Claire

Pfeiffer recommends giving the B's in the morning because of the potential for hypreactivity/interference with sleep. They also say to give the cal/mag in the am, separately from the zinc in the pm, for better absorption of each. They suggest all the B's in the same dosage though--I assume it is individual, so watch your own child. We have no issues with P5P (activated B6) at bedtime, so I split the dose, but that is just us. Although they say that if your child is undermethylated B3 is bad to add (same with choline), and if overmethylated, B3 is good to add, so depending on your son's make-up, it makes a difference according to them. They say a little may be okay. Also, too much B6 aggravates yeast, so you want to watch this unless your child has pyroluria or a known deficiency. www.labcore.com or was it www.labcorp.com does the methylation test for them. Methylation issues seem to be common in this area, based on the posters here who have done them. Claire

Jean/efgh Efgh Pfeiffer recommends zinc picolinate, and our DAN doctor likes a combo of zinc picolinate and zinc citrate, so I do about 2/3 zinc picolinate and 1/3 zinc citrate. For the lozenges for colds, we do zinc gluconate. I hope your son's vocal tics subside again with the return to school, good luck. Jean, I checked out juice plus, but couldn't find an ingredient list anywhere on that site. Whole Foods for example had a juice powder that tasted good (they had samples), but it had some grain with gluten in it (I can't remember what), or I would have bought it. I think it was oats (cross contaminated with wheat these days) or Brewer's yeast. Do you have an ingredients list? We just juice carrots, and broccoli. And buy raw berries when it is affordable, for the antioxidants. I wouldn't mind more variety. How is the taste? How are you feeling about the allergy/energy methods? I think we are going with the zinc promotion then MT promotion route. We use enzymes (DDPIV) so he gets cheese and seems to be okay with it. But not wheat or straight milk. I don't know about you all, but what a restful vacation. We didn't travel (for once) and this felt like a truly restful break! Any New Year's resolutions? Mine this year focus more on me--getting enough sleep and exercise. I think I am a better mother/wife when I do since I feel better. As always, it is squeezing this in after work and taking care of family. Though if I am lucky, this year will involve less research--I feel we are on track. Claire

Diane, When I first noticed this correlation just over 3 years ago, a friend of mine that I discussed it with told me about the game warnings--like you I was taken aback. Not just video games, but even Gameboys have this warning (a friend sent me a copy of the label back then). Back then they even used the word 'tics'. They said if you saw tics or facial or eye twitches, stop immediately, or you could have a seizure. They then say 'only 1 in 4000' get seizures. Since then a neurologist sent me an article (posted somewhere here) that 8% of the non-epileptic population have an abnormal brain reaction to flicker. All this is buried in 8 month old posts here that no one would see, so thanks for posting your find. How are your kids doing with the TV/computer balance these days. I know you posted some time ago that you have known about this trigger for some time, but that was a struggle with them (not surprising given their ages--it is so much easier with younger children!) How are they doing in general? I hope all is well. Claire

