Claire

Our DAN doctor was going to give us a medical excuse to postpone the middle school immunizations and reasess a year later. As Chemar said, he wanted the immune system built up more first. But he said depending on where you live and the risks, you need to make the decision accordingly. At least the current vaccines (other than flu) no longer have mercury. I know with MMR they said spacing them was easier on the immune system, don't know if the same applies to your child's age group e.g. if they bundle shots. Claire

Hi Purplepoodle, Thanks for the update. I realize you may not get check on this for a couple of days, but just in case, check that the treadmill doesn't have flashing scores/stats/columns during this no screens week. If so, it is still a flicker. I know it is small, but a small gameboy can set off a seizure (and tics), and the screen is the same size. If so, maybe you can just cover the display with a T-shirt this week, once the programming is set. It is important to have no triggers at all for the week, to get the full effect, and since he was ticcing a little during it, the screen may indeed be a factor. My fingers are crossed for your child! Good for your other children for helping out. Claire

I keep looking for low-carb snacks…my son loves this. Something to pack in his lunch, or for on the go. Sorry I couldn't find the old snacks thread--way too buried. 1 T butter 2 tsp vanilla ½ c xylitol 1 tsp cinnamon 2 Cups pecans Melt butter in pan, add other ingredients, adding pecans last. Sugar will ‘melt’ and coat pecans. Stir until pecans are covered well and pour out onto plate with waxed paper. Cool. Great snack and xylitol is considered ‘natural’ (unlike nutrasweet and sucralose), yet is not derived from corn like sorbitol and maltitol. It is a sugar alcohol and is slowly absorbed and supposedly okay if you have yeast overgrowth. FYI, studies have shown that chewing xylitol gum reduces cavities in kids. Claire ps Next I am working on high protein gluten free muffins for breakfast. ala Atkins, but without sucralose and wheat.

Our insurace plan covered 50-70% of the IgG blood tests from www.elisaact.com--they were of course considered out of network, as was the doctor and the other tests we ran. You can call the company and get the information on the tests and call your insurance in advance re coverage. You need a relevant diagnosis--prior to submission for it to be covered. I think ours is metabolic disorder, which is correct. 277.9 I believe that all his allergies and vitamin deficiencies were part of the basis for this diagnosis. They may give you the name of the closest lab to draw blood and send it out of state (not all labs do this). Spectracell.com does this. You definitely need a doctor to sign for this, and most mainstream MD's will just run local RAST tests, which are different and only $30 for each food covered. If you do the foods only test 150 foods I believe the cost is $300 before insurance. Otherwise it is $600 for all the artificial stuff also. If $ is an issue, I would do the foods only test and just cut out the artificial stuff anyway. If you can't afford the test or find a doctor to sign, then you can try an elimination diet as Ronna did. Many allergists/some have the basic food list on site. If he has an anxiety disorder, I would strongly recommend a pyroluria test. Pyroluria reduces the body's ability to deal with stress, which can result in higher anxieties and logically, tics. www.pyroluriatesting.com $48. Or biocenter. I would call one then the other and see what they say about needing a doctor's signature. Claire

