Claire

bean, Please don't get discouraged! The lower baseline that the diet provides should actually help you find other triggers. I am glad Jeff brought up sleep, as that is definitely something to look for, plus simply not having enough down time increases stress levels. I think triggers can last up to a week, so if it was a temporary trigger (vs waxing and waning) you should see improvement by then. I must ask: What about increased computer games/TV/gamboy exposure with all the house guests? Claire

The limited diet you describe is classic ASD child (autism spectrum, including tic syndromes, not necessarily autism or aspergers). This means that food sensitivities and vitamin deficiencies are likely. The book "Children with Starving Brains" discusses this. They tend to crave the very foods causing problems. It is not your failure that causes this diet tendency, it is part of the profile. I strongly recommend either reading the book or trying a gluten-free (wheat) and casein-free (milk) diet for a week. I suspect you will notice a major difference. They have a ton of gluten-free breads. The homebaked versions (e.g. Gluten-free pantry) are awesome. Cheese is tougher. But lots of cracker choices. Claire

Unfortunately, half of the flu vaccines have thimerisol (a mercury-based preservative), which is a real no-no, especially for kids with tic syndromes. http://mercola.com/2004/may/22/flu_vaccines.htm (This news was in cnn.com also) Remarkably, the CDC doesn't allow mercury in kids vaccines anymore--except these flu shots. It must be the 'risk of death' trade-off for the risk of neurological issues. Even so, last year's flu vaccine was for the wrong virus, if you recall. I believe that Chiron no longer puts them in any vaccines, even the flu ones, but you need to check for yourself. I believe you can have the doctor show you the label for the vaccine to make sure. I don't give them, but if I felt compelled, I would go early and check labels. Our DAN doctor wanted us putting off all new vaccines for a year while healing occurs (even non thimerisol ones)--but fortunately my son isn't due for 4 more years. Of course my son is older and had been innoculated for more severe things--we just weren't sure on hepatitis B, but he was. FYI, our son used to get terribly sick whenever he got a cold, either croupe or bronchitis. He missed so much school that his 2nd grade teacher told me about echenecea. We have taken it at the first sign of a cold for going on 4 seasons now and not once did the cold last more than a day or two and very mild. We just did it again. Also, he takes the zinc lozenges at the first sign, which create an anti-viral environment at the back of his throat. I think the studies are under the vitamin names here... http://healthinfo.healthgate.com/GetConten...&chunkiid=33802 Anyway, the combo of these two has eliminated more serious developments for BOTH my son and me. So much so that this is one supplment he willingly takes at the first sign of a cold--even my skeptic is now a believer in this. Oddly, my husband refuses, and now he is the only one to get bad colds. Nothing is 100%, but worth a try. Finally, handwashing reduces illness by 40-50%. We keep something in the car for when I pick him up at school or anywhere. I just wish I had more influence over lunchtime handwashing. Claire

You would have to list the ingredients on the back. I checked the store before and some of the vitamins have artificial ingredients. You can list them here and people will comment. At Whole Foods, several brands also list allergen-free. (no wheat, dairy, yeast. Their house brand is cheap. I found NEEDS (by phone) 20-25% cheaper than retail stores and you can ask for the brands that you prefer. Twinlabs, Klaire, NOW, Natural Sources... NEEDS 800) 634-1380 or, online from another poster (sorry I forgot who it was!)--these sound even cheaper, but I don't know what brands they carry, and whether they have artificial additives. http://www.vitamins.com/ Claire

Gina, I know when I read about PANDAS, they discussed that high risk children were those with tics OR OCD in the family--e.g. the two are related, not just when comorbid. It could be it is worsening with each generation in your family because of 1) more awareness (since tics tend to reduce in adulthood, the grandfather may have had them as a child) or 2) some environmental 'insult' as it is called, eg. mercury caused a worsening of symptoms. This latter part is just speculation. Claire

Valley adhd and tic syndromes can be comorbid. I encourage you to look at the threads here, or go to an alternative doctor at the top thread on this forum. They can try to treat both without drugs. In particular, please read the artificial ingredients thread about a boy with both adhd and tics, that went into remission with the removal of artificial ingredients. For many it is more complicated that this. For us, removal of 'screens' (TV computer, gameboy for a week showed us that this was a tic trigger. For others there are certain foods. In the end, triggers aside, I personally think that a longer term treatment is a common approach--if you will read our reference threads and success stories, you will get the idea...eg. mercury and yeast overgrowth often need to be addressed. Claire

