QsMom

BMom, I was very leary of using it too since I read that it was a trigger for many kids. We have been using EFA Focus with success. http://www.efa-focus.com/ I buy it from our dr. but you can also order it on line. I tried MANY other fish oils which my son gagged on. This one seems to work and has not caused any tics for us. Good luck!

Just wanted to chime in that my son does tolerate fish oil without an increase in tics. I've had him on EFA Focus for about 8 weeks now, and he is doing well with it. I received the EFA Focus from my DR, but you can buy the EFA focus on line. Before we started using EFA Focus, I tried various different fish oils, and my son would not take them for a few days and refuse them because they tasted so nasty. The first time, I started the fish oil from WF, he did have an increase in tics but in hindsight I do not think it was from the fish oil, but something else in his diet. We also eat fish and I give him flax seed oil as a salad dressing. I also cook with Flax seeds and walnuts for the omegas.

I have also found an Omega 3 supp that works for my son called "EFA Focus." I received a sample from our DR but you can also order it on line. It comes in little packets, which are nice for travel, that you squeeze onto a spoon or right into the mouth. AFter trying many omegas that tasted nasty, this was a welcome change. We tried various fish oils from Whole Foods, and my son refused to take them because of the taste. This one he gobbles down. For us, I do think the Omegas are making a positive difference and have not caused any tics. We have been mostly tic free for some time now.

My son was taking Genestra Children's Multi-Vitamin, which was working out great until they changed the formula. It now contains Dextrose, so I am looking for a replacement. The vitamin must be to be corn, gluten, casein and junk (artificial flavors, colors, ect. free). Also, my son is almost six and the vitmain has to taste decent and be chewable. I'm curious about the all-in-one vitamins/supps: Intrkid or Organic frog feedback - they seem to contain multi vitamin, plus digestive enzymes, omega's and probiotics (which we are now taking as seperate supps) as well as any recommendations for multi vitamins. Does anyone have any feedback on children's chewables- good or bad? I'm really struggling to find something that is allergan free, tastes decent and does not have extra junk. Thanks for your feedback!

GFAM- I read your posts the other night and have not had a chance to reply. I'm sure we all can empathize with what you are going through. You are on the right track with Feingold given your own observations of how your son reacts to certain foods. If you have not already, my advice is to clean out your pantry and get started. We started Feingold and organic last summer, and it was very beneficial to the health of our entire family. By keeping a food journal, I also uncovered that my son was reacting primarily to milk. When we removed this, we saw immediate results - the verbal and motor tics that he was experiencing became less in frequency and intensity within a few days. It took me several months to figure out his major trigger as i overlooked milk many times, but once we did, the results have been remarkable. Last year, when I was so frustrated, my mother in law suggested that I give this process a year and stretch our my own self imposed timeframe for healing my son. Once I realized that it would take time and accepted what was going on, we all relaxed. Since tics can be triggered by stress, I do think this helped my son. I can tell you that a year later, he is almost tic free most of the time, and it is much easier to pin point what causes a reaction. If you can find a good environmental doctor (there are many types who use various homeopath treatments), this may help you put the puzzle pieces together. Stay strong, your child will need your strength to get through this difficult time. God Bless....

Tom's Mom, I re-read some of your old posts and have a few ideas to think about .... You mentioned seasonal allergies ... is this still a possibility and maybe not the vitamins at all? I'm think your son really started his tics last Spring (as did my son) You mentioned that you started the digestive enzymes several months back ... maybe you have reintroduced a food that is offensive? If your son has a leaky gut, could he have a new food sensitivity? Good luck and keep us posted on how your little guy is doing!

