CarolynN

Hi Char, The glycine helps the neurotransmitters run more smoothly and process more correctly. How it actually works I do not understand but I do know that it has certainly helped my son get his tics back under control and also with the use of the B6 vitamin when it is necessary. The two seem to be a really good combination for my son when his tics/anxiety get going. Daniel is a very healthy boy with no other complications. I don't know what conditions would not allow a person to do this so I would just ask you run it by your doctor first. But my Naturopathic doctor told me to give Daniel 150 mg's of B6 for 3 to 4 days when his tics/anxiety get more elevated. I divide it up during the day in smaller doses and I have even wake him up at midnight to give to him. His anxiety has been highest at times first thing in the morning so the doctor suggested getting some in him in the middle of the night to help alleviate. I have to consider how much B6 he is getting in his multi-vitamin so I empty out some of the B6 in the capsules to make sure he was not getting over the 150 mgs. After the three to four days I was to go back to my normal dose of just over 50 mg's a day. Typically though I find he does not need at high as 150 mg's and I give him 100 mg's instead when he is elevated with the tics/anxiety. The other thing I did for him when the tics/anxiety gets going is give him 10,000 mg's of Glycine for eight days. After eight days I go back to the normal dose of 4600 mg's a day. I typically do not have to do it for this many days before I see results so typically I can minimize the high amount to just a few days. My son's main problem is chemical foods (MSG, artificial food dyes, high fructose corn syrup) but in reading and examining all the information I came to the conclusion that a lot of his problem is his liver being low on sulfate ions. These ions help process out toxins and excessive neurotransmitters the body does not need. Here are the posting I did about this a while back http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...mp;hl=sulfation]http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...mp;hl=sulfation[/url] and also some follow up links to this post http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...Carolyn+N\ and also http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...hl=Carolyn%5C.N . To help out with sulfates not being processed correctly you can check into a product by Houston Enzymes called No-Phenol. It is an enzyme that is suppose to help process the sulfates better. Here is the website https://www.houston-enzymes.com/store/ . Also the NAC, that I referenced up above, should help out with processing the sulfates better too. Have a great week, Carolyn

Hello, Yes....my son Daniel has absolutely had this stomach tic and it is the one that really starts bothering him the most. It happens a lot, when he tics are going, after he has been riding in a vehicle. The doctor explained to me, which I cannot remember the answer now, but why his tics get going more in a vehicle while moving. A lot of times Daniel will start crying in a vehicle because of his stomach pushing in and out and starting to feel sick because of it. Anyhow your daughter is certainly not alone. God bless you and I pray you find the answers you are seeking because there are answers. I strongly recommend the "Tics and Tourettes" book by Shelia Rogers. It gave me a lot of hope. Carolyn

Hello, The TS-Plus has been so helpful to my son Daniel. He has been on it since he was 5 and now he is almost 9. I did not realize how much it was helping him until I tried switching to a different product and within a month his tics came back full force. Another time I tried cutting his dose in half, just to save some money, and he seemed fine for a while. Then his body became depleted of the vitamins and minerals, from not getting enough, and the tics have came back. So I realized I could not "cheat" and try to save money. He is on the recommended dose for his wieght now and doing great. It is an expensive product but well worth it. The biggest pain is it is so many vitamins for him to take but it is such a part of his life and he realizes now the benefit of the vitamins which makes it so much easier. He is also on many other supplements. For example NAC (N-Acteylcysteine), Omega's, Probiotics, Glycine, GABA (when having anxiety), additional vitamin C, PS-100 (this helps promote a healthy brain), additional magnesium taurate when needed. But the TS-Plus has been a big part of him getting better along with diet changes. His body has become so much more tolerant to foods that use to offend him and cause him tics. We also have used enzymes in the past to help his body break down food his body was not doing that well before. Daniel is getting to the peak age of tics 9-11 and he is WAY better then he ever was prior to the supplements and diet changes. It is such a testimony to me that indeed so many people with Tourettes/Tics are dealing with intestinal issues and a liver not processing chemicals and neurotransmitters correctly. Getting the intestines healed and the liver is absolutely key in getting answers for your child. I gave this example yesterday to someone on the forum. When a person drinks alcohol a person does not get drunk by pouring it directly into the head. It first goes into the intestines and then makes its way to the brain. Ultimately the brain is effected from what was going on in the digestive track. It is the same way with tics/tourettes it starts with getting the intestines in good functioning order and the liver too. I really believe the TS-Plus is a big part in helping this. I don't think it is a complete picture of what is needed but certainly a huge part of the puzzle for us. Have a great day! Carolyn

Hello, First I am so sorry for your discouragement. I know how horrible it feels when you don't feel like you are moving forward. But trust me when I say you are way ahead of the game compared to most parents who are dealing with this. You realize that there are answers that can be found naturally. Have you bought the "Tics and Tourettes" book by Shelia Rogers? You really should if you have not. It was such an encouragement to me to realize there was answers for my son and not to give up. I had put together my theory as to what was ultimately going on with him and why I thought Daniel was reacting with these food chemicals a while back. Here is the link http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...mp;hl=sulfation and also some follow up links to this post http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...Carolyn+N\ and also http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...hl=Carolyn%5C.N . We have been dealing with tics with my son since he was 3. I have posted on here many times about all the supplements he is on. The only thing I can say is he is almost 9 and pretty much tic free now. He is heading into the peak time for tics for his age and with all of the supplements and diet change I truly believe his intestional track and liver are getting what they need now to help process out what he could not do by himself prior which was food chemicals (MSG, food dyes, high fructose corn syrup). It takes time for the body to heal once on the right supplements. So don't at all give in realize that you are on the right track. B6 has been a HUGE part of what helps Daniel. He gets anywhere from 50 mg's to 100 mg's a day. He get the 50 mg's from Bonnie Grimaldi's vitamins TS-Plus. Anyway when Daniel's tics get going I always give him an additional 50 mg's. Speaking of the TS-Plus vitamin for Daniel it has helped him so much. He has been on it since he was 5. I did not realize how much it was helping him until I tried switching to a different product and within a month his tics came back full force. Another time I tried cutting his dose in half, just to save some money, and he seemed fine for a while. Then again I think his body became depleted of the vitamins and minerals, from not getting enough, and the tics have came back. So I realized I could not "cheat" and try to save money. He is on the recommended dose for his wieght now and doing great. It is an expensive product but well worth it. The biggest pain is it is so many vitamins for him to take but it is such a part of his life and he realizes now the benefit of the vitamins which makes it so much easier. Another thing that has been sooo helpful too is Glycine. Glycine helps the neurotransmitters run more smoothly. He gets anywhere from 2500 mg's to 5000 mg's a day. When he is has really bad tics I give him 10,000 mg's for several days in a row. I use Carlson brand glycine. Another product that he takes that has been really good for him is NAC (N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine). I buy the Vitamin Shoppe brand generic form. He currently is on 600 mg's a day along with 1,000 mg's of vitamin C a day. The vitamin C is helpful when taking NAC to help prevent kidney stones from building up from what I have read. Although my doctor told me this really is not too great of a concern. But the NAC helps the body remove chemical toxins and other toxins from the body. It supplements the liver. The vitamin C is important one way or another for many reasons. But one primary reason is to lower histamine levels. Back to the NAC I know of at least 2 other people on the forum who had really good success with the NAC. It certainly would be something to run by your doctor. Have you tried giving her Benadryl or some other anti-histamine to see if her tics reduce? I know I and many others have seen a reduction in tics with Benadryl. Some people, however, will have an increase in tics when taking it but not for most. My thought is if you see a reduction in tics you know that her histamine levels are elevated which more then likely they are elevated one way or another. The other thing that really helps is taking Epsom Salts baths. Use 2 cups of epsom salts in a bath and soak at least 20 minutes. I noticed with my son that I don't see a sudden reduction in tics after the bath it is usually a couple hours later. May I ask what kinds of foods she is eating. Do you buy any processed foods at all? Have a great weekend? Carolyn

