CarolynN

Flower, I know that craving sugar can be a sign of candida and also a white coated tongue (that is the candida you can see on the tongue). My mom had a really bad case of candida about 15 years ago. She craved sugar and carbohydrates really bad. There was a post on the Tourettes Web site about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks ago labeled "yeast" I believe it was from September 13th. It had some information on candida. I remembering reading, I think it was from Shelia Rogers book but I might be wrong, of a woman who had OCD and when she had given up dairy a lot of her problems went away. She obviously had a dairy allergy. I know that is not an answer in and by itself for everyone but for her it was a contributing factor. I think a lot of times it just takes a lot of investigating to try to figure out triggers. With my son Daniel I kept food logs and would record how he was doing in the morning and afternoon on a scale from 1 to 10. It really helped me figure out what was going on with him. Well I hope it helps. I will be praying for you. Carolyn

Dear Flower, I don't know your answer regarding the Phobia versers OCD. But I did want to strongly encourage you, if you have not, to read Chemars post on the Tourettes Section where she discusses the treatments that have helped her son. Her son has both OCD and tourettes. My son has tourettes as well. He is 7 and I have learned SO much from this website in terms of how to help him and it has worked. As long as my son does not have MSG, yellow dye 5, Red 40, or High Fructose Corn Syrup and takes the correct vitamin supplements for him (he is on Bonnie Grimaldi's TS-Plus) he is tic free. I just recently posted a lot of infomation under the Tourettes section (about 2 weeks ago) regarding how MSG affects my son and all the differant names MSG is under. I also would recommend Shelia Rogers book Tics and Tourette's which I learned an immense about of information. I also know a lot of people find out that dairy, corn, or wheat, etc can be a contributing factor to their tics. I am a very strong believer, with all the stories I have read and also from my son's situation, if you can figure out what you are reacting too and add in the correct supplements you will see a big differance. Another consideration is whether you might have Candida too (this is an overgrowth of yeast in the intestional system). This seems to be a big factor for some people with both OCD and tourettes. You could check out the information regarding Candida on this website or others. Regarding Bonnie Grimaldi's vitamins, which have helped so many including my own son, some people do experience an increase in tics from taking the product. Although I really don't think that this applies to too many people from what I have read. I believe it is due to the sensitivity of some of the vitamin B's in it. Her vitamins have so helped my son and he has not had a problem with the vitamin B's. I don't know if you read the previous post, under the OCD section, from "Desperate" but I shared with her what has helped me out with my unwanted thoughts. I hope this helps. Hopefully other people will give you some suggestions too! Carolyn

Desperate, I will absolutely be praying for you. Just try to realize that even if you feel that you have overcome this do not be surprised if the emotion of anxiety does resurface. I have found this to happen to me. But once again I remind myself of truth and it goes away. So don't put pressure on yourself that you have to get over this quickly. God sometimes shows us our errors in our thinking slowly so we can take it in and heal from it. We are very complicated people but He knows us inside and out and He knows exactly what to do for us when we seek Him for answers. I have even found that this process of healing can really feel uncomfortable, in the midst, but it is so well worth it in the end. Carolyn

Kalinda, What a wonderful source of encouragement of seeing God do the same in your life as mine. I know, in my heart, that A LOT of peoples unwanted thoughts come from knowing God is perfect and we are trying to be perfect for Him to not "get Him upset at us and be forgiven before Him". You are absolutely right it is completely legalistic (meaning we are coming up with ways to try to be perfect before God) and does not take into account God's grace. He showed that grace in the most amazing way through sending Jesus Christ to take the burden of our sin. I think of a lot of unwanted fear also comes from not understanding that we are indeed forgiven people when we ask Jesus to be our Savior and Lord! In the book of Colossians, in the Bible, chapter 2 verses 13 to 15 it says "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross". So what this is saying is Christ died for the sins of the whole world past, present, and future. The only thing that we can do is accept that we needed Him to do this for us and asking Him to be Lord of our lives. I also have to tell you that I have struggled so much with unwanted thoughts about hurting people including my own children. But what I have realized, for me, is it actually came down to distrust in God's workmanship of creating me. What I mean by this is God gave us imaginations and so we are able to think all kinds of thoughts. Some are happy some are yucky. It is when the yucky thought comes in and you think "what would keep me from doing this yucky thought to someone (in my case hurting my own children in various ways)." What God opened up in my mind is He created our brains and our bodies in such a masterful way that just because we have a thought does not mean it will be acted out. We have a VERY complex Creator who knows how to make a brain that will keep us from doing things we don't want to do to others even though the thought entered our heads! He created us in such a way that just because our imagination thinks something does not make our bodies do that particular action. How this all works only He ultimately understands. Having faith in the way He created us and resting in Him goes such a long, long way. Psalm 139, in the Bible, verses 13 to 14 says "For you created my inmost being' you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful." We are His masterpieces in His creation. We can take such rejoicing in this. God Bless, Carolyn