Jenny C- I really like the Bob's flour mixure, and use it mostly to make muffins for my son. I add a variety of things: flavorings, jelly, nuts, falx seeds, peanut butter, ect to make them more interesting and change up the receipe. it is nice to have hte bob's flour on hand to cut back on the prep time of mixing all the flours together. I also was a fan of the Bob's pancake mix, but it has corn and we are now also eliminating corn. If you can have corn, that mix has a good texture. I've also been using Sorghum flour and have a good pancake receipe that I came up with that if GFCF. I use Quinoa flour and ground flax seeds (mixed with some spices) as a batter for meats and fish. I recently checked out about 10 GF books from the library and have used THE GLUTEN FREE GOURMET the most. It has an amazing pot pie receipe which my kids love and beg for me to make. if there are specific receipes you are looking for .... email me and I can let you know what we liked .... Happy Cooking! Q's Mom

Carolyn- You may have thought of this and not sure if you are taking kids, but I bet the Disney Cruise Line would be a great option. All of the sit-down restaurants in Disney cater to food allergies. In every case, the chef came to our table and talked with me about what my son could eat and then fixed him a wonderful gourmet meal. They even had GFCF desserts, GFCF bread and ice cream-like choices. My son was really in heaven, and it was so wonderful to go out to eat and not have him feel retricted. I'm sure the Disney Cruise line offers this same level of service but it is definitely worth checking out .... We loved it so much that we will be going back to Disney again next year!!! :-) have fun ..... PS- Is that tigger in the picture with you???

This line of observation has got me thinking ..... My son had not ticced for 3 months and started with a mild tic after have bronchittis and a deep throat cough. The tic was one where he would open his mouth and cover it (started with one hand, then went to one hand followed by the other) like he was going to cough. It had more of an OCD feel than the tics I saw before, and he only did it when he got excited. The hand gesture lasted about a month then went away. He also will cough and throat clear a lot after he has been congested. So, we've been unable to tell if this is a tic or a real cough. Right now, he is wiping his mouth with his sleeve - which started after his last running nose (he was wiping the nose with sleeve). Nan- Good luck with your search. We too started with some eye blinking, which turned to facial grimaces, and then some head bobbing. Diet modifications have helped my son tremendously (we currently restrict casein, gluten and now corn). We also went Feingold and eliminated anything with corn syrup (in hindsight- this may have really helped more than I realized b/c we just discovered that my son has issues with corn). We also use magnesium/calcium supps and recently have started some homeopath treatments. We also use hepa filters for air quality and epsom salt baths in the evening to relax him. Now, my son's tics are extremely mild. They are not noticable and don't seem to get in his way. This website is full of great information and support. We would not be where we are without this site ...... good luck!

I wanted to post that CNN will headline stories on Autism all day on Wednesday, Spril 2nd. The theme is "Autism: Unraveling the Mystery." I saw two "preview" stories today on aspergers and one on how toxic vaccines can be (I know that is a hot button for many on this website). I know many of you are following the DAN protocal so I wanted to make you aware of this opportunity. I know that watching the two stories that I did see, it made me grateful. Even on his worst day of tics, my son could say "I love you" and give big hugs. Blessings to all.....

CNN has been advertising that on Wednesday, April 2nd, they will run stories about "Autism -Unraveling the Mystery" all day. Today I saw preview clips which featured children with Aspergers as well as one on vaccines. If you are able, you may want to tune in. Blessings to all ....

We use coconut oil on veges instead of butter/ghee, and it is especially delicious on sweet potatoe dishes.

Jenny C- I shop at TJ and WF and buy different things at each. TJ's: Almond and rice milk (MUCH cheaper here - stock up), nuts and various trail mixes, dried fruit, interesting organic chips - some with flax seeds, salad dressing, condiments, bread (they have a better selection of GF, yeast free, ect.), some meat (roasts for crock pot), granola cereals, some veges and fruit (smaler selection BUT they have some good stuff, the selection seems to vary from week to week), org. sugar, various flours (if they don't have what i need i buy at WF), yummy salsas, org olive oil and other cooking oils, natural hand soap/cleaning products, sometimes get lunch meat here too, rice pasta, pear and mango sauce, beautiful inexpensive flowers and wine for mom :-) * I think TJ is cheaper on the items above but their stock and selection is limited. At the same time, they have some interesting and specialty items. If you call ahead and there is an item you need, have them hold it for you. Both WF and TJs are frequently out of almond milk, which I buy. WF: I buy most everything else here b/c my TJ does not carry it ... Any non-granola Cereal, meat (their meat is packed in the store and has a good selection), ghee, Eggs with Omega 3, GF/CF mixes, rice crackers, Rice Dream, organic produce, coconut oil, org. juices and juice boxes, org canned foods - black beans, corn, ect., organic taco shells, some org mixes (i.e. chilli mix, taco mix .. TJ does not carry it), org popcorn - no butter, Bob's pancake mix, edamames, organic jello, vitamins, calcium supps, lunch meat from deli counter (with no nitrates, ect.), Small bottles of water for lunch box, Small bags of org chips and snacks for lunch box (TJ only carries large bags), Yummy Earth lolli pops, Annie's products: ketchup. Ian's frozen products: fish sticks, GFCF chix nuggets. Also buy health supplies here as needed ... like cough medicines, ect. Rachels yougart for Mom. * I have not used the WF concierge but have used the allergy lists on line. They have a dairy free not casein free, but at least it was helpful. The staff there is also very helpful in guiding you. Happy Shopping!! Email me if I can help you anymore since we are also CF.

