ilovedogs

Hi Keeptrying. No, we have not seen an increase in tics from acupuncture and my son was going for a year straight. Honestly, we didn't see any relief from his tics with acupuncture. He felt that it helped with some shoulder pain from his tics, but not with the tics themselves. So, we stopped going because it was very expensive. I think it's really an individual thing. I know of many kids who were helped by acupuncture and Chinese medicine for their tics, but we just weren't one of them. Hope this helps.

Thank you, Sheila. You know, it's funny because since I've written this my son's tics have gone haywire. He has really bad eye tics (squinting and rolling) right now that are really frustrating him and causing him minor eye pain and aching. He also had a meltdown today after losing a tennis match and was crying over the loss, even though it was just a practice match with a friend. Not sure what's really going on with him, but we start school next week so it will be interesting to see how, or if, things change with him. He has a massage scheduled for tomorrow and acupuncture for later in the week so hopefully these tics will be helped by these things. He's currently taking an epsom salts bath and is trying to become restful before bed.

Hi to all who are here and struggling with their kids and tics/TS. My son is a 15 year old (almost 16 now, wow) who has had tics since his 9th birthday. We've had all kinds of tics and I've done all kinds of worrying. I never did full blown diet changes nor did we ever really stick to major supplements for extended periods of time. My son still tics, every day, all day, and mostly they're mild tics with a lot of OCD Tourettic components. Anyway, I know there are avenues that we haven't tried but I sometimes ran out of resources or just got worn out trying to figure it all out. Despite the discouragement I've felt, I can say with certainty that we've survived it and that my son is a very confident child and is growing into a wonderful young man. He plays competitive tennis and competes nationally and all his tennis friends know about the tics and accept him. He loves photography and has a desire to learn more about design and architecture. He has had awful days where the tics hurt and we had to take him to get massages and he's had great days where we hardly notice them. He's had braces for over 2 years now and I can say that the braces made no difference one way or the other with his tics. We also have been doing acupuncture for the past 10 months and, honestly, I haven't seen it helping his tics but he says it helps his tennis game so we continue to go. He struggles with school stuff and has been diagnosed with ADHD and a cognitive memory function problem so he's behind in some school stuff. He wants to go to college but I just am not sure that it will be in the cards for him based on how I see him functioning today. You know what: that's OK. Really, it's OK. Maybe community college will be a good fit? With all the diagnoses we've received and all the money I've spent, I know that, in the end, it's all going to be OK and that my son will succeed. The plan may not look like everyone else, like mainstream kids, but that's because it's his path and not someone else's. I had to find acceptance in ALL of it and I had to face my fears and I had to make sure that my son didn't see those fears and that all he got from me was support and love. So, with all that said, I can tell you all that there are things that my son has found helpful in managing life with tics. Honesty with his friends, epsom salts baths when things are tight or sore or he just needs to relax, a gluten free diet(didn't help the tics but has helped his digestion and his athletic performance), LOW to almost NO sugar, no caffeine, no artificial colors or flavors, no nitrates, learning how to breathe and calm himself mentally, and a good massage therapist who understands how to work out the kinks from the shoulder tics. I hope that everyone is enjoying their summers!! HUGS!

We're having a similar issue with my son right now. He's going through a minor vocal tic and it's high allergy season right now so I'm thinking it's related to the allergies. He said he keeps swallowing and he also keeps clearing his throat. He's been gluten free and low sugar for quite a while now, but those things never seemed to reduce his tics anyway. I tend to think along the lines of Mar; the drainage in the back of the throat might be setting off the tics? Also, I know my son tends to increase his tics when things get stressful or he's doing something new to his body. He just started physical therapy for a shoulder injury and we've seen some new tics as a result of the stress on the body from the exercises. It's like his brain senses that things are changing so it hyper focuses there and he winds up with more tics. Whenever he starts to tic more, I try to help him find ways to reduce the discomfort from the tics so sometimes we do more epsom salt baths, other times we do more massage, and other times we do more herbal teas or warm compresses. My son has been 'ticcing' since he was 9 and he is now 15.5. Life goes on, the tics wax and wane, and yet I'm still trying to figure out triggers at times.

Hello, we did ortho on our son when he was 13 and had put it off out of the fear of worsening his tics, but in reality there really wasn't any true difference. He is now 15 and still waxes and wanes with his tics just like he did before braces. As he's aged, his tics have gotten worse at times, but I wonder if this is more attributed to just hormonal things, growth spurts, or even seasonal allergies for him. I swore I would take the braces off if things got really unbearable but they never really did. We're hoping that he gets them off within the next 6 months or so, I'm tired of going to the orthodontist every few weeks and we're already done paying for them, LOL.