Bonnie, Wow...I am so sorry you had to deal with this. I would have been so scared. I am glad you are getting answers though. I hope it does not happen again. Being a parent can make for some very scary days at times!!! Carolyn

Hello again, With my son MSG brings out different tics and also high anxiety levels. There has never been one particular tic that occurs because of the MSG. But MSG is certainly his biggest tic trigger! Carolyn

Hello, After reading your post I was wondering if you have tried giving him Benedrayl or some other anti-histamine. Some on this forum have seen preety dramatic results in using the anti-histamine. In a quick recap, what happens is when your body is struck with an allergen then your body produces histamine. Histamine also happens to be a neurotransmitter that affects other neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are part of what helps the brain function. Someone who is predisposed to tics when there neurotransmitters get out of order will then start to tic. One thing you could easily do is try taking some allergy medicine, like benadryl, to see if the tics calm down. Like I stated many people on this forum have noticed a reduction in tics by taking an allergy medicine of some sort. Now with that said, I know some people actually get an increase in tics after taking allergy medicine. I know I remember reading Chemar's son had a really bad reaction to the allergy medicine. My naturopathic doctor told me, it is uncommon but certainly can happen, that in some people there body will send a rush of histamine out to counteract the allergy medicine. But most people do not so it is certainly worth the try and it will give you a bigger understanding of what is going on if you see a big reduction in tics after taking it. I know some allergy medicine, like Bendadry, can make you sleepy. So you might want to talk to a pharmacist about your choices. I really think your son would GREATLY benefit from being on some really good digestive enzymes. There is a great book by a woman named Karen DeFelice. The book is called "Enzymes for Autism and Other Neurological Disorders". I think this could greatly help you understand what to do for him. Digestive enzymes would help with the allergy reaction to the foods and also heal the leaky gut. The key is getting on the right digestive enzyme. I have been using Dr. Houston's enzymes. They are real good quality. Here is their website http://www.houston-enzymes.com/ . I had put together my theory as to what was ultimately going on with him and why I thought Daniel was reacting with these food chemicals a while back. Here is the link http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...mp;hl=sulfation and also some follow up links to this post http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...Carolyn+N\ and also http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...hl=Carolyn%5C.N . Hang in there and I will be praying for you. There are answers and it looks like you are on the right track in getting it sorted out. God Bless, Carolyn