Elizabeth, If you don't get your answer here, Ask Mrs. D...she posts on another board, adhd and ts--here is her Carnitine post. http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/showth...ead.php?t=40259 Claire

Susanna, The only lab I know is what my doctor used for my son and me: Great Smokies Elemental Analysis (blood test) 888-201-8333 The only true way to tell is a tissue analysis, but no one does this--overkill. As I have posted, Pfeiffer and Dr. McCandless both say that the hair test can be inaccurate because people with issues don't excrete the metals, so it looks normal in their hair. Oddly, I think Pfeiffer may still do the hair analysis (Doctors Data I think), but they do the serum test also. I will find out more in October when we go. Good luck. Claire

Since probiotics are targeted to the gastrointestinal system, and they are in capsules, it sounds fine to me. I just called yesterday to ask when the next retest is, and haven't heard back. I read one study that said that Nystatin without diet change showed no improvement. He doesn't eat much sugar, but he does love his carbs... I am not banking on this working, but we needed to try it. Have you ever looked into Threelac? By the way, I have heard Oregano Oil is very powerful for this. Also zinc is an antifungal. I am hoping his taking zinc with make the difference for him. Claire

Heather, Exactly. People are getting dx'd with TS based on a neurologist look at current symptoms and the length of time they had them. Even if there is no family history, they can get this dx....and many get this dx in error, then resign themselves to not trying to reduce symptoms. Stories like this show how severe tics (regardless of dx) can improve substantially. I hope Shula responds... Claire

Phyl, I have read a lot about oregano oil--he drinks it? How much? We are in the nystatin phase--3 month plan. Almost 2 down. Claire

Hi Chemar, No more details--I did forward the email to Sheila Rogers though. I just sent Shula an email with this link, to ask if the removal of Ritalin was also related. Claire

Just got this email from Feingold. For those of you who don't know her, Shula Edelkind sends out all the Feingold email newsletters, and I am sure much more. THIS STORY IS REMARKABLE--I never knew her son was dx'd with Tourettes, and now he has no tics!! Please note that I had updated my week to fewer tics intro and pulled out the artificial ingredients as its own section. Shula Edelkind / The Feingold Program "Mother of a child with AD(H)D When Shula Edelkind's second child was more than "all boy" and became an obvious behavior problem, she didn't have a clue what to do. She obeyed the doctors, took parenting courses, put him on Ritalin, then Cylert, and was considering adding Tegretol as an effort to control the hallucinations produced by Cylert, when he developed Tourette Syndrome. In the 1980's, doctors had not yet seen Tourette Syndrome. It took the Tourette Syndrome Association's article in a magazine, and a four-hour trip to a special diagnostic clinic to get the diagnosis. When she saw the Woman to Woman talk show on TV discussing treatments for AD(H)D, including the dietary treatment of the Feingold Association, she thought it might be useful, or at least not harmful. Remarkably, in four days, her son was behaviorally normal. By the end of the year, there were no more Tourette's tics and he has been in "permanent remission" for the past 20 years." --Claire

Terrific article Chemar, thanks. Here is an excerpt for newcomers who might not be aware of the link "In this shocking letter, Weldon refers to Dr. Verstraeten's study which looked at the data from the Vaccine Safety Datalink and found a *significant correlation between thimerosal exposure via vaccines and several neurodevelopmental disorders including tics*, speech and language delays and possibly to ADD." Thimerosal is a MERCURY based preservative--that depresses the immune system and can be the genesis for certain tic disorders. This is why so many here tested for it. The levels can re reduced with proper treatment. Glutathione (antioxidant) plays a factor here (needed for natural mercury detox in the body) and many of us also found our glutathione levels were below normal--my doctor says we need that to detox the mercury in our systems. Claire

