Heather

Scott, I am sorry to hear that review wasn't as good as expected. With job reviews, there should be an opportunity to sit and discuss the evaluation with your boss. I suggest you make your concerns known to him and this may help with your feelings of disappointment. I would especially draw attention to the creativity issue if you believe this was an unfair call. Unfortunately, it can be a tough world out there and sometimes even with lots of effort, we don't succeed to a level that is sometimes expected. Perhaps it is best to just voice your disappointment in a positive manner and discuss goals that you have for the future to improve your work. If you are also working your butt off as you say, I would also question the "strives to achieve grade". It is important that they explain to you why you were graded this way. Heather

Ausclare, I am a little confused with the "antioxidant" thing. My understanding is that antioxidants are vital nutrients that we need in our diet to fight disease. Antioxidants fight free scavengers in our body that play havoc with our immune system. My son was very high in aluminum as well. Malic acid is something that has been proven to bind to aluminum to help excrete it from the body. My naturopath prescribed a malic acid supplement for a few months to help him rid the aluminum from his body. Also, yeast is an extremely difficult thing to get rid of in the body so I would look into added means of killing it in the digestive system rather than simply eliminating foods. Even while using supplements to kill yeast, it can take months to get rid of. Digestive enzymes and the use of probiotics are also helpful in ridding yeast from the intestine to help digest nutrients more efficiently. Heather

Ausclare, As Claire mentioned above, I am very interested in any or all questions that you can answer.....yeast? heavy metals? Have you treated your sons for this? Bravo for finding the answers to help them. Heather

Also, echinacea can be detrimental to someone who is suffering from PANDAS. Echinacea is an immune booster and for someone who has PANDAS which is an autoimmune disorder, it can worsen tics. I found out the hard way last winter when I gave Will echinacea and his tics went wild. I have read since then that echinacea should never be given to someone with an autoimmune disorder. Heather

I am in agreement with Chemar that I would not go near a vaccine containing mercury. My understanding is that there are a certain number of flu vaccines made without mercury and it is possible to request a "mercury free" flu vaccine. My choice is still not to vaccinate but I do understand that someone with an asthmatic child may have a hard choice to make provided the vaccine does not contain mercury. Heather

This is a very personal decision. My naturopath's advice is not to take it, although she always says the choice is yours. Her theory is that if the immune system is strong then the flu should not affect you much. The people who have weakend immune systems are the ones who suffer the worst cases of the flu. I am just being deligent with the multivitamins right now to make sure they are healthy going into the flu season. Heather

EFGH, My own personal feeling is that the diagnosis does not matter in our case. I feel that my son's tics were environmentally triggered because of various things (stress, antibiotics, etc.) As you say, we are working to heal him with supplements and diet so in our case, the diagnosis really is something that we don't care about. In my friend's case, however, her children have the gene for Tourettes and it has been found to have a genetic link. She is now convinced that natural therapy will help but she is asking me, "Do you think we can actually get to the point where the tics will stop?" Most of the research I have been studying discusses environmentally induced tics stopping but it is rare to find an actual diagnosed case of Tourettes where the tics have completely gone away (as Chemar stated). So when Claire gave us that report about Shula's son and his tics completely stopping with Feingold, it made me think of Jeff's experience with Feingold. This is why I was asking about the diagnosis. My friend is definitely going the natural route and any evidence that I can give her regarding others' experience is helpful, especially those who have an actual diagnosis of Tourettes and it has been shown to have a genetic link. When you speak of future parents and their need to have a diagnosis, I would say that it would be entirely a personal preference whether they want to pursue having a diagnosis based on their particular situation. For some it may be a relief or helpful when dealing with teachers...for other (such as myself), the label simply doesn't matter. Heather

Thanks for answering Jeff. I have read another article talking about cases of truly diagnosed Tourettes being treated with the Feingold. Now I can't find the article but it was something I read while browsing the net that gave a comprehensive report about treating Tourettes with the Feingold Diet. I am curious since I have a friend whose daughter and son both have Tourettes and do have a clear diagnosis. She is just starting to inquire into the natural treatments. I told her about your family and she is quite intrigued to find out more. She is a little overwhelmed with all of the possible paths to take right now and is currently looking for a naturopath...she doesn't live near me. My feeling is that the Feingold Diet is a solid place to begin until she has a chance to get her kids tested. It is a very confining diet, however, especially in Canada, since we don't have many of the brands that are listed so there is less choice. That is wh any evidence I can give her of success is helpful. Heather