Hello, I am so sorry to hear your family is going through this. I know how hard and stressful it is. For me, prior to figuring out what to do for my son which was food chemical sensitivity, it just consumed me. But the good thing is there are answers it is just a matter of figuring out what direction to go. You could compare tics to something like a migraine in that different things cause the migraine, various foods or environmental triggers, but you get the same end result.....a real bad headache. Same thing with tics different things can set the body off with tics (food, chemicals, strep, candida, lack of magnesium, lack of B's or even all the above), but the same end result tics. This is where it starts to get tricky in figuring it out but the detective work is so well worth the effort. I kept food journals and through the journals and prayer I came to understand his triggers. I want to share with you my story of strep. Both of my son's have had something called Perianal strep. It is strep that starts in the intestional area and grows out into the bottom. It is VERY, VERY uncomfortable. We finally figured out how to get rid of it I typed it out below. But my whole point is strep can grow in various parts of the body it is not just isolated to the throat. I wanted to attach an two old posts I found similiar to your situation. Both these people who posted had their children come up with negative tests for PANDAS but PANDAS was still the suspicion. I thought you might find it interesting http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1894 and http://www.latitudes.org/forums/lofiversio....php?t1826.html . Do you know about the subset of PANDAS called PITANDS? Also I was thinking about what kind of things could cause a reaction where you did not see one before. I remember reading of a boy who had a sudden onset of bad tics. They were able to track it back to newly layed carpet at his school. The fumes from the new carpet were triggering him. Perhaps did you buy a new vehicle that would have new carpet in it or any new carpet at home? I was thinking, just a long shot, but have you had a lot of rain in your area where there could be the possibility of mold that grew all of a sudden in your home that he could have had a reaction too? Did he start using a new body wash, soap, or did you switch laundry detergents? Can you think of any new scents like candles or airfreshners? One other thing to consider, and I don't know if you read my MSG information I just posted, but I was thinking lets assume x,y,z triggered her body (whatever it is). Lets also assume, because I don't know, he normally has a fairly high tollerance for MSG or artificial food dyes. At this point one way or another, because of his original unknown trigger, his neurotransmitters are not in balance. So lets assume what ever triggered him is no longer necessarily affecting him directly but other things that affect the nervous system (like MSG and artificial food colorings) would be continuing on the reaction and not allowing his neurotransmitters to come back into balance. Because these foods naturally excite the nervous system they would be carrying out an additonal reaction in him. Even if these foods normally, when his body is not taxed, did not bother him. I see this with my own son when his tics are elevated. Here is my post on what foods to look for that contain MSG http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2598 . If you think it is an underlying bacterial infection, whether it be strep or something else, I wanted to share with you what my Naturopathic Doctor told me to do for my two sons when they had perianal strep (strep that grows in the intestional track and out the bottom - again very painful!) and I had strep throat recently and it worked for me. Since strep is a bacterial infection, this should work, in theory, for other bacterial infections too. I don't think it would do much for a viral infection. As a side note, my one son had been on two forms of good old anti-biotics for the perianal strep and it did not get rid of it but the below remedy did. She told me to have my sons (at the time they were 3 and 5) take grapefruit seed extract (125 mg tablets) twice a day. Also to take collodial silver twice a day (I buy a brand called Sovereign Silver supposably it has the smallest partical size) and a good quality probiotic. She told me to do this for 10 days. The grapefruit seed extract is a very powerful natural antibiotic. It cleared up both cases of perianal strep. It has also cleared up other cases of strep throat we have had in the house since. Now when I had strep I also got liquid grapefruit seed extract and put two or three drops in about 6 or so ounces of water and gargled. Within about 2 hours, and I am not joking, after I started gargling with it I noticed a big difference. By the next evening it was a vast improvement. The problem that I ran into is I over did a good thing. Grapefruit seed extract is VERY bitter. I should only have gargled a couple times a day and I was doing it at least every two hours, and also when I would wake up at night. So with that said I ended up with a blocked salvia gland. If you read on the internet about using grapefruit seed extract, in not such high doses as I did of course, you will see that it is very effective against strep and I can certainly attest to it! One easy way to get children to swallow the liquid form of grapefruit seed extract is put it in lemonade it does a pretty good job of disguising the taste. But the long and short of it is grapefruit seed extract is excellent at getting rid of strep along with the probiotics. Just don't over do the grapefruit seed extract gargling. Just very quickly, I know there has been some press on side effects of collodial silver. If you take it in a manner where you manufacture it at home you can end up with a condition, using it over a long period of time and in VERY rare circumstances, where the skin turns a silver type color. But if you read up on it you will quickly see it is not related in with the reputable manufacturers and by using it according the the correct directions. I, personally although many people do take it every day, only use it during times of illness to take any remote possibility of risk away. Also if your son has a metal allergy I don't know how that would effect him taking the collodial silver or if he has a citrus allergy would he react to the grapefruit seed extract? Just something to consider. Keep up hope. Obviously something triggered him. This strong of a reaction did not just come out of no where. God Bless, Carolyn

Hi there! I wanted to share some things that I thought might help you. My son Daniel has had tics since he was 3. He is now 8 and about 56 pounds. Through a lot of research and prayer we have discovered his triggers which are food chemicals (MSG, food dyes, and high fructose corn syrup) . I had put together my theory as to what was ultimately going on with him and why I thought Daniel was reacting with these food chemicals a while back. Here is the link http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...mp;hl=sulfation and also some follow up links to this post http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...Carolyn+N\ and also http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...hl=Carolyn%5C.N . Anyhow, a while back I started Daniel on N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC), per a Naturopathic doctors recommendation, and it has been great for us. The NAC helps his liver process out those chemicals that his body cannot do on its own so easily. So ultimately it helps control his tics to a point. But it is not the whole picture, by any means, but a big part of it. I also have Daniel on Bonnie Grimaldi's TS-Plus which is designed for people with Tourettes. I don't know if you realize this but magnesium, Daniel's body responds best to magnesium taurate, is needed in so many functions of our body. So it is very easy to drain the body including when we eat chemical foods, foods we are allergic to, and when we get stressed or excited. What I have found is Daniel's body must use a lot of magnesium to help get rid of these foods his body does not tolerate well. So when he has had too much of the bad stuff I think his body gets low on magnesium and it sets his body up for more tics and anxiety too that seems to come along with it. It was interesting that prior to him going on the TS-Plus and additional magnesium taurate supplement, two years ago, he would grind his teeth horrible at night. After he was on the magnesium for the first couple months all this came to an end. One thing I learned and I have not followed through on any reading of this is over 80% of people who are sensitive to chemical foods has a chromium deficiency. What this means I really do not know but it is something I want ot explore. The same Naturopathic doctor, who recommeneded the NAC, also told me what to do for Daniel when his tics really get going. All I can say is it has worked really, really well for us. I don't know what conditions would not allow a person to do this so I would just ask you run it by your doctor first. But my Naturopathic doctor told me to give Daniel 150 mg's of B6 for 3 to 4 days (I typically only do 100 mg's). I divided it up during the day in smaller doses and I even woke him up at midnight to give to him. His tics and anxiety always goes down. It is really amazing. Please note that in calculating how much B6 to give him I had to consider how much B6 he was getting in his multi-vitamin so I would empty out some of the B6 in the capsules to make sure he was not getting over the 100 mgs. After the three to four days I was to go back to my normal dose of just over 50 mg's a day. The other thing I do for him when his tics are elevated for him is give him 10,000 mg's of Glycine for about 5 days. Glycine is an amino acid (again broken down throughout the day and even at midnight). Glycine helps the neurotransmitters run more smooth. After about five days I go back to the normal dose of 4600 mg's a day. The combination of the glycine and B6 has been just been an answer to prayer. But I certainly would run this by a doctor because I don't know what conditions would keep someone from doing this. But the long and short of it is it greatly helps reduce his tics. There are things he probably did not share with me regarding the side effects because he knew Daniel could handle it. He did tell me with the B6 with that high of a dosage 150 mg's it was a possibility of Daniel getting neuropathy in his hands in feet. He said it would be temporary if it happened. It did not happen. But again it is something to be aware of. My doctor also told me to give Daniel at least 50 mg's of B6 immediately if he comes in contact with MSG (obviously I would have to calculate how much he already had for the day to make sure he did not go over 150 mg's). He explained to me this is what he does for his patients who get MSG headaches. He said the B6 pushes out the effects of the MSG free glutamate attack. To recap this is what Daniel is currently taking. I am completely aware with a growing boy, again he is 8 and approaching quickly the peak of tics which is around 10, I may have to change this again in the near future. Daniel again is about 56 pounds. I have listed where I purchase these items but I am sure you can get them from many different sources on the Internet and just at other retail stores. He takes 1/2 of these supplements in the morning and the other 1/2 at night. Also note the there may be some of these supplements that certain people with certain health concerns should not take. For example the Acetyl-Cystiene can be hard on some peoples body, for example someone with kidney issues or diabetics, so you want to do your research and talk to your doctors.************* * Bonnie Grimaldi's TS-Plus (12 a day (I order these from her from this website http://www.bonniegr.com/ . You have to either call her, e-mail or fax her the order. She is also a very helpful lady). * additional Magnesium Taurate 250 mg a day. (I buy the brand Cardiovascular Research from the Vitamin Shoppe) * Glycine 4600 mg a day (I buy the brand Carlson from the Vitamin Shoppe). I mix this in the lemonade brand "Simply Lemonade". It just takes a little to disguise the taste and get it down. * additional 1000 mg of vitamin C a day (I buy American Health Non Acidic with citrus bioflavonoids from the Vitamin Shoppe). *Omega 3 (Nordic Naturals Junior I buy at the Vitamin Shoppe) * Phosphatidylserine (PS-100) 1 capsule 2 x a day (this one my Naturopathic doctor really thinks is beneficial to the brain. He said he has seen tremendous results for all kinds of things with brain function. But it is not an overnight result it takes, I believe up to two months to build in the system. Also it is rather $$$$$. I read it also helps counteract the side effects of MSG to a point). (I buy this through Sprouts and I use a brand called MRM) * pro-biotic called MindLinx (it also helps with processing gluten and getting the gut healthy). (You can purchase it through this website in either capsules or powder http://www.rockwellnutrition.com/HLC-MindL...S_p_0-1458.html ) *GABA for anxiety 1200 mg's a day. (I buy it through my GABA through my Natuopathic Doctor) *NAC (N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine) 600 mg's a day (I use to give him 1200 mg's a day). Make sure you take high levels of vitamin C while on this product. From what I read it will help reduce the risk of developing kidney stones. (I buy the Vitamin Shoppe brand generic version through their store) *Apple Cider Vinegar capsules 2 x a day (I buy Natural Factors at Sprouts but I am sure you can buy on the Internet) *Additonal B6 on a an needed basis. But the TS-Plus has what he needs in it and as long as things are going well I do not need to supplement in any extra. (I buy my B6 in 50 mg' amounts from Vitamin Shoppe and I buy their brand) So with all this said you can tell I have one very expensive son. We spend at least $150 or more a month on vitamins. I also have a boy who is SICK of vitamins. Who can blame him. But he is starting to understand what it means it if does not take them. The good thing is he swallows the pills so if he is just does it he can get it over with in about 3 minutes. I am truly trying to figure out where I can cut back on some of these supplements. The problem is Daniel's body just does not detoxifiy correctly. He needs all these things to help the process along. It is very frustrating but it is what it is and we just have to accept it. I have tried joining a vitamin co-op where you can get these vitamins a lot less expensive. I have been unsuccessful but would love to get involved in one if anyone knows of one that is accepting new people. I also save money when the Vitamin Shoppe does there semi-annual sale on their generic brand of vitamins. I think it is in April and September it is buy one get one 1/2 off. Also I have found their website to have better sale prices then the store for some reason. I am starting to explore other options for Daniel. I am considering taking him to an Environmental Doctor who understands more the bodies reaction to these chemical foods. I really want to see if there is a way to rebuild his body back stronger so we can do away with at least some of these supplements. What I have read is other then supplements the best thing you can do is avoid those things that are bothering your system, in Daniel's case all the food dyes, MSG, and high fructose corn syrup, to allow the enzymes to rebuild without getting damaged again. It can take months and months to rebuild it even to a minimum. I know this is so long but it has been quite a bit of time since I posted and I have found out so much. I hope it helps someone understand what is going on with them or their child. God Bless, Carolyn

