ilovedogs

Well, I spoke with his naturopathic doctor and he wants me to increase the PS100(phosphadytlserene) to 200 mg a day and to increase his B6 to 200 mg a day for 3 days. So, I'll be starting this regimen today and we'll see how it goes. His tics always seem to get worse as the day progresses when he is having a waxing period. The poor kid can barely see by the end of the night b/c he's squeezing his eyes shut constantly!

Thank you for your reply! His very first tic was eye winking and has been around every single day for the last 2 years. There is never a day that I don't see his eye blinking or winking. Some days/weeks are just more intense like right now. I did buy the Claritin allergy eye drops and maybe I'll give those a try this week to see if it helps. It wouldn't be so bad except that he's squeezing his eyes shut for about a second and a half each time so that really interferes with school work and concentration! Can I just say, Laurena, that it's wonderful that you have come on to share your experiences even though it was many years ago. It does give us hope. I will probably put a call in to our naturopath and ask if he has any insight if this continues to bug him. Also, he tics more when he has something going on with his teeth and I see a tooth erupting right now so that may have something to do with it! Bonnie

Thanks! He doesn't play video games much and hasn't touched his DS in months. I remember doing this in the beginning when the tics started and I 'thought' I saw the tics decrease, only to have them come back anyway and I was scratching my head thinking: now what could it be? LOL! This kid keeps me on my toes!

Grif has been suffering from an increase in his eye tic for the past week or so. It makes his eyes tear up and he says his eyes are just really tired at the end of the day. I've tried natural eye drops and Claritin eye drops and he doesn't get any relief. I'm not sure that any supplements have ever really helped him but I will be increasing his magnesium for now. Any suggestions? I know some of you have kids who have blinking/eye tics. Thanks, Bonnie

Most people here give Peter Gillhams Kids Calm or Natural Calm products. Most health food stores and websites carry it. I just follow the dosage instructions on the container. I have not seen any benefit from magnesium for my son yet, but I do believe that epsom salts baths can be helpful not just for tics but for overall wellness and relaxation purposes.

I just read today that they said that a high percentage of the pediatric deaths were kids with underlying neurodevelopmental issues like cerebral palsy, epilepsy, etc. Are kids with PANDAS and Tourettes considered a high risk group for this flu then? I am not planning on having our family get the swine flu vaccine but I wanted to know if any of you are taking measures to protect your kids or if you are concerned. Bonnie

Actually, on the glycine Carolyn only gives that amount as a temporary increase to calm his system. On a daily basis I give 2 mini scoops that come in the jar and it's about 4600 mg. Some days I only do 1/2 that amount. We've actually been taking a break from the supplements on a daily basis around here so he's getting them on an every other day basis and I'm going to see how his system reacts. Gosh, I hate treating my kid like he's a guinea pig! B

OK, those stats on TBHQ are ridiculous. I am still amazed at what is allowed in/on our food! I know that Carolyn's son has issues with chicken nuggets from KFC and she was thinking it was the MSG but maybe it's both additives? Again, I've allowed Grif to have chicken strips just to see if it would trigger anything and I got nothing! Have you been keeping his diet clean now, after these slip ups? What about giving B6 and magnesium just to see if they help level him off a bit. Carolyn and I swear that glycine helps to calm the neurotransmitters and I buy the Carlson powdered and mix it into lemonade. Neither one of us has seen any adverse effects from it. And, if you really want me to whack you, I will! Do we have a smilie for that???? B

Well, at least you know there are triggers. I still don't know what they are. I can let him eat all kinds of crud and he won't increase or decrease ticcing! I do not think you need to beaten with a hockey stick. Maybe a feather duster, but not a stick! LOL! Also, the vienna fingers may have vanillin in them and that's a major chemical additive. I used to work for a French pharmaceutical company that produced vanillin and I saw the whole process. I swore off vanillin and that was about 20 years ago!!! Also, my dh has been in the Coca Cola factories b/c he sells products to them, and you really don't want to see how they make Coke. Praying it all slows down for you and that you get a handle on the tics before school starts! I don't have any experience about the carnitine b/c we never ended up using it. When he was ticcing and I thought it was a vocal, he ended up just willingly stopping it b/c my dh asked him to. Go figure! Guess it was more of an OCD type thing than a tic????? Honestly, it was really weird. He just said, "I think I can stop if you guys want me to." And, he did. B

