lurker

Jeanne, Have you ever considered airborne allergens? I only mention this because it looks like this may be his time of year to wax (you mentioned it started last August.) There is a website called "pollen.com" or something like that where you can see national maps of certain pollens and other allergens. You can even contrast these same patterns to previous years. You may want to see what is active in mid to late summer in your region. Having said that, its still probably the darn light flashes. My kid is light sensitive, and he has had blinking spells after lake activities, days at the beach, movie theaters, and exceeding his tv quota. Mom of 4 boys, What tests did you have done?

Jeanne, Look at a thread called "dilated pupils and tics." (I don't know how to link it !)

Deanna, The Neuro won't buy this, but yes, the chicken pox, I personally believe. My son's tics began three days after a DTaP booster. Many of us have corroborated vaccine triggers. One of the members here has a son who began after a chicken pox vaccine. Use the search feature here, because I seem to recall there were others who saw onset after ckn px vaccine or actual ckn px virus. This is just my opinion, but I think the trampoline is innocent. Many of our children have immune issues, as in overactive immune systems or underactive immune systems. Strep is a known trigger. Many children have onset after mystery viruses. Again, just my opinion, but I would refuse any future ckn px boosters. Oh, and your question about coming on quickly, yes. My son started at 2 pm on September 27, 2007. Tami

Duncan, Have you checked for food allergies? Do you have any relatives who are Celiac (allergic to wheat)? That was the first thing I thought of because I am making the assumption that you are Irish. Apparently, your People have a genetic vulnerability to Celiac disease. You should search Caryn's posts. Her very Irish son has several of the Celiac genes and she is doing a great job of controlling his symptoms (tics) by removing wheat from his diet. You might want to try a gluten-free diet to see if she responds. I won't lie -- it isn't easy. And it can take months to see results. Has she ever shown any gastro-intestinal symptoms? (It is not necessary to have gastro issues to be Celiac, although it is common.) Tami

Mary, I was worried about mold in a couple of closets and I found a product on the internet. I bought it at Home Depot to avoid shipping. It is supposed to be environmentally friendly and very effective. Their endorsements are impressive, and apparently, their salespeople actually lick it to prove how safe and non-toxic it is. It is called Concrobium. Go to their website and look at it. I bought the larger size ($40) and have a ton left; the small one was about $25. You may be able to get some peace of mind for $25 and an hour of your time. I still don't feel like it was a waste of time or money. Tami

No particular site, and probably a couple bucks each. I think I saw a ton of them on Amazon. The price goes way down if you order in bulk. The great thing about the home test strips is you can torture the whole family with them regularly during strep season .

Glenda and Dut, I noticed that you can buy the rapid strep tests on the internet in bulk and without a prescription. I know they are only 80% accurate, but I would think they would be wonderful to have around the house for other family members or mandatory once a week/once a month testing at home. I agree they don't take the place of the culture, but you must face some occasional should I? Should I not? situations. Tami

Has anybody had luck getting a GP to order allergy testing? Traditional allergists? I used a Naturopath. It was easy, because it was the first thing he wanted to do. I have heard of people having their chiropractor sign for allergy tests. I suppose "open-minded" is the quality you are looking for in a doctor, Joann.

Joann, Look for PM.

Joann, I think you are wise to start with the allergist. What kind of insurance do you have? When is your appointment? I may have an idea for you.

Carolyn, I just made cupcakes for the Preschool end-of-the-year festivities. I used Pamela's Products "Classic Vanilla Cake Mix" and Cherrybrook Kitchen "Vanilla Frosting Mix." Both were from Whole Foods (both were gluten/dairy/nut free). I color the frosting with safe dyes I ordered from the Natural Candy store. Whole Foods may have them as well. The cupcakes were great; you couldn't tell they were gluten free. Happy Birthday. Tami

Ooh! Faith's right. Doctors don't authorize allergy tests for tics. Complain about your throat clearing/itchy watery eyes/sniffling/allergic shiners (dark circles) If you see an allergist, tell him about the Celiac relatives too. Allergy testing should uncover wheat and gluten sensitivities within the regular food panel. You can follow up with genetic testing for several of the known Celiac genes later. I think you are a good candidate for a gluten free trial, but with your family history, I think it is very important that you pursue the allergy testing before or within the first several months of going gluten free. Once the exposure is removed for a period of time, you are less likely to show reactivity on the allergy tests (false negative). My son always had allergic shiners. They are gone now. I don't know if it was because we removed all of the foods he is sensitive too (gluten was off the chart) or because he got glasses (reducing his eye fatigue ). Tami

Bonnie, After my son started having tics, I started noticing them in the general public (including television). This is going to sound odd, but there seems to be a disproportionate number of musicians with tics. Quite a few people here have mentioned that their children are musically gifted too. Makes me wonder if those areas of the brain are closely related. As for my kid, (I feel like I've typed this a million times) he tics where he feels it. When he had swollen lymph nodes after a virus, he turned his neck gently from side to side for a week; when he had tonsillitis, he did a hard swallow (if you try it, you will feel sensation in your tonsil area) for about five days; when we took him to the lake (which included boating (glare) and three trips to the movies) he blinked off the charts for the next two weeks; a cold will leave him with a lingering throat clearing . . . Regarding your "weirdness," I have come to the conclusion that all people do some strange things. Just today, I looked into the car next to me at a red light -- car, $60,000; suit, $800; latest cell technology with wireless gadgetry, $400; finger up the nose, priceless!