Jane, Adrenal exhaustion can be mistaken for depression. For $99, here is a saliva test for that which your doctor can order. It is common in women and may be related to hormonal issues as Chemar suggested. http://www.diagnostechs.com/ Here is Pfeiffer clinics (large clinic, big on alt. methods) says on Depression. http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/art...les/walsh.htm#D scroll down to depression. Depression After getting extensive biochemical data on more than 3,000 persons diagnosed with clinical depression, we found that 95% of them fit neatly into one of 5 separate biochemical classifications. Depression is not a single condition, but an umbrella term covering several completely different conditions. Anyway, we believe we have identified the 5 primary phenotypes..... each with their own classic symptoms and each with completely different treatment needs. 1) High Histamine (under-methylated) 40-70 is optimum histamine range for mental health considerations. Histamine is an important neurotransmitter which affects human behavior. This syndrome often involves seasonal variations in depression, obsessive-compulsive behavior, inhalant allergies, and frequent headaches. In severe cases involving psychosis, the dominant symptom is usually delusional thinking rather than hallucinations. They tend to speak very little and may sit motionless for extended periods. They may appear outwardly calm, but suffer from extreme internal anxiety. Most OCD patients with both obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions are in this category. Associated with under-methylation, which results in low levels of important neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. Treatment focuses on the use of antifolates such as calcium, methionine, SAMe, magnesium, zinc, TMG, omega-3 essential oils, B6, inositol, and A, C and E. The dose of inositol is 500 to 1000mg. Choline is anti-dopaminergic and often makes undermethylated patients worse. Also bad are DMAE, copper and folic acid. Three to six months of nutrient therapy are necessary to correct this chemical imbalance. Symptoms will return if treatment is stopped. Two good labs for whole blood histamine are LabCorp and Quest. Also use a special absolute basophil count as a methlyation marker. The count must be direct and not differential. Alcian blue dye is the preferred staining agent. Best lab for this test is Direct Healthcare Access in Glenview IL 847 299 2440 2) Low Histamine (over-methylated) Low-histamine depressives are usually nervous, anxious individuals who are prone to paranoia and despair. No seasonal allergies, but many food allergies and chemical sensitivity. Low libido. Obsessions but not compulsions. Heavy body hair. Nervous legs. Grandiosity. Many have a history of hyperactivity, learning disabilities and underachievement. They are over-methylated which results in elevated dopamine and norepinephrine levels. Treatment focuses on B3, C, B12 and , with about 2-4 months required for correction of the imbalance.. Also DMAE, choline, manganese, zinc, omega-3 essential oils, C and E. They should avoid methionine, SAMe, inositol, TMG and DMG. 3) Pyroluria A stress disorder characterized by pronounced mood swings, temper outbursts, anxious depression. Inability to eat breakfast, absence of dream recall and frequent infections. The biochemical signature of this disorder includes elevated urine kryptopyrroles, a double deficiency of zinc and B-6, and low levels of arachidonic acid. Devastated by stresses including physical injury, emotional trauma, illness, sleep deprivation. Sensitivity to light and loud noises, dry skin, abnormal fat distribution, rage episodes, histrionic behavior. They also have low levels of arachidonic acid. Treatment centers on correcting a double deficiency of B-6, zinc essential fatty acids and augmenting nutrients. It is believed to result from abnormal hemoglobin synthesis which depletes the body of these nutrients. A positive response often occurs within the first seven days of treatment, with 1-2 months usually required for correction of the imbalance. 4) High Copper (Hypercupremia) If your level is above 140 mcg/dL, you would profit from getting rid of the excess copper. The most common depression phenotype for women. History of hyperactivity, tinnitus, and skin sensitivity to metals. Females with this condition usually have significant PMS and are prone to heightened depression during hormonal events such as puberty, gestation, childbirth and menopause. A woman's copper level more than doubles during the 9 months of pregnancy, apparently to enhance angiogenesis in the fetus. Women with an innate tendency for copper overload are prone to post-partum depression or post-partum psychosis. Estrogen increaases creuloplamin and copper levels and results in zinc depletion. Very elevated norepinephrine levels, elevated copper and low ceruloplasmin. Elevated norepinephrine/dopamine ratio. Most get worse after chocolate which is very high in copper. This condition is non-existant in males. Serum copper levels above 140 mcg/dl High NE and ADR levels can result from overmethlyation, probably genetic, elevated serum copper, and low folate/B12 levels. Hypertension is associated with high NE and ADR levels. Using folate/B12 