Dear Desperate: I was thinking about one more thing. Since I have obviously mentioned God over and over, I thought of something that may help you or someone else. I know that some peoples unwanted thoughts can also center around God. I have experienced this myself. I feel so guilty and burdened down thinking horrible things about Him. All I would want was these thoughts to go away. I have to tell you what I was reminded of is I cannot change who He is with my thoughts. God will and always will be Holy, Righteousness, and Perfect. No matter what horrible yucky thoughts I can come up with. He is unchangeable! I think again this is the trap of these unwanted thoughts. Somehow we think with our thoughts it will change someone or even God but certainly with God this is impossible. Another very important factor regarding this point is this is EXACTLY why Christ came to this earth. We are not perfect people. Christ took the punishment for us. By accepting that He paid the price for you and also asking Him to be your Lord is how God made the way for us into heaven (John chapter 3 verse 16, not to be confused with 1st John, 2nd, John or 3rd John). Again we all fall short of God's perfection but Christ is the perfection (Romans chapter 3 verse 23). It is not what we do but it is what He has done for us (Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8). I love the fact that ultimately God made us to have a relationship with Him. He WANTS to be there for you and He loves us so greatly but He gave us all the freewill to make the decision to ask Him into our lives. He does not force Himself upon you because otherwise that would not be love. Do I live my Christian life perfectly? Absolutely not! I still make mistakes and still get off focus from Him. But I can rest in my hope in Him. I also know "He will never leave me or forsake me" (Deuteronomy chapter 31 verse 6). Its not me that is faithful it is HIM! I can tell you I have absolutely experienced this because I have thought horrible scary thoughts of Him and He still is there guiding me and loving me! In my previous post I had referenced a web sight at http://www.realanswers.net/. It has great scriptures and truths all pertaining to what I am stating. I have learned a lot from Bob George and People to People. I hope this helps if anyone is experiencing unwanted thoughts about God! Carolyn

Dear Desperate, I am so glad that the information I gave you has given you hope. I know exactly what it feels like to feel trapped inside your own head but I also know what it feels like to be freed from these thoughts. Like the Pastor of my church said, the other day, that in our human world we get in these boxes in our heads but God gives us the ability to break that box open and do a dance on it. I love that picture because it is exactly what God has done for me. I know you are wondering if you have OCD. From what you have put in your post it sounds to me that you are just experiencing anxiety turned inward not OCD. Of course this is my opinion. It just happens that your anxiety is focused in on your sister. Believe me your anxiety could have been something else. But for whatever reason it must have been the set of circumstances, in that moment, when it started in your mind. This is part of my story with OCD if it helps you understand OCD better. When I was a child I HAD to do certain rituals or I could not emotionally handle life. For example, I felt compelled to count to 10 to make sure things were turned off or in my mind the item like a stove could not technically be turned off. Everybody knows when you turn a switch it is off, without having to count, but in my mind it had to be done. I also had to wash my hands CONTINUALLY! My hands were bloody. I could not discern when enough was enough and honestly no one even really tried to help me. My mom took me to just a normal doctor but they just gave her a special type of soap that would not be so harsh on my hands. It was not until my early 20's that I went to a doctor who told me I had OCD. It was such a relief to me to know someone knew what was going on. But my counting and hand washing activities ended probably around 14 but the persistent unwanted thoughts would still come and go. I am now in my 30's. I realize now that OCD was a lot of doubt and distrust about myself. This is obviously well known about it. If I had someone to guide me and truly help me, I know it would have helped me greatly. But as a child you