Phyl, That is interesting that you had the diagnosis of Tourettes without the genetic link. I also believe there is a genetic link for those other conditions (ADHD and OCD). My nephew showed signs of OCD when younger but didn't have tics. He had been on antibiotics a lot as a toddler with ear infections so I believe they showed up in him because of an imbalance, then in the teen years the hormones did their thing and his OCD went away. It makes me believe that there is a genetic link to all of these comorbid conditions and it depends on what environmental damage they are exposed to whether the conditions are displayed or not and in what form. Heather

Buddy, Omega 6 oils are found in Borage or Primrose Oils. However, my understanding is that it is people who are pyroluric who normally need to supplement with Omega 6's. I wanted to tell you about it as a possibility that you were reacting to the Omega 3's, but perhaps it is best to get tested to see if you have pyroluria. If not, then too much Omega 6 could potentially worsen symptoms as well. Heather

Chemar, Just out of curiosity, have you ever tried the Feingold Diet with your son to remove salicylates or the preservatives BHT, BHA and TBHQ? It seems that Jeff and his family have a classic case of Tourettes since both he and his daughters have it so there is the genetic link. Jeff, has your family had a diagnosis of Tourettes?? If so, and if Shula's son did have a Tourette's diagnosis then maybe there is some correlation with having the gene for Tourettes and the inability to digest salicylates. Since Jeff's family is in remission as long as they follow the diet, then that would match what Shula reported as well. Heather

I am also curious if anyone has ever tried the Primal Defense that Dr. Mercola so often endorses for yeast. Heather

hereditary link is what I meant to type above

I am very curious about the Tourette's diagnosis since I don't believe that there is an accurate diagnostic tool to determine whether a child actually has Tourettes since there are so many more cases of tics in our society than in the past. As I mentioned on another post, if we had continued with the medical doctor's appointments and evaluations, Will would have a diagnosis of Tourettes at this point. My understanding is that both vocal and motor tics must be present for more than one year. Does there also have to be a herdity link to have a diagnosis? Our medical doctor said not. With such a dramatic increase of tics in our society in the past 10 years and the new identification of the PANDAS disorder, I wonder if the Tourettes diagnosis needs to be reevaluated. Heather

Evangelia, We have also found much success with the brands that Jeff has mentioned above. The Feingold Association has compiled a list of acceptable brands that do not contain certain preservatives and additives that are known to cause a reaction and the brand names he mentions are part of this list. There are hundreds, maybe, thousands of children that have benefitted from using this program and the parents post and share every day. There are soooo many posts each day on that board I just can't keep up with them. Grapes may be a problem. The Feingold theory states that salicylates is naturally occuring in many fruits and these should be avoided at first and then gradually reintroduced one at a time to test for a reaction. It will probably take some time to determine what exactly your child is sensitive to. It has taken us months to figure out some of the triggers. Grapes is actually a big trigger for us and many on the Feingold Diet find the same thing. Bananas & cantaloupe are good fruit choices. My son handles apples and blueberries but some can't. My son has a huge milk allergy but can handle goat milk....others can't. Some items I put in his lunch are: Banana, Cantaloupe, crackers (Barbara's Bakery is the acceptable Feingold brand) Goat Cheese, muffins (you could make with gluten free flour), potato chips, applesauce (if no apple sensitivity), dry organic cereal. I know it is extremely difficult at first because it is so overwhelming but hang in there and I am sure you will see some difference soon. As Jeff says, there may be a worsening period at first that many find. We have been almost a year with supplements and elminations and the last 3 days have been pretty much tic free. Heather

Just an addition to the above. I do feel it is important for parents to see that for children that don't have Tourettes, tics can be treated and even stopped with natural supplements. If you do have a diagnosis of TS then that is one thing, however, I have read that mercury induced tics are far more common as Claire mentioned. My son's tics started over a year ago (both vocal and motor) and if we had taken the medical treatment route he now would qualify for a TS diagnosis, even though I don't believe he has it. If I had followed what my medical doctor prescribed, then he would still be ticcing now, maybe severely and maybe for life. I feel that if you don't have the actual gene for Tourettes, it is realistic to believe that tics can be stopped, not just decline with age or be reduced. There are many stories of people with tics who have stopped with the right supplements. I think that if you are determined to pursue the answers, then it should be made known that yes, many tics CAN be stopped. When my son started ticcing severely in November, he was injuring himself and would not even go out in public because of his snorting. I NEEDED a quick fix, even though my naturopath said it was a long road to healing. This is when I started researching on here and I would've loved at the time to see this post "a week to fewer tics" that gave me a direction to start. His tics were so debilitating I would've done any and all of the elminations just to get him out of the house. I spent my evenings after he went to bed crying and extremely emotional thinking that maybe it would never stop. It tooks us 2 months to get him back to school and even longer to figure out other triggers. Once they got to a manageable level there was not the urgency for treatment, and we definitely would've been ok with his minimal ticcing. However I will keep learning and reading until I have done all that I can do (maybe a lifetime). Yes, it is ok for my son to tic and he is completely at ease with his ticcing (he doesn't even realize he is doing it anymore). However, I will admit life would be easier if he didn't tic and didn't have to continue with all of the eliminations. I have faith that someday soon we will get to that point. Heather

