Jump to content
ACN Latitudes Forums

lurker

Members
  • Posts

    274
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by lurker

  1. Donna,

     

    When you say "he is fine as long as . . . ," do you mean completely symptom free? If so, that is really a victory. You can work with that.

     

    You mentioned peaches and pistachios. Were the peaches organic? If not, they are hard to wash and may have had pesticide residue on them. Also, peaches (being fuzzy) can hold moisture and mold against their skin easier than smooth fruits like apples. Maybe peeling them would make all the difference. Pistachios, corn, and peanuts are notorious for harboring mold. Have you noticed anything specific with regard to mold? household mold, musty basement or gym, wet cut grass, mushrooms, vinegar, peanuts, aged cheeses, yeast containing foods?

     

    If you have the time and energy to write out his reactive foods, somebody here may see a pattern.

     

    Great Plains has a relatively inexpensive ($200-ish) allergy test (blood). I believe it needs a doctor's signature, not sure. However, your MD could sign for it. They will send you the test kit directly to take to the doc's office or lab.

     

    Tami

  2. Cheri,

     

    I'm scared! We are relocating in August. The kids know; we talk about it. They actually want me to trap and move "skippy," our obese yard squirrell. I reluctantly agreed. Skippy is a menace to society. He gets into our trash, chews through our screens, and I have even walked into the livingroom and found that wretched rodent on my coffee table.

     

    What else can I do to make this move easier? I will look for story books about it this weekend.

     

     

    Anna,

     

    Even if it is not a tic, they (whomever that is) think that stuttering, restless leg syndrome, and tics are all somehow related. Also, have you ever checked his strep titers. The wetting pants and clinginess are often associated with strep-induced episodes? During the course of all of this chaos, was he ever sick with a fever, strep or otherwise? Did he have any vaccinations?

     

    Tami

  3. Greyhound,

     

    The theory I have heard is that calcium and magnesium compete for uptake. Most people are magnesium deficient (d### Western diet). I honestly don't know if mega-dosing magnesium can affect your calcium levels, but I have always heard not to take them together, as in at the same time. Take them several hours apart or at opposite ends of the day. This will give your body time to absorb some of each. I think I recall reading that calcium should be taken with food. Magnesium may be better suited to bedtime as it has some relaxing properties. I looked back at your first post -- maybe substitute a calcium for the mag citrate in the am and take the 100mg of mag citrate at bedtime.

  4. Faith,

     

    The other kid just turned five. I don't know what boosters they were, just five-year-exam ones. I can almost guarantee you at least one of them was a three-in-one though.

     

    My little man only gets the tics when he is viral now. His last three bouts coincided with swollen lymph nodes (my sister and I got them too), a slight fever (101) last month, followed by swollen tonsils (not caused by strep). When he gets them, they wax for about two days and then go away. Also, he gets these tics in the affected areas: lymph nodes -- neck tic; fever -- general twitchiness; tonsilitis -- sort of a throat-clearing gulp, which was barely audible.

     

    I'm still not used to this as the original reaction waxed for FOUR months! You would think I would be ecstatic, but I think I have some sort of post traumatic stress over this as I am always waiting for the proverbial "other shoe" to drop. It's never what he is doing or how bad it is that causes me the most discomfort, it is what he might do or how bad it could be.

  5. Cheri,

     

    Did your son have to have vaccinations for that youth trip? Did he react at all? How old was he? Sorry for the interrogation; It's an area of personal interest. My son's best friend had THREE shots about three weeks ago, and he had a severe local reaction and -- no kidding -- now has a tic. If you recall, my son's disorder manifested just three short days after his DTAP.

     

     

     

    Tami

  6. Flower,

     

    Rice allergy is very, very uncommon.

     

    Rice and potatoes are starches. Whereas they are not sugars or