obviously don't know where to turn for answers. I also believe I had some medical conditions like lack of magnesium and candida that all contributed into it. I also realize that taking care of your body and also getting the proper medical help is key in helping OCD. I was talking to a couple friends, about the post I did last night to you, and they both said the same thing. They said they have unwanted thoughts too but they are able to file them away as just yucky thoughts. Everybody has unwanted thoughts except, as I stated before, Christ was indeed perfect so He did not. I obviously don't know how much understanding you have about why Christ came to redeem us but He had to do it because ALL of us fall short of perfection ( it is in the book of Romans in the Bible chapter 3 verse 23). I really think the trap comes in when the anxiety hits about having those yucky thoughts and feeling like you have to stop the thoughts from coming. Well like I said in my earlier post it just sets you up for failure because in midst of "TRYING TO FORGET" you are actually bringing on the cycle of remembering them. That is why I kept over and over saying you have to speak truth to your emotions. In regard to whether I have ever used medication, the answer is no. After I became a Christian, which was not long after I was officially diagnosed, I realized that if I kept my eyes focused on God's truths that my anxiety level over these thoughts was minimal to next to nothing. For example focusing on that God is in control and focusing on the fact that this life is not meant to be perfect. We are going to have trials and tribulations. These just really help me get a reality on this life. I have to tell you the joy I have ultimately experienced from God showing me how to defeat these unwanted thoughts, from learning so much about God, and also about myself has made this whole part of my life a blessing. I have been able to help other people, with their anxiety, but I have also been able to literally experience the power of God's truths and that is AMAZING to me. I can honestly say that without this experience, being part of my life, I don't know if I would have grown as much as a Christian. I have been forced into finding the truth and I am SOOOO grateful! I now accept easier that unwanted thoughts are part of life. They may not be fun but I but I now know where to turn for answers. In regard as to whether my unwanted thoughts increase with time, the answer is no. Like I said as long as I stay focused on Christ and His truths I don't have a problem. The Bible is very clear on this it tells us to continually be renewing your mind with God's truth. "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans chapter 12 verse 2). I know God put this in the Bible to remind us that it is an everyday thing to stay focused on Him. I am not saying that I don't think about other things other then God, of course I do, but when the reality of the fact that He is in control looses focus in my life I definitely start experiencing anxiety more. By reading my posts I am sure some would think she is just a very religious person. Actually, I am a person who experienced a lot of suffering as a child and also an adult in my own mind. When you can see that God is actually real and He does want to help us you cannot help but talk about Him!!! It would be absolutely unrealistic of me to tell you that either you or I would always live perfectly without ever having anymore unwanted thoughts. Even following the recommendations I have given you. Certainly anxiety is part of our lives and like I said that seems to bring on the unwanted thoughts. I think it is just being aware that in high anxiety times to expect unwanted thoughts and then start doing the things I have shared with you. It is amazing when you put realistic expectations on yourself that you cannot be a "perfect thinker" it makes life a lot easier on yourself. I had mentioned, in my earlier post, to find things to be thankful for your sister and list them. The reason I said this is because anxiety and thankfulness do not coincide together in your mind. So when thankfulness comes in the anxiety goes out. I would be happy to answer any other questions you might have. I don't always check this website every day so if I don't get back to you right away please don't take it personally. I have three wonderful children and sometimes I just don't have the time to get on the computer. God Bless, Carolyn

