CarolynN

Hello, What has greatly helped my son to settle down his tics and anxiety is the high levels of B6 and glycine. My doctor told me to give Daniel 150 mg's of B6 for 4 to 5 days and then 10,000 mg's of Glycine for right about 8 days (he normally gets 50 mg's of B6 in a given day and 4800 mg's of glycine in a givin day). I spread this increased amount of these supplements up during the day in sets of 3 to 4 doses to make the amount he needs. You certainly do not want to give it to him all at once. I even give it to him at midnight so when he wakes up some is in his system. By the second to third day I notice a big shift in his tics. I no longer do the 150 mg's but do 100 mg's of B6 and it seems to do just fine. Daniel is 8 years old and 58 pounds. I buy the Carlson brand of glycine at the Vitamin Shoppe. You can easily mix it in yogurt or into a juice. I don't know what kind of health conditions would prevent a person from doing this. I know if you give too high of B6 for a period of time you can get neuropathy. But the doctor did not seemed concerned for this in Daniel's stiuation. But I will tell you this has greatly helped settle down his tics. I wonder for people that have kidney or diabetes if that could be an issue. But I truly do not know what would be the reasons in avoiding doing it. By the way the glycine by no means makes Daniel tired. I have never had any issues at all with that. I don't know that is a side effect of glycine anyhow. I have never come across that information. I also do 2 cups of Epsom salts in his bath for 20 to 30 minutes. I do this, when they are bad, up to twice a day. Another thing that really seems to help is drinking lots of water. I will give him ice chips and he seems to be able to eat one after the other. The water helps a lot too. Also would you consider to keep him on the Benadryl until you get this figured out some more for him. It obvoiusly is helping keep his histamine levels down and helping control his neurotransmitters over all. I know it would not be a permanent solution but it could help him in the mean time. He can take the Bendadryl along with the B6 and Glycine. I have done this for Daniel many times. Regarding the fast food, what did he eat? Soooooooooo much fast food has high levels of MSG. Especially chicken products. The MSG is really bad for the nervous system. It is Daniels worse trigger by far. He can eat very, very tiny amounts and get a big reaction. But the B6 helps to counter act this reaction to a certain point. One trick that I have learned is to go online and eat at restaurants where they post the ingredients on their website. More and more restaurants post the ingredients. In general I have found Daniel can usually eat a hamburger with absolutely no seasoning and french fries (although McDonalds' french fries have a form of MSG and have to be avoided). The other thing he usually can eat at a restaurant is cheese pizza. However, I think Dominos pizza for example, has something in their pizza he cannot eat. That is why I only eat at restaurants where I have access to their ingredients. I have asked restaurants to bring out lables for me to read too. For example I was at Sweet Tomatoes and asked to read their soup label mixture. This was even after the manager said we do not add any MSG to our soups. Well I knew better because I know the various names and most people do not. I read the label of the soup mixture and right there "autolyzed yeast extract". It is basically impossible to eat soup out with an MSG sensitivity. It is in it probably close to 100% of the time because of the mixtures they use to get the soup base. Here is the link to a post I did about MSG sensitivity and Daniel. Also about some of the hidden names for MSG http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2598 . By far the vast majority of time MSG is listed under some other name other then msg. Also products with soy sauce or parmasean cheese will affect Daniel. It is because of the way they are produced and as they are produced it makes something called "free glutamate". This free glutamate is what triggers the nervous system. I have researched many hours on the internet understanding the foods with free glutamate in it. We just have to avoid those foods with high levels of it in it. Also I know after I would give Daniel a food that would set him off I would get so mad at myself for not knowing better. But it is a learning experience going through this. So don't be too hard on yourself. You will know for the next time what to avoid and it will be that much easier for you down the road. This is where it comes in very handy to keep notes so you can go back and reference those things that affect him. God Bless, Carolyn