Joann, It really does sound like allergies to me. I won't have time to respond to you until later, but you really should start looking into Caryn's posts and threads, especially since you have Celiac relatives. Not to say you have it, but it is definately genetic. Caryn has referenced quite a few studies that debunk the theory that you must have typical digestive issues to be Celiac. I'll be back later! Tami

Mary, Just run a normal tub and add about 2 cups of the salt. The point is to absorb it transdermally, so it wouldn't really matter if he absorbs through his upper or lower body. Aim for a 20 minute soak. I noticed you give him Natural Calm. You might want to reduce or eliminate it on the nights he has the baths because it would, in effect, be doubling his magnesium intake. If he is not a good "soaker" because he gets bored, I found a secret weapon -- pomegranate. Cut one in half and give it to him; its like a rubix cube. It will keep him busy and entertained for half an hour. (Also a very good source of b6.) Pomegranates can stain anything in a five-foot radius, so the bathtub is a great place to eat them. Tami

What I meant by "suppliers" is manufacturers of the capsule coating. The compounder may have the freedom to use a a variety of capsules, based on availability, as long as they meet Bontech's standards. And you're right, they are veggie caps, not gelatin.

Ifran, My best guess is that it was probably not the peanut butter alone, as you said it is just a mild senstivity. The peanut butter may have just been the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back," as your son just went through his end-of-the-year rite of passage (lots of good stress and relaxed diet). Maybe he could have tollerated any one or several of those things, but cumulatively it was just too much. Having said that, my naturopath mentioned that peanuts are a problem because they are highly allergic AND peanut crops host a lot of mold. I know you mentioned he is sensitive to peanuts, but you might want to observe how he reacts to molds as well -- damp, musty areas, yeasts, mushrooms ... I consider Caryn the resident allergy expert (I think she's on vacation), and I know she has mentioned dietary infractions set her kid off for up to four days. Tami

Could be variation in the gelatin caps too -- different suppliers. If they are slightly yellowed, the powder inside would look discolored.

I had braces and I remember there was ferrocious pain the evening of or day after having the braces tightened, just accidentally touching my upper teeth to the lower ones would send a shooting pain. It was very short-lived, maybe 6 hours per month. I never took anything for it, but I definitely remember going on a self-imposed "tonsillectomy diet" -- popsicles, ice cream, smoothies, crushed ice. Whether in conjunction with pain killers or not, I say keep it numb for a day. Tami

I feel the need to respond too. I think that its unfair to take that comment out of context and dissect it. It does not stand well on its own, but if you put it back into its immediate context, it seems to be a reiteration of the school's position not her own. If you put it back into its larger context, it came from someone who is consistently generous and helpful and has given quite a bit of her time this weekend helping others.

Michelle, My friend's son has a disability and an IEP. The system did not work well at all for them in the beginning. She became very proactive (filing state non-compliance complaints and taking an attorney to IEPs). She found, and feels very strongly, that it is not a matter of "How bad do the kids have to be?" but rather how assertive are their parents. She says she sees many instances of very needy kids receiving very little help and barely needy kids receiving excessive services. I absolutely understand your desire to not disturb the peace, but it can be done in a way that does not personally attack anyone. Blame the system; not any individual. If you file a higher level complaint, they will probably contact you regarding an evaluation schedule. You have given them all year to evaluate your son and implement services. They said he qualified for OT, but am I correct in assuming they did not provide it? If so, I would ask for reimbursement as well or, at least, services for the hours that should have been provided. Sadly, this should cause them to take you seriously and postpone evaluations and services for someone else's kid.

Pat, Great Plains has an airborne allergy test (blood) that tests for trees/shrubs/pollens/danders/molds . . . I don't remember how many, but there were a lot of trees on that test. Tami

Bonnie, We're moving this summer too -- about an hour from here, more space/better schools. I'm really scared. I decided to tell the kids as early as possible; so we talk about it at bedtime every night. My kids are 5 and 7 so I will look for kid books about it as well. We are trying to give them as much input as possible too, so they feel like they have some control. (They want a bigger yard!) Will you be moving to a new school district? How old is your boy? Tami

Dedee, I could be very wrong about this, but I think transdermal magnesium (epsom salt bath) would be an option. Cheri?

myrose, Buy pure juices from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. You can sweeten with Stevia or Xylitol (which is an antibacterial/antifungal). You can boil and thicken with corn starch or tapioca or potato starch; this will turn it into a thick syrup. Try Trader Joe's Cherry (needs sweetener) unless she likes "sour" cherry. My kids like bitter icees as well. They have peach, mango, papaya, pomegranate, apple, and berry mixes. I make popsicles with pure juices and I bought an ice crusher (about $30) to make icees. I do not thicken. I just saturate them with juice. Glad to hear all is well. Tami