Sorry I messed up on this post! I did something weird with quotes and it would not let me just delete the post. So please reference the below posts. Carolyn

Dear Desperate: I wanted to respond to you because I know exactly what you are referring to. I have had unwanted thoughts on and off since I was seven years old. I have to say that I had been diagnosed with OCD when I was younger. I was very classic OCD around the age of 10 with repeated hand washing and counting. Even though those things are gone, I still today have unwanted thoughts. I want to share with you what has truly helped me overcome this. Let me rest your mind and tell you there is HOPE. I promise! I have to tell you also that I am a Christian and have been since 1993. A lot of what I am sharing with you has come to me through a lot of prayer and reading the Bible. I thank God for giving me the ability to overcome what can be a very frightening experience. 1.) What you are battling is not the thoughts themselves but the emotion, ANXIETY, that is connected to that thought. For example if I told you to think the same exact thoughts, you are having about your sister, but substitute a different person like George Washington your emotions would change in feeling and all of a sudden these thoughts would not matter anymore. I promise you it all has to do with the emotion of fear. Fearing thinking such yucky thoughts about someone you love so much. 2.) The BIGGEST thing that has helped me, with unwanted thoughts, is to start thanking God for whoever I am obsessing over or thanking God that I would not do (x,y or z) to a certain person. It absolutely deflates that big fear balloon of emotion. A thankful heart goes a very, very long way! "Enter His gates (prayer) with thanksgiving and His courts with praise (Psalm 100 verse 4) . "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Phillipians 4:6) 3.) You have to accept you are not going to be a perfect thinker. I have dealt with this for a long time in thinking I have to think perfect thoughts. How ridiculous if you really think about it! This is impossible. The only person who ever was a perfect thinker, who walked this earth, was Jesus Christ. I am humbled by the fact that because we are NOT perfect this is why Jesus had to come and redeem us. 4.) One trap I have found over and over again is I can be thinking perfectly "normal" thoughts and then start reflecting back on a previous obsession and all of a sudden those emotions come flooding back. Once I feel that sinking feeling in my stomach again the fear of that obsession hits all over again. I am then back in the trap of thinking about it again for sometimes days and days. So what I have learned is to start warning my emotions. I have even started saying, in my mind of course, "warning, warning, warning I am thinking about an old obsession but don't panic it has already been defeated." One thing I am learning about emotions is they are so unpredictable and they truly are not smart. That's why you can go to a really scary movie and feel absolutely afraid to even go home after the movie is over. Your emotions are believing something is true when in reality it is far from truth. 5.) Fear does not think logically. So when I get thinking irrational thoughts its the irrational fear that keeps driving it because logic is not being interjected. 6.) I think I would ask myself why does it matter so much to me what my mind can come up with about my sister? Why do I think that my thoughts can affect her existence so greatly? When the reality is she is a creation of God and He loves both you and her so greatly. Ultimately what really matters is what God is thinking. He is why we exist so His opinion certainly would matter the most. If you can remind your fear emotion of this I think it will go a long way. 7.) Anxiety does not equal truth! As a matter of fact, I have found anxiety is not even interested in truth. 8.) Perhaps a lot of this is driven around the fear that you do not have a sound mind if you cannot get his out of your mind. I know I have had that fear. But when I refocus my thinking on what the definition is of a sound mind, in the Bible, it gives me a whole different perspective. A sound mind in the Bible is someone who can reflect on God's redeeming love through Christ. It is not being able to keep ugly thoughts from ever entering your head. 9.) You have to accept that thoughts of someone you love and disgusting thoughts about that person are just periodically going to collide in your mind. That is just part of being human. You are expecting something impossible of yourself if you think you can always think perfect thoughts about your sister. 10.) Prior to you starting to have these thoughts were you going through something traumatic? I have found often my obsessive thoughts start up when I am under a lot of stress at work, have had a baby, or am moving. It is almost as if the anxiety of another event sets this stage up for an unwanted thought to occur. 11.) My unwanted thoughts ALWAYS revolve around someone I care about and/or something I just cannot emotionally handle. When I can defeat the "thought" with truth it no longer matters to me and the thought goes away. For example you could sit down and list out all the wonderful things your sister has done for you in your life and start telling your emotions these things. 12.) The last thing I wanted to suggest, which is the most important, is ask God for direction on this. He ultimately knows the answer for you. He has been so faithful to me and showing and guiding me that I know He will do the same for you. Desperate, I want you to think about something. If I told you under no circumstances do not think about a pink elephant what would happen? You would start thinking about the pink elephant of course. You are telling yourself you cannot think about your sister in these ways so you are setting yourself up for HAVING to think about her this way. You are trying to get around the way our minds are designed. You can not tell yourself to "unthink" something. This is why you have to get truth going in your mind or you will be in an continual cycle of trying to do something that is not possible. That is, trying to forget you ever had these thoughts in the first place! You just simply cannot do that. You were not created to forget those things you find unpleasant. But again being thankful, speaking truth, and having realistic expectations of yourself will help incredibly. There is a great website I wanted to share with you for one particular reason. There is a great part about how our emotions work. Go under the "Real Answers" section and then go under the categories and topics sections. You will see both emotions and fear listed. I just love Bob George. I have learned so much from him. Well he is at http://www.realanswers.net/ . I also wanted to suggest getting a journal or using your computer to start understanding why you are feeling this way. I know this helped me. When my unwanted thoughts get really going I will carry around an index card in my pocket with scriptures and reminders of truth so I can quickly reference them when that anxiety gets going. This has helped a great deal too. Well, desperate, I hope this helps. Perhaps others will have some thoughts to post for you too. I know all this has been real key in my life. I will be praying for you! Carolyn N.

Melanie, I just wanted to tell you congratulations on making the decision to investigate what is actually going on with your son. What a differance it will make in his life and in yours too. I cannot answer your questions regarding supplements, my son is using Bonnie Grimaldi's vitamin program. But I do want to encourage you to investigate all the differant names for MSG since it seems to be effecting your son. I just did a post regarding this not even a week ago. Originally, I thought I was avoiding MSG because I specifically thought MSG would be called just that. But it is under so many differant names. The differance in my son has been remarkable since I now understand to avoid all the products with the differant MSG names. But also taking out Yellow Dye 5, Red 40, and High Fructose Corn syrup has made a great differance too. At least for my son, and I know not everyone, the Magnesium Taurate in Bonnie's Vitamins has been essential in helping Daniel control his tics when does come in contact with one of the artificial foods. Well praise God you are getting answer! I love hearing how God answers prayer. Carolyn N.