Evangelia, Soy is a common food for kids to be sensitive too. The tricky part about elimination diets (vs formally testing and only eliminating those foods the child shows an allergy to) is that so many foods can be possible triggers. I posted this on another link: 3) ELIMINATION DIET ... There are formal testing methods to determine this (e.g. IgG blood tests), but an elimination diet is doable if you don't have a doctor or the funds to test. The objective is to see which foods your child reacts to, if any. Acceptable foods (yeast unfriendly and least likely to cause sensitivities) Chicken, rice, brocolli, carrots, sea salt ? [ENT/allergists have prepared sheets on these...I am working on getting one and will include it if I can find one ] Drink lots of bottled water, over tap water. Unacceptable foods: Milk products (milk, cheese, butter..?); wheat/gluten; eggs; nuts, salicylites, other seasonings, sodas, caffeine, chocolate....sugar, yeast ) No ARTIFICIAL ingredients at all--meaning make your own food. Getting started on diet change: Before you begin, I would strongly suggest that you plan out the diet before you get started. Make sure you have the safe foods list ready and the food stocked in house. Doris Rapp's "Is this your child's world" or "Our toxic world" may have a list--I plan to call my ENT/Allergist today and have him fax me the standard list. You will also need recipes and alternatives so that your child can still have delicious, nutritious meals. Amazon.com has a great book I got--it has really helped with wheat/milk substitutions --the standard American diet is 70% wheat and dairy. They have wheat/gluten-free, milk-free, egg-free and even lots of yeast, corn-free and soy recipes. Some ideas: (yes, lots of rice-based products this week!) Check for no preservatives or artificial ingredients in the brands you buy. BREAKFAST -Rice Puffins cereal with rice milk (we use vanilla soy, but some are sensitive to soy, so rice milk is safer) -Rice bread with a non-dairy margarine- (freezer section of many stores now, I have also seen a Kamut yeast-free bread) -Van's Wheat free waffles with non-dairy margarine and 100% natural syrup (we only drizzle 1/2 teaspoon syrup on each waffle) -wheat-, milk- and egg-free pancakes (I posted a recipe elsewhere) LUNCH Homemade breads from the recipe book, or quick rolls. Turkey or chicken sandwiches using Rice-based breads (freezer section of many stores now) SNACKS -Pears -Cashews or walnuts (no peanut oil) [need to check elimination diet choices, to make sure which nuts are okay--peanuts are usually the worst--I think one of the biggest allergies] -celery and other nut butters -healthy potato chips (if potatoes aren't on the list!) DINNER -Fried rice with peas/carrots/diced meat (wheat free soy sauce and no eggs) -'Chicken nuggets' rolled in a rice or potato starch (one person had an allergy to potatoes--I think this is rare, but we need the true elimination diet list), seasoned with seasalt (nothing artificial in the salt, and paprika can be a problem for some). Fried in light olive oil. -Turkey soup with MSG-free broth (or home made) celery, garlic, salt and I am not sure about onions (my son was allergic, but I need to check the list) --Hamburger or no-nitrate, no corn syrup hot dog, no buns, or homemade buns -Other meats -Side dishes: rice, potato, many types of veggies (?) Pancake recipe 1 C brown rice flour 1/2 C tapioca flour 1/4 potato starch ½ t baking soda 2 T baking powder (aluminum free) This has corn in it. I make a corn-free one with cream of tarter, baking soda and arrowroot--works perfectly 2-3 T lt olive oil 1/4 cup goat milk protein powder, depending on how much protein you want. I use Gotein (rice protein powder would work) 1/2 dropper Stevia (optional) 1+ C Water--to taste, depending on thickness desired mix well and drop into pan and brown on both sides, etc...

Chemar, You know I agree 100% on the emotional aspects, which are critical. Claire

Thanks Heather, I actually wondered about this last night later, both from the standpoint of general stress, and from the idea that a week to fewer tics might in someway backfire and have parents put pressure on their children to stop ticcing. I agree with you--I will modify the initial post for this later. I also thought of exercise, which helps stress and seratonin, but then I worried that they would push the child there also! I guess we need to trust the parents to find the balance. I am also still concerned that for older children, who have more set lifestyle habits, that these measures could seem punitive in some way--even if they are meant as a test rather than a permanent plan. Parents know their children and would need to use judgement in deciding whether this approach was feasible or might backfire. We might need some great alternatives in the recipes/food choices (pancakes, bread, snacks) as well as playtime alternatives to screens. Claire