Hi there, I wanted to respond to your post because I have dealt not only with OCD with myself, I am now 38, but also high anxiety with my son who is 8. My son also is dealing with Tourettes. I have to share with you the amazing difference that certain supplements have made for us regarding the anxiety. Mainly B6, glycine, magnesium taurate, and GABA. These things have GREATLY, GREATLY reduced the pain of anxiety we had been dealing with. I wanted to share with you a post I did a while back explaining how I am using these supplements. The first part of the post might be a little confusing because I discuss my theory behind why I think Daniel's body is reacting like it is. But as you go down in the post you will see I explain what I have done with the supplements. I also have links to other posts I have done regarding what I have discovered regarding the root issue of Daniel's Tourettes and the anxiety. Anyhow here is the link http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...Carolyn\.N http:// I also wanted to say I mention a product called TS-Plus which is a multi-vitamin for people with Tourettes and OCD. I have to tell you Daniel has been on it for some time now and the longer I have him on it, at the right dose for his weight, the better his body is tolerating things. I mean it is definetly making a big difference. In the post I reference above I mention quite a few vitamins I have Daniel on. I have been able to back off on a lot of those because the TS-Plus is doing so well for him. It has taken a long time for it to build in his body to make the difference but over time it has certainly been very beneficial. I do know a few people can react poorly to the product because of certain B vitamins in it. But the long and short of it most people would benefit. Just for a quick reference here is the website http://www.bonniegr.com/ . Also Bonnie has been real helpful when I have e-mailed her with questions. I just wanted to let you know there is hope and there are so many things you can do for your son. I know how painful, as a parent, it is to see your child suffer. It is so relieving when you start seeing results with the supplements. I also have to tell you I had Daniel in counseling to help overcome his biggest anxiety which is firedrills. He is doing so amazingly well and I just thank God for that. Let me know if you have any follow-up questions. I know there is a lot to read if you follow all the links I reference in the above post. Have a great week! Carolyn

Tracy, How awesome you have seen such great results. I have not read up at all on cupping. I have seen it on the forum periodically but I just am not informed to know exactly what it does. But wow it sounds like it really did a great job. I hope the results keep up for you. Have a great evening! Carolyn