Hi Frazer, I appreciate your upfrontness about God. I understand you have some questions about God's existence. A lot of people do. For the past 14 years of my life I have been studying the proof behind God's existence. The good news is there is so much evidence to prove He is indeed real. It certainly does not take blind faith to believe in God or the Bible. I wanted to share with you just some of the facinating facts of God's existence and the Bible. 1. Jesus fulfilled over 300 Biblical prophecies written over 400 years before His birth. The odds of one person fulfilling just 48 of these equals a 1 with 157 zeros after it! 2. Job, in the Bible, wrote 3000 years ago, obviously long before technology that could have told him, “the earth is suspended over nothing”. He also states the constellation Pleiades “is bound together”. Meaning the stars are gravitationally clustered. Astronomers today now know this to be true with our current technology. How could he have known this without God’s insight at this point of history? 3. Many people believe the Bible refers to the earth being flat. However, Isaiah wrote 2700 years ago in the Bible, “God sits above the CIRCLE of the earth”. Not one place does the Bible refer to the earth being flat even though at that time in history people were unsure of how the Earth was shaped. 4. Thallus, a secular historian, meaning he had nothing to do with the Bible, in A.D. 52, documented the Mediterranean went dark and a great earthquake occurred at the time the Bible says Jesus was crucified. This verifies what the Bible states. 5. Jesus’ disciples ran for their lives before Jesus was crucified. Thereafter, they were willing to go to their own torturous deaths to spread the news of Jesus’ resurrection and His saving grace. Why would they die like this for a man still dead? 6. The book of Genesis refers to God forming Adam from the dust of the earth. Researchers at NASA’s Ames Research Center found every element of man to be in soil. Frazer, there is a great book by a man who was an atheist and was out to prove the Bible wrong. He was a journalist and had a background in law. His name is Lee Strobel. After a lot of investigation he became a Christian because of the overwhelming facts surrounding who Christ is and the Bible's accuracy. It is called "The Case for Christ". As a matter of fact, a gentleman who I have known since high school, 20 years ago, was an atheist. After he read this book it completely changed his perspective and his life. Also there is a book by Josh McDowell called "More Than a Carpenter" showing the accuracy of Christ. There is a great website put together by a man who independently studied evidences of the Bible. It is http://www.bibleevidences.com/ . Frazer I don't know if there is a Christian church in your area but there is also a man named Bob George that I have listened to many times, on the radio, who has a website at http://www.realanswers.net/ . I just thought that might be a place you could go to listen and read some great information. Frazer, I am sharing all this with you for one reason only. God made each and every one of us to have a relationship with Him. When we don't have that relationship, no matter what the circumstances of our lives might be, we will always be searching for something to fill that void. Only He can fill it! I will be praying for you Frazer and for your family. Carolyn

Frazer, I can only imagine the pain you are experiencing right now. It sounds like you are in a lot. But I can tell you know matter what you are going through there is absolute HOPE. I have had obessive compulsive disorder since I was a child and my son who is 7 has tourettes. I understand it is no picnic. However, there is one place I have found peace and hope. You can look many directions for answers, believe me I tried, and you will never experience that peace and hope until you have a relationship with God. I read Faith's post and she is so right in asking God for answers. I am a Christian and have been since 1993. I gave my life over to Christ then. You may ask how do you do this? I did it by accepting I am a sinner (we all are sinners. The Bible makes this very clear) and I needed Him to rescue me from my sin. Christ paid the price for us 2,000 years ago on the cross and He rose from the dead proving He was God. It is simply accepting Him as your Lord and Savior and allowing him to rescue you. I can tell you my life has never been the same since. Believe me I still struggle. Life is not perfect here on earth for anyone Christian or not Christian. But I have hope and peace know that I had never had before. I am involved in a great Christian church and in a Bible study. The Bible study is where I really took off in my understanding. I would suggest if you have a Bible to read the book of John in the the New Testament (not to be confused with John 1, John 2, or John 3). It is a great place to start. Frazer ask God to reveal Himself to you and ask Him to show you the truth. I know He will. He is faithful. I will be praying for you! Carolyn

Pat, Thank you for your encouragement regarding NAET. I always appreciate hearing success stories. I know NAET has been very effective for a lot of people. My doctor in Phoenix does a slightly varied approach called NEAT (the vowels are just switched around). It is the same concept as NAET but they do a lot more allergies at one time. Without much knowledge on the subject of these programs I don't know if what my doctor does can vary in results compared to the NAET. I have more work to do on my end in terms of asking questions at the doctor. Thanks again for your encouragement.

Hi bmom: I just wanted to tell you something real quick about Threelac. My dad has used it with great success but a good friend of mine had some major side effects from it including a yeast infection (yes believe it or not) and a pelvic infection. She had never experienced any of these until the Threelac. You can read this web page I found to find out more http://www.yeastinfectionadvisor.com/threelacreview.html . I hope this helps. Carolyn