Below is a one week trial plan I put together that may be doable for newcomers. Often, people have multiple issues. Many of us had longer term treatments that made a difference (Heather and yeast, mercury for others), but it may be hard for people who can't afford doctors to guide them to 'believe' and motivate themselves to do this on their own. My goal is to have something that shows right away that alternative methods DO make a difference, so newcomers may be more willing to go the distance and address all the issues. I compiled a list of the things that seemed to benefit multiple people on this board to get people started. Inherently this will be more than some people need. You can try one or two things at a time or go on a camping trip in the spring (e.g no electricity, limited food choices...) A parent wouldn't even have to tell a younger child what was going on -- they could just have run out of certain foods, that week, make a big deal out of practicing home cooking, and insist on family time over TV/computer time, but that is an individual thing. Finally, I listed the elements separately, so a parent can pick and choose a subset if they would like. Below is my recommendation --good to read posts from lots of people on their success stories. Any 'compilation' post inherently doesn't reflect individual success plans. ------------------------------ BEFORE STARTING THE WEEK TRIAL PLAN 1) Though both Tourettes Syndrome (TS) and other tic syndromes can improve with alternate treatments, with TS you are more likely to have some continuing tics (and even with tic syndromes). Tic syndromes affect 10-20x the number of children than TS. 2) The object of the long-term treatment is to improve your childs physical health and to find a balance of a manageable program and minimal tics, that keeps a close eye on your child's mental health from too much focus on this and too many restriction. Whether it is tic syndrome or Tourette's, the plan is the same. 3) A low stress environment is always beneficial for children with neurological issues. 4) I believe that the unanimous advice of the regulars on this board is to never ask your child to stop ticcing. The treatments help reduce their urge to tic, we never ask them to control tics--it doesn't work, perhaps temporariliy--and then can backfire, but in terms of emotions and tics. 5) Yeast is a common underlying condition for many of our kids. Try this free at-home spit test. First thing in the morning before they drink water, have your child spit into a glass of water. If the spit floats, they 'pass'. If it sinks or has stringers coming down, they may have yeast issues. There is a whole diet plan for yeast, such as avoiding sugars, refined carbs, molds, vinegars. Plus supplements such as capryllic acid, garlic, olive leaf extract, threelac.. do your research there. 6) ALTERNATIVE DOCTORS. If you can afford an alternative doctor to guide you, this is ideal--mainstream neurologists generally aren't aware of these methods. Sheila Rogers, the site editor posted a list on the thread at the top of the forum, to guide you through this process. Please don't be confused by the title "DAN" doctor-- (Defeat Autism Now), their testing protocols cover a spectrum of neurological disorders (yeast, metals, food sensitivities, vitamin deficiencies...) that seem to occur in many people on this board. Correcting these imbalances has helped many of us. The lists have MD's and naturopaths, so you can pick whom you are most comfortable with. http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p?showtopic=565 ------------------------------------- *****THE 7 DAY TRIAL PLAN***** If you can't yet afford an alternative doctor (see above), or want to try some things while you decide on a doctor, this is something to try for 7-10 days that is a combination of methods that many of us started with. It is not a complete plan, does not address longer term issues such as metals, and yeast. Also, supplementation should be done with a doctor's supervision, especially for longer periods. You can ask your pediatrician if one week on these supplements is okay. I think it is easier to do supplements at a different time than everything else, since some supplements (e.g. certain EFAs) can actually make tics worse in some people. Yeast detox can also make tics worse. So I would separate the supplements plan and do it the following week, adding one supplement at a time. Or do it first, though usually it takes longer to see results. In the end, the body needs healing, so even if removing a trigger such as screens works, it is not the ultimate long term solution. It is more that for some it would give a quick and sustained improvement while you heal their system. In the end supplements to rebuild the system, and avoidance of problem foods and artificial ingredients are likely to be most important to healing. 1) NO SCREENS for a week (no TV/Gameboy/Big screen movies) [For 14 of 15 people that I know tried this, it made a big difference at the time--clearly, it was most effective at the beginning of the program--before healing occurred, but this is where the newcomers are. Over time, either try an LCD monitor or once their system is in balance, many can tolerate CRT screens again Summary of posters stories: http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p?showtopic=852 2) SUPPLEMENTS TO GET STARTED (in lieu of testing for deficiencies. If you take away foods in the next step, you will want to make sure they have a solid base of vitamins. At this point I would do RDA's and later customize more based on doctor guidance -Magnesium Taurate -Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D -Omega 3's 1 pill fish oil often preferred over flax seed oil for boys, but some have issues with fish oil, do this one by itself -Borage or Evening primrose oil for GLA--1 cap each -Probiotics 1 cap (for yeast issues) -B6 or p5p on alt days (B's make some kids hyper) -B complex (B1, B2, folate, B3-Niacinamide...) -A multi-vite with A/C/E/Selenium --at doses in the multivites -no copper or artificial ingredients in the vitamins -Alt day: B-12 (with methylcobalomin) sublingual tablets or gum -Alt days: Iron (unless they get it in fortified cereals) by itself -Zinc Citrate/piconlinate at bedtime, by itself -low or no manganese--it can aggravate tics. Add vitamins one day at a time to test for reactions. Or investigate www.bonniegr.com for her supplement program, but then if your child reacts to some, you wouldn't know. With vitamins, more is not necessarily better! Capsules are easier to swallow, so is using a straw (Chemar's tip) 3) NO ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS. No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Shopping at Whole Foods or Wild Oats is generally safe. www.feingold.com is a non-profit program that maintains lists of acceptable foods. In addition to the artificial additives listed on Feingold, most here avoid corn syrup (esp high fructose) and sucralose. summary of poster's experience http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p?showtopic=795 4) ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGEN CONTROL. If your child has respiratory allergies, wash all his/her bedding and put a HEPA filter in their bedroom. A anti-dustmite pillow and/or mattress cover would be ideal. Vacuum the room before bedtime (but not with the child in the room) 5) ELIMINATION DIET yes, normal foods can cause tics--if your child is sensitive. There are formal testing methods to determine this (e.g. IgG blood tests), but an elimination diet is doable if you don't have a doctor or the funds to test. The objective is to see which foods your child reacts to, if any. summary of poster's experience http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p?showtopic=794 The most common one seems to be milk and wheat (actually casein and gluten) Many/most here had multiple allergies, but it is a good place to start. If I had to pick on, it would be dairy. Before you begin, I would strongly suggest that you plan out the diet before you get started. Make sure you have the safe foods list ready and the food stocked in house. Doris Rapp's "Is this your child's world" or "Our toxic world" may have a list--or call your my ENT/Allergist today and ask for a standard food elimination diet list. You will also need recipes and alternatives so that your child can still have delicious, nutritious meals. Amazon.com has a great book I got--it has really helped with wheat/milk substitutions --the standard American diet is 70% wheat and dairy. They have wheat/gluten-free, milk-free, egg-free and even lots of yeast, corn-free and soy recipes. If the food elimination plan works, and if you indentify the sensitive foods, you can investigate enzymes with meals (e.g. Houston Pharmaceuticals). But it affects the supplement program, e.g. you should take less B3 and B6. 4) AIR FILTER in the room at night ( for families with potential mold, dust, synthetic carpeting, and/or paints and chemicals for the children to react to. ) 5) Lots of prayer. If significant improvement is seen after 7 days continue with the program until no improvement was seen for 3 days in a row. I see this as their neurological baseline for this particular assessment. Then they can figure out whether to add in foods one at a time, add in CRT screens, in reduce amounts, or go back to life as normal and try each category one at a time later to see if just one element is enough for them The main point is to give confidence so that they will go through the effort to find the way to heal themselves or there child. Treatments vary considerably and are greatly influenced by your and the doctor's preferences. Virtually all can be done without prescriptions--just supplements. Claire