Hello, Thanks for checking in about Daniel. I actually have done several updates since that original post. Here the last posting I did and it will also have other links within it to other updates I have done http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...ic=4194&hl= . Overall, Daniel is doing real well on the supplements I have him on now. The main issue we have with him is it just is a whole lot of vitamins to get into an 8 year old boy. But he has been a real sport about it, recently, and he is starting to take his own health into consideration. So it is getting easier for him to understand why we are doing all this. Whereas, three years ago when he was 5, it was much more difficult. One other thing that is in the above link but I wanted to again mention is I truly do see a difference in Daniel in using the Epsom Salts when his tics are going. It takes about a couple hours to see the reduction after the Epsom Salts bath or Cream has been applied. But it certainly does help settle down his system. Again it all goes back to sulfation because the epsom salts are helping that process of the body. But if you are not taking the epsom salts baths, which is 2 cups of epsoms salts in a tub of water and soak for at least 20 minutes I would highly recommend it. Also the Epsom Salts Cream by Kirkman (they call it Magnesium Sulfate Cream) works well. But I would say overall I have seen better results with the baths. You can even do the baths 2 times a day when the tics are peaking. Also drinking a lot of water seems to really help him a lot too. So these are some simple things to help the sulfation process out. But you will see, by reading the above links. I have added some other products in that have greatly helped him. Let me know if you have any questions after reading the above link. Have a great evening. Carolyn

Hello Jodi, I just wanted to ask if you had thought of trying Benadryl just to see if the tics get reduced. The reason I say this is many on this forum noticed a decrease in tics when on an anti-histamine. In otherwords, most people find allergies, whether it is food or environmental, are inducing tics so the anti-histamine is lowering the histamine in the body. Here is a post I did on this a while back http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p;mode=threaded . Now some people, like Chemar's son, have very bad reactions to anti-histamines and get increased tics. My doctor explained to me this is called a paradoxyl response. Basically in some people, not many, when you try to lower that person's histamine the body reacts with producing massive amounts of histamine to override the medicine. So the person gets a surge of histamine instead of the body being ok with the histamine being lowered. Histamine is actually a neurotransmitter that will affect your other neurotransmitters like dopamine. So when histamine gets increased, with someone who is prone to tics, that person will get more tics. Likewise when the histamine is lowered the tics will be reduced. But I just thought it might be helpful to know if you see a drop in the tics being on the anti-histamine because it would give you more of an idea as to what is going on. Now if it happens to work I would not necessarily suggest staying on it there are natural ways to lower your histamine. Like Apple Cider Vinegar and high levels of Vitamin C. I am sure there are many more you could run by a Naturopathic Doctor. Have a blessed day, Carolyn

Hello and welcome to the forum! Just a few things I thought of when I saw your post. Chemar, who heads up this forum, dealt with OCD on a very high level with her son. Her son also has tourettes so she created a treatment plan for both the OCD and the Tourettes. Here is the post she created for the treatments that greatly helped her son for both of these issues http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=687 . I have had OCD myself since I was a child. Here is a post of things I have done to help my situation. After you read the initial post by a person calling herself Desperate you will see my response to her http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2623 . Some other things to consider that may help you is to start looking at it from a biological angle is you can research the link between candida and OCD. Candida is an overgrowth of yeast in the intestinal system. Believe it or not because of the link between the gut and the brain, think about how alcohol effects the brain and it is in the gut, the candida can cause problems with neurotransmitters getting distributed correctly. There are lots of posts on this forum regarding candida. Chemar used a product called "Candida Clear by Now" to help her son's candida. I have used it for myself and it certainly does help get rid of candida very effectively. My son, Daniel who is 7, is on a product called GABA. Daniel has tourettes and started showing signs of OCD type of thoughts. The GABA has really helped him. A lot of people find Inositol very effective. You can read about that on this forum too if you do a search. Many people are low in magnesium and magnesium is just crucial to a body running effectively. I have used magnesium taurate for my son. It has really helped his tics out and it also helped him stop grinding his teeth at night. Another thing to look into is something called PANDAs. Some people will experience a quick on set of OCD and a lot of times it is related to PANDAs. This has to do with the strep virus and how a persons brain has been effected by it. Once the strep is treated a lot of times the OCD goes away. You can also read a lot about PANDAs on this forum. Certainly biological factors contribute to OCD. But there is no way of saying it any other way, once I truly grasped on to God's grace and His love for me so much of these "toxic" type of thoughts just went away. I cannot explain it in human terms but I can absolutely tell you 100% Christ changed my life. I talk about that in the above post. I hope this helped and I will be praying for you. Carolyn

There were four things that stood out to me in the last product. The first two are the whey protein concentrate and the whey protein hydrolsate. Anytime you see the words protein concentrate and protein hydrolsate it means the molecular structure of the protein has been changed. This typically means it is changed to a "free glutamate" which is the same molecular structure as MSG. What they do, from what I have read, is they take a food source and brew it over a period of time. During this process the molecules get changed to this free glutamate. These free glutamate molecules excite the nervous system I can tell you my son a few weeks back had pizza at school and started getting tics. I went and read the box, because they had a new brand of pizza they were using, and I immediately saw the words "milk protein concentrate". I allowed him to have the pizza one more time to see if it was absolutely the pizza or perhaps it had been something else. Sure enough the tics were back again after eating the pizza the second time. The other two things that stick out to me is the "artificial flavors" are absolutely a tic trigger. The last thing that is in it that we have to avoid for my son, and it is in sooooooooo many things, is caramel color. It again fires up the nervous system. Hope this helps you some. Carolyn

I just wanted to say I am so sorry for what you are going through. I had OCD pretty bad as a child. I will just tell you, and my parents did absolutely nothing, that it got a whole lot better for me around the age of 14 years old. From what have read that is not an uncommon thing due to the body getting through the prepuberty stage. I will pray for your family. God Bless, Carolyn

When I keep my son's diet clean, meaning no MSG, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Food Dyes, Caramel Color, he is tic free. I also have him on supplements too of course which help manage but without the proper diet I could give him all the supplements in the world and he would have tics. His body just does not do well with food chemcials. Here is a list I created of the foods I found that I can feed Daniel where he does not have tics http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2976 . The right diet is absolutely key along with the supplements. I know it is a pain but once you study it enough to know what you can eat it really is not that much of a problem. It is just those beginning stages in trying to figure out what works and does not work. But in the long run it is soooooooooooo worth while. I also wanted to add, just like Caryn stated, when exposed to a food that causes tics I see a reaction from Daniel within 40 minutes. The tics can last up to one week from one MSG exposure. The second and third day after exposure is typically the worse. If he is exposed to something else during this time period it just keeps the length of the time of the tics around. This is why I have studied the various names of MSG like crazy and read every label. I now know to give him B6 when he is exposed to MSG. The B6 helps to counteract the MSG. I give him up to 100 mg's, spread out over the course of the day (in otherwords divided up in 3 to 4 doses), when he has been exposed. I do this for 3 to 4 days if necessary. I also give him additional glycine up to 10,000 mg's spread throughout the day up to 8 days in a row. I have never had to do it for this length of time before. His body snaps back pretty quick at these high of levels. The only thing to keep in mind is you do not want to take too high of levels of B6 for too long because it can cause neuropathy (nerve damage in the hands and feet). Typically Daniel, who is 8, gets 50 mg's of B6 a day and 4200 mgs of glycine. You may want to run this all by a doctor to make sure there are no health reasons you could not do this. My son is very healthy otherwise so there is no problem. But for someone, for example who has kidney issues or diabetic, this may not work. Hope this helps. I know this is all very overwhelming but over time it will sink in and in the long run you will be so glad you took the steps to get your body healthy. Carolyn