Hi Faith, First I want to say I know what you are going through. Sometimes I would feel like I was going crazy trying to figure out what triggered tics. However, it REALLY helped that for months I kept a food journal for my son Daniel. Everything he ate was logged (however for some people it can also be environmental things like pollen, chlorine, or scented candles. At first you really have to take notice of everything you come in contact with after tics start to narrow it down). Then I would assign a number scale from 1-10 as to how severe his tics were after eating certain foods. Some days I would see no tics in the morning and then they would pop up in the afternoon. So, for example, I would log his morning as a 0 and his afternoon as a 4. This really helped me start seeing a pattern of what was really affecting him. I have a question for you Faith. How soon after your son ate all those crackers did you start seeing the tics increase? I can tell you in my son, Daniel who is 7 and about 52 pounds, with MSG I will see a reaction with about 40 minutes to 2 hours after consumption. I then notice the tics peak the next day and then starts the very slow coming down on the third day and can take up to a week to totally clear up. I do have to mention I read on one MSG website that in certain people the MSG reaction can be delayed for 24 hours. I suppose it depends on the persons metabolism. You had mentioned in your e-mail that the crackers contained Malted Barley. I was reading on the web page http://www.msgmyth.com/msg.htm that malted barley does contain trace amount of MSG in it. Some foods naturally create MSG in their manufacturing. From doing very quick research on rice syrup it looks like it may naturally also produce MSG in processing. But I have to tell you with malted barley I have NOT noticed a reaction from my son after eating a product with malted barley. It seems to be the actual MSG, under all the main names I mentioned in my early post, that seems to give him the problems. Not the products that have the trace amounts. But this does not mean this could not be the case for your son especially if he ate large quantities of the crackers which contained both the rice syrup and malted barley . I am learning real quick that everyone has a differant MSG tolerance. So you may have found an answer in those crackers. It could be for your son the amount of "naturally occuring" MSG in the crackers, even at a low level but with a high consumption rate, may be to blame for his increase in tics. It might be your son could tolerate say 5 or so crackers but not a lot like he ate. I read on on web page, I apologize I could not find it again to reference the web address, but of a woman who gets terrible migranes from MSG. She also found that homemade yeast products, like homemade breads or donuts, cause her the same reaction if the yeast does not fully rise and if she does not bake the product fully. I found this very interesting because the one week when my son was having reactions and I traced it back to the whipped topping, with the sodium caseinate, I had also made homemade pizza and donuts. I had used frozen bread dough from the grocery store. So I wonder if it could cause some reaction if you are super sensitive to MSG? I do have to say I have used that same frozen bread dough again but I made sure to really bake it well, after I read this on the internet, and he had no reaction what so ever. I know on the web sites for hidden names for MSG they have sections listing a lot of ingredients that may contain MSG for example (stock, soy protein, annatoo, spice, dough conditioners, flavors, etc). But, in my very short experience, what I have found is some of these products naturally make MSG in their manufacturing process in low amounts while others are just products that may be included in products that contain full blown MSG. For example, you buy some chicken stock at the grocery store to make "Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup". Well if your read the ingredients it has chicken stock but also autolzyed yeast extract (MSG). As a side note, the organic chicken broth I have checked does not have MSG listed in the ingredients. Also be very aware of the term "natural flavorings". This can actually be a certain percent of MSG!!! It is so frustrating isn't it. I have also found shopping at Sprouts and Trader Joes, which a lot of people would consider safe from MSG, that some of their products have MSG in them. You have to read and read and read labels. The other thing I forgot to put, on my original post, is you have to avoid Corn Oil. It is naturally high in MSG. My son will eat a food containing corn oil, where he can eat other forms of corn like cornmeal, but will start having tics from the corn oil. It is all in the manufacturing process. Another quick note, I have read MSG people have to be sensitive to using a crock pot for cooking. Food cooked that slowly can create trace amounts of MSG naturally. But again I have not found this to be a problem for Daniel. Also I have gone on restaurant web pages to find out what ingredients are in their foods. This has helped us to be able to go out and eat once in a while. Knowing that MSG is such a big problem for my son we have done something similar to NAET to try to desensitize him to it but it has not "taken yet". I have read on the internet some terrific stories of how NAET enabled very sensitive MSG suffers to be able to at least tolerate it. I have another appointment for Daniel the end of September and I am praying his body will hold the treatment this time. Another web site you might want to look at is I found it really helpful http://www.inlightimes.com/archives/2007/05/msg.htm Faith thank you also for saying this may be an answer to your prayers. I am a Christian and last night I really felt led to post this about MSG even though I had my hands full with other things. I just love seeing God at work!