Abbe, Hello again. Regarding what you read with increased Dopamine and lack of sleep I am sure that is one factor. I know when my son has tics going his tics are always more when he first wakes up and when he starts getting tired. However, with that said he can have the best nights sleep and if he has come in contact with artificial foods (yellow dye's #5 and 6, red dye 40, MSG, vanillin, caramel color, high fructose corn syrup, blue dye) he will get tics if it is in a high enough amount. I am finding as he approaches the peak age of tics 9 to 11 age it is taking less and less to set him off. I have him on a lot of supplements to help counteract the tics. But I 100% can tell you the lack of sleep for Daniel is only a very small reason for the tics. It is primarily diet and lack of the right supplements in his body that increase tics in him. With all that said that does not mean your son is not being affected by the lack of sleep. I am certain if he is that tired he will get more tics. But again from what I have come to understand it seems for the vast majority of people that the tics are generally driven by some sort of reaction to foods, chemicals, or environmental factors. Whether this is because of lack of enzymes in the body, lack of sulfate ions, or many other factors the fact is the body is not keeping up on processing out what it needs to keep it balanced correctly from what is affecting it. Tics are such a multi layer/multi sytem issue. For example, as I stated earlier they can be caused from reacting to an allergen. When you have an allergy the body needs magnesium to fight off the allergen. The body also needs magnesium to calm the nervous system. Magnesium is needed for so many functions of the body. If the body is being drained of magnesium then the person becomes magnesium deficient. Again magnesium calms the nervous system. Also stress and lack of sleep can drain the body of magnesium. So with the multi use of magnesium in the body it is real key in helping battle the tics. I have found magnesium taurate to be the most effective for Daniel. I buy mine through the Vitamin Shoppe and it is also in his Bonnie Grimaldi's TS-Plus supplements. This is also why you will see many people on this forum have used magnesium. But magnesium alone may or may not do the trick. It really depends on the persons body in what they need and what has been drained out of the body. Another example of what can cause tics to increase is the the liver not functioning properly and not processing out the histamine, toxins, and other neurotransmitters. What I have found is it is lack of sulfate ions in the liver. Regarding my reference to "toxins" one of the toxins the liver may not be keeping up on is the toxins from candida. You will see many on this forum dealing with candida which is an overgrowth of yeast. This is one reason concentrating on getting the intestional system in order is real important in both fighting allergies but also making sure the liver is not having to deal with the toxins from candida. The toxins from the candida literally affect the brain and ultimately neurotransmitters including dopamine. You may not have candida as an issue, I don't think I have had that with Daniel, but it is something to keep in mind. Tics can also be partly an amino acid issue. Where the body is lacking certain amino acids. I guess my point is there are so many variables that can ultimately cause the tics, again ultimately to the dopamine levels being raised. But the good thing is by reading this forum you will see what people have done to tackle the most common causes like giving magnesium, giving B vitamins, getting rid of candida, adding in some amino acids, adding enzymes. This is the reason I am spending $150 or more a month on vitamins for Daniel because so many layers of the body are involved in his situation. Think of it this way. Picture a house. When you start building your house you have to have a firm foundation. If you do not have a firm foundation the rest of the house will be unstable. Now picture the human body if you have smaller systems of the body not working properly, the foundation, then the rest of the body is affected. In our children's cases it leads to the ultimate increase in dopamine. But to get to the increase in dopamine levels many different parts of the body have been involved to get to that increase. It is not just a matter of the dopamine being the only thing that has been affected. It is truly a complicated process. I hope this helps and does not confuse you more. Let me know if you want some clarification. Carolyn

Lyn, The only test I know for test for dopamine Levels is the Neuroscience Test. From the reading I have done over the past few years, it should be no surprise to any doctor to see elevated dopamine Levels when tics are involved. I think this is the general theory as to what is helping ultimately to drive the tics. So I don't know if it would be a necesssity to have dopamine levels tested when it is pretty much a given. The Neuroscience test was developed to test for many different levels of neurotransmitters. I believe the main function of Neuroscience Test was for ADHD and how to treat it for a patient. The Neuroscience test does nothing in determining the root cause of the increased dopamine levels. For example, lack of magnesium, lack of B vitamins, reaction to artificial foods, reaction to milk, etc. There are so many things that a persons body can individually be reacting to and there are other tests involved to figure out the allergy root. That is where I would focus. In otherwords focusing on getting the right supplements and avoiding those things that are offending that person. What I am starting to understand is there are many types of enzymes our body needs to process all kinds of foods. If our body is lacking in one of these enzymes then an allergy can develop because the body cannot process the food correctly or chemcial correctly (in the case of artificial foods). I am 100% positive my son is lacking the enzymes needed to process MSG and other chemical foods. I also think the liver not functioning properly with the sulfiate ions are not doing there part. I am sure it is much more complicated then this, because our bodies are so amazing, but this is part of what I think is going on. There is a book called "Enzymes for Autism and Other Neurological Disorders" by Karen DeFlice. I highly recommend it. I would say the only problem with the enzymes, is keeping consistent. They can get expensive and I know when my son is doing well it is real tempting to not do them. Which is not to his benefit I am certain. One other quick note there is no enzyme developed to help process MSG unfortunately. But the vitamin B6 does help process MSG out of the body in higher amounts. My doctor told me if my son came in contact with MSG to give him 100 mg of B6 for the day. So I have to calculate in what he already had in his multi and make it work out to 100 mg's. Carolyn