Hello, Regarding the histamine and how it relates to the tics, histamine is what our body produces in response to allergies. Along with the histamine comes the responses of runny nose/watery eyes. The things you think of when you think of allergies. But not all elevated histamine in a body produces the runny nose/watery eyes. The problem with histamine is it is also a neurotransmitter and it effects the other neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are very complicated transmitters within the brain. So when your histamine gets elevated it is also effecting other neurotransmitters in the brain. For example it effects the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter directly related to increased tics. Regarding what you ate for lunch. I can tell you, like Chemar said, those chicken nuggets are LOADED with MSG. Not only are the chicken nuggets loaded but the french fries also have MSG in them. They are the only french fries I have yet come across at a restaurant that have a form of MSG. I think it is referenced as Hydrolyzed Beef Protein. The coke would have Yellow Dyes in it and High Fructose Corn Syrup. The Hamburger if it had American Cheese would also have yellow dye in the cheese. The sauce, which I have not looked up the ingredients, I guarantee you has dyes and more then likely high fructose corn syrup. Here is a posting I did regarding MSG and how it is hidden in so many of our foods http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...aded&start= . I can tell you, and I am absolutely not joking, my son had only 5 McDonalds french fries and on the way home from the restaurant he started having an eye rolling tic. The ONLY thing he can eat at McDonalds and not get a reaction of tics is a regular Hamburger (even though the pickles believe it or not have yellow dye in them and the ketchup has high fructose corn syrup and so does the bun. But it is not enough to effect him). He can eat the Apple Dippers WITHOUT the caramel dip. The caramel dip has High Fructose Corn Syrup and Caramel Color and he can have milk or water. Anything else he gets tics. The best thing you can do is go online to these restaurants and read what your eating before you go out. It gets VERY difficult to find foods that do not have something in it. We pretty much have to stick to unseasonsed hamburgers, pizza, or spagehetti. Even with the pizza you have to make sure the toppings, like sausage, do not have MSG. Typically the sauce is ok. But Dominos pizza for example I found Daniel could not eat. I cannot remember why now but when I read the ingredients I realized he could not eat it. So the best thing you can do for yourself is READ, READ, READ labels. Carolyn

Sounds to me that you certainly are dealing with an allergy. Some on this forum have found using a hepa filter in their bedroom and other areas of the house decreases indoor allergens. Also you might want to try something called a Neti Pot. It is really strange devise. But it is a tea pot shape that you use these saline packets that come with it. It really helps releave congestion in the nose. It feels really weird at first, but it really does a good job in helping keeping the nose less congested. I don't think it would help lower you histamine levels, in other words, I don't know the Neti Pot would help with the tics but it would help with the stuffiness aspect. You can buy a Neti Pot at Walgreens or Walmart in the pharmacy area. Also Vitamin C in high levels, too high of levels will give you diarrhea, but at least 1,000 mg's a day will help lower your histamine levels. My son is 8 and 53 pounds and can easily do 1,000 mg's without getting diarrhea. Also Apple Cider Vinegar lowers your histamine levels. You can buy it in capsules, because it tastes very strong, from a brand called Natural Factors. I know for my son when his histamine is higher because he is having a reaction when he gets stressed on top of it his tics are much higher. But if his histamine is lower and he gets stressed he has very minimal tics. So my point is if you can get your allergies under control even if you get stressed you should have less of a response with your tics. Do you happen to have an animal in the house that perhaps is shedding during the time when your allergies start up? God Bless, Carolyn

Kathy, NAC helps the liver process out food chemicals, toxins, and excessive neurotransmitters. What I have found, through doing my own research, is my son's liver is low in something called sulfate ions. The NAC helps make up for the lack of these ions. Here is a post I did about it a while back http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...Carolyn\.N From what I have read you want to take a high level of vitamin C, my son takes just over 1,000 mg's a day and he is 8, with the NAC. He is taking 1200 mgs of NAC a day. The thing you may want to run by a naturopathic doctor is whether there is any concern with mercury being moved about in the body. NAC actually helps take out mercury in the body. Some have expressed concern on this forum as to how that process might work. The mercury, by the way, would come from the vaccinations. I ran this concern by my two naturopathic doctors and they were not concerned for Daniel. But Daniel has had very minimal vaccinations. So I don't know if there lack of concern was due to the fact he has little mercury in his body or if it just is not a concern in general. I do know one of the Naturopathic doctors told me this is one of the main reasons she uses NAC is to help people who have a mercury overload get rid of it. I have to say the NAC seems to really have helped Daniel. I still have to watch what he eats but it has helped us not have to be quite so perfect on his diet all the time. Carolyn

Hello!!! I was just curious I could not remember why he was on antibiotics in the first place. Was it because the doctor suspected PANDAs (tics that are induced by strep)? I also wanted to quickly add that I would get so frustrated at first, when I thought I had it all figured out for my son. He would be doing great and then tics would start up again. Every time this happened I was able to trace it to something he ate that I did not realize had one of the things in it he is sensitive to (MSG, High Fructose Corn Syrup, caramel color, yellow dyes, red dyes). One time I had made a "homemade" cake but used whip cream from the grocery stores bakery department. I did not realize until after that it had something called calcium cassienate (I am not sure if I spelled that correctly) but it is a form of MSG. He started having tics and it drove me crazy trying to figure it out. Then I read the label for the whip cream and checked it against the long list of MSG alternative names and there it was. I know check all whip creams and dairy products for it. Carolyn

