Pilbara

We have all been in your place. I think the onset of tics has to be the most stressful time in our lives due to the fear. I'm 6 years in with my son and all is good. His tics started when he was about 5 with hard eye blinking, but it was at 7 that it errupted with multiple motor tics and vocal. Highly likely you just have a motor tic and I do see these regularly in lots of kids, so no need to stress just yet. If you haven't picked up Sheila's book yet, then I highly recommend it. For my son his triggers were chemicals and high levels of aluminium in his body. Since we have tried our best to detox his system and be as chemical free as possible, my son's tics are extremely mild. They come mostly in the evening when he is home and when he is stressed, but for the most part people don't even notice it. He is in high school now and his tics have been accepted by his peers and he is comfortable explaning his TS if anyone picks up on it. But the intensity of his tics at 7 to now at 13, are worlds apart. They are so minor and are not an issue for him. I know as he continues to develop, the long term outcome is extremely positive.

Make sure you read Sheilas book at the top of the page, it will really help guide you through the investigation process. Also you need to spend time working through older posts on this forum and the pinned posts at the top are very helpful. For every child the triggers are going to be different. For many it is diet related, for my son it is primarily chemical sensitivity that sets off the tics. He also had toxic levels of aluminium in his system that we had to detox out of him, Sheila has a quote about the kids "have something in their body that they do not need, or something they need that they do not have", this has certainly proven to be correct for us. Got the aluminium out, balanced his nutrients, removed chemicals from the house and I've very conscious of chemicals in the food supply as well. Now you wouldn't know he has TS. He still only has the occasional tics, but they don't tend to last long and are so minor that they go unnoticed by most. Good luck with your journey, have hope that many of us have achieved good results by investigating triggers and you can make a difference, but it does take commitment and work, but so so worth it.

I'm so feeling for you right now. Try not to think about worse case scenarios right now, and your in the right place to get the best knowledge. ACN was life changing for me and I strongly believe my son's improvement was because of what I've learnt in here and through reading Sheila's book. Your right, your Pediatrician is unlikely to be of any help, but its great that your seeing a naturopath and allergist, they are more than likely to be the game changers. PANS/PANDAs may definitely be possibility so learn all you can to rule it in or out. I didn't think we had a genetic link to TS because there is no history in our family. But I think it comes from my fathers side as I can find OCD and undiagnosed ADD. Not a bad thing because my father is a highly successful man who I think is absolutely amazing. But now I have a second son who has developed a vocal tic, so no doubt it's genetics for us. But that' ok because worse things can happen, so I feel very blessed that it's only tics. If it wasn't for the tics I would never have made lifestyle changes, I'm far better informed about toxicity in our environment and in our food supply. My oldest son's tics are very minimal no one picks up on them, except me of course. We now go longer periods with no tics at all, so the TS is having no impact on his life. But it has enhanced it as he has absolutely excelled in his sports. I also should mention that my son's tics were at their worse in the beginning and now I'd say there is a 95% improvement. Good luck, happy to answer any questions, but make sure you get Sheila's book, it will give you a lot of hope and lead you through investigating triggers.

The arrival of tics is the most difficult time and everything you read is likely to lead you to worse case scenario. I have a 9 year old who has had TS since he was 7, and just recently his 8 year old brother has developed a vocal tic. Make sure you grab a copy of Sheila Rogers book, I think everyone should start there. From my experience, my son's tics are caused from environmental factors. Heavy metal toxicity was definitely a factor and once the aluminium was completely removed from his system he has improved significantly. We made sure his nutrients were balanced and then started investigating further. For us chemical sensitivity is the key for him. We cleaned up his diet, removed all chemicals from the house (definitely research toxicity in your home), bought a high quality air filters for his room and one for the main living areas. My son still tics, but they are so minor no one even knows he has TS and we have longer periods of no tics at all. Now I'm starting again with my second son because every child is different and their triggers can be completely different. Learn as much as you can and read all that is available. ACN are amazing in what information they provide, so your in the right place and on the right path.