Abbe, I have to tell you the Benadryl reduction in tics is a HUGE clue for you. I and others on this forum have noticed reduction in tics in using Benadryl. I will try to explain to you what I understand as to why the reduction. The Benadryl is lowering histamine as your probably already know. But histamine is a neurotransmitter in and of itself. So when the body is overwhelmed with histamine, because of an allergic response to something, then the other neurotransmitters are ultimately elevated in ways you do not want (including dopamine)! So what you need to do is get to the source of the allergy or allergies. You may have already posted that you know he has certain allergies and I have just forgotten. But I am telling you that is good news for you. Some people get the opposite reaction from Benadryl and get an increase in tics. My naturopathic doctor told me this is called, if I remember correctly, a Paradoxl reaction. Meaning when you try to lower the histamine using anti-histamine drugs some people bodies will respond by sending a massive amount of histamine forward to counteract the drug. Fortunately your son is not doing this and the bendadryl is helping. One thing you can do to help lower histamine naturally is high levels of vitamin C. I have Daniel on 1000 mg's a day. Using the NAC you want him on a high level of vitamin C anyhow. Also Apple Cider Vinegar helps lower histamine levels and so does the Postassium Bicarbonate. Your Naturopathic Doctor can get potassium bicarbonate for you. The postassium bicarbonate lowers the PH level of the body which ultimatley lowers histamine. I have to leave now to go get my children from school. But if I think of some other things I will post. Carolyn

Hello, I just wanted to let you know I looked up Daniel's Neuroscience results to give you an idea. His Dopamine was at 266. The optimal is between 110-175 for the day. The therapeutic range, from what I understand, is for when the doctor gives you a supplement to increase that particular neurotransmitter and you would want the neurotransmitter to be up that high while on the supplement for it. The therapeutic range was between 200 to 350. But in Daniel's case since he is not on a supplement to increase dopamine, his is naturally way too high. Unless your son is on something to increase his dopamine, which I would doubt, his dopamine is running naturally high. From the very minimal knowledge that I have I think they add in supplements to increase dopamine I believe for Autistic children. So that would be one example of a child which you would then look at the therapeutic range since that is a supplement being added into the child's diet. I believe on Neuroscience, after being on their program for 6 months or so, they ask you to take the test again. This way they can look at the therapeutic range and see how the supplements are working for the patient. I also wanted to mention you may want to talk to your doctor about using N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) instead of the glutathine. They both have the same effect in helping the liver process through toxins and neurotransmitters but my doctor told me the NAC in the long run is more effective. From what I understand your body will take the NAC and turn into glutathione. I just seem to remember him telling me, and I may be wrong, that people's bodies just don't respond as well in just directly putting the glutathione in. I will tell you the NAC has been very effective for my son and several others on this forum. I am giving Daniel a fairly high amount. He is 8 years old and he is getting on average 600 mg's in the morning and 600 mg's at night. Run it by your doctor and see what he or she thinks. I know it is so overwhelming but just know you are doing all the right things for your son. Don't get discouraged. I can tell you it took me about 1 1/2 years of reading (especially on this forum), doctors visits, journaling foods, buying and trying various supplements to come up with a plan that works for Daniel. If I stick to it, which is the hardest part (meaning avoiding all the foods he is sensitive too), he is tic free. I do not regret a second of all the time I put into it because I have seen great results. If you are interested here is a link to all the supplements I am currently giving him you can check it out here. The supplement information is a bit down in the first posting http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=4194 . I read something a while back on tics that really helped put a lot in perspective for me. It may have even been in Shelia Rogers book "Tics and Tourettes". But the basic premise what to think of tics similar to migraines. People get migraines for many different reasons. It is not just one set reason that sets off migraines in people. So you have to find the root of it for that particular person. It is the same thing with tics. There are many different variables that can ultimately case tics and it is discovering for that particular person which one or more of the variables needs to be addressed to help alleviate what is going on. But ultimately the tics are a response to something not being right within the system of the body. They are not happening just because like some doctors would like to say. God Bless and hang in there. Remember what an awesome mom you are for doing what you are doing for him. It is so easy to get down on ourselves when we don't have the complete picture yet. I have been praying for you and I will continue to pray for answers for you and your son. Carolyn