I just wanted to put a word of advice out there for those of you who are desperate to figure out why you or your child is experiencing tics. I realize with tourettes there can certainly be many causes but in my son's case, who has had tics since he was 3, MSG has to be avoided at all costs. I did food journals for months to try to figure out the pattern of why he was experiencing tics. All of a sudden, it became very clear so many of the products that had given him problems had MSG in them. Why is MSG such a problem for someone with tourettes? Its because it excites the nervous system. A lot of people consider MSG to be simply a Chinese food issue. I can tell you my 7 year old son has never had Chinese food. Once I started investigating the products it is in it is simply frightening. The food industry uses MSG as a cheap food flavor enhancer. The biggest problem is it is under many differant names other then MSG (Monosodium Glutamate). I would like to list for you just some of the most common names. Here it goes MSG, Monosodium glutamate, monopotassium glutamate, glutamate, glutamic acid, gelatin, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP), autolyzed plant protein, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, textured protein, yeast extract, yeast food or nutrient, and autolyzed yeast. All these are MSG disgused under differant names. I even heard of a new name called Pea Protein but I have yet to see this on a label. So be aware the food industry is smart and you need to stay on top of all the new names they may come out with over the years. Food products that almost always have MSG are chicken patties (yes this includes chicken nuggets), canned soups, soups from restaurants, gravy mixes, sausage, seasoned meats, soy sauce, flavored potato chips, and many salad dressing. Even so called MSG free products can have a small amount under something called "Natural Flavorings". About a month ago my son started having tics again and I could not figure out what was causing them. I had given him no MSG, so I thought. Then I realized it was sodium caseinate (MSG) that is in whipped toppings. I had made a birthday cake and used the whipped topping from the store. I learned from this you have to really check dairy products for sodium caseinate and calcium caseinate. I have also had to be a detective at my son's school for the school lunches. There was MSG in probably 70% plus of the lunches they are serving. Also school parties you have to be aware of foods people might bring to school that could cause your child to react. Please also note, that aspartame (nutrasweet) will give the same reaction as MSG. It is also an excitotoxin. A person with tourettes has to avoid aspartame. As a side note, a woman I know was having epileptic type symptoms and they linked it back to aspartame. How scary is that. All because she was drinking diet soda!!! What I have had to do is read every food label like his life depends upon it and also study all the names of MSG. I also have had to research restaurants and which ones use MSG in there food (KFC and Chick-Fil-a use MSG in A LOT of their products so make sure you research before you enjoy your next chicken dinner out). Also note some restaurants use MSG in pizza sauces. Great places to start researching these things is on migrane websites to do with MSG. A lot of people get migrane's from MSG and I have found a great deal of information on these sites. I also have to add that I read that people who are MSG sensitive usually have a magnesium deficiency problem. My son has been on Bonnie Grimaldi's vitamins for almost a year now to help with this. These vitamins have magnesium built in but I have to say if my son has MSG he still reacts but less then he did before taking the vitamins. I have also found that Yellow #5 food dye, Red #40 food dye, and high fructose corn syrup also give my son tics but not nearly as reactive as the MSG. My son has had tics for up to a week after consuming the smallest amount of MSG. Where the other products I just mentioned seem to get out of his system faster and have a less dramatic effect. In regard to Bonnie Grimaldi's vitamins, the only way I have been able to get them in my son is mix them in peanut butter. We make little balls from the mixture and sprinkle it with raw sugar. It really helps disguise the strong vitamin flavor. I realize people with peanut allergies could not even begin to do this but for our son it has worked. Believe me we tried so many ways to try to get these vitamins in him. Somedays I wondered what was worse the tics or getting the vitamins in him. But thank God, I mean that literally, we have a system down. I can sum it all up with this simple sentence. When my son has the vitamins in him and no MSG, yellow 5, red 40 or high fructose corn syrup he is virtually tic free. I also wanted to thank Chemar for helping me understand MSG is such a problem for my son. It was one of her posts that was a true answer to prayer. I hope this helps some other person who is struggling with the puzzle of tourettes. I know it may seem overwhelming to avoid MSG but it can be done. It probably has taken me three months of going to the grocery store, reading labels, learning to make food from scratch and studying all the names to be confident enough to give my son an MSG free diet. I strongly encourage you to look at this as part of what might be going on in your situation.

Yes, the NAET is an alternative to allergy shots. When you start looking into it you start thinking "how can this even work it seems ridiculous?". Remember I am using something called NEAT (the vowels are switched in the acronym) which was developed by a differant doctor in the Phoenix area but it is very similiar. With my NEAT program it is a series of 4 visits. They use a computer and a "sensor" for lack of better word to see what you are allergic too. Then they do some accupressure at the end of the treatment. I will tell you that I am not seeing the results from my NEAT program for the chemical type foods that I had hoped (for example, MSG, Yellow 5, etc) but have seen the results for other types of foods for example dairy and corn. However, I have read some amazing testomonies about the NAET program with drastically helping with MSG sensitivies. I am considering going to a NAET doctor to see if they might have more success with helping out with the MSG sensitivity. At least with the NEAT program, in Phoenix, you have to go in for "tune ups" every so often depending upon the individual. It may be once every two months or maybe once a year it just depends on how well you body holds the treatment. I cannot tell you if with the other program, NAET, if this is the case. Perhaps it is a more permanent??? You can read a lot more about NAET (which is widely available across the U.S.) in books written by Dr. Nambudripad who developed the program. I will tell you one big draw back to the NAET verses the program I am doing is there is a lot more visits. I think they only desensitize you to one or two allergies a visit. Where my doctor does a lot at once. Hope this helped more then confuse you. Carolyn N.