Hello and welcome to the forum! In reading your posts what really stuck out to me is you stated that winter seems to be far worse then summer for your tics. That would really make me believe it must be some sort of allergy your body is fighting. I have done a lot of research regarding the ultimate cause of tics and for so many people allergies is a beginning point. In a quick recap, what happens is when your body is struck with an allergen then your body produces histamine. Histamine also happens to be a neurotransmitter that affects other neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are part of what helps the brain function. Someone who is predisposed to tics when there neurotransmitters get out of order will then start to tic. One thing you could easily do is try taking some allergy medicine, like benadryl, to see if the tics calm down. Many people on this forum have noticed a reduction in tics by taking an allergy medicine of some sort. Now with that said, I know some people actually get an increase in tics after taking allergy medicine. I know I remember reading Chemar's son had a really bad reaction to the allergy medicine. My naturopathic doctor told me, it is uncommon but certainly can happen, that in some people there body will send a rush of histamine out to counteract the allergy medicine. But most people do not so it is certainly worth the try and it will give you a bigger understanding of what is going on if you see a big reduction in tics after taking it. I know some allergy medicine, like Bendadry, can make you sleepy. So you might want to talk to a pharmacist about your choices. My son has tics and his main triggers are MSG, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Yellow Dyes, Red Dyes, and Caramel Color. We have him on a bunch of supplements to help counteract the reactions. Magnesium Taurate has been huge in helping out but so has B6. He takes a minimum of 50 mg's a day of B6. I really do think you are dealing with allegeries on some level. I remember reading of a woman, on this forum, who had tics really really bad. Her family was not supporting her at all in trying to figure out answers. She came to this forum and got all kinds of answers. Very quickly she figured out her allergen. I think it was dairy. Once she got it out of her diet she noticed a huge difference in her tics. That is really the thing to keep in mind is your body is not doing this just because. There are triggers and reasons behind it. It takes time to figure it out. You may need to keep food journals or some other type of journals to try to figure out the pattern of what it is. Perhaps you could go to an allergy doctor to be tested. God Bless you and hang in there. There are answers!! Carolyn

Hello again, Daniel is still at the age where he does not notice his own tics until they get uncomfortable. Most of the time they are as if it is just part of everyday Daniel. He has had a few children ask him and I have just told him to say it is because of allergies.Anymore most children have heard of allergies. I think the biggest thing is for a child not to make a big deal out of it. Just to explain and move on with other things. One of my friends knows a girl with Tourettes. But she has been so successful in school and socially. She has now graduated from high school. The way she handled it is she was just real graceful to people when they asked what was going on. She explained she had Tourettes just very matter of fact. I think when a person can explain what is going on it takes the sting out of the possible outcomes of people wondering. I agree with Bonnie, also known as ilovedogs, the bloody nose is more then likely due to some other circumstance then the supplements or epsom salts baths. Daniel has been on these supplements since the age of 5 and has never gotten a bloody nose because of it. The other thing I would mention is the tics are obvious to us as parents but not so much to others. There are times when I get real nervous about Daniel going to school and the teacher has told me time and time again she never noticed anything. We are so aware as parents and notice every detail where most people would never pay attention. Daniel could be completely tic free all the time if it were not for Birthday parties, school parties, treats here and there, Christmas time treats, Halloween, etc. There always seems to be a reason for a treat. Daniel's triggers are the food dyes (especially yellow #5 and #6 and Red #40), caramel color, high fructose corn syrup, and MSG. So the long and short of it is if it is avoided no tics. But if he has had more then his body can tolerate, which believe me compared to most people, it is not much at all he gets tics. But like my naturopathic doctor said if Daniel had lived on a farm, back 100 years ago, he would probably never had one tic. He would have been eating perfect for his body back then. Daniel has been on the supplements since 5. I have added to his supplements over time. But prior to me doing the B6 and glycine regimine my Naturopathic Doctor told me to do, I would notice this pattern. Daniel would take something in like MSG. The first day I would certainly notice an increase in tics. The second and third day after would be the worse. By around day 6 or 7, as long as I kept his diet clean, he would be doing fairly well with his tics. Now with all that said if Daniel has had chemical foods and has tics if he gets excited or upset that will really set his tics off for a bit. They usually settle down fairly quickly because I know what to do for him now. I hope this helps. Just realize this will not last forever. The other thing is I have read so many stories about Tourettes/Tics and how much stronger people become because of them as they mature in life. So I know it seems really hard now but down the road it will get easier. The other thing I quickly want to mention is PLEASE, PLEASE do your research on vaccinations before you do any on him. Many on this forum have noticed quite the increase in tics after being vaccinated. The reason being is a persons body who already cannot handle toxins in general is now having to deal with the toxins from the vaccinations. You can do searches on this site for and find a lot of information regarding peoples opinions and stories. But I will certainly tell you that there that as long as I have control over Daniel's health, until he is 18, he will never receive another vaccination again. I have no doubt his body would have a real difficult time with it. Another thing I just thought of is could you get him to take some Bendadryl tonight say around midnight? That might help settle his body down some for tomorrow. Also do you have any B6 you could give him tonight too say around midnight? At least 25 50 mg's. As long as you have not given him some today that would make him go over the limit. That would probably help him out. Hope this helps some. If I left something out please let me know. I will also be praying for your family. Carolyn