Buddy, Exactly how much B6 and zinc are you taking? When do you take the B6, and are you taking the zinc at night, apart from any other minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron? If you have pyroluria, the B6 level is 200 mg B6 and 50 mg P5P (activated B6) a day, ideally in at least two doses. For zinc it is 50 mg, though we shifted down to 25 mg and will retest to see if it is enough. You can do a search on the internet for it. Some of the symptoms can be: Poor dream recall, stretch marks in women, quick to anger, alcoholism in the family, smelly feet, white spots on fingernails, low stress tolerance... If you really can't afford the $80 for the at-home test plus shipping, (no doctor's signature needed), then you might consider trying this dose for 2 weeks. But I am no doctor, so I hesitate saying it, and only mention it because you are an adult (I don't like to see experimenting on kids!). At that dose, you would likely see a difference within 2 weeks if this was your primary issue. It won't happen so easily if you have multiple issues, as many do, e.g. food sensitivities. As for food sensitivities, Doris Rapp wrote 2 books: 1) "Is this your child's world and 2) "Our Toxic world". In one of them she gives an elimination diet. It is the no cost way to do this. Very hard for children (though Ronna did one for her child), but as an adult, it might be manageable, and the cost is $0. Here is the link: http://www.drrapp.com/ You only eat only certain low risk foods (e.g. chicken, water, certain vegies, maybe rice--important to know which ones) for a certain time period--I forget how long, maybe 2 weeks. and nothing artificial. If you have some food sensitivitie, then you would see a reduction in symptoms (tics or behavioral). Then you add in foods one at a time and watch for a reaction. Wait a few days to introduce another food. Sometimes symptoms take 2-3 days to show. On the other hand, if your symptoms don't improve at all over the time period, then your tics are probably not triggered by foods and no methodical reintroduction is required. We inadvertently did this when my son got sick and wouldn't eat for 4 days (this was before his IgG test results came back). His fidgetiness completely went away--he noticed also. But we weren't systematic in reintroduction--we just had to get food into the poor kid! Others may laugh, but here is my magic formula recommendation for you (as an adult, not for a child)--to pull out all the stops. BIG DISCLAIMER--do your own Due dligilence and doctor supervision needed for vitamins...! 1 week of: 1) elimination diet (chicken, rice, brocolli, carrots?? I have to find out what it is…I think my ENT doctor/allergist has this) ...NO milk products, wheat/gluten, eggs, nuts, etc....seasonings except sea salt, no sugar (yeast issues), and no ARTIFICIAL ingredients at all--meaning make your own food. Drink lots of water and get good rest in a dark room with no lights (melatonin) 2) Some assortment of supplements including magnesium/calcium/Omega 3's/probiotics/ B6/zinc… 3) No screens 4) Air filter (molds, dust triggers) This would basically test a host of things at once, all in one killer week. Good luck--I don't expect you to do this, but I had to throw it out. Honestly, I bet if all the newcomers did this (except maybe lower levels of zinc and B6 unless a pyroluria test was done or it was suspected), I bet half would see some improvement. From there, they would BELIEVE that environment affects tics. I know that mercury/antioxidants and yeast are often bigger issues, but they are more of a long term treatment and this is a quick hit. I fear that Jeff's artificial ingredients test can seem like a failure for some, not because it doesn't matter, but because other sensitivities or vitamin deficiencies are still factors and continue to trigger tics. So many can't afford or find doctors. Maybe we can track down that elimination diet and post it and come up with a one week program for people to try. Maybe on vacation in the woods, when families expect more limited diet choices and no screens, so it is not traumatic for the kids. If by some miracle you do this, let us know if it works. Claire