Decorah, I am very curious as to what the EEG showed. Did they do the stroboscope test for photosensitive epilepsy as part of the test? I posted a link on a TV/computer thread that 8% of the non-epileptic population has an abnormal reaction to flicker based on stroboscope tests--which I believe are sleep deprived. Many (not all) of our kids have some photosensitive reactions (e.g. to TV at 60 hz flicker or flashy computer games), but in the form of tics not seizures--e.g. our kids seem to be part of that 8%. You are the first parent that I have seen post with a child with tic syndrome who actually had a formal sleep deprived EEG, so if they did do the stroboscope test, I would greatly appreciate your posting whether they picked up abnormal patterns (though obviously not epilepsy). I would assume that this would mean you would have hard evidence if your son had photosensitivity via tic or not. (meaning you would know if screens triggers tics or not). Many of us had to figure it out through trial and error. ----------------------- As to your questions on TS vs tic syndromes, no, the alternative/natural treatments are the same. As to which works better, natural or pharmaceutical, based on this board and Braintalk, (no studies exist), the natural methods are much better solution in terms of both success rate and side effects. Worse case the natural treatments go nowhere, but worse case for meds I hear posters talk about shakes, hallucinations, and other horror stories. As to the issue of supplements, I was scared to death of them. I considered more than a multi-vitamin to be medicine. Not everyone feels this way, and I never got past it. So I went to an MD listed at the thread at the top of the forum (he was a DAN and EM doctor). He ran a series of tests, then I found out more through my research and these forums and he ran them also. Our entire supplementation program is based on known issues which require very specific supplementation. I felt more comfortable with professional guidance. Having said that, I respect that not all parents have a choice. For either financial reasons or logistics (no local doctor), they need to do trial and error. But here are some tests: Spectracell.com for vitamin and antioxidant deficiencies Labcorp.com for zinc/copper issues gsdl.com elemental analysis for metal (too much mercury/lead requires supplements to detox or chelate) pyroluriatesting.com for pyroluria, which needs B6/zinc greatplainslaboratory.com for yeast overgrowth, requiring anti-fungals. This is a subset, we have plenty of threads on tests people do. Supplements are only one aspect of course. Diet and removing triggers is another. And yes, we changed house cleaning products and do airfilters etc...I can't say what it did to my son, but I used to be miserable when the housekeepers came. It affected my breathing all day. Now I feel great! Others here have commented on impact on the kids. But to me, that is the easy stuff (assuming finances are okay). It is the lifestyle changes, e.g. if certain foods are an issue, or if supplements are required (which is highly likely in the near term--especially if any malabsorption issues are present). Good luck and I hope you read the threads here. Claire

Thanks Alison, I found this board 14 months ago, and only a few of the regulars seemed to have found success. But everyone seemed to have such different methods. After reading so many posts for so many months, as more people shared their trials and successes, I was struck by how many of our kids had food sensitivities/allergies. Then I started looking for other patterns. Of course I tracked the TV/computer trigger privately from the start. Jean, efgh, Ronnas and Heather, who did an early trial of 'no screens' (Heather's son's school's term) was awesome, because it showed it was not an isolated event. Heather was the first to notice that when her son improved with continued treatments, the photosensitivity went away. This filled me with hope. Then Ronnas. Now, us, too, to some degree, though we still don't do flashy games or CRT screens. If newcomers actually post what made a difference and what didn't, we can collect more information on other factors that require more medical intervention. Other patterns will emerge. Doctors need anecdotal evidence to justify formal studies. We are each contributing not just to eachother's lives (which matters!) but to countless other families. For example, yeast. Chemar, Heather and Phyl both had such great luck with lowering elevated yeast. Others here have tested positive for it--enough where it is clear it is also common. But I wish we had more people who measurably lowered it who could comment on what difference it made. But the issue with yeast is that it generally takes longer to deal with. Same with metals and methylation issues. And what about the osteopath visits that minimize tics for Marina's child for 7-10 days at a time? Pfeiffer mastered approaches for ASD's, but are less successful with tic syndromes. I keep trying to figure this out, since so many of our kids that have been tested, have the same immune issues. Someone said Pfeiffer only has a 15% success rate with tic syndromes. I think maybe photosensitivity is at least one of the differences in treatment vs ASD's. Also, they don't do food elimination, and yeast testing is no longer a standard part of the initial test--at least lately. Thanks for the thanks, Alison. I just hope that other more recent posters realize that follow-through in reporting both the effective and the ineffective does make a difference. This is the only way I see to see more patterns emerge. And we need people like Jeff (hammering on artificial ingredients) and Heather (yeast) and Ronnas (PANDAS, etc..) and Chemar (supplements and treatments). Just as the saying goes, "It takes a village..." ! Claire