Hello again, Daniel is still at the age where he does not notice his own tics until they get uncomfortable. Most of the time they are as if it is just part of everyday Daniel. He has had a few children ask him and I have just told him to say it is because of allergies.Anymore most children have heard of allergies. I think the biggest thing is for a child not to make a big deal out of it. Just to explain and move on with other things. As he gets older I am sure we will come up with a more direct answer. One of my friends knows a girl with Tourettes. But she has been so successful in school and socially. She has now graduated from high school. The way she handled it is she was just real graceful to people when they asked what was going on. She explained she had Tourettes just very matter of fact. I think when a person can explain what is going on it takes the sting out of the possible outcomes of people wondering. I agree with Bonnie, also known as ilovedogs, the bloody nose is more then likely due to some other circumstance then the supplements or epsom salts baths. Daniel has been on these supplements since the age of 5 and has never gotten a bloody nose because of it. The other thing I would mention is the tics are obvious to us as parents but not so much to others. There are times when I get real nervous about Daniel going to school and the teacher has told me time and time again she never noticed anything. We are so aware as parents and notice every detail where most people would never pay attention. Daniel could be completely tic free all the time if it were not for Birthday parties, school parties, treats here and there, Christmas time treats, Halloween, etc. There always seems to be a reason for a treat. Daniel's triggers are the food dyes (especially yellow #5 and #6 and Red #40), caramel color, high fructose corn syrup, and MSG. So the long and short of it is if it is avoided no tics. But if he has had more then his body can tolerate, which believe me compared to most people, it is not much at all he gets tics. But like my naturopathic doctor said if Daniel had lived on a farm, back 100 years ago, he would probably never had one tic. He would have been eating perfect for his body back then. Daniel has been on the supplements since 5. I have added to his supplements over time. But prior to me doing the B6 and glycine regimine my Naturopathic Doctor told me to do, I would notice this pattern. Daniel would take something in like MSG. The first day I would certainly notice an increase in tics. The second and third day after would be the worse. By around day 6 or 7, as long as I kept his diet clean, he would be doing fairly well with his tics. Now with all that said if Daniel has had chemical foods and has tics if he gets excited or upset that will really set his tics off for a bit. They usually settle down fairly quickly because I know what to do for him now. I hope this helps. Just realize this will not last forever. The other thing is I have read so many stories about Tourettes/Tics and how much stronger people become because of them as they mature in life. So I know it seems really hard now but down the road it will get easier. The other thing I quickly want to mention is PLEASE, PLEASE do your research on vaccinations before you do any on him. Many on this forum have noticed quite the increase in tics after being vaccinated. The reason being is a persons body who already cannot handle toxins in general is now having to deal with the toxins from the vaccinations. You can do searches on this site for and find a lot of information regarding peoples opinions and stories. But I will certainly tell you that there that as long as I have control over Daniel's health, until he is 18, he will never receive another vaccination again. I have no doubt his body would have a real difficult time with it. Another thing I just thought of is could you get him to take some Bendadryl tonight say around midnight? That might help settle his body down some for tomorrow. Also do you have any B6 you could give him tonight too say around midnight? At least 25 to 50 mg's. As long as you have not given him some today that would make him go over the limit. That would probably help him out. Hope this helps some. If I left something out please let me know. I will also be praying for your family. Carolyn

Hello and welcome! I am so sorry to hear your family is going through such a difficult time. This website has been amazing for me to understand what is going on at the root of my son's tics. My son is now 8 but has had tics since he was 3. We have had him on many different supplements and did a MAJOR overhaul of his diet. We have had great results. You will find from reading so many peoples posts here that diet has sooooooooooo much to do with it. There is absolutely no getting around it. The trick is finding out what the triggers are and one way to do that is by keeping a dietary journal. But of course allergy testing can help. For example we found out that my son is highly sensitive to MSG, Yellow Dye number 5 and 6, Red 40, and High Fructose Corn Syrup. The problem with MSG is it is under so many different names. Here is a posting I did regarding the MSG problem and all of its various names http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...aded&start= . You will see this in the post but school hot lunches are a source of a lot of MSG. I can absolutely tell you one of the best places to start is by getting all MSG and food chemicals out of the diet. They are no friend to the nervous system and it is like pouring gasoline on a already burning fire. I created a list of foods on another posting that I found my son could eat. Here is the list http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...;hl=trader+joes . Here is a link regarding my research as to what is actually going on within my son's body regarding why he cannot process certain foods well http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...mp;hl=sulfation . Here is a link with what has so greatly helped my son regarding N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine and the other is straight potassium bicarbonate (I believe you can only get the potassium bicarbonate through a Naturopathic Doctor. Although I think one person on the forum posted that Alka Selzter Gold has it in it. Anyhow here is the link (by the way this one lists all the supplements I have my son on ) http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...amp;#entry21736 and http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...hl=Carolyn%5C.N After you have read the above posts you will see my son is on many different products. By no means could I ever say that these two supplements alone are doing the trick but they have given him GREAT improvement. He is also taking Bonnie's Grimaldi's TS-Plus which has magnesium taurate and high B vitamins. He is also on some others but they are listed in the above postings. Many people have had great success with Bonnie's Grimaldi's TS-Plus. You can read more about the product at her website http://www.bonniegr.com/ . Magnesium and B vitamins are HUGE in terms of what helps people naturally. The TS-Plus product I mentioned is very well balanced with these for someone with tics. In that product is Magnesium Taurate. Magnesium Taurate seems to be a very good source of magnesium. The key to magnesium is you want to take a magnesium that ends in "ate" and not "ide". The "ate" ending is much more absorbable. B6 vitamin is huge in helping. My son takes at least 50 mg a day that is in Bonnie's vitamins. Some people prefer not to do Bonnie's vitamins because they want to see individually how each one of these supplements effect their child or themselves rather then having them all lumped together. I can tell you my son has greatly benefited from them but some, I don't think many, actually see an increase in tics being on the vitamins. But I really do think a greater number of people are helped verses the number of people who see an increase in tics. The other "issue" so to speak with the vitamins is it is A LOT of vitamins to take a day. For my son he is taking 10 of the TS-Plus plus numerous other supplements. So he is so sick of taking the vitamins but he knows he needs to. The other thing to consider is candida. This is an overgrowth of yeast in the intestinal system. This seems to be a pretty common problem for someone with tics. So you might want to do a search on the forum about candida because there have been many postings. Epsom Salts baths are very helpful to those that have tics (2 cups in a nice full tub of water). You can even do this twice a day for around 20 minutes a time. Have you read up about PANDA's on the forum? These are tics that are caused by the Strep virus. Not all people with tics, by any stretch, have PANDA's but there certainly are quite a few that do. You might want to do some reading about the possibility of that being the root of the issue. The other thing to consider is obviously getting the right kind of doctor. One place to start are doctors called DAN doctors. These doctors looks at neurological disorders in a completely different way. They are known mainly for there work with Autism but many with tourettes have used them. They look to find the root of the issue rather then covering up the root with medicine. Here is some information http://autism.about.com/od/alternativetreatmens/f/dandoc.htm . But a really good Naturopathic doctor would be a good choice. I would also HIGHLY recommend these two books for you. One is the Shelia Rogers book "Tics and Tourettes" and also "Enzymes for Autism and other Neurological Conditions by Karen DeFelice." Both those books helped me a lot. Just know there are answers. You may not see a 100% difference with any one action. It may be a series of things that need to be done. God Bless, Carolyn