My DAN doctor believes the IgG blood test is best. It certainly is more comprehensive for one prick/blood draw. They can test 300 things! I didn't want my child to suffer through 300 pricks... We did Immunolabs blood test also, but they didn't have the artificial ingrediencts. Elisa/ACT now has added artificial ingredients to their tests, plus chemicals. So I chose the 150 food option and chemicals, and artificial ingredients. I showed positive to BHT and pinene in addition to 4 foods. They even test for casein/gluten in the same test, whereas Immunolabs didn't show this info. You can customize what you want tested--the cost goes up, but it caps. I think mine was $540, and insurance covered 70%. Just doing 120 (?) foods through Immunolabs or Elisa/act costs half of that I think. ELISA/ACT phone is 800-553-5472 People here use many methods, including electrodermal testing and energy methods. My bias is that this covers the most items with the least impact on the child. It does require a doctor's signature. Be sure to get IgG not IgE--IgE misses a lot--it only goes for the allergies with an immediate reaction, not a delayed reaction. Most here are talking about food sensitivities, not just immediate reaction allergies (ie. I showed negative on IgE for milk, but positive for IgG). Not all mainstream doctors do IgG, but an allergist might, and the list on the top of this thread should use it. If you do this, please let us know either way--it really helps. Good luck! Claire