WAY COOL!! Thanks Alison! Think of all those poor folks whose MD's didn't have a clue to run strep tests on rapid start of OCD/TS. This has got to help. Claire

Why not use something non-pharmaceutical at night? We have threads on this. From teas and baths with epsom salts to 5HTP to melatonin. Does he sleep with a night light? If so, the body won't make enough melatonin which then interferes with ability to sleep. The list that Ronna's posted is one of 3 lists that Sheila Rogers (Latitudes editor) posted at the top of this forum--in case you can't find a doctor on that list. A good doctor makes a huge difference. I concur with Ronna in that we never saw a correlation with foods (in our case more fidetiness than tics) until my son had a horrible flu and ate nothing for 3 days. All the symptoms disappeared then (until he ate again). Then after testing and removal of foods, his symptoms disappeared again. This doesn't mean it is an issue for your child, but just that no noticeable symptoms when eating things doesn't rule it out. Most of us were surprised by the correlations and improvement (we have a survey thread on this as I suspect you saw). Also, the onset right before Christmas....was he watching a lot more TV (or computer) during the vacation leading up to Christmas? TV/computer is a big trigger from the surveys/posts on this forum, and from your comments about it being worse during TV (which doesn't always happen either), I think you have a good indicator that this is a factor. A 'no screens' week--with your child's cooperation so it doesn't feel punitive, will let you know for sure. In some ways this is like a food elimination diet, where it takes a week for the nervous system to settle and the tics to go away. http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p?showtopic=852 Claire

Alison You asked whether I thought photosensitivity went away or was outgrown--I thought it was a good discussion for this thread. Given the lack of studies on photosensitivity and tics, I can only speculate from what I do know, and that is that 1 of 4 children outgrow photosensitive epilepsy. I didn't like those low odds. I believe that the photosensitivity often has a specific cause, which could be healed and thus the photosensitivity reduced. Examples: -Yeast overgrowth interfering with absorption of nutrients, which result in photosensitivity (e.g. B2 deficiencies can cause this). -Elevated Mercury can cause light sensitivity. -Pyroluria can cause light sensitivity. I did nothing but limit screens for the first 2 years I knew about this, and my son’s photosensitivity didn’t improve at all. It wasn’t until we went to the DAN/EM doctor and ran the mercury/yeast/vitamin tests a year ago and put together a customized supplement/healing program that he improved. As you know, he now has no reaction to an LCD monitor, where we used to have to limit even that time. I never try CRT screens, but we did do a big screen movie recently with no impact at all. That was his worse trigger. So I know this can make a difference. If you heal the health issues, I believe you reduce the photosensitivity and thus the tic reaction. Examples here of other parents whose children used to react (tic) more from TV/computer and have improved greatly: Ronnas, Heather, and efgh. (efgh’s son still has some sensitivity). On the other hand, Jean’s son still has a reaction, many months later, and she is doing healing things. Another parent (who occasionally posts) has avoided screens for a year but done no supplements/healing/treatments and the sensitivity is still just as high. Now on the other hand, both TS and chronic tic syndromes improve substantially on average after puberty. So maybe that means less photosensitivity too. One encouraging thing. The LCD monitors are still better than CRTs for most with photosensitivity, and soon the CRT's will be obsolete. They are even starting to make 100 hz TV's (vs 50-60 hz) which is above the normal photosensitive range for 95% of those with photosensitivity. Just my thoughts…no answers. I should point out that with autism it is pretty accepted among DAN doctors that you need to heal the immune system early or the symptoms are only minimally reversible. I am glad I only 'wasted' 2 years before starting a program with my son. I did get on the internet back then, but I hadn't found this site, and ultimately Sheila Rogers who gave me the doctor list. I got a bit too relaxed because we had 'solved' the problem. Actually, I did hope he would outgrow it. When I realized he wasn't, I got moving again. I do worry that sensitive children's exposure to this trigger while children's brains and nervous systems are developing could have a permanent affect. But that is just me--over cautious, and I realize it may sound alarmist. I have zero evidence of this...well, some study did show that young children watching more than 2 hours of TV a day were more likely to have ADD. So I guess I consider that evidence that permanent issues can result, especially with the HUGE TV's people have today. (We did too, before all of this). But then I worry about supplements too, and waited until I found a doctor before giving them. I don't worry about giving normal levels, just megadoses without medical supervision. So take my 'worries' with a big grain of salt. Claire

