floridamom

Patty, Thanks for the encouragement. I think that we are going to try relax a little on the elimination stuff. I am just going to try eliminating a thing or two for awhile and look for another dr who may give us a little more guidance. Most important to cut the stress and make sure she remembers that she is wonderful- tics or not. This is a wonderful forum. Thanks to all for your input! FLmom

Faith, The tics increased just a few weeks ago- School got out mid-May. Dietary changes were pretty much what you said. More junk- We have taken that stuff (the junk) completely out for four days only, but things don't seem to be getting any better. I know it can take awhile, though. Things were mostly just bad in the evening, but today she couldn't sit still even in the morning. You mentioned juices- Are these a common trigger? She is still drinking juice.- No sugar or color added. We are going to stay out of the pool for awhile to see if that helps, too. Thanks so much for your help, FLmom

Thanks for the thoughts. I think that she does have a lactose intolerance. We have eliminated milk for now. We had been using lactaid in the past- for her stomach. Is Chlorine a trigger for many kids? What about a higher level of activity in the day? Can that bring on increased symptoms? So glad for your help! Flmom

Thanks Cum passus, Good to hear some info on Clonidine. We are not going to try it yet. Want to do as much as possible with diet etc first. I have not really taken notice when the various tics started or stopped. I do remember the eye tic stopped after I got a new vacuum and thoroughly worked over the entire house including using it to dust everything in sight. That was way back- the first thing I ever noticed, but didn't even think of it as a tic- I was not really aware of tics or tourettes. I have learned alot in the last couple of weeks! Thanks especially to this forum. fl. mom

Thanks so much for all the ideas and encouragement. This latest flare up happened at about the same time that school let out for the summer. Lots of changes with that. Lots of trips to the neighborhood pool, soccer camp each morning for three hours, dietary changes, more screen time. No vaccines lately.- No history of tics in the family that I am aware of. We have not previously tried any treatment , diet control, or meds. There didn't seem to be a need as she was never bothered by it in the past- everything was very minimal. Most of the time we didn't even notice a problem. I don't think there are vocal tics, although she has been sniffing lately- but also says that her nose is stuffy and her ears are clogged. Have most of you had IgG testing? I saw the thread from a couple of years ago regarding what your children are allergic to and the effect of removing those things from the diet. Is there anyone here who has not had some success with certain food elimination? Dr. had us come in for strep test yesterday- blood and throat culture. We'll find out about that next week. Has anyone here had any first hand experience with Clonidine? Would like to hear the good and the bad. I can't thank all of you enough for your support.

Was so glad to find this forum. I have a 11 yo daughter who has gone from having minor tics ,starting age 8, which came and went to having a terrible tic including violent shoulder shrugging and head bobbing. The shoulder shrugging started a couple of weeks ago, starting midday and increasing in frequency and severity until bedtime. Had an appointment with typical Dr. who wants to put her on Clonidine. My husband and I would like to see what else we can do. It is obvious from this forum that there are many other things that can be tried- but there is so much information here that I don't know where to start. I started to eliminate dairy, sugar, artificial sweetener, etc.. yesterday. But continued reading has shown me that the apples and grape juice that I allowed may contribute also. Does anyone have any advice for us on a systematic approach that you have used? It is hard to eliminate everything at once. I admit to the terrible diet that our family is used to. Will do whatever is needed to help her. She is so miserable.