Mom and Dad, My son Daniel has had noticable tics since he was three. We have narrowed his sensitivites to four main things. Yellow 5, MSG (Huge problem for him and it is under many names. You may want to research all the names. I am realizing he has greatly increased tics after just one exposure for up to a week), Red 40, and High Fructose Corn Syrup. I also wanted to mention we have had success in treating Daniels other allergies with a system similiar to NAET. My doctor in Phoenix does something called NEAT (they do more allergies in one session), but I don't know if anyone else across the U.S. does it this way. You can research NAET and see that it has been effective for many people. Also my son Daniel is on Bonnie Grimaldi's TS-Plus and they have been very effective. If he is having reaction to B complex I don't know how they would do for him because it has A LOT of B's. You order them from her and she has a web page. The problem is getting it him. We mix it in peanut butter. It is the only thing we have found to disguise it's taste (obviously if a peanut allergy don't do this). We have tried making smoothies out of if but my son just does not do well with the smoothies. Also my Naturopath put Daniel on the amino acid Glycine. It helps with dopamine regulation. You might want to ask your doctor if that would work for your son. Also Shelia Rodgers book "Tics and Tourettes" has been very helpful and promising to me. Just reading the success stories settled my heart a lot. The main thing is everyone is "ticing" for their own particular reason and it is like a puzzle trying to figure out the pieces. You might want to keep a food log for him and catagorize how bad his tics are that day. With Daniel I notice an increase in tics within 40 minutes after he consumes an offending food. But there can be longer delays for some people. But the food log was very helpful in narrowing it down because you get a pattern. But also pay attention to environmental things like exposure to chemicals or even the smell of a scented candle can bring on tics in some people. I can tell you even with the vitamins and the NEAT treatments if Daniel is still exposed to MSG or one of the other's I mentioned we still get a reaction but not as much as we used to. Hope this helps. I am off for a weeks vacation and wondering how we are going to do the whole avoiding certain foods since we are going to a family camp where they feed you. It will be interesting. Carolyn N.

Chemar, Thank you so much for the wonderful advice. I have been spending so much time researching alternate ways to get all these vitamins. The question I have regarding the Kid Calm is it is straight magnesium with no calcium. Since typically it is given in a 2 to 1 ratio would it not drain the body of calcium quickly? I would love to give him products that are children friendly!!!

I am just wondering if anyone has particular thoughts as to Neuroscience Products. My Naturopathic Doctor has recommended, after doing the urine Neurotransmitter test to put him on a product called TravaCor Jr. The amino acid blend is Taurine, 5-HTP, and L-Theanine for a combined doseage of 226mg. It is has very minimal B vitamins. I have done enough research to understand that the B vitamins are extremely important. The product also has has very minimal Magnesium which is also very key. My doctor told me for two weeks just to use the Travacor Jr., a multi-vitamin, and omega 3. I have been using the TS-Plus through Bonnie Grimaldi's plan and also using some other amino acids. Daniel would still have some symptoms if exposed to his offending agents (msg, yellow 5, red 40, and high fructose corn syrup) or being sick but certainly was better then he started the Ts-Plus. He was on this for over 6 months. But trying to get all the supplements in him almost became worse then the tics themselves. So I have been seeking other ways to treat him and hence the neurotransmitter test. Also, as a side note, Daniel's serotonin levels were great. At least according to the test. The 5-HTP is blended in with the other amino acids so he will be increasing his serotonin. I am not feeling very comfortable about having him on a product his body is not needing. He started the product yesterday and my confidence level is just not very high that it will be effective for him. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Chemar, Thank you so much for your advice. I cannot tell you how many of your postings I have read on this site. Your dedication has helped my family and countless others. So thank you so much!!!

Hi everyone! This is my first time posting. I have spent countless hours on this forum reading such helpful advice. I have a question regarding my almost 7 year old boy Daniel. Daniel has had tourettes since he was 3. From doing so much reading on this web site I have come to the understanding that Daniel's tourettes seems to be mainly induced by MSG, Yellow #5, Red #40, and high fructose corn syrup. When he does not have these in his diet he is tic free. I have had him on Bonnie's TS-Plus for a least 6 months. Also he is taking glycin, L-glutamine (per doctor's request), and omega 3. I took him off Bonnie's supplements about a month ago, due to the high expense level, and started using a combination of vitamins very close to her regimine but not exact (he is no longer on taurine I am giving him Magnesium Citrate). However, I am just perplexed because on Monday I accidently gave my son MSG. We are two and half days past when he had it and he is still having severe eye rolling and neck jerking. From his patterns before, because I have kept food logs, I expected him to have symptoms for a least a day but not this long. I am wondering what thoughts may be out there in terms of how long does it take to metabolize msg out of the system? What he had Monday was autolzyed yeast exact and hydrolyzed corn gluten. They were in "Tyson" chicken nuggets. I should have absolutely known better to read the label but got complacent. Also, one thing about Bonnie's vitamins that really confused me was the Calcium to Mag ratio. It was 1 to 1 instead of 2 to 1. I really started getting concerned that perhaps he was getting too much Mag on Bonnies supplements. Any thoughts on that too? Thanks so much for your input.