Chemar

Mar teeth coming out and in are noted by many as being tic triggers it could be the combination of that plus the new stuff too much sugar can also be a culprit, natural or not, as it does have an effect on the brain I agree with Patty to check for possible coconut sensitivity even tho no allergy. I still wonder tho if you were not rather seeing an enhanced die off of candida as that much coconut could have sped up the yeast demise because of the anti-fungal properties carolyn_lsc has written up some info here on coconut allergy so maybe search coconut with her user name and see what you find

interesting...never heard this before. did he specifically say for eye tics only or for any tics? I grew up in a malarial area and they gave quinine to help stave off the fevers from infected mosquito bites that caused malaria. but never heard of it for tics..... tonic water should be ok in moderation but yes, high dose quinine isnt something I would think you want to give to a child I will do some checking into why this may work a bit later.

Hi yes the additives can stick around a while. we have noticed that even a little deviation from a pure diet can cause quite an upswing in tics for my son. he has also been diagnosed with MCS=multiple chemical sensitivity so he reacts to them in foods as well as the environment (eg perfumes, cleaning solutions, chlorine, pesticides etc) if you son has had strep it really would be wise to consider having further investigation re possible PANDAS not every child who has a strep infection is going to have PANDAS, but for many with either genetic or other susceptibilities, it is a very real possible cause of tics and other neurological stuff, especially if you are also noting volatile moods/behavior we have a separate PANDAS forum here too http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showforum=17 I have a link in my signature on what we did to help my son

Hi do you have any family history of tics or Tourette Syndrome? can you remember if he had been ill prior to when the tics began? any history of strep infections? any vaccinations just prior to the tics? when you had the bloodwork done, was it only to check for allergies, or did they also test other things? many of us have found magnesium to be very helpful in calming tics. a lot of the parents use the Natural Calm or Kids Calm magnesium powder that gets mixed into a drink also soaking in a warm tub of magnesium sulfate (epsom salts) can be helpful. 2 cups epsom salts in a tub of warm water and soak for 20 minutes before bed even tho he didnt show any food allergies, it can be helpful to clean out as much chemical/artificial food additives as possible too hope you find the answers you need to start effective treatment

this looks like a thread from last month? as I see the original post and SF Mom's reply is dated feb 20th ?? if there was just a link and no text with it, it may have been flagged as a spam/promotional link? Was there anything commercial/for sale there? ameliaannajensen, perhaps just post it again, or of in doubt as to whether it is allowed, just PM it to the administrator to be cleared first?

hi Mar yes, it could have been any one of those things if they were all new or just a total overload! That was quite a lot of stuff mixed together there! also with all that sudden coconut, he could have had a big yeast die off and be reacting from that did the ice cream have carrageenan in it? we totally avoid that! any other artificial ingredients in any of it?

Hello Heidi well, welcome to the club of those of us who have gotten those kinda responses from many "conventional" MDs it wasnt till I started only seeing physicians who are Integrative ( ie Conventionally trained MDs & DOs but specialized in Complementary medicine too) My experience with my own son and psychologists was try to find someone who is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and maybe go for the first appt alone to "interview" the psych yourself first! JMHO but last thing you want is one we encountered who wanted to mold my son into what they thought someone with TS should be (they had TS themself) and were the ones who convinced him that Haldol would be the only thing to help him once you are satisfied with them after that first visit, where you will also be able to give some background in private, so as not to upset your child who might misunderstand some things said about them...kids are so sensitive and often "blame" themselves when they feel their parents are worried about some aspect of them, and can then sometimes internalize more. My hubby with TS did that as a child...... you are wise to wait on the meds I think, as there is always the risk of side effects, sometimes worse than the tics etc. as we discovered the hard way ourselves with my son. lots more you can try along the natural way, while you try to get a good psychologist helping too. maybe see if you can find an Integrative Doctor too. Sometimes those with DO are more open minded to alternative treatments than MDs. and often they are "in network" so covered by Insurance too, which some alternative practitioners are not

Lele, I so understand how you are feeling not sure if you have ever heard "He's My Son" by mark Schultz It's about a father with a sick son back when my son was in crisis, this song used to cause me to go thru deep emotions again, when I look back and see how my son has matured and overcome the many challenges of life with TS, I can only say "thank you God for hearing this mother's prayers for her son!" here is the song (be sure to have the kleenex handy) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8bvA3M63G4

