a latent infection, even tho there may not be obvious symptoms of the infection eg strep this is not always the case as yes, some people with TS do also show waxing of tics with any kind of illness but even with the pretty clear evidence of genetic TS in your family, it may be worth also checking into PANDAS/PITAND just to be sure you arent also dealing with an infectious agent being a trigger

Hi Kevin as mentioned in that thread of mine, I based the supplement plan on the research of Bonnie Grimaldi, who now has her own supplement products http://www.bonniegr.com when my son started supps, Bonnie's product line had not yet come out but she did share what she had done to help her child on forums and her then simple webpage. I printed it out and took it to our Integrative doctor who did testing for us and we tweaked things to best fit my son's needs. Over the years we have added and removed things and near end of the thread you will see a current update from this year where my son, now 20yo and doing great, takes very few but very specific supps at this time and yes, my son has instant relief from an epsom tub or footbath... The spectracell tests can show mag levels http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=755 take a look thru the rest of our useful threads sticky for other good info too http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2459

Hi Kevin and welcome good that you are exploring natural and alternative therapies My own son has genetic Tourette syndrome and was initially on meds but horrid side effects so we are most thankful to have found another way to help him. My husband has TS too and clonidine was like poison to him! Made him psychotic. I have a link in my signature below on what treatments my son has used over the years so wont repeat all that here. If interested just click thru one thing I would highly recommend is that you begin with magnesium supplements. many parents here use the Natural Calm or Kids Calm mag powder mixes. There is research to support the theory that many people with TS tics may be magnesium deficient Also, when your son is having down time, try epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) footbaths and see if that helps. 3/4 cup epsom salts in a basin or foot spa with warmest water possible and soak those feet for about 1/2 hour . We use a homedic foot spa that keeps the water warm and also has a vibration mode that massages the feet. a soak in a tub of epsom salts before bed can also work wonders for my son. 2 cups epsom in a tub of warmest water and soak for 20 min As Faith has mentioned, some parents have found that either dairy free and or gluten free can help some kids too You will learn a lot about elimination diets from many posts here and one thing we almost all seem to have noticed is that artificial food additives trigger more tics so avoiding those really can make a big difference keep asking questions as there are many perspectives to all this and it can be very overwhelming....just rem,ember that it isnt a one shoe fits all as the solutions are as diverse as the many triggers and not all kids have all of those triggers, nor does everyone react the same way to the same treatment. just take it slow and do one thing at a time so that you know what is helping and what is not. hoping you find answers to help your son

we bought ours years back from Verilux because they have daylight full spectrum incandescent bulbs as opposed to the fluorescent which we try to avoid as my son seems sensitive to those I think that places like Home Depot and even office supply etc now sell daylight full spectrum lightbulbs too, but not sure if they have the incandescent bulbs

Hi Hope the Natural Calm does seem to promote sleep so maybe do a test over weekend giving it in the morning to see how it goes my son is adult so he takes the full teaspoon at night when he feels he needs it He also takes a cal/mag/zinc supp in the morning (has 400mg mag) and gets extra mag from his nightly epsom salts footbaths too my understanding is that around 300-500mg a day is the supplemental oral magnesium dose that is recommended for keeping tics down, depending on weight

I have enamel bake sheets I got the "Visions" items years ago and I know you can still find them on eBay for reasonable prices. Havent priced new ones so not sure what $ they are at I store food in vintage glass refrigerator dishes...I really love those! Have a set of different sizes made by Hazel Atlas. The Corningware is also great for storage and I wash out glass jars and use those for storage too I store nothing in plastic anymore and never never ever use plastic in the micro recent studies have shown that both heat and cold cause the ick stuff to leech out of the plastic

that would depend on what they put into the ceramic mix the glass does not leech, but many, not all, ceramics do

Hi I found this post in the ADHD forum? and felt pretty sure you meant it for here as this is the forum you have posted on before The Natural Calm is magnesium citrate which does have a laxative effect any to her magnesium is good...just avoid mag oxide as it is a waste of money because of being so poorly absorbed Mag malate or glycinate are good options and if your child tolerates taurine, then mag taurate is very good too

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=7411

Dr K's site http://www.webpediatrics.com/pandas.html

I use glass dishes too, all made in the USA or France. (Arcoroc) Also use glass mugs there is lead and other impurities in some ceramic/china dishes so I try to avoid those, I meant to mention re the cookware that I do still have a large set of vintage white Corningware that I still use as ovenware and in the microwave (it is mixture of glass and ceramic)