We've been trying acupuncture for about 6 weeks now. I've seen no changes in my son's tics. But, he says he feels it helps with his focus and performance on the tennis court( he plays high level national junior tennis). He will actually ask to go get acupuncture because he feels it helps with muscle relaxation after a long tournament. The eye tics just won't go away for him at this point and we just got our Food sensitivity test results back so I think an elimination diet is in order for him. Haven't decided if I will try dairy free or gluten free first. I think acupuncture has helped him in various ways, just not the way I thought it would and, if I could afford it, I'd like to start doing it myself. I hope this was useful. FYI; our acupuncturist was referred to us by someone who has TS and was greatly helped by this practitioner. Yet, we all know that what works for some, doesn't always work for everyone or may help in various ways compared to others. Anyhow, I'm rambling. It could never hurt to try it for a few sessions and see how it goes, right?

I found that most orthos don't know much about TS. I did tell them about the tics just to make them aware. My son has had his braces on for 18 months right now and I think we're in the last 9 month stretch here. He did tic more once the braces went on and he always tics more after getting them adjusted. Last week he got a new wire on and he started with a new lip stretching tic, but it only lasted for as long as the pain was there and then the tic faded away. Wish most of his other tics would fade like that, LOL. I really don't think there are any types of orthodontic treatments that could be less likely to trigger tics. Every kid is different and there are many who have had no reactions at all to braces or ortho work. Let us know how it went.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. My biggest issue is that ds likes creamy soups, pizza, mac and cheese, and ice cream. I'm really hoping he'll take well to this and I'm planning on doing it with him because I've been having some digestive issues too. I've gone GFCF myself for a few months and it was a huge improvement to my IBS and other issues. Anyway, I already bought the coconut milk ice cream products and I'm having him try the coconut milk yogurt, too. Honestly, I think he has issues with sugar because we've determined that he can't break down fructose very well, either, so I would like to cut back on his sugar consumption too. Eventually, I'd like to do the gluten free stuff with him, too, but I knew he couldn't do both at the same time, LOL! I'll update once we're in the throes of it, haha!

Well, my son agreed to go dairy free for the month of October, LOL! Yep, he's giving me a month. We've been to 8 sessions of acupuncture and we're seeing minor relief of some tics but also seeing some new ones starting so I have no idea if the acupuncture is actually working or helping or not. I do know that my ds is in the throes of puberty, he just broke out with terrible acne in the past 2 months or so but had clear skin up to this point. So, I'm wondering if taking out dairy will help that, too. We did the Alcat testing for him and got the results back. He tested highly reactive to onions, go figure and moderately reactive to gluten and casein but no reaction to lactose. Anyway, he didn't want to cut out dairy and gluten at the same time so I told him we'd choose one and try that first. Dairy free is going to be hard for him, but not as hard as taking out gluten. It just means no more pizza, cream of tomato soup, ice cream, or yogurt(as he knows it). I'll have him try the coconut milk ice cream and some other alternatives but I'm confident he can survive without milk for a month.....I think, LOL!

Just wanted to chime in about the onset of tics that's being discussed here. My son started tics the day he turned 9. It was like someone just flicked a switch. He's going to be 15 in the fall. Unrelated to the gluten issue, I just want to encourage the parents here to educate their children. As my son got older we talked about his tics and his ADD and anxiety issues. I've gotten him help when he wanted it and backed off when I needed to. But, the best thing for him was for him to know other kids with tics and for him to be able to explain it to his friends. A new friend of his at tennis wanted to know about his eye rolling and thought my son was doing it on purpose and said it was weird. My son explained it was a tic, along with a few others that he has going, and told the boy about how it's almost like blinking your eyes where you do it but you don't have to think about it and you might even be able to stop it for a short period of time. His friend was grateful for the explanation and apologized for what he said. We have also been lucky enough to homeschool but my son does attend classes at a co-op two days a week and he's made sure his teachers and classmates know what his deal is. They're all very supportive and his tennis friends leave him alone because he's ranked 5th in our section in the nation and top 200 in the country and I guess he gets some respect from most of the tennis kids here. He has lots of friends in tennis all over the country, some of whom also have TS. I watched him have a conversation with his friend from Washington, DC about their tics and how it affects their tennis. They bro hugged each other afterwards. Anyway, that's my lecture of the day, LOL! Just want to encourage everyone. You all are wonderful parents for looking after your children's needs, spending the time and money researching, and then taking the efforts to do dietary changes, etc. I think parents of kids with any issues like TS, ADHD, OCD, learning disabilities, etc are super parents!