Your getting close to the 12 month mark, and it is possible that you son has just the motor tics, doesn't sound like any verbals such as clearing the throat or various other sounds have presented yet. Regardless if it is motor tics or TS, I think a good place to start is with full blood work to check for any deficiencies and heavy metal hair testing. Getting their bodies in balance then gives you a good starting point. If you haven't read Sheila's book yet, then I recommend you read it, as it will help you work through the many possibility that could be your son's triggers. It is based on parents experiences and successes, and in all honesty the people dealing with it are certainly more knowledgeable that the medical profession. For my son it was chemical sensitivity that predominately exacerbates his tics and we had to detox him from Aluminium. I've gone chemical free in the home, buy all organic where possible, have air filtration in place, filter all water before use and read the labels on everything. But for others food sensitivity seems to be their biggest trigger, so all children are very different and I think that is where Sheila's book helps you work your way through all the possibilities. For my son after his big eruption of tics when he was 7 and we started him on the path to a cleaner environment, he continues to get less and less tics. Two years later and he is in a really good place. Good luck with your journey.

Ted, You will have to spend time reading the pinned posts in this thread, it will start you on the path of exploration. Sheila Rogers book was my lifesaver, not only did it give me hope with people's stories, but also tells you all possible clue's to start looking for the triggers. All kids with TS will be different, some it's food, some it environmental factors, you have to be willing to explore everything. For my son, he was toxic in Aluminium (yes lots of kids with TS have heavy metal toxicity issues) and predominately chemical sensitivity. I think we were lucky as the changes I had to make were probably easier than those dealing with food reactivity. However with removing chemicals from my son's environment, it has also meant looking at his food source as well. So I always buy organic where possible and ensure I understand labels. Some foods are certainly a trigger, such as MSG and artificial flavouring. I just worked with a Naturopath, but others use integrated/environmental/bio-medical doctors. Bill Walsh's work on Biochemistry and epigenics is worth reading about as well. Good luck, my son's tics are now very minimal and hardly noticable by others, so have hope that you can help make things a little better.

Barbara That is such good news, I don't know where any of us would be if not for Latitude and Sheila, it was the best thing to ever happen for my son. When his tic erupted, it was such a difficult time for all of us and the medical profession and Tourettes Association here in Australia was of no use. I'm just thankful I found this site as it changed all our lives. Now I look back and I'm thankful for the TS, because now I have learned so much, have made many changes and we are certainly on a different path in life. Like you my son's tics are fairly non existent, still there from time to time but no longer having an impact on his life. I'm very thankful. Lyn

Sandra, Yes my son had toxic levels of aluminium that he could not cleans from his body. I have heard of various heavy metals in kids with TS, they must lack the ability to detox effectively and it builds up. However my son is now clear, we had him on Chelatox for about 18 months, slowly taking it out which is much safer to do otherwise it is free to roam in the body causing other harm. I also used Epsom Salt baths on a regular basis. Heavy metals also means you daughter is likely to be low on other nutrients in the body as the heavy metals will interfere with their absorption. My son's tics are now not much of an issue for him. They are still there but he particularly sensitive to chemicals in our environment and I can't control all of those, but we try our best in the home. However they are so mild now the only arise occassionally.

With the TV, you might like to try putting a Himalayan Salt Lamp in the room. Depends if it's the ions or flickering lights that are the trigger for your child, but the salt lamps turn the negative ions from electronic equipment and positively charge them. Here is a link to perhaps look at. Just worth a thought http://products.mercola.com/himalayan-salt/himalayan-salt-lamps.htm

Try and find a biomedical or integrative doctors, they really try and find the route cause and not just treat the symptoms. Naturopaths are also a good place to start. My DS started with the hard blinking as well. I hated the head jerking phase. Definitely read Shiela's book recommended above. Other things to look at is heavy metal toxicity (tested through a hair sample). Have hope that lots of us with kids with TS do get significant improvement through natural treatment. My DS gets triggered off by certain chemicals in his food and particularly in the environment, but for the most part his tics are now extremely minor. Good luck