Hello there, I just wanted to through a quick word out. I tried the TravaCor Jr. over the past summer based on one of my Naturopathic Doctor's recommendation. I did some research ahead of time and was concerned about the L-theanine because it seemed to increase dopamine. But I went ahead and tried it anyhow. Sure enough it seemed to increase the tics. I also know Bonnie, on the forum, tried it for her son and saw the same thing. But with that said if your son does not have the high dopamine, because the tics are being caused by some other reason, perhaps it will work for you. Both Bonnie son and my son have tics generated from too high of dopamine. The Neuroscience Test showed elevated dopamine for both of the boys. Also with all of those supplements the doctor wants to try out just a small word of advice. I would do one at a time. With about a two week space in between. Because if you add all that in at once and you will have no idea of what he is reacting to or what he is not. The best thing is to keep a daily journal and make notes. I actually have a system of tracking my son's tics from a 0 to a 10. This way when I look back I can get a better feel of how he was doing each day. Sometimes I would have to make notes tracking him various times of the day. It is so hard because if you do not keep some sort of record keeping, when introducing these supplements, it gets real difficult to remember how they were doing during each phase. Anyhow, hope this helps some. Carolyn

Lyn, I am so glad that the post helped you. That is what this website is all about. Opening our eyes to those things that are triggers and those things that can help reduce the tics. One thing I learned recently from my Naturopathic Doctor is B6 vitamin is very helpful in reducing an MSG reaction. He said people who get migraines from MSG he suggests them taking 100 mg's of B6 right a way. He said the B6 and the MSG compete for the same receptors within the body so the B6 helps to reduce the reaction of the MSG. So I have started carrying around B6 tablets with me just in case Daniel comes in contact with MSG. Now he is only 8 and he already gets 50 mg's of B6 in his normal vitamins. So I would reduce it to 50 mg's for him if he came in contact. Also here is a food list I compiled, a while back, that shows all the foods I have found to buy for Daniel that are MSG free. Here is the link http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2976 . Keep away from those premade chicken products. They almost always have some form of MSG. Chicken is so plain tasting I guess they feel to sell it they need to make it more tasty. Have a blessed day, Carolyn

Thank you all for you great responses. They really helped me process through the prospect of whether to do it at this point or not. At this point we will not pursue doing the neurofeedback but I may look into the regular biofeedback that has been so helpful to Chemar's son. Happy New Year everyone (it is hard to believe it is 2009!!!) Carolyn N.

I have spent several hours reading information regarding Neurofeedback and Tourettes. I am getting real mixed information. I came across two people on the Internet who said it really helped their children but then I read some of the old postings on Latitudes to stay away from it. I had spoke with an Environmental Physician, about a month ago, and explained to her Daniel's triggers which are all food chemical based. She said she thought the Neurofeedback would be real helpful for him. But on the other hand she is the one who does it so it is more income for her (I hate having to be skeptical). Can anyone tell me if they have had any particular experience good or bad? The reason I ask is my parents told me they really want to help out Daniel in every way they can and are willing to help cover the costs. It is so expensive. It runs between $4000 to $5000 . I certainly do not want to put my parents out for no reason especially if it could make things worse for Daniel. The other thing with Daniel, which I am so thankful for, is has literally no issues with ADD/ADHD. I know that the Neurofeedback seems to be primarily used for that issue and I certainly do not want to change a good thing I have with Daniel's ability to concentrate. I had read a posting from Claire stating the Neurofeedback caused her child to not be able to concentrate so well. Daniel is doing real well on his supplements and as long as I keep his diet relatively light on chemical foods we are good to go. If we overdo the chemical foods, like once again happened over Christmas the tics come back for a bit. I just am trying to do whatever I can to give his body the best possibility at fighting his chemical intolerances. Anyhow I am completely confused . I certainly want to do all the right things I can for my son. Any thoughts??? Carolyn