Alison, Sorry you had such a rough day. I do think that the monitors in the class can make a difference, given that it doesn't take much exposure. However, this is manageable and our family is proof of it! Thank goodness for you son's understanding teacher. But do continue to be a detective in the other areas, as you are. You will find a long term healing, as oppose to drugs which mask it all. Claire

Alison, As I said, the impact of light flicker is cumulative, so it could indeed be the lights and/or the monitors. It is only human to look at a monitor that is on. Monitors in the class DEFINITELY impacted my son. We worked it all out--and his teacher sounds great. If possible, I would keep him away from even the LCD monitor this weekend--to see whether you start to notice more improvement just from the break from the classroom triggers, whatever they are. There could be something else in the classroom also, some rooms are moldy for example, which is a trigger. Yes, many kids tic from chemical exposure!! Absolutely. Fresh paints, carpeting, exhaust, dust... Not to rule out the other things you mentioned. Also, you might do the spit test again, in case the continued antibiotics have started a yeast infection. Claire

Hi Maureen, Be careful of the toxic glues with some models--these kids don't typically handle fumes well. We did lots of Knex models--some are very sophisticate. Sleep difficulty is quite common. PLUS I posted recently that there was a study showing TV/video before bed definitely interfered with sleep. Claire

MC, I remember you were very early on figuring out the food sensitivities! I would love your help on EGGs. Our toughest things are eggs and cheese (can your child eat cheese? I forgot). We use the Energ-E thing, but my pancakes with it were a flop. I am afraid to try it in fresh baked bread (gluten-free of course), and waste the loaf. ALso, what do you do for breakfast. I was thinking of baking muffins with some protein powder--have you tried Energ-E with baked goods? My son gets so little protein that I keep giving him eggs, and I think it affects his excema, which is getting worse again. Plus it inflames his intenstinal lining, which doesn't help his yeast overgrowth, and thus his absorption of nutrients! He gets re-tested for food sensitivities next week. But anyway, cheese and eggs are a mainstay these days, and I know it isn't good to do. He just doesn't like meats/beans... (except hot dogs wrapped in gluten-free dough and baked). I am working on nuts for snacks, but that comes and goes with him. Claire

Hi Fiore, I am not any expert on medicine withdrawal. ADD is especially tough! Have you considered consulting with one of the doctors listed at the top of this forum? For ADD, two things come to mind. One is adrenal exhaustion (just too tired to focus) and the other is pyroluria--creating a B6/zinc deficiency that interferes with concentration. Our doctor thinks that many of the same immune issues cause tics and ADD. So such treatments (metals/yeast/pyroluria/gluten issues...) can make a big difference. E.g. they test for casein/gluten issues as kids who can't digest these properly end up with some sort of dopamines which make their brain 'foggy'. Yeast issues can do the same. If you read these threads, you will get some good ideas. But given the meds you use, I would recommend a doctor to guide you in this. Claire