will reduce hypertension and anxiety and depression. They often report a worsening of depression after estrogen or multiple vitamins. Most hypercupremics get worse if they overdose on chocolate. Treatment focuses on release of excess copper from tissues, promotion of copper excretion, and stimulation of metallothionein (a metal-binding protein). Many patients report a worsening for three weeks followed by steady improvement. Nutrient support is zinc, manganese, vitamin C and B6. Nutrients should be introduced gradually to avoid side effects. Use 25mg of zinc initially, then 50 then 75 as tolerated. A total of 60 to 90 days is usually required to correct this imbalance. The list of things to avoid include the following: 1. Multiple vitamins/minerals containing Cu 2. Enriched foods with Cu added (learn to read the labels) 3. I recommend that she drink bottled water. 4. She needs to avoid swimming pools/jacuzzis treated with algicides containing copper sulfate. 5. The primary foods to avoid are chocolate, carob and shellfish. 5) Toxic Overload This syndrome often involves a sudden, prolonged bout of depression without apparent reason and without a prior history of depression. Toxic substances which are capable of producing depression include lead, cadmium, mercury, and a wide variety of organic and inorganic chemicals. Treatment varies with the type of toxic material involved, and care must be exercised to avoid flooding the kidneys with toxins during the early stages of treatment. Heavy-metal overloads can be corrected quickly by in-hospital chelation, or more slowly using biochemical treatment. Organic chemical overloads require liberal use of antioxidants along with avoidance of the offending substances. BTW, chocolate has 4 separate ingredients that can worsen malaise/depression in some people: (1) sugar, (2) caffeine, (3) copper, and (4) milk. The most significant of these for females is usually copper. Unfortunately carob has even more copper than chocolate. Many depression patients experience striking cycles in which their depression may wax for months or wane for months. It's really hard to evaluate treatment efficacy for such persons since the patient may deteriorate during effective treatment or improve while experiencing placebo or a harmful therapy. (30 Dec, 2002) Histamine assays for depression were introduced by Dr. Carl Pfeiffer of Princeton, NJ in the 1970' and 1980's. My clinic has found whole blood histamine to be very useful & has used this assay more than 30,000 times. First of all, the analysis must be done for whole blood (not plasma, serum, etc), strictly adhering to the sampling protocol. We presently use LabCorp but in the past Quest also had proficiency for this assay. The reference "normal" range for mental health is 40 to 70 ng/dL. Levels above 70 indicate undermethylation, whereas levels below 40 suggest overmethylation. Undermethylated depressives thrive on l-methionine, calcium, magnesium, B-6, Zinc, and Vitamin C. In severe cases, up to 3,000 mg/day of methionine and 2,000 mg/day of Ca may be needed. However, we also like to routinely run a homocysteine test to assure the safety of the methylation protocol. This population is believed to result in low serotonin activity. This methylation therapy is quite slow in taking effect.... and often 6-8 weeks pass before progress is obvious Overmethylated (low-histamine) depressives thrive on folic acid, B-12, niacin (or niacinamide), B-6, Zinc, Manganese, DMAE, and Vitamins, C and E. In severe cases, up to 5,000 mcg/day of FA may be needed. Response is more rapid with this phenotype, with clear progress usually by week 4. This population is believed to have an innate tendency for elevated serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine levels. This test can also help guide psychiatrists in selection of psychiatric medications. For example high histamine persons may do quite well on SSRI's, but low-histamine persons usually reactly very badly to SSRI's and are better candidates for benzodiazapines. We like to augment the histamine blood test with an "absolute basophil" test offered by Direct Healthcare, Inc. The histamine assay can be affected by antihistamines and other medications with AH properties. The reference range for ABC's is 30-50. We have an enormous chemistry database for depression..... more than 90 chemical assays for each of 3,200 persons with clinical depression. We find that 90% of depressives may be divided into five biochemical classifications, each requiring a different treatment approach. Two of these depression phenotypes are undermethylation and overmethylation. (June 2, 2003) Estimated incidence of hypercupremia in our depressive population: Females: 45% Males: 3% Overall: 30% (We have more females than males in our depression database) As you can see from the numbers, hypercupremic depression is generally a female event. We are about to publish a database study which shows that hypercupremic feamles are especially prone to post-partum depression and post-partum psychosis. Many of these high-Cu females get worse on anti-depressants, but respond beautifully to nutrient -------------------- Good luck Jane. (Why did you come to the TS board for depression? Was it because we focus on alternate methods?) Claire