Hello! I just wanted to quickly add that we use Glycine for our son. I would say it does help him. The naturopathic doctor explained to me that it helps the neurotransmitters run more smooth. The good thing is it is not overly expensive compared to a lot of the other supplements. You can disguise it very easily in yogurt or juice. There really is not much of a flavor to it. Like any supplement though is it takes time to get results. I think that is why a lot of people get so frustrated is because of the fact it is not always a quick answer. But like any supplement you start if you can run it by a Naturopathic type doctor that is the safest way to make sure you are doing the best for yourself or your child. Have a great week! Carolyn

Maryann, It looks like people use it to actually help kill off Candida. This was just from the quick research I did. It is used for so many health benefits. I really do not understand how it is different from straight vinegar in its properties but it is. Have a nice evening, Carolyn

Hi Maryann, The bottle contains 60 capsules. The bottle says to take two capsules daily but seperate from each other. However, if I am remembering correctly my friend who told me about Mindlinx explained that you do this for the first two to three months. So you would go through a bottle a month for the first few months. After that you can go to one time a day. She had spoken to the man who developed them. I do not know if this suggestion was just for her situation or this is a general recommendation. It does not say this on the bottle. When I see her again I can ask her. Have a great evening! Carolyn

Hello, The only place I know of is at some Naturopathic Doctor's offices. That is where I get mine. I know that wine stores sell it for the production of wine but I just don't know if it is the same type or the same grade. The potassium bicarbonate helps lower the PH balance in the body for someone who is high. The people who tend to be high PH tend to have allergic reactions from what I understand. So basically it helps to soften the effects of allergic reactions by ultimately lowering the histamine. Again this is my general understanding. Apple cider Vinegar though, which does come in capsules, also helps lower the PH balance of the body. So you might want to see if the Apple Cider Vinegar might do some help. I buy the brand called "Natural Factors" Apple Cider Vinegar Capsules. The same doctor who told me about the potassium bicarbonate told me to also use the apple cider vinegar. The apple cider vinegar helps to also aid in digestion. It has a lot of great properties to it. You can buy it in it's natural form of liquid but it is VERY strong tasting. But again, in my experience with my son, Magnesium Taurate and B vitamins, especially B6, are really key to help reduce tics. The potassium bicarbonate and the N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine have helped my son expand to be able to eat some of the chemical foods, like small amounts of food dyes, without being as effected. But I really don't think they would be nearly as effective without the other supplements he is on. Have a great day, Carolyn

Kim, Thank you for the kind words and also thank you for the good information. You are such a great source of reference. Have a great weekend. Carolyn

Dana, Hello and welcome!!! Like Bonnie said I live in Arizona too. I live in the Goodyear area but go to Scottsdale and Surprise for my Naturopathic care. If you need any ideas of additional doctors just let me know. Bonnie and I have actually had a chance to meet. It is amazing how the Internet is able to connect people together. Carolyn

Hello Guy123, Oh how I wish MSG was just in Chinese food. Here is a post I did a while back about how MSG is hidden in so many different foods. http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...aded&start= Have a great evening, Carolyn

Hello again, I have not done enough research to know if the potassium bicarbonate at wine stores is the same type or concentration levels as what I give to my son from his doctor. So it would be interesting to know if it comes in different strengths or is it all the same. Unfortunately I do not know the answer. I am glad you cut back on what you are taking because you do not want to give yourself other types of issues. I will tell you that the B6 really does seem to help my son and the magensium taurate. So if you are looking to streamline what you are taking you might want to do some checking up on these. Carolyn

