Calicat

For a sore throat, and even more so for a tickly, irritated throat, I gargle with with a clear xylitol mouthwash (sorry, don't remember the brand right now). The effect lasts a long time. When my daughter is feeling funny in her throat, and I suspect a little throat tic will develop from it or has just started, she gargles with it too. She is amazed at how her throat feels so much better immediately.

Bonnie, hope he's better soon! My daughter, who is not usually TOO dramatic, did pull a big one on me tonight. She had been pushing me (figuratively) and whining and trying to get in trouble, and I finally lost it and got mad. So then she's all upset... goes to my craft drawers and pulls out a leather lace (for necklaces) and puts it around her neck and pulls, saying, "I'm going to choke myself". In front of me, though, just to get my reaction I guess. Well, the funny part is the lace was from the dollar store, so it promptly snapped in half and that was the end of that. But I hate that dramatic stuff, too.

Chemar, funny you say that mood/behaviour stuff is triggered with illness for some of our kids... I never related this to the tic thing before, but I have always been able to tell when my daughter would be sick the next day... because the night before she would always be teary/meltdowny. Since she wasn't normally that way, I'd say, "Mark my words; she'll be sick tomorrow" and sure enough, she was. Weird.

That was a really wonderful post, lynsey--thank you so much! My daughter's symptoms are very mild most of the time, but I can't help but worry about what the future holds. Especially, "Will it get worse?" But I have also considered the character-building aspects of dealing with such a thing, like you mentioned. You sound very lucky to have your boys

My daughter is another one to add to your list. As I'm reading these posts, I'm going, "yep, yep, her too". Most trouble with socks. Fave clothes she would prefer to wear a lot. Tags cut out of almost everything (a consignment shop told me not to do it becaue it lowers the resale value of the clothes, but she HAS to have them out or they drive her nuts). When she was 1, 2, 3, and 4, loud noises such as being in a large crowd of people, upset her. Overall, she has the sensory issues on the mild side, but they're there. What someone said about smells (mint gum, lipstick, etc) I can totally relate to myself. I believe I have a moderate chemical sensitivity, and there are many smells that will make me feel sick or give me an instant "headache" (not pain so much, kind of a pressure-dizziness). I think the chemical sensitivity and sensory issues can overlap too, because my daughter seems to get itchy easily from certain things... some detergents I think, not sure what else is causing it. Interesting discussion.

Oh my gosh, Caryn, the same thing happened to me! I used to go to the chiro, and he was awesome and relieved my long-term lower back stiffness--fixed it permanently. But he could never get my neck to shape up. It was always feeling so yucky and stiff, and I'd have to stretch it out dozens of times a day, but it only helped a little. I'd have the urge to just pummel my neck or hang it over the edge of a table to put pressure on the stiff muscles. Anyway, I started magnesium (natural calm) and my neck seems normal now! Only occasional stiffness. It also fixed my sleep issues. I just cannot say enough good about how mag has helped me!

Hi Trubiano, Glad you got a big clue! Just a word of advice on the Starbucks... my 6 year old loved having sips of my frozen slushie frappicino things, and it finally occured to me to ask to see an ingredient list. I HAD been under the impression they were made like I would make it at home--espresso, sugar, milk, cream, ice--but no. It's actually a pretty artificial concoction, which I cannot remember the details of. I'm so tired of disappointing ingredients lists!!

Chemar, So sorry to hear that your husband had to go through that. I bet that doctor felt bad afterwards and wished he/she had listened to you!!

This part of my question got lost in all the other things I was saying in my other post. People speak of giving certain supplements to help with mood. Which one(s) do you recommend as a starting point, and do you think if her mood is "improved" that she will, in turn, be happy to comply more? Has anyone seen stubborness/stuckness reduce on any particular supplement? Thanks!

Thanks so much for your responses. That is funny about picking up your 13 year old. I hope I won't still be doing it! But I will if I have to! I will think about the throat culture... might be a good idea. If mood can be affected by supplements, do you think a calming supplement would rub off and tone down the stubborness? Which ones might be worth a try? Thanks!