Hi there, just wanted to add that I homeschool and have a 10 year old son with 'issues', too! I see the same issues as you do when it comes to writing. What we are doing now is: I have him do writing assignments on the computer and we check his work together for grammar issues, punctuation, etc. Then for handwriting itself, I have him do copywork and cursive practice in a Handwriting Without Tears workbook. He told me he likes cursive better than printing so we'll be focusing on that aspect of writing for him this year. I try to keep the handwriting time of our school day short and I space it out. I have him do the copywork at the beginning of our day and then the cursive will be done when all the other lessons are completed at the end of the day. The funny thing with him is that he can spell really well. He just has a great grasp of phonics and memory skills from just seeing certain words in books, etc. But, when it comes to his math facts, it's like I'm asking him to recite the Gettysburg Address!!! Yet, he is not lacking in math skills like algebra, word problems, using graphs, measuring, etc. It's just something about those darn 'tables' that gets him into a tizzy, LOL! Anyway, I've never taken him for an evaluation with a neuro or a psych. I assume he has some learning disabilities just like his father did(dh had dyslexia, dysgraphia, and ADHD). I keep thinking I should get him evaluated, but then I wonder what good is that really going to do? We know he has tics, OCD-type behavior, ADD, etc. Just wanted to come on and tell you that you're not alone! Bonnie

Hey crazy, I should have chosen your 'name' b/c that's how I feel most of the time! Just wanted to remind you that the tics wax and wane(which I know you already know) and that maybe with an increase in magnesium/epsom baths and some GABA increase you could minimize the tics???? I don't know what's worked for you in the past but we have to up the B6 and magnesium to see the tics relax, they never ever go away. We've had some really terrible waxings over the past year but they don't seem to last more than 2 weeks or so. As a matter of fact, the vocal that he's had recently has just died down since yesterday and I'm still trying to figure out what we did right or wrong and what triggered it in the first place last month? I know it's hard for you b/c school is starting soon so I'll be praying that his tics wane for him and that you can get his supplements balanced to help minimize the tics. By the way, how old is your son? Bonnie

Honestly, you'll probably get better answers than mine! But here goes: I haven't told my son anything except that he has tics and I gave him a brief description of what they are. When I give him supplements I tell him they are for his overall health and for his anxiety. The reason I haven't gone into too much detail with him is b/c he is 10 and b/c he has major health anxiety. I don't want to scare him so I keep things very basic for him. I also told him that if kids ask why he does something(a tic) or makes a certain noise that he can tell them it's a tic and that they can ask me(his mom) or their own parents for a better definition or explanation. I'm sure you'll bet better replies soon! Sorry I couldn't be of more help. By the way, welcome to the boards! Bonnie

If you click on carolyn's name you should get a drop down menu where you can find "send member email(or private message....I can't remember, LOL)" and you can reach her via email. If you can't get a hold of her I can drive over to her house! Just kidding, Carolyn! That should work for you, Andrea.

Praying tomorrow is a better day for you and that your trip goes well. Try to get on a computer while on vacation and let us know if you need support! She may have been sleeping b/c she has a cold or is needing the rest from what's going on with her body??? Maybe? I don't have any answers but will be praying for you! Bonnie

Epsom salts are a type of salt that have magnesium in it, it's called magnesium sulfate. I buy mine at the grocery store in the health care aisle, at Walgreens(the local pharmacy), and even Costco sells a big bag of it. You'll usually see it in a bag or a box sold in 1 pound or 3 pound weights. Sorry, but I just realized you're probably on metric so the weights might be different. Here's a link to a picture of the salts so you can see: http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp...p;id=prod849555 Hope this helps. Also, many of us give our kids a product called Natural Calm for the magnesium, the kids version is called Kids Calm and is made by Peter Gillham, here's another link:http://www.iherb.com/Peter-Gillham-s-Natural-Vitality-Kid-s-Formula-Calm-Natural-Orange-8-oz-226-g/5120?at=0 Moderators, please remove the links if they aren't allowed. Thanks! I'm not sure what country you are in, but I know you can find these products online and you may even be able to find them locally at a health food store, etc. Good luck! Bonnie