Hi again Abbe, You are so welcome. It is a joy to me to be able to pass along things that can help others. I know when I first started this journey I read every bit of information I could get my hands on. Daniel does not get frightened about me leaving the room. But this morning was a tough morning getting him to school. He was off almost all last week being sick and he just enjoys being in the comfort around his parents. He just plain does not care for going to school and it really does get very frustrating. Daniel started swallowing pills about 6 months ago. Prior to this I mixed everything in peanut butter. The poor kid was sooooo sick of peanut butter. But I would make little peanut butter balls and he would eat them. I finally convinced him to just try to swallow supper small pieces with out chewing. Finally it progressed to where he could do this and very quickly he started swallowing the pills. You could practice doing this with little raisins cut in half or any soft type of food. It is just the practice of not having to chew. I also think using a straw to practice swallowing can help. My son also feels like he is an "outcast" for not being able to eat certain foods. He feels like everyone else can eat these "normal" foods but him. I cannot tell you how many times I have gone through the list of people in our lives with restricted diets trying to explain to him that many people have sensitivities to different things. So I understand what you are saying with the punishment feelings your son is experiencing. Have a great day! Carolyn

Hello, I am not very familiar with the Alka Selzter product. I get my potassium bicarbonate for my son from the Naturopathic doctor. What the postassium bicarbonate does is helps lower the PH of the body so it ultimately lower this histamine levels. Anytime you start something new like this it can take some time. The body has a lot to process through the detoxification pathways of the body. The one thing to keep in mind, because again I do not have knowledge has to what is the normal dose on the alka selzter, is it can have a negative effect on the stomach acid if you take too much. It is really hard for me to say to the extent the postassium bicarbonate helps my son because he is on so many other supplments. But I can say I certainly have seen more tics with him not being on it. But magnesium taurate and B vitamins are also very important in controlling the tics. Here is a list of what my son is currently taking. It is very overwhelming at first but we get it done and it certainly helps him. 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 is about 56 pounds. 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) * Dr. Houstons No-Phenol enzyme. I am using about 1 a day. This is to help process artifical food dyes and salicylates. (I buy these through their Internet site http://www.houston-enzymes.com/ ) * Dr. Houstons AFP-Peptizyde (to help process proteins and carbs. It also helps improve "gut" health) (about 2 a day) (again I buy them through their internet site) * 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) 1200 mg's a day. Make sure you take with high levels of vitamin C to offset some of the chance of getting kidney stones. This is at least what I had read (I buy the Vitamin Shoppe brand generic version through their store) *Potassium Bicarbonate 1/4 tsp broken down into 1/8 2 x a day. *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) Have a great day and I hope this helps some, Carolyn