Those are some good thoughts. I know that in response to her extreme stubborness, I have dug in my own heels: "I'm the mom, I said come, you had better do it now..." But that is obviously not good for the situation. I will try to back down and help the situation along. But, take this morning for example, she wouldn't get out of bed until I lifted her out of it (yes, she is tired... magnesium doesn't seem to be doing it's magic lately) and that was 20 minutes of asking, begging, pleading to get up. So then we're in a tremendous hurry. She knows this. She saunters down the stairs and stops halfway. I tell her to start eating breakfast. She stands there. And on it goes. So this is happening even when a transition is not taking place. If we're late and I ask her to hurry from the house to the car, she will go at a snail's pace. On purpose. It's like she wants to infuriate me. But I do agree that being aware of my own responses to her and helping her with time management will be useful. I need to stop being resentful of this behavioural change. I am mad and I feel betrayed by her (I know that sounds weird, but I'm trying to be honest) because she used to be a good listener who wanted to please me most of the time. Who is this child???

Thanks for your reply, lurker. No, she is in grade 2 now. She is a December baby and the youngest in her class. Other than being tired, she did not have trouble adjusting to a longer day and higher work expectations. She did extremely well in grade one, receiving mostly A's as her grades, and does not have any sign of ADD. She is enjoying grade 2 as well. Also, the dig-in-the-heels things has been going on for a few months at least.

Hi everyone, I haven't been on here for such a long time. My daughter (age 6 and 3/4 now) has been doing quite well on the tics front. For many, many months they were absolutely minimal... maybe a few sniffs at bedtime. She got sick a few weeks ago and tics increased a bit--a little eye winking here and there, plus more sniffing. Also ran out of taurine just after that. She's back on taurine now after about a 2 week break from it, and tics are reducing again (it verifies for me just how important that particular supp is to my daughter's regimen.) ANYWAY... Hope you and all your children are doing as well as possible. My question: I've noticed a dramatic increase in her stubborness over the past months. I will say "go sit down and eat" and she will plant her feet and give me the stare. If I say it louder or fiercer, it doesn't change a thing. I sometimes have to pick her up. Later she will hug me and snuggle and sometimes say sorry, so it seems almost like she doesn't WANT to behave this way, she just does. She also doesn't seem as happy-go-lucky as before. She was never like this before. Do you think it's an age thing, or a tics/tourettes thing? Is there a particular supplement I might add that would help? I should add that she used to sleep very well with the magnesium (kids calm) at bedtime, but it doesn't seem to be working anymore! Thank you! Calicat

Giving myself an answer, I did just find this in one of the Latitudes 2003 newsletters: "If your child reacts to corn syrup, beware of sorbitol as well," warns one of our vigilant parents. She writes: My daughter reacts to processed corn products such as corn syrup, corn oil, high fructose corn syrup, etc. Many years ago she was having severe behavior problems and we hadn't changed anything other than the doctor prescribing some medicine (Carafate) for gastroesophogheal reflux. After three days of constant tantrums, I looked up Carafate in the PDR and noted that sorbitol was the sweetener. I called the pharmacist to ask what sorbitol was made from, and when she didn't know, I asked her to call the drug company and ask. The pharmacist called back the next day and told me that sorbitol is made from corn. We quit the medication, and she returned to her sweet charming self after 24 hours. This was subsequently confirmed by Archer Daniel Midland (ADM), the major corn processor in the US. Fructose is also usually made from corn. According to ADM, in processing corn oil, corn syrup, sorbitol, etc., they soak the corn in sulfuric acid and later add another chemical to counter the acid. All of the processed corn products have sulfur residues in them, with dextrose having the least amount. The person I spoke with at ADM told me that her mother reacted to the sulfur residue, and perhaps that was the cause of my daughter's problems. (This child can eat ordinary corn with no problem, ruling out a corn allergy.) I have noticed that for sorbitol, whether she reacts to it depends on the amount. The normal dose of the prescription medication that she had reacted to was to take 1 tsp, three times a day. She definitely reacted to that. Yet months later we retried the medication only taking it once a day, and she was ok. Unfortunately, medicines don't list the quantity of the inactive ingredients, only the primary active ingredients. So it's impossible to know how much sorbitol is in any particular product. Note: If you or your child are asthmatic, sorbitol and other corn products may be an asthma trigger because of their sulfite content. See more about sulfite and asthma.

anybody? ... feeling a little ignored, here...