Oh, also, I told Chemar this in a private message: I have been taking ds to an acupuncturist. He's had 3 treatments in the past 2 weeks. He started a new jaw tic last night about 6 hours after his treatment yesterday. I have wondered if it was like a detox reaction to the acupuncture? My son is getting frustrated and is at the age where he can put two and two together and he said that if he feels that the acupuncture causes more tics, than he doesn't want to keep going. Our practitioner told me yesterday that the supplements he's being given are for liver detox and that he might be experiencing detox reaction. I didn't realize that could happen with Chinese herbs and practices but I guess it's possible with everything.

When we took ds for standard skin testing for allergies he tested positive for mostly outdoor allergens like certain trees, weeds, grasses, etc. He did not have any indoor or animal allergies. But, he himself will tell you that he can't digest lactose or fructose. He doesn't drink milk unless it's lactose free and he doesn't drink fruit juice, either. He has serious stomach issues with many juices and is also sensitive to spicy foods, as well. I'm going to wait for the naturopath's results from the food sensitivity testing to come back and see if there is an issue with dairy or gluten. I think he'd do OK if I took him off dairy but gluten would send him running into the desert screaming and saying, "No way mom, I'm never coming home!" LOL, he loves his bread, pasta, snack crackers, etc. It's so hard when they're teens too, because many times he says he'll just live with the tics and doesn't want to make dietary changes because it's just not worth the effort. UGH!

No, we're not dairy free at this point. He doesn't eat a lot of dairy so I may have to look into that. Thanks

My son just started eye rolling and it's really bothering him, more so than the others he has going on these days. Gives him headaches and makes him really tired by the end of the day. What can I do to help relieve the side effects of the tics, other than something for the headache obviously? He also has a head turning tic right now so when you throw in the eye rolling, he's just miserable! I have some essential oils that I might try and we're doing epsom salts nightly, too. He's just hoping this is one of those tics that doesn't stick around too long!

My son has a 'tic' that drives me crazy. He plays competitive tennis and basically has a tic that can best be described as tourettic OCD because he takes practice swings wherever we go! He has accidentally hit people, including me, and I really want to address this as he gets older(he's almost 15). I was wondering how best to handle this. I don't mind him taking practice swings at home, but when we're shopping or even in line at the airport, I find it difficult to get him to control it without making a big deal about it. He nearly knocked someone over once and I'd hate for him to injure himself or someone else! I was wondering what would best help with this type of tic? Would some type of CBT therapy help or are meds our best bet? He isn't bothered by the tics but I know that, as he gets older, this one will become more obvious to his friends, etc. He's been doing this one for nearly 2 years now and sometimes his coach or other tennis folks get annoyed at him and tell him to stop. I get tired of explaining it to everyone. It's hard enough to just say "It's a tic, ignore it", than try to explain that it's a bit more complex than just a tic that he can't control because I do think he could control this one if he wanted to and if he wanted to put effort in. These just aren't the same as his normal tics and his neuropsychologist has noticed other tics that he does that fall more into the OCD category. Sometimes it's hard to find the differences, though, and figure out which one is more OCD and which one is more TS.

Thanks Chemar! He now has a rash on his body that the doctor says is the virus making it's final exit. Gee, that's what I'm hoping. The rash is so bad on his hands and feet, it looks like snake skin. I've applied coconut oil and lavender essential oils on the hands and at certain places where he is bothered by the rash and then he used rose oil on his face for the rash and dry spots. I've just started researching the benefits of coconut oil and I've just started taking it daily for myself. One thing we've also tried adding in is regular servings of salmon. Luckily, my ds loves salmon and it's an easy meal for us too. I have the olive leaf extract, I just forget to use it, lol. Thanks for the support and best wishes. Hope all is well with you guys in FL!