Just on what you have put up, have you ever worked with a Naturopath or Environmental/Integrated Doctors. It's important to find help from other that can help to direct you. You mentioned fragrance free, but are they chemical free products. How about your diet, although gluten free, do you eat any other processed foods? Sounds like you are starting to explore triggers but have not found what works for you yet. Don't get discouraged, you probably still have a long way to go to finding what works for you. Please don't give up, keep looking, follow the advice on this forum and read Sheila's book if you have not done so already.

A good place to start is with a full blood test and hair analysis. This will identify any deficiencies in minerals and nutrients; plus the hair analysis will identify any heavy metal toxicity your daughter may have. I just used a Naturopath for this. Once you know her body is balanced, then you will need to look for possible triggers, be them in food or the environment. As Chemar has linked for you, Sheila Rogers book is brilliant in helping you identify triggers. I still continually review this book and it will certainly point you in the right direction. Other things is to start researching about is gut health, research is overwhelmingly supporting the brain/gut connection. I've put my journey with my son in my profile if you want to take a look. It includes what he takes and what environmental changes we have made. My son only tics at a minimum now and its only really noticeable in the afternoons, probably because he's relaxed at home and is comfortable to let them out. But overall he is so much better than when the tics first arrived, which was a very scary time for both of us. We are all very accepting of the tics and he is not bothered by them at all. I am 100% confident my son's tics are the result of chemical sensitivity and his body's inability to cleanse itself. Unfortunately we do live in a toxic world and although I try and control as much as I can at home, he is still exposed to chemicals on a daily basis. I just have to help him move the toxins out of his body as soon as I can. This is why he has some mild tics in the afternoon. You've come to a great place on this forum and with ACN research, there is a wealth of information in here that will certainly help your daughter.

That's excellent Vicki, it's wonderful to be getting some answers.

Vicki, I know it's heart breaking to see our kids go through this. I'm more comfortable with my son's (also 9) tics now than in the beginning. I believe my son's tics are triggered by environmental factors, so we aim for a toxic free environment as possible. This also includes food as well as chemical exposure. You may like to go over to the PANDA thread's and have a read there as well, because I feel it may have some relevance for you with the sudden onset. You need to explore all possible triggers and learn about all possible causes for tics. There is so much information in the threads on this forum and you will find that a lot of us have experienced improvements through using natural methods. Definitely read Sheila Rogers book before you medicate, because it will certainly give you hope on what can be done if your willing to spend the time looking. I've put my journey into my profile if you want to see what I do. My son still has tics, but they are very minimal now and have no impact on his life. I also try and focus on the positive's of what TS has brought to our lives. We certainly live a healthier and cleaner lifestyle. My son struggles academically, but excels in sports, then I read articles like this one http://abcnews.go.com/Health/tourette-syndrome-make-superior-athlete/story?id=24977715 and I think there is always an upside. Your in the right place to start your journey. There is a lot to learn and a lot to explore, but it is so worth it in the end. Improvement really is possible. Good luck

Welcome the forum. It is so hard in the beginning, so we know how you are feeling right now. This forum and it's members are so knowledgeable and most of us have experienced success in reducing the severity of our children's tics through natural alternatives. I cannot recommend Sheila's book enough, not only will it give you the tools to search out possible triggers, but the best part for me was also reading people's stories at the beginning. It gave me so much hope, where through searching the internet, it just drove me into more fear. I've written my experience under my profile, so feel free to have a read of the journey I have taken with my son. For us his tic's came on at the age of 7 and the first few months were the worse and most severe. Now although he still gets tics, they are not constant and most people don't even notice them. For my situation, I strongly believe my son's TS is caused through a reaction to chemicals in the environment and in his food. We can definitely trace an increase in tics to something he has been exposed to or eaten. Feel free to ask any questions you like, we are all here to help each other. Take care