Alison, You are exactly right, the play by play you give can help other parents new to the board to know the type of things to look for. Photosensitivity seems to be a fairly common trigger. The round bulbs are incandescent and don't flicker like the long flourescent bulbs, so your observations match the technology difference perfectly. Most schools have flourescent lighting, so you and he may notice some 'regression' when he returns to school tomorrow. Check out the lights when you drop him off, and good luck. You can speak with teachers about any TV/computer restrictions at school, they should be accommodating A good night's sleep is so important, and I am glad to hear that the supplements are helping in a noticeable way already. It took us longer to notice the improvement with the supplements, but it definitely came over time. Although I personally noticed zinc helping with my sleep within a few days. I can't speak for Canada, but in the US they used thimerisol, a mercury-based preservative in the childrens vaccines in the 1990's, thus the exposure. Other metals can be a factor. Riboflavin deficiency can cause light sensitivity, and yeast overgrowth seems to be a factor for some also. You can call your child's peditrician (at least in the US) and track down whether mercury was in the vaccines. I have never done this though--we just gave my son the metals test, after his antioxidants came back so low and found out that way. We supplemented the antioxidants he was low in and it came down measurably over 6 months. My fingers are crossed that the test he just took will show him in normal range again. Claire

Glenn and 7 roses, Did you look at the list Chemar posted? I don't know that we have any posters from your area...and the TSA is more likely to find neurologists using the more traditional pharmaceutical approach. I called and did a phone 'interview'. He did more autism spectrum disorders than tic disorders, but the testing protocol turned out to be similar. It is customized depending on what they uncover. ATLANTA, GEORGIA DAN list Maribel L. Angka-Servera, M.D. Resurgens Healthcare 4555 N. Shallowford Rd., Ste 100 Atlanta, GA 30338 ph: 770-220-0078 fax: 770-220-0748 Heather Koeppel, D.C. 3776 Clairmont Road Atlanta, GA 30341 ph: 770-455-1950 fax: 770-455-1390 ALTANTA, GA environmental medicine list Member: Susan L. Tanner , M.D. Southern Environmental Medical Center 44 South Clayton Street Lawrenceville, GA 30045 Phone: 7702778030 WebSite: Membership: Member Specialties: Allergy, Chelation, Clinical Immunology, Environmental Medicine, Family Practice, Immunologic Metabolic Disorders, Nutritional Medicine, Geriatrics; Limited Chelation Therapy 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: You can tell a lot by a phone call with the office. If you click on the name in the DAN lists, it tells you what tests they run. eg. If not listed, then just ask them about these tests. Specialties: Environmental Medicine Vitamin/mineral supplementation: Essential fatty acids: Gluten and casein-free diet: Diet avoiding food allergens and yeast: Feingold diet: Digestive aids/Probiotics: Colostrum: Transfer Factor: Antifungal pharmaceuticals and nutriceuticals: Secretin: Heavy metal detoxification: IVIG: Antiviral medications: DAN Conferences: Atlanta (2001), Boston (2002) Claire

Thanks for posting that Layne! What an incredible deal, we have 3 of them and the pricing wasn't nearly as good. Plus, the cheaper they are, the more that schools will start using them, which means that the kids won't have the CRT exposure at school. 15" is a great size--minimizes the visual impact. I read that a 15" LCD is virtually the same visual area as a 17" CRT anyway. Claire

I don't know re juice plus. We did testing testing and more testing (e.g. pyroluria, vitamin deficiencies, yeast, metals, omega 3's...) before we started treatment--though a DAN/EM doctor on the list above. This allowed us to focus our program. Did your doctor run other tests, such as pyroluria or elevated mercury? Glad to hear the food test was so thorough. And I have to ask: Have you tried no screens? B6 and B12 are good, but just part of a program, as I am sure you know. As I have posted before on this board, my son had casein/milk issues too---which resulted in poor milk digestion and he had calcium deficiencies. Calcium is important also (along with zinc and magnesium). Claire