Hi, I personally don't think there's anyway to avoid these triggers. What you can do is an epsom salts bath at home to help calm the nervous system or give some magnesium as a supplement. Chances are she'll calm down after a few days. My ds always tics more when he's excited, nervous, or anxious, etc. It's just the nature of their nervous system. You can't keep them in a bubble, but you can try to minimize the effects of stress, both good and bad with some home treatment/remedies. Remember, all the tics wax and wane and this episode will pass! Bonnie

Faith, It's full again!!! I saved my message to you. Let me know when I can send it! Bonnie

Powerofprayer, Thank you for that. Yes, he smells his fingers after touching something. Like last night it was after every french fry he ate or after he washes his hands, etc. Honestly, I do the finger smelling myself but not so obvious and not as often, so this doesn't surprise me, LOL! No, I'm not concerned about his being in school and concentrating b/c we homeschool. But, as his teacher/mother, I still need him to write and to pay attention and to do math computations, etc. That's why I asked. I guess I'm just wondering how much more time I need to give him to complete tasks or to learn certain lessons. Thanks for your input! Bonnie

(((Faith))), praying it all goes well tomorrow and that the device will be a good fit for you guys! Glad he was OK going down the steps! Bonnie

Our naturopath had us try quercetin for our allergies. I think it definitely helped. As a matter of fact, I need to get more from the doc! We get it from him, it's a powder but I know that health food stores sell it in capsules. Also, take vitamin C as that helps lower histamine levels. Bonnie

Ok, I don't know why this drives me crazy but my son has to sniff his fingers constantly! I have no idea how he gets anything done! Guess that's why it takes him twice as long to eat dinner! LOL! Anyway, does anyone have suggestions for me trying to redirect him? Should I just look at this like a typical tic and overlook it? Or, is this more of a compulsion that can be redirected like with CBT? He's still doing his wheezing/breathing out tic but it's tapered off since we got back from vacation. Also, does anyone think that tics take away from their mental processes and completion of tasks? I just wonder how much mental energy is used when their bodies are ticcing. I guess I wonder if the tics can get in the way of finishing school work, taking tests, playing sports, etc. Any thoughts??? Thanks, Bonnie

Well, I certainly won't have trouble finding 'natural' health food stores and herbal shops around here. I'm in Sedona, AZ!! This place is as natural as they come! They don't have a Walmart or a Target up here but they have a natural market and herb shop on every corner, LOL!

thanks Cheri! He'll do fine. You know, he woke up this AM and was fine and then he turned on the TV and I saw the tics start again. Maybe it's TV. We don't watch much TV at home and I have noticed his tics more when he's watching tv or playing on the computer. His eye tics happen all the time no matter what but the other ones seem to be coming on when that darn TV is on. I did buy some B6 and gave him some last night. We've tried the natural calm but I never see any benefit from it, but I might give it a shot today(I know where to find some up here) if the tics don't calm down. Thanks!

We're in a different city, higher elevation, etc. Well, he didn't tic any more than normal when we were in Flagstaff a few weeks ago. I actually don't see him increase tics when he's playing tournaments, it's really weird b/c I would have thought that would increase it. We left the hotel room earlier and I noticed that the tics tapered off so I'm thinking it's the hotel room itself. It does have a funky smell, maybe moldy? Not sure! Also, he's had a headache since yesterday afternoon and I gave him ibuprofen this AM. He said it took the edge off but didn't take the headache away. I think it's allergy related b/c he's been sneezing all week and congested in the AM and he says the head pain is just above the eyebrows. Sounds like sinuses. Not sure what to give him for this other than allergy meds but since we're away from home, I don't know what's available around here and I can't contact the doctor b/c it's the weekend anyway. B

Hey Faith, Your inbox is full! Bonnie