Hi purple, Welcome! Many here have tried no screens with great success. I would imagine that with a 12 year old it will be especially tricky. I know that a couple of parents had rewards set up. A lot depends on how much your child minds the tics. One parent had a child with such painful tics (a neck jerk) that they easily gave up screens and were very grateful with the fact that the tics went away. Others planned in advance. Based on a recent experience that Marie had, do try to time it when there isn't some movie event at school! If you figure out a way to do this with older siblings, please share so that other newcomers will have ideas. I don't doubt that it will help, especially if you notice the tics worsen during TV/computer. Please explain to your child that the tics stay for days afterwards--for my son 'no screens' was literally a complete cure for the tics. For others it is a big reduction. Only a couple who completed the week saw no improvement But in the end, it will be all the great things you can do to help his immune system, from elminating artificial ingredients, to checking for sensitive foods to solving yeast/metal issues that may exist. From the feedback on this forum, with this healing, even the photosensitivity (to TV/computer) is greatly reduced. And of course, if the no screens test is successful, then you can consider investing in an LCD monitor (no flicker) and watching out for the flashy games and heavy graphics/animation. My son feels no restriction anymore with this. And it has been 14 months with literally zero tics. Before that it was every 6 months due to some CRT exposure--we hadn't really figured out the LCD monitor approach. Lots of threads to read, lots and lots to learn. Claire

7Roses, If there is no family history of TS, your child may not actually have it. There are a range of tic syndromes, and some here would definitely have gotten a TS diagnosis, but when to either no tics or minor motor tics with immune system healing. Even if it is truly TS, like Chemar's son (he had OCD too), such tremendous results can be seen that appear miraculous. But it is more determined in my opinion by the commitment of the parent to find the path to healing for their own child. One formula doesn't exist, just some commonalities. What some of us wonder is whether these measures, e.g. supplements or food restrictions, are lifelong or temporary. Only time will tell. What we do believe is that the drugs don't heal the immune system, best case they minimize symptoms, worse case they have horrible side affects. Claire

Hi Marie, I am sorry to hear this. Chemar's teen son had a similar reaction, with increased tics due to the anxiety/frustration of removing screens. While I agree 100% that anxiety is a real factor, I believe that the real root is a faulty immune system. Your child is a 6 year old and unless you have factors in your household of which I am unaware, I suspect that the daily anxiety he faces is not so different from other 6 year old. In any case, it is always good to reduce the anxiety where you can by loving acceptance and not an over focus on each tic--which can raise anxiety. However, I am glad that your homeopathy has some specific treatments in mind that are geared to the immune system. There is always a balancing act involved while the immune system heals. Whether it is 'forcing' supplements (some of our kids take 20 pills a day, and hate it), or depriving them of favorite foods (e.g. for those with wheat/milk allergies, or sensitive to artificial ingredients in most candies, or others who seem to be allergic to just about everything), or restricting TV, there is a balancing act that parents must do in terms of wanting to help their nervous system without messing them up psychologically. FYI, we made sure our son never missed a movie at school by working with the teacher to bring in an LCD monitor for the day from our home. The kids were so excited to see a movie, they didn't care what screen it was on. My son's minor tramas never focused on TV, but were with regards to food restrictions. We negotiated in advance, e.g. we had substititutes for the cupcakes at school that he missed. It was so tough for my son to have his wheat allergy (he gets bad excema from it), while everyone around him had his favorite foods. Plus it made him different. I hated what he went through--and still goes through with it. To this day, it isn't binary, all or nothing. I constantly assess when it is okay to break the rules! Many here do the same thing. Only you know what is best for your child. I hope you keep posting and share what you learn as you go. I am really glad that you are starting some supplements under the advice of a practioner. This is not a direct path for most of us, we learn as we go. Claire ps I am very sorry for your rough experience! I am glad that you posted it so that others can consider the emotional trade-offs--especially newcomers.