Hi Alison, Yes, the sites recommend 3 meters (9 feet) from the TV, a small monitor (that's why I like the 15" LCD vs the larger ones), and the overhead lights on in the room, or have lots of daylight in the room. Finally, you can lower the brightness of the LCD monitors--you will find the level where it doesn't impact the picture. Tiredness/bedtime is definitely a time for tics. I found that after my son was away from TV/computer for a time and his system settled, the other things that triggered tics (chocolate, car rides), no longer had an impact. That is really great news that the tics are that much better! You are smart to wait until they settle as much as possible before reintroducing anything. And yes, the less contrast of lights (especially flickering through the trees) due to season change is a big help. And watch out for strobe lights on Halloween (far away I know), they are a biggy. We got rid of all the flourescent lights in the house (they too have invisible flicker). I just wish that more parents who saw that their kids ticced during TV would be informed that the effect can linger for a week--and be cumulative. Keep up with the supplements--they are an important part of the overall healing to ultimately reduce the photosensitivity. Nice way to start the New Year, full of hope and promise, yes? Claire

Dear Leeann, If you don't get an answer quickly, I suggest you go to this other board and post this question--it is a more active board. PANDAS can result in tics and/or ocd and many parents there have PANDAS kids. The healing treatment is the same, whether it is tics/tourettes or OCD. http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showforum=1 I also suggest that you INSIST/DEMAND a strep culture for your son--it sounds like high odds this is PANDAS, and the sooner you treat it with antibiotics, the better chance of it not being a chronic thing. Claire

I wondered the same thing about Spectracell. I decided that it must show some but not all deficiencies, or that the pyroluria must be recent. (Although Spectracell did show vitamin deficiencies in zinc/B6 for my husband and me). P5P is the activated form of B6 and is less toxic than B6. This is why I give more P5P and much less B6. My DAN doctor likes P5P better than B6. I also do zinc. Claire

Hi Alison, I found my information on photosensitivity by googling 'photosensitive' + epilepsy. It is the same trigger, though a different neurological reaction. Unfortunately, it hasn't been studied in the context of tic syndromes. I am hoping that someday (maybe starting with the Latitudes site editor's book) the anecdotal evidence will lead to formal research, as has happened with tics and strep, and tics and mercury and tics and omega 3's. Just like most of the info I got on metals was from the autism sites. Not nearly enough research is done on tic syndromes. I have several TV/computer posts, with many of the links I found. Claire

Mmazz, Truly, the success rate on this board for people who have stuck with trying different things is phenomenol. I think 80% have seen substantial improvement--most to the point where the tics are not noticeable to others, though parents still seem to notice even the subtle ones. Some of us have had 100% remission (my son was cured with no screens, and Jeff's children were cured with no artificial additives, Heather's son had no tics with yeast control and supplements, Jennifer's son had no more tics after taking the right Omega 6/3 balance). I think Ronna's son's tics are all gone also. The programs for our children must continue, but as long as we are doing them, our children have no tics. Some of us seek a more permanent healing, and thus are still looking beyond removing the trigger for a long term solution. But note that it took trial and error for most to find what worked best for their children. Plus most of us had more than one thing going on. I believe that for the vast majority who come to this board and read read read and try try try new things they will find a major improvement. The biggest challenge is to make the transitions for your child pleasurable. Alison was creative in rewarding her child for no screens. Others of us have become cooks for the first time to offer healthier choices that don't include foods our kids are sensitive to (that is me!). By the way, before getting a new pediatrician, I would look at the doctor lists at the top of this thread. Most MD's don't know about this methods. If you find a doctor on any of those lists in your area, you can call them over the phone to see if they have successfully treated children with tic syndromes. Happy New Year! Claire