Jenny C, I'm a big advocate of Feingold. We implemented Feingold in August 2007. My son's story is much like TLK's.... Implementing the diet was extremely overwhelming (I wanted to pull my hair out), but the pay-off of this combined with going organic, eliminating casein, adding a new multi and Kid's Calm have been SO worth it for my son. It has almost a year since we have started this process with tics, and we are a much better place. We went from tics constantly all day (multiple vocal and motor tics) to periods with no tics and if tics are present they are noticable really to only me. His behavior now is extremely pleasant and attentive. I believe too that my entire family has benefitted from Feingold. We are all healthier and have made a lifestyle changes because of the knowledge that I have gained on how to eat better through this process. The key to success for us with Feingold was to find substitutes for my son's favorite foods. I also replaced things we took away with new foods which he liked. The first month is hard with the elimination of foods helped me pinpoint a casein sensitivity too. I will say that living without casein was MUCH harder for us than going Feingold. Feingold in comparisn was a peice of cake. GOOD LUCK!

I'm very curious about xylitol too. I was first introduced to xylitol through a DAN rescue angel that I was communicating with. She said she used xylitol in desserts, and it helped to kill strep throat. She said it was very powerful for her family. I've read that it acts like flouride and can kill various bacteria. Anyone else have experience with this?? Q's Mom PS- It has been a while since we have posted. My son continues to do really well. He has a few very, very minor tics here and there but he is overall soooooo much better.

Thanks Kim for your suggestions. We are going to try the Calcium Citrate.

We have been experimenting with various calcium supps since taking my son off milk. We were using the chewy type from Whole Foods but my son will not take them anymore. I bought the Yummy Bears from WF, which he likes but has to take 3 and they have sugar in them. I'm looking for a powder calcium supp (or maybe a liquid calcium) ideally that I can add to his Kids Calm. This would eliminate a supp. Does anyone have any suggestions on a powder (brand and type? Is calcium citrate the for best absorption?). How is the taste? Many of the calcium supps that I have found seem to have magnesium and other things (like magnesium which he does not need more of) in them or are not appropriate for a 5 year old. Has anyone experimented with adding calcium powders to recepies? Any feedback is really appreciated. :-) Q's Mom

Jenny C- We have many similarities in the way our kids were postively effected by eliminating casein. The results for us were dramatic and his tics were greatly reduced in a week. he also had dark circles and constipation issues which also cleared. In addition to going CF and reduced gluten, we also implemented Feingold (cuts out the dyes and icky preservatives). As far as cookbooks, you might want to try your local library. I came home with a pile of books. Most of the cookbooks I found were both casein and gluten free. my favorite was by Dana Laake - The Kid-Friendly ADHD and Autism Cookbook: the Ultimate Giude to GFCF Diet. It also includes some information/explanation on why the diet works and why some kids can not tolerate casein and gluten. Because so many products that are CF are also GF, my son also has a greatly reduced GF diet. I cook mostly with Almond Milk and my son likes the vanilla flavored for drinking and make most foods from scratch. I've used the cookbook above. There are many different types of allergy tests, so depending on which type you had done may determine the accuracy of what showed up for you. We had done a scratch test and my son did not show a true milk allergy. As far as $$, our grocery bills did go up when we first eliminated milk products because I was experimenting with new products. However, now our bills are about the same because we have cut out ALL of the processed food and sweets, which is expensive. The results have been well worth it for us. Good luck!

In addition to the suggestions above, we also use Coconut oil on vegetables where we would have used butter.