I know nothing about therapy, sorry but here is my other input: I think that resolving the sleep issue may go a long way toward the daytime issues. Their poor little nervous systems can't handle the sleep deprivation that many of them face because they can't 'turn it off'. Melatonin (over the counter) in my opinion is much better/safer than clonadine. (I am not a doctor and definitely biased against drugs). Melatonin completely solved our sleep issues (though my sister and mom tried it and it did nothing for them). Does your son sleep with a night light? That keeps the body from producing sufficient melatonin for sleep. 5HTP and Inositol works for others. I would strongly encourage you to consider some of these over the counter methods instead of clonadine. Also, I assume you have had a swab done for a strep virus, in case this is a PANDAS situation? You have a TV in his room? I absolutely would have that break and disappear for good from his room. Studies about TV/tics aren't there, but there have definitely been studies done showing that TV/computer/video close to bedtime interferes with SLEEP. And I assume if you have been reading that you have eliminated artificial ingredients from his diet--they can definitely impact sleep readiness, even hours later. Same with food sensitivities. I don't see therapy as the first step -that is more controlling his urges and how can it help him sleep? I would take take of what is toxic in his little body first. Claire

Alison/Ronnas, Alison, It does sound like the stomach issue could be viral. If once this passes, he does seem worse during the week and better on weekends, then do consider the fluorescent lighting. I sure hope not and this may not be the case at all, but if it is the case, then at least having him sit near the window means that he is maximizing the amount of daylight that offsets the flourescent light. Dr. Rapp's books discusses a study in Germany, where adhd was reduced by 30% when they replaced flourescent lights with incandescent daylight bulbs. Again no studies on tics, but it sure is an indicator. Also, does he have a computer in the classroom where the teacher leaves the monitor on during the day that he faces where he might be staring into it? Just things to look out for. Ronnas, I couldn't agree more re taking care of your health. I did the same thing with vitamins for myself. Now, sleep and exercise are my big issues to discipline myself about. Great ideas for easing the load--we too got a twice monthly housekeeper. Claire

Re diet, we just buy everything at Whole Foods, as I don't have to worry about artificial anything that way. www.feingold.org has lists, or you can just read labels carefully. The real answer is cooking more at home vs prepared foods. We have a wheat restriction, so I make my own gluten/wheat free flour and just cook normally with it. I use goatein (goat milk powder) and water in recipes needing dairy. (We don't like the goat or rice milks). I got a crock pot and things are easier this way--great soups and stews that I throw together in the morning (turkey/rice soup). Plus hot dogs, hamburgers, baked potatoes, 'breaded' chicken/fish, fast fried rice, artichokes, fresh veggie juices (my son hates most vegies, this is easier), grapefruit/pears/banana/apple here or there. Coconut milk for a cream soup. Milk just rules out mac and cheese, pizza and cereal. You can still do muffins, toast, Pancakes, eggs. I don't try to replace the milk with fake milks, just the goatein powder for cooking, and I think it nets out cheaper than milk. I had to learn to cook. But you save on eliminating prepared foods. You just need to find 'comfort' foods, in my opinion. Wheat is much harder to accommodate to me than milk or no artificial ingredients. For a while we did no: wheat/milk/peanuts/corn/eggs/almonds/sesame/bananas/almonds/artificial anything/corn syrup.... Now it is just no wheat/milk/peanuts//artificial anything/corn syrup--I consider it 'easy' by comparison. For snacks, I glaze pecans in a pan with xylitol/butter/vanilla/cinnamon. He loves it. Xylitol and stevia are the only non-sugar sweeteners I use. Or just sunflower seeds. We have some threads on recipes, there is no cheese substitute, so I do occasionally give my son cheese, but with a Houston Nutriceutical's enzyme for casein/gluten. This makes it livable. For him I notice no reaction this way. There is a thread on this also. Claire