Kids can develop allergies over time. So what wasn't an issue two years ago, may be an issue now e.g. milk. I would try it for 2 weeks. Check out the food sensitivity thread...most saw improvement in a week. Was he positive for other foods? Have you read the other threads--for some, diet change isn't enough. Have you tried supplements, the no screens test for a week, air filters.... I think 80% of those who continue to post and work on this have seen improvement over time. (I can't account for those who post once or twice and disappear--no feedback). That is an awesome success rate. I don't think that diet change was the complete solution for anyone--it took more--except for Jeff's family, and for them it was the elimination of artificial ingredients. Meds can create many more problems that are far worse than tics--as hard as that is to believe. Hang in there! Claire

mmazz Best of luck to you. Sounds like you are a great detective. The milk issue could be the casein too and not just the hormones. Since you notice the TV trigger, I bet a week with no screens (that means no computer, movies or Gameboy too!) will do wonders. This is the typical age (6-8) when photosensitivity develops. If it does make a big difference, you can start looking at the threads on food triggers, artificial ingredients, yeast, mercury/metals, pyroluria, zinc and other vitamin deficiencies... Good for you for not doing the drugs. That is just crazy at this age in my strong opinion. It isn't a social issue yet, you have time to heal the body. It does take commitment. But just eliminating the screens (get some good book tapes and building toys, and friends to play with!) will likely show you that you can control this. Of course if it does work (the screen elimination)--it took a bit of healing before our son could handle them again, and then using an LCD monitor. Just keep posting progress and questions--soon you will be like the regulars here and have an instant 'family' of people with similar fears and tears, and now...hope and success. Claire

I am not sure if there is actually a test for leaky gut, but there are multiple tests for the presence of peptides from gluten/casein and for yeast. These are issues, which if addressed, help heal a leaky gut. www.enterolab.com stool test $99 each,$198 for both. (IgG I think) No doctor's signature required. www.elisaact.com it is included in their IgG blood test for food sensitivities. Great Plains Lab does a yeast/candidas metabolite urine test and a test for gluten/casein peptides. These gluten/casein tests don't always agree with eachother. With us, elimination for a week showed clear improvements. Claire

Jennifer, Sorry, but I am still confused. I read the article, and it looked like some measure was passed, which had mixed results. I am not sure what I am to say in my letter? Is there a specific item I am asking them to vote against? Sorry, normally these petitions give you a draft letter that you can modify for your beliefs. Am I saying that please vote that any mental health screening and prescriptions need to require parental consent? Claire

Pfeiffer says that 10-20 still needs treatment if symptoms exist. For a value of 21, they recommended 300 mg B6 and 25 mg P5P! We didn't do this much, but it varies for everyone. As you know, my son hasn't had tics in 13 months--well before we uncovered the pyroluria. I can't say the direct impact of treatment on him, but with 100 mg B6 and 50 mg P5P, his pyroluria is only 8.5 or so. Your result is not surprising Carolyn--I definitely recommend getting treatment. Direct Access Healthcare will connect your doctor with Pfeiffer and they will recommend a treatment plan. FJ is the only parent I know of directly whose son's tics were 'cured' by the pyroluria treatment. Hopefully you posted this question on Braintalk--maybe more over there have experience with it. I do hope you get your doctor to talk to Pfeiffer (via the pyroluria lab) re the treatment. The biggest thing is that it creates a B6/zinc deficiencies and they are fundamentally important to the nervous system and the immune system. I would love to hear how you do after a week of treatment--the results can be very fast. Please keep us posted! Claire

I know what you mean. My son craves potatoes now. But it could just be the carbs that your body needs, e.g. the comfort food. Try rotation--you will know soon enough if it works. Must be 4 days in between though.