Hello everyone, It has been a while since I updated everyone regarding how my son Daniel is doing. I wanted to share some things I think you will find interesting and I have learned some new things that have really helped out Daniel in the past couple months. As a reminder, 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) . Again to remind everyone I had put together my theory as to what was going on with why I thought Daniel was reacting with these food chemicals back in January. 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, back in in the beginning of the year since I started Daniel on the N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) and Postassium Bicarbonate I cut back on the TS-Plus (Bonnie Grimaldi's multivitamin for Tourettes). The key ingredients in this multi B vitamins and Magenisium Taurate. So I cut back from 12 to 6. I also, for the lack of $$$$$, cut out the enzymes because everything was getting so expensive. I also had cut out the Glycine. But I have to tell you what happened and you will see I found out I cannot cheat his body so to speak. Daniel was doing amazingly well through the summer. I noticed literally no tics and we were allowing him a lot more liberal diet then before. No MSG up to this point but allowing him to have food dyes and high fructose corn syrup in small amounts. Amounts that before certainly would have set him off. But he was doing great. Well no comes the month of September. We went camping and he had a lot of "junky stuff" that weekend still no tics. I am thinking wow this is great we really found the right answer for him and his tics!!! So that weekend we went to Dairy Queen. Remember I had allowed no MSG so this had not been tested against the NAC or the Potassium Bicarbonate. I thought ok this is the time I am going to test him. I allowed him to have 1/2 a chicken nugget with MSG. Yes just 1/2. On the way home his eyes started to bother him. Which it consistently has in the past with MSG. Within 48 hours he was having horrible anxiety. To the point I really did not know what to do. I am seriously not joking it was 1/2 a chicken nugget that set this whole thing into motion. He was having a bad head shaking tic too. I then started thinking what has happened. How can a boy be that thrown by 1/2 a chicken nugget? After thinking about it for several weeks this is what I really believe had happened. I cannot prove it but it really is what makes sense to me. I also ran it by my Natupathic doctor and he agreed with me. So what I think happened with Daniel went something like this. He eats the 1/2 a chicken nugget, his body cannot process it with the enzymes he is naturally lacking in, there is a build up of free glutamate, the free glutamate caused an increase in the neurotransmitters (dopamine ultimately), his sulfation system of his liver cannot keep up with what is going on with processing the toxins and the excessive neurotransmitters, his body that had been drained of magnesium taurate over the months of not getting enough could not help calm his system nor help process out the free glutamte from the MSG. This may be very elementary but this is my basic understanding. I don't know if you realize this but magnesium 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 happened in Daniel's case is he must have been on the tipping point back in September with his body not having what it needed since I had backed off on it months prior. It just set off a whole chain of reactions. 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. Well after the chicken nugget episode the teeth grinding came back. I had read articles on the Internet with this being a sign of magnseium deficiency so all this fit the picture of his body getting depleted again. But what I have learned is I need to keep him on the enzymes for breaking down protein. By having the enzymes help break down the proteins it is less taxing on his intestinal system. Some people just simply lack or are naturally low on certain enzymes. There are many, many types of enzymes in our bodies. Certain enzymes help break down certain types of foods. MSG for example needs an enzyme called diamine oxidase (this one is not one you cannot buy as a digestive enzyme unfortunately) and another one called phenolsulfotransferase. I am convinced Daniel is severely low in these enzymes. Here is a really good article I found on people who are Chemcially Sensitivity to foods and why they are. Also what you can do to help a person who is sensitive to chemcial foods. http://www.diet-and-health.net/Diseases/Ch...lAllergies.html . 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. Ok, on with my story, I now have a boy who is basically afraid to death to go to school. Daniel is convinced a boy in his class is going to kill someone because this boy is in class is somewhat erratic. His tics are now back in a fairly high level and I am completely panicked myself. Within a few weeks I was able to get into the Naturopathic doctors. I am going to share something with you that I have been a little nervous on sharing. I am going to share with you what did amazing things to get his tics under control and the anxiety. But I am nervous because 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. I divided it up during the day in smaller doses and I even woke him up at midnight to give to him. His anxiety was highest first thing in the morning so the doctor suggested getting some in him in the middle of the night to help alleviate. 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 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. The other thing I did for him is give him 10,000 mg's of Glycine for eight days. Glycine is an amino acid (again broken down throughout the day and even at midnight). Glycine helps the neurotransmitters run more smooth. After eight days I was to go back to the normal dose of 4600 mg's a day. Like I said earlier I had stopped giving this earlier this year but I realize now how much it was helping him. All I can tell you is by the third or fourth day of doing this I had a COMPLETELY different child on my hands. I could not believe it. I was so excited. Before I would dread my son waking up in the morning because he was clinging for dear life to me about going to school. Prior to doing this regimen, it was almost to the point where he was so obsessed over this boy at school he was paranoid. He was also getting depressed and did not want to get off the couch at all in the morning to get to school. It was all such a horrible effort. But now the boy did not bother him. Again this was after just 3 to 4 days. I will share I am still having some issues with him going to school. But I would say it has improved by 90%. Just the past week Daniel got sick with strep. I was wondering how he would do especially with all I have read about strep on this website regarding PANDA's. His tics picked back up, I think because of simply being sick and having a fever not due to PANDA's, but I did the same deal with the B6 and glycine but this time I just did 100 mg's of the B6 and today he has no tics. I did not put Daniel on anti-Biotics for the strep I did an all natural treatment my Naturopathic doctor had taught me. It involves grapefruit seed extract gargling with it, using grapefruit seed extract tablets, probiotics, a small amount of collodial silver, an I added olive leaf. Again I want to caution everyone please run the B6/Glycine treatment by your doctor. My doctor knows all about Daniel's health and what supplements he is taking. 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) * Dr. Houstons No-Phenol enzyme. I am using about 1 a day. This is to help process artifical food dyes and salicylates. (I buy these through their Internet site http://www.houston-enzymes.com/ ) * Dr. Houstons AFP-Peptizyde (to help process proteins and carbs. It also helps improve "gut" health) (about 2 a day) (again I buy them through their internet site) * 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) 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) *Potassium Bicarbonate 1/4 tsp broken down into 1/8 2 x a day. *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 am also considering Bio-feedback. I had done some reading prior and I was just discussing this with a doctor this past week I talked to on the phone. She thought it could really be of benefit to Daniel but it is VERY, VERY $$$$$$. It can run easily $3,000 to $5000. So I would really want to do my research on this before jumping in on this one. 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