Hi Alison, How is your son feeling today? Are you keeping him home? The nausea could be multiple factors, from viral, to the different food to the supplements. Are you only giving supplements with food? I found that taking them/giving them on an empty stomach can cause bad nausea. Pfeiffer says Vit C and zinc can be hard on the stomach for some children. Our doctor said magnesium can be. I don't know the doses, but I tend to skip supplements during times of nauseous (too hard to swallow and likely a waste). So Pfeiffer splits the C into 2 smaller doses, and the zinc at night. The EFAs could give his hair more sheen right away. We too noticed a physical change--not sure if it is the healthier glow from vitamins, or the his new relaxed manner when his body wasn't under neurological stress. Others commented. He didn't tic at school, so I think it was his overall relaxed manner. As for my zinc, I did my own testing and found food sensitivities and vitamin/antioxidant deficiencies and high metals. Any of which (plus stress) can cause headache and sleep disturbance. After 6 months of supplements/detox (slow), I upped the zinc and took it at bedtime and voila. So maybe the zinc was the last piece in the puzzle, or maybe it was taking it at bedtime. Claire

efgh, If your son was viewing more TV over vacation, could it be that he is more sensitive to the likely flourescent lighting at school (I assume school started again yesterday), or something else at school is triggering this and not the zinc? THe RDA for zinc for adults is 15 mg zinc--isn't your son about 11? So no, that is not a high dose. However, assuming that Jeff didn't hit on it (artificial colors), I would just stop it for a few days, then start again. If the tics go away and come back again, well I certainly would suspect the zinc. You could try another form of zinc also. Zinc is supposed to kill yeast and also serve to detox metals, so presumably it could be this reaction. In any case, I would do the stop/start thing to be sure. I never liked the idea of getting worse to get better. Claire

Did you see the 2 names I posted for you from the env. doctor list at the top of this board) on the thread where you asked about doctors? I don't know your state, but with our doctor, who isn't close, we only had to see him the first visit and I do the rest via phone. You generally need a doctor to order many of the tests. However, if you browse through this site, you will find some things including certain tests you can do on your own (without a doctor's signature) while searching for a doctor. You will likely need to pay out of pocket if no doctor. RAST tests are not the right allergy tests (IgE), you need an IgG test. In any case, our insurance covered them at 70% (out of network rate). All of this is on the threads--too much for a post. Check out the thread on tests, and the threads for newcomers, and of course Chemar's thread. WEST VIRGINIA AAEM list Nation: USA Member: Prudencio C. Corro , M.D. P.C. Corro M.D., Inc. 251 Stanaford Rd. Beckley, WV 25801 Phone: 3042520775 WebSite: Membership: Member Specialties: Allergy, Environmental Medicine, Otolaryngology, Certifications: Otolaryngology, Member: Albert J. Paine , M.D. Bluefield Ear Nose and Th 2120 Mountain View Ave. Bluefield, WV 24701 Phone: 3043259577 WebSite: Membership: Member Specialties: Otolaryngology, Certifications: Good luck, Claire

Angibrandy, Most parents here are proof that you can reduce tics through immune system building and elimination of triggers. We have a few long summary threads on this that you can review. Since the tics dramatically increased over vacation and you first noticed during TV, I am bumping the TV/computer survey thread for you. Kids often watch a lot of TV or play a lot of computer over vacations, so there is a good chance that was a major factor. Photosensitivity develops/worsens over time, so this may not have been an issue before. TV/Computer CRT monitors have an invisible light flicker, plus some of the graphics/flashing is a trigger in itself. I recommend bribing your child to do 'no screens' for a week--I bet you will see a major difference. 15 of 17 parents who tried this saw substantial improvement. It is much easier to do with a young child than a pre-teen/teen. After this, you can deal with creative ways to do supplements and underlying health issues. For example, they have cal/mag chewables, and I think a liquid zinc. Omega3's in strawberry capsules... Over time, the supplementation, or dealing with yeast/mercury, is likely to help for the long-term. (If he had antibiotics recently, it can set off yeast). For us, the screen restriction (later modified with LCD viewing) was easier than getting my son to swallow vitamins. Though over time, we did the supplements because ultimately they are healing and reduce the photosensitivity. Claire

Bumped for Angibrandy. Claire