Alison, The graphics in shows can be big triggers. I clearly remember Spiderman 1 being a noticeable trigger. I am so glad you tested it before buying one. Sounds like the graphics are big with your son...it actually took us a lot of healing before my son could watch an TV or even the LCD for more than 15 minutes every other day. I think it was 6 months of a supplement and metal detox program. I am sure the graphics was a factor also. At least you know how to control the tics now. It may take a few months of healing the immune system before you try again. It may also take a few days for the tics to wear off. As far as the toys, could it also have been the flourescent lighting in the store? In any case, toy stores are full of dynamic color and I am convinced that for some children, the visual aspects create some stress--in addition to the excitement. You must be please that he is doing so well. I hope this gives you faith to continue with your efforts. As for other blood tests, I recommend the www.Spectracell.com vitamin and antioxidant deficiency blood test (no doctor signature required). Also, the Great Smokies www.gsdl.com 'elemental analysis' blood test for metal levels (e.g. mercury, lead...). I recommend them in that order if it is too much blood to draw at once. If the antioxidants come back low, then metal is a likely factor. Mercury for example causes light sensitivity. I think our getting rid of the mercury is the biggest reason that my son is less sensitive (after 2 years of no change in photosensitivity). There are urine tests also (for pyroluria and for yeast, etc..) but they can be timed differently from the blood test. Claire

Jennifer, I couldn't find an on-line petition at the second link. Can you check it? This is horrifying, a crime against children based on ignorance and special interest groups. I would feel completely remiss in not signing something. Claire

Alison, Are you talking about a combo LCD computer monitor with built in TV tuner? If so, we bought the Samsung SyncMaster 15" version for just over $400 (450- rebate) and were so please we bought 2 more. The only issue I see is that the sound through monitor speakers isn't the same as through a normal TV at high volume. So, no, I don't think you need a well-known name. We got ours through www.bestbuy.com, but I just searched for it--maybe they don't carry it. I know that the stores only carry the 17" now--but we intentionally got the smaller one. Have you read my thread on tests? www.elisaact.com does a IgG blood test (be sure to do this, not IgE) of 150 foods for $300, including testing for gluten/casein/salicylates. I recommend them highly. Whether $200 is a good price depends on how many foods they cover. Scan for the survey thread on food sensitivities. Foods affected so many here, yes I think it is worth getting an IgG test. I even had one done for myself and felt better after eliminating the foods. Claire

Helen, If your daughter has TS, I can imagine that your son could be at risk for neurological issues. It is tough to 'classify' people over the internet. However, some of the things you describe fall into that category of SID. I know they have treatments like brushing the skin to reduce sensitivity--you would need professional guidance though The behavioral things you describe could be food related. I suspect that the same things you do with your daughter, you do may wish to try with your son...I think others here have seen siblings benefit in such a way. e.g. eliminating artificial ingredients, testing for food sensitivities...a couple of posters even noticed improvements in behavior from less TV/screen viewing--so perhaps if you do a no screens week for your daughter, the whole family can try it. However, food sensitivities comes to mind first for behavioral issues. Claire

Hi Alison, If you click on the edit button once the post is posted, you can correct things. No one cares about typos, but I do this occasionally also. I did a ton of things at once, I just meant holding off on the supplements until you did the no screens. Although, it sounds like the possible viral infection interfered with your assessment anyway, oh well! Good for your son for dealing with the TV change so well. We found the same thing--Knex was a big one, and outdoor play, board games and book tapes. If you get an LCD, the smaller screens are best anyway (less visual impact). It sounds like your son has more of an instant trigger with TV than others. efgh's son was like that for a bit (if I remember correctly) and my son definitely was. I added one new supplement each day, our doctor said that was enough time between each of them to assess. I understand your sadness watching him, it is natural to go through this. But you are doing the right thing and focusing your energy on helping him. I know that someday you will feel the joy that so many here have found in knowing that their child is doing so well. Claire

Hi Alison, Merry Christmas! I wasn't sure from your post if your child watched TV last Sunday morning, so the no screens started on Monday, or if he last saw screen last Saturday, in which case the no screes week is over. Did he last the whole week and get his 'reward'? Did it make a notificeable difference? I think you had recently restricted him to 30 minutes a day (what did he use to watch on average before that?) Anyway, I hope things are going well, but either way, it would be great if you could let us know. I add both the ones that showed results and the ones that didn't to the TV/computer 'survey' thread, so that newcomers can get some idea of what difference this made for others. I am also very interested in knowing how you plan to proceed moving forward. Claire