Hello and I appreciate your input. The whole point of the Potassium Bicarbonate is to lower PH balance of the body. My son tends to be high PH which keeps histamine levels high. So taking the small amount of potassium bicarbonate 1/4 tsp a day (I don't know how many mg's this is) helps to lower the PH which in turn helps lower the histamine levels. The potassium bicarbonate was all suggested by my Naturopathic Doctor. It is something I only get from him I do not use any other source. His is a pharmaceutical grade. Have a great evening and a wonderful Thanksgiving. Carolyn

Hello and welcome! I am so sorry to hear your family is going through such a difficult time. Have hope and realize that there are some answers out there for you. 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 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. It is like trying to change the flow of a river by moving one rock at at time. At first you may not see a big change in the river but once you get enough rocks moved you will see all the effort has made a difference in the way the river is flowing. God Bless, Carolyn

Hello, I am so sorry to not have responded sooner. I have not been following the boards very closely the last few months. But I did responded to you on the other post you did. The long and short of it is it really does seem to be helping him. By no means has the No-Phenol been a problem since the orginal few days when his body seemed to have that initial reaction. I just cut back how much I gave him, started at 1/4 capsule and then worked my way up. That seemed to be the trick. Have a great week Carolyn

Hello, I wanted to let you know I have used No-Phenol with my son and also AFP Peptizyde. Both products I ordered through Houston Pharmaceuticals. I have to say I think the No-Phenol has helped him out. A great book to read is called "Enzyme for Autism and other Neurological Disorders by Karen DeFlice. I highly recommend it. At first I noticed an increase in tics with the No-Phenol and I think it was because it was killing off Candida. But after we got through that first phase for a few days (I just would give him 1/4 capsule and then gradually increased) it seems to be helping him. It is so difficult to pinpoint exactly how much it is helping him because I have him on so many supplements. But I do think it has helped him. Here is a post I did to someone, not too long ago, with all I have done for my son. Look at post number 3 http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...amp;#entry25586 . You will need to follow some of the links I have in the post to go into great detail of what I have done for him. I have to say the results have been amazing and quite the journey of discovery. I hope this helps and keep going it sounds like you are on the right track. Carolyn

Hello and welcome, I just wanted to reassure you that the whole reason for your distressing thoughts is because OCD thoughts tend to revolve around someone we love. In this case your mom. It so disgusts us the thoughts that are present in our heads that it is driven by the FEAR to not want to think of them anymore. The more fear that is present the more it drives the thoughts. It is not from any desire but again it is all based on FEAR. I know this because I have lived this for many years of my life. I wanted to attach a couple of links I did to some various people regarding this exact thing. So I really hope this helps. Here is a post I did to a person calling herself "Justme". She had a lot of unwanted sexual thoughts. Here is my reply http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...art=#entry18506 and this one Here is a post I did to a woman who called herself "Desperate". I explained to her in this link what I have found so helpful in my life http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2623 . One thing that has helped many, many people with OCD is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). If you have health insurance, you can have your mom check to see who in your area does this. I know on my health insurance website it allows me to do a search by Counselors who do Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The main thing I would do is try to ask you mom to read about OCD and try to get an understanding of what you are dealing with. Information is always very, very helpful. There are many of us on this sight who have found a lot of great answers. So your mom is always more then welcome to post on this website and we can try to explain to her as well what is going on. God bless you and again hang in there. Carolyn