Buddy, YOu mentioned you are taking fish oil which is the supplement for Omega 3. In many cases Omega 3 is deficient and Fish Oil may be the answer. However, if Pyroluria is actually the case, then Omega 3 can worsen the condition. What you need to supplement with is Omega 6 such as Primrose Oil. Omega 6 fatty acids are very abundant in our diet and normally most people would not need this supplement, however, with Pyroluria Omega 6 is depleted from our system and this supplement may be needed along with the B6 and Zinc. Once my son started the B6, Zinc and Cal/mag his tics decreased dramatically. This was after a lot intestinal healing for yeast and heavy metal detoxing. A few days later I tried the Omega 3 (fish oil) and he did have a reaction so I quit. The tics went away. Heather

Great Idea Claire and we all appreciate your dedication to this site and helping others. Your list is excellent and I would just like to add one more little tidbit of information. Providing a stress free lifestyle is extremely important as chronic stress causes the adrenal gland to release the hormone cortisone which can result in major physical ailments because of a weakening of the immune system. We all know that when under stress your immune system is not up to par. Physical symptoms caused by stress are more common than people realize. I read one article that said that doctors feel 50% of regular visits for minor ailments (headaches, backaches, etc.) to the doctor are a result of stress. So even if prayer may be politically incorrect to say, there are definite studies talking of the importance of spiritual wellness or an inner peace and the impact on physical health. In our case, there were many factors leading to his illness but I believe that stress was the final trigger for my son, being in a very stressful home situation in a new environment. This is when my son's tics began and even now when they are very minimal, the times that they do surface is in stressful situations. I think it was Jean who also pointed out that it was after she lost a baby that her son's tics started and how desparately he wanted that baby. Please do not make your child feel that ticcing is bad or that they should try to control it!!! This may be more harmful than you realize. Perhaps this information is too much for the quick fix theory and should be a different thread, but I just want parents to be aware that it is very important not to put added stress on the child by telling them to try to stop ticcing. As Chemar has said many times, this may worsen the problem. Heather

Jeff and Claire, Thanks for your quick responses. My son is doing amazingly well. I think I saw 2 or 3 tics in total today. He is watching TV and having triggering foods here and there with hardly any reaction at all. Heather

Lulu, My son is also allergic to salicylates but only in certain things. It is really something that you have to experiement with by eliminating all salicylates and then gradually reintroducing them one at a time to see if there is a sensitivity. On the Feingold forum there are many kids who are allergic to grapes but not apples even though they both contain salicylates. My son handles apples and blueberries (both have salicylates) but cannot tolerate grapes or strawberries. Heather

A good idea for a thread Claire. Have had a busy weekend so sorry for the delay. 1) My son is sensitive to: Milk Products (although he can tolerate goat's milk and cheese) Corn Syrup Dyes and Colours HVP (Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein) which contains MSG 2) Elimination dramatically helped in reducing tics 3) Other behaviours that have improved - falling asleep easier at night, less fidgety, less crying, improved bowel movements 4) Within a month there was major improvement (supplements were added during this time frame as well) 5) After months of supplements he is mildly sensitive...milk still seems to be a big one for him