My ds and I have been sick with varying viruses on and off now for the past 8 weeks. We are now getting over some sort of stomach flu or food poisoning and, quite frankly, I'm really just very tired of it all. Usually, ds gets it first and then I get it and somehow my husband never gets any of these things which drives me crazy, lol. I know that some antivirals and immune support can increase tics or have other negative stress responses in the body. What can I do to boost immunity? We sometimes take echinacea and astragalus and vitamin C. I don't like many multivitamins and try to do a more targeted vitamin plan for him. He tics a lot more when he's sick, too, so the poor kid is definitely in a body that is being stressed right now. He literally had just gotten over a cold and then started again with this stomach thing on Friday. I'm tired of MYSELF getting sick, too, because it doesn't make for a very productive mom, LOL. Just as an FYI: my son is 14, has ADHD, was diagnosed as having birth trauma to the brain and has learning disabilities as a result of that trauma. We homeschool him and I've experimented over the years with diet restrictions, naturopaths, essential oils, and vitamin supplementation. Nothing has really had an effect on his tics, but right now I'm looking for immune system function support anyway. Maybe I need to find another naturopath and some Eastern Chinese stuff like acupuncture, which I've considered in the past but haven't found the finances for yet?

Thanks! My son is 14 now and we live up off I 17 and Happy Valley.

I am looking for a doctor or alternative doc who works with patients testing for Pandas, etc. My son has had tics for 5 years but has had on and off anxiety issues including OCD. He also has a diagnosis of ADHD and has some learning disabilities. We have no hereditary Tourettes on either side of the family so I am thinking of finally following through and working on trying new things to help his tics. They have gotten much worse now that he's going through puberty. I live in North Phoenix and am unfamiliar with what is available out there. Thanks!

What is ART? Also, re: the braces, they want to put a dental appliance in called a herbst appliance and I am so afraid to have it put in for ds. It looks like a torture device but it is supposed to bring out ds' lower jaw because his back molars are so far out of alignment because of his HUGE overbite. Anyway, one of his tics right now is where he raises up his right shoulder and tilts his head down to rub the two together. He basically runs his cheek along his shoulder and that will really aggravate the appliance in his mouth and may even cause it break. He also has a yawning tic periodically but the ortho told me that he won't be able to fully open his jaw with this appliance in and I know that it can become dislodged if you yawn too far, etc. I really need to talk to the ortho before they put this thing in. I am looking into a new naturopathic office so I'm hoping they have a good referral for someone reputable who does acupuncture. I am also doing some work with essential oils but I'm not seeing any difference in the tics yet.

I only use EVOO(extra virgin olive oil) to cook and sauté. I don't give oils in any other way, except for evening primrose which we've tried in capsule form last year. We use coconut oil as a food helper, to give things more flavor,etc. I don't normally heat it. Honestly I live in the desert and I take some coconut oil outside on the porch and let it naturally melt and then I make salad dressings our toast topping with it, LOL!

Has anyone tried acupuncture to help with tics? This may have already been brought up but I'd like to find out if there are any success stories. I haven't been able to find a NCUUA chiropractor within 55 miles of my house(which drives me crazy because I live in a major metro area) and I thought maybe acupuncture might help. My son has MANY tics going on this past year which seriously increased when he got braces. I've done allergy testing, all blood work, etc and mostly he's only allergic to seasonal blooming things like weeds and certain trees. No dust mites, animals, house dust, or molds. I am sure he has sensitivities but I've been trying for 5 years to figure those out and I've had no luck. At this point, I just want to help him with the side effects of the tics: the pain, the discomfort, the frustration, etc. I'm at my wit's end because he's 14 and just feels done trying new dietary changes, etc. Even when he can't read his science textbook or any book for that matter, he still fights me on elimination diets. He is OK with trying supplements, though, so we're doing magnesium and epsom salts baths regularly right now. Anyway, if you've tried acupuncture I'd love to hear about it!

My son reacted to fish oil but not to flaxseed or plant based oils. I've also given him evening primrose oil at times for stress related stuff. Keep in mind, though, that everyone is different and you won't know until you try it for yourselves. I make a microwaved flaxseed 'cake'(with raisins, fruit, stevia, and egg) and make the whole family eat it for fiber benefits, etc and have seen no real good or bad reactions neurologically.

Oh,yes, stimulation in certain areas triggers tics for my son. When he started working out with a trainer at the gym he started having more cervical and shoulder tics. Also, whenever he gets his braces adjusted, he tics more in the facial areas as well. Same with the sniffling tic: if my son is getting over a cold, he will continue sniffling for a few weeks afterwards even though the virus has already cleared. I believe that is more an OCD type tic than it is TS specific. He also sometimes has a finger sniffing tic that he only does when he eats food with his hands. If he eats with a fork, we don't see the tic (when that one shows up anyway). Hope this helps!

I had given this some thought and I actually thought the braces might eventually fix his jaw alignment over time. If anything his bite will be fixed, but I don't know how braces fit into the TMJ thing. I'll do some research on this too. Thanks for the reminder.