Heather, Jeff, This is similar to what both labs said about the foods we were sensitive too per the IgG blood test. Actually, they said wait 4 months with nothing, then rotate in the sensitive foods 1/week, or up to 1/4days. And watch for a reaction. If you have one, then wait a couple more months and try again. If they have 12 food sensitivities, they can still have them each day--it is just that a particular item must be spaced. Claire

Most the regulars here are pretty committed to removing artificial ingredients, and Jeff has been our most vocal spokesperson on getting so many of us on board (thanks Jeff!). This first post summarized what people have posted on this--I will try to keep it updated. 1. Do you try to eliminate artificial ingredients? 2. Have you noticed any correlation with tics or behavior (if especially with certain ones, please note it. FYI, there are two main non-profit groups with info on this. www.feingold.org, (from Jeff) and Failsafe (from Ausclare). STATS SO FAR: 7 of 7 try to eliminate. 7 of 8 definitely noticed a correlation with tics. It seems with this one, reintroduction after elimination for an initial period can be very telling. 1. Chemar-- Yes. Yes-He reacts big time to artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors, high fructose corn syrup, preservatives and MSG and so we totally avoid these. 2. Heather-- Yes. Yes--My son is sensitive to Dyes and Colours, HVP (Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, which contains MSG. Elimination dramatically helped in reducing tics 3. Phyl --Yes. Yes--We did notice a direct effect whenever he had artificial food coloring - these caused facial tics and hyperactivity. (He couldn't stop running from room to room). Also msg affects him greatly - he has trouble breathing and gets very anxious. So we avoid those things. 4. Susanna --Yes. Yes--His tics were under control after elimination of the artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and high fructose corn syrup 5. efgh --Yes. Yes--immediate reaction with regard to his tics/behaviour/asthma ... example Flavoured pringles, Fanta, etc immdly sets off the tics in him. So, I stick only to natural stuff most of the time. 6. Jeff -- Yes (both daughters) Yes--The artificial colors and flavors definitely cause us to tic. We noticed improvement within a couple of weeks of eliminating, and we've followed the Feingold program for 4-5 years now. Tics are no longer an issue. When we eat too much of a bad thing, we see the tics coming back. 7. Ausclare. Yes. Yes. Also eliminates salicylates and amines, per Failsafe. 8. Vickia-yes, my son's tics are worse with nitrates and corn syrup (and we're still eliminating others) 9. Julia. Yes-yes. Tics are immediately worse after consuming artificial colors, artificial flavors, any preservatives, MSG (in any form), caffeine & some of the highest salicylate foods. "Natural" foods from the health food store are NOT usually safe. (I just cook from scratch.) 10. Cum Passas Yes, My husband has never stopped eating the bad foods because in the 60s & 70s no one knew he had anything but bad habits. To this day he eats what ever he wants drinks soda all day long (pepsi) He worked as a restaurant manager for years and ate what ever was on the menu every day. Same with his father drinks coffee a lot..Thought I would share since my son hopes to eat a candy bar again some day. Others, please add when you have a chance...

CM, I found one that was on both the DAN doctor and Environmental Medicine Doctor list. I especially like the DAN doctors, as they have a testing/treatment protocol in place for neurological spectrum disorders--don't be mislead by the term autism, many of us here have found similar underlying issues. Note the DAN list shows what tests they run. I would find a few on both lists, and call them on the phone to ask 1) if they have treated children with tics and 2) what tests they typically run, and 3) there office visit fee--this can vary greatly and can be a determining factor for some. If they are a DAN doctor, the lists should show what conferences they attended, the more recent the better, though this is only one factor. Claire

Thanks a million to all that answered so far. I am compiling a summary of responses in the first post on the thread--for newcomers to better recognize how common food sensitivities are. (or isn't--but so far it looks significant). I am still surprised at the impact on behavior. Jeff, I have the Feingold program, but could you list salicylates (sp)? According to the tests, my son is sensitive to apples, bananas, cranberries, and I am sensitive to peaches. Are these salyc.? If so, do people often have a reaction to some, not others-? (e.g. I didn't realize apples were in there--so it caught my attention). I also reaction to eggplant, and my son to onions, and I think at least one of these is 'nightshade', whatever that is! Claire

Also, since I am always looking for common patterns...4 of us had the low glutathione (Phyl, Susanna, Jean and Claire). I wonder if anyone else took this test? By the way, that one doesn't surprise me at all. Claire