We too use Tom's of Maine. Flouride seems to be ok for my son so he uses the Children's orange Tangerine flavor. We tried strawberry but he did not like the taste. My son used to grind him teeth at night only. Since we took away milk, thankfully, this seemed to have stopped.

Faith- Thanks for responding. I removed milk products based on a food journal I kept in the summer. A clear pattern emerged when we looked at how heavy doses of milk effected my son. When we eliminated milk to confirm the suspicion, the results were fast and remarkable. Within days, the tics were lighter and less frequent, behavior was more agreeeable, dark cicrles under his eyes lightened. Over the course of a few weeks, the tics went completely away. We've continued being casein free since that time with little to no infractions. So since mid September, no tics at all. I did not do a rotation diet and in hindsight maybe should have. My son eats a variety of vegetables but is probably heavy on corn, eggs and rice because of the number of foods that have those items in them. In talking with a friend who's son has food allergies and many associated health issues (no tics) she explained to me that her son developed different sensivities at different times. The dr. could help her through muscle test determine what the issue was. When she eliminated the offending food, his various symtoms went away. She explained that he ahd yeast issues (they are since cleared) and now leaky gut which is causing her son's allergies/sensitivies to change if he gets too much of one food. It seems that if the muscle testing really works as she explained, it would save me a lot of guesswork, heartache and would be well worth the expense. It took me about 2 months to expose the milk issue. I also feel like the tics coming back (even though very mild) are confirmation of an outward sign that something is going on inside that I still need to figure out. Any suggestions/insight on this and Faith's theory are greatly appreciated.

There are many posts on ACN related to the effects of TV and computers on tics and light sensitivty. http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p;hl=television http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p;hl=television If you do a search on television- these will also filter for you. My son could not tolerate the TV prior to eliminating casein from his diet. TV made him tic more for sure as did movies. He is only 5 so he is not into the computer games yet. Now that we have made dietary changes, he can again tolerate TV. Good luck to you in your search to help your child.

I wanted to check in and give you an update on my son and ask for feedback on your experiences with muscle testing, cat, and alternative drs. in the Washington DC/Northern VA area. He was diagnosed with transient tic disorder last April and had mutiple complex vocal and motor tics. In August, we implemented Feingold and a casein free diet with reduced gluten. The results were dramatic and the tics "faded away" within a few weeks when we took away milk and associated products. He went about three months without any tics and that was such a blessing for all of us! During this time too his behavior, attention span, and ability to focus improved. Two weeks ago after being sick with bronchittis, I noticed a few very minor motor tics reappear. They have a different feel than before - more ritualistic/OCD than random tics and are much more mild. They are also unnoticable to anyone but me. I'm considering taking him to an environmental doctor to help me uncover if he has developed a new food sensitivty or an underlying health issue. The doctor that I am looking at uses the muscle test. I'm curious to see how effective/accurate this has been in diagnosing food allergies. Since my son is 5, I'm interested in this because he does not well with needles. I'm also curious does this help to diagnose yeast, ect issues? So, for those of you who have used muscle testing ... what can I expect? Can they also help to diagnose yeast, metals, and leaky gut? (Perhaps with a back up test before implementing treatment?) A neighbor has used this dr for her son who has food allergies, and she said that in one appointment, the dr can tell her what her son's food sensivities are and she has been mostly right. It has taken the guesswork and need for elimination diet out for her. He does not have tics but has a series of other issues that are consistent with many kids with tics. Is this consistent with what you all have experienced? Also- the jury is still out on how our cat has effected my son's tics. I'm curious if anyone else has seen cat as a trigger? Also, anyone in the Washington DC/Northern VA area and have a suggestion for dr.s? I have called most of them personally, but am interested in any feedfack you might have- good or bad. Happy holidays to all of you!

Janey- I did not see your comment or would have replied sooner. The cough syrup did seem to help, and it did not cause any unwanted side effects. It's effectiveness is hard to judge though b/c my son's bronchittis was extremely bad.

I just tried BT (Boeriche and Tafel) brand which I bought at Whole Foods. It says Children's Cough and Bronchial Syrup on the bottle. They had a number of other choices too with similar ingredients. This particular type is honey based and my son said it did not taste too bad. Good luck ...