(((Lele))) that is so hard isnt it we taught my son early on that when it was strangers pointing etc to try to ignore that man should be ashamed of himself! in some situations, at school or other social environments, my son would be proactive and simply tell the people that he has a neurological disorder that makes him tic. sometimes they would have the grace to be ashamed and apologize. sometimes they became even more cruel. that sadly is life. the very best way to handle it I feel is to instill compassion and caring in your child while gently educating him that the world has its share of callous and insensitive people, and that it is truly best to ignore those as much as possible I know it hurts Lele. I would spend many hours crying for my son. but honestly, I see the kind of young man he has become and I agree with him that all these things have made him a stronger and better person. he learned early to deal with the "unfair" aspects of life and so he "rolls with the punches" much better now

yes, I agree with Vickie. There has been a recent post on the TS forum too about whether both food allergies and external environmental allergic factors can trigger OCD in TS kids. from our experience with my son (genetic TS, probable PITAND component) he definitely has triggers from some foods Primarily chemically "enhanced" ones He did not test allergic to any of the food groups, and seemed to come out of elimination diet trial showing just corn and peanut sensitivity. However, because he also has Crohn's Disease, he made a personal decision to try going gluten, dairy, corn free and has sensed a real benefit in his overall health and "brain" stuff, especially OCD symptoms. Interestingly tho we have not noticed a significant reduction in his tics, tho they are in a relatively mild state already. it really does seem that anything that triggers an immune or inflammatory response in many kids with neurological disorders, can also seem to amplify whatever symptoms they have. At least that seems to be the case for my son, and from what I read in so many posts.

Mar even if you dont start the book from the beginning for now....flip to the 4 phases of the diet and look at the list of allowed and not allowed food over the 4 phases. that will give you good idea on best things to eat and how to reintroduce the others also flip to the recipe section. We developed some of our fave recipes from some of those and still use them as we so enjoyed them

so good to see such an encouraging thread!

Hi Spartan I am not sure if you have read some of the threads here about a group of dentists who also feel that tics etc may be caused by TMJ problems I have no doubt that this may be the case in some people with TS/tics my only concern is when the physicians claim that this is the case for all or when they claim they can "eliminate TS" It just seems to add a hype factor to what may in fact be a viable treatment for some I am also a bit cautious about what the site you linked says re you wont pay of you have a "temporary" ceasing of tics "during the consultation" what does that mean if or when the tics come back later? so yes, where I can certainly see that orthopedic triggers for tics exist (my own son was always *temporarily* helped (not "cured" ) by NUCCA chiropracty) I would just be cautious about spending a lot of money for something that may not be of long term help, or that you will have to keep paying out for. That is not to say that perhaps they may be able to give you permanent relief. But just check into it all very carefully IMHO

thanks Kim I knew you would have helpful info on this!

ameecram, have you PMd kim? she may have more info on this for you too. Also maybe search posts with her user name on the subject of vaccinations

Hi Hope this aspect is so hard for us as momma bears isnt it! here is another recent thread on this that may give some insight from other members http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=7069 good for your son on having someone come in to educate the class re the TS/tics I think you will be amazed at how accepting and understanding most kids are...often far more so than some adults!

I think their very likely is a connection there too Patty It seems to me that anything that triggers an immune or allergic response can set of both tics and the OCD and other "brain" stuff we see in so many of our kids I know when I am exposed to strong perfumes and scented products, or strong chemical odors, I get a headache, very odd sensation in my nasal passages and sinuses, and strange brain fog and become very irritable! The first time I used Resolve Carpet Cleaner I was ill for days with that reaction. So you can imagine how it affected my son, who we now know has multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS)

Hi Mar as far as I understand yes, that is a sign of improvement we did blood and stool tests initially so the DIY spit test was something I learned of later but here it seems to me to indicate that when the strings are gone and you just have the specks floating, that is good? http://www.natural-cure-alternatives.com/c...-spit-test.html as long as things are going well on the diet, maybe keep going a little longer just to be extra vigilant to get all the candida that book we used, The Yeast Syndrome by Walker and Trowbridge, has a four phased diet to get one thru the stages of yeast eradication, with more foods being allowed back in gradually over each phase, after the initial strict elimination first phase are you seeing any improvement in overall symptoms? Have you noticed any worsening from possible candida yeast "die off reaction" that can often happen in the "worse before better" that results when the dying yeast releases toxins?