Hello, I have been meaning to do this for awhile but as I mentioned before, we have had a very busy summer and I wanted to take the time to write it with proper thought behind it. I really found Chemar's post helpful titled "What has Helped my Son" and have referred back to it a few times to check on dosages that she uses. So with some encouraging from Claire, I thought I would write the complete program that we have had so much success with. My son's tics started last summer (2004) and in November of 2004 they were so severe he was home from school for 2 months. He was snorting loudly every 5 seconds, had facial motor tics and mild OCD. I was distraught and turned to natural therapy in desperation. His diagnosis from the medical pediatrician was PANDAS after finding high ASO titors. They wanted to put him on prescription drugs and my husband and I were unwilling to go there. In November, the Naturopath (who uses electradermal testing) found a very high yeast overgrowth in both the small and large intestine. He immediately started using Threelac with Lactic Acid to kill the yeast and improve his digestion. He was also started on a multi-vitamin at this time and digestive enzymes to help him digest his nutrients. He was found to be sensitive to corn and milk products and we removed them from his diet. We also removed food dyes, colours and artificial flavours. After about 2 months his tics were reduced by 85%. At this time, we had a hair analysis done and he was shown to be toxic with aluminum and moderately high in lead and mercury. He was given NDF (from Bioray) which is a natural supplement to remove heavy metals from the body. We continued with the NDF for approximately 4 months. After using NDF we went back to using Threelac again for awhile as his body was showing yeast overgrowth once again. Apparently, it is quite common for yeast to become overgrown again while detoxing metals. Once the testing showed his intestines back in balance, the last step recommended by our Naturopath was to introduce the vitamins B6, zinc and calcium/magnesium combo. Once we introduced these vitamins, the tics were again dramatically reduced almost immediately. I noticed a change within hours and it continued over the next few weeks. Since that time they have steadily improved to the point that they are almost gone over the last 2 days. I believe that the reason he responded so quickly to the vitamins being added is because his system had been detoxed and his digestion improved so much so his body easily absorbed the nutrients that he has been deficient in for so long. During the treatment we also noticed that he had a flicker sensitivity to TV screens and during a community promoted "no screens" week in the spring, his tics virtually stopped. Within 5 minutes of watching TV the tics returned. He is now far more tolerant of the forbidden foods and is able to watch TV with minimal reaction. In fact today, he had an ice cream sandwich and played gameboy for a couple of hours with no reaction at all. Perhaps some may think that this is just a waning cycle but in my heart I don't believe it is and I guess time will tell. I have seen signs along the way to show me that there is healing going on. My goal now is to spread the word as best as I can to share things that I have learned along the way. There are truly knowledgeable people on this forum and their sharing has helped us get to this point. I am truly thankful for the road we have travelled and I believe that GOD has played a part in leading us down this path to recovery. Heather

Hi, I live in Canada so not sure if the same brands are available in your area but I will give you the brands my son currently is taking. Each day he takes: SISU Cal/Magnesium and Vitamin D Each 2 tbsp. contains: Elemental Calcium....480 mg. Elemental Magnesium...360 mg Vitamin D....200 IU I don't believe this is really the right ratio since I think it is supposed to be 2:1 for the Cal/Mag ratio. Natural Factors - Zinc (Citrate) 25 mg. Jamieson - Vitamin B6 50 mg I don't believe these brands are necessarily the best. It is just what was available at my health food store and I was eager to start. My naturopath did recommend the SISU brand for the CAL/MAG. It is in liquid form and not bad testing...available in strawberry and vanilla flavour (natural). I have actually ordered from Kirkman Labs in Seattle for our next bottles once these are gone. I really want to use the B6 in P5P form (activated form) but couldn't find it in our area. However, what we are taking is definitely working since my son's tics are pretty much gone. Today was the best day we have had in a year. My daugther is doing amazingly well with mood swings and stress control. Heather Heather

Hello, I have not posted in awhile since it has been a busy summer for us but I feel your emotional pain as I was going through the same thing last fall. I spent every night crying. My son was experiencing a loud snort every 5 seconds. He is also a very bright and easy going child so it was breaking my heart to watch this happening to him. Since that time we have had him tested for yeast and heavy metals and he has been treated with supplements for both. The last step of the protocol under the direction of a naturopath was supplementing with B6, zinc, and a cal/mag combo. Since we have started this supplement his tics have virtually stopped. During this process (10 months), he had 2 viruses at which time his tics worsened. My naturopath's explanation is that when they get infected with a virus, their immune system is so supressed the tics become more rampant. We started the B6, zinc and magnesium at the end of July and since that time we have had a dramatic reduction. They had been minimal before this time and now they have almost stopped. About 2 weeks ago they were starting to resurface. He had been having some forbidden foods and I thought that was the reason they were coming back. Then I found out the cal/mag supplement I had been giving him had mostly settled on the bottom and what I had been giving him was greatly watered down. Even shaking it didn't help because it had settled rock hard. I didn't realize this until the plastic bottle was empty. Anyway, since Tuesday of this week we have started a new bottle and within 4 days his tics have virtually stopped again. I do believe it is the magnesium supplement that has worked wonders for him. This week I have been typing in "magnesium, tics, tourettes, etc." into the search on yahoo and have been reading some pretty amazing things on the importance of magnesium in controlling tics. Since you said that you are going to try Bonnie's supplements I am sure you have read her reports on the importance of magnesium. Also, if you ever look at Dr. Jacqeline McCandless's book "Children with Starving Brains", the primary supplements she recommends starting with are B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc, along with other antioxidants like Vitamin E and C and selenium. We also have no Tourettes in the family and I feel it has been years of damaging toxins that have led to my son's tics. I pray for your son's quick response to supplements and hope that you will keep us up to date on his progress. I am going to start posting more regularly and if you have any questions, feel free to ask. As Andy said, Chemar and Claire are on here regularly and have amazing knowledge as far as supplements. Heather

Chemar, Glad to hear you weren't hit more severely. Hope things are getting back to normal around you. Heather