Hi Elizabeth we found that switching from refined sugar to using a little turbinado (raw) sugar, and things like honey and stevia made significant difference. there are other sources of calcium, and it is a good idea to also supplement it if you feel there isnt enough in the diet http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/dairy...alciumFoods.htm Rice milk or almond milk may be a good alternative for you to try and yes, if he is stressed out about the changes, it can contribute to the tics I would be very interested to hear if an antibiotic for the tooth infection has a dramatic improvement on things for him

this is always such a hard decision to make isnt it from what I understand it is often the combination vaccines that can be especially problematic could you ask your doc if they can do each separately and not all on the same day...ie separate the measles, from mumps, from rubella and do them as individual vaccinations I know some parents are flatout refusing and getting exemptions on this. It is hard as some of the illnesses can be severe, yet the vaccinations may also cause ick stuff hope whatever you decide that your child will be ok

here is a comprehensive list that may also be helpful http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=255

it seems to affect so many people negatively (not just those with illness either) that I wonder why they still do it...I can understand the need back then but why do they still do it now?? there are reports about lost productivity etc related to the loss of the hour as well I just dont see the purpose for it anymore

Hi Elizabeth if a food allergy is causing the tics, you should be noticing improvement by now. It may not be dairy. And yes, soy intolerance is very common!! You may want to stop the soy as from what you are describing there seems to be a reaction and yes, absolutely a tooth infection can be a tic trigger. If you notice a dramatic improvement on antibiotics for the tooth infection, you may really want to look into a possible PANDAS/PITAND link to the tics etc

hello before anything I do want to also mention that any suggestions we make may be brushed off by the pediatrician as many (most?) conventional doctors do not know or accept that there are other causes for tics than they were textbook taught years ago in med school. Usually it is the Integrative physicians (conventional MDs who have specialized in alternative/complementary/naturopathic medicine that are clued up on these things, including many DAN (defeat autism now) docs we have a pinned thread at the top of the board where you will find links to some helpful info re testing etc http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2459 re your specific questions * Blood test results - nothing showed up in the initial testing, so what else should we be testing for? blood tests that are a good idea are for antibodies to strep or other infectious agents, including candida albicans and mycoplasma p baseline results for vitamin and mineral levels so you will know if deficiencies exist more are in this thread http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=755 * If this is genetic, as her father and cousin have had what I would deem minor tics during their lives, why are her tics so much worse than theirs? the theory is that some "trigger" is responsible for the way the tics manifest. could be the vaccines, infections, allergies (food or environmental) etc etc * Will it go away??? million $ question. no one knows for some people, resolving the triggers causes the tics to go into remission. sometimes tics are "transient" and resolve on their own. In TS usually the tics never go away completely, but can get much better with effective treatment and increased age--the hormonal years of puberty are known to be associated with most tics * Does she require medication? not unless she is severely infected and needs antibiotics, or possibly if the tics are so bad that she cannot function Our personal experience with meds was that it brought side effects that were worse than the tics * Should she be seeing a child psychologist? (in my opinion, yes) a good psych can be helpful, especially for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, but also be careful on this until you know WHY she has her symptoms... * Should she have the 2nd half of the swine flu vaccination? (in my opinion, no) in my opinion NO also! http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1564 * Are her terrible temper and extreme mood swings related to the tic disorder? more than likely. If she has PANDAS or PITAND then the inflammation caused by the microbes results in these extremes of mood/behavior If genetic Tourette Syndrome then yes, there can be mental health issues that manifest along with tics as part of the TS spectrum * Should I be removing certain foods from her diet now, or waiting until testing is done for sensitivities? Is the doctor PLANNING to test for sensitivities? as mentioned above, most conventional docs do not recognize the connection between tics/mood issues and allergies or sensitivities. but doing your own food elimination tests to determine what she may be reactive to is a good idea http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=794 * Would it have been the swine flu vaccine OR the stress she was under from her father that triggered this increase in severity in the tics? absolutely could have been either or both hope that helps a bit once you go thru the threads I have linked, dont hesitate to ask questions if needed hope you get clear answers so you can begin effective treatment

Hi Judith and welcome (and thanks Bonnie!) I have moved your post over to our PANDAS & PITAND board, as you will learn a lot more re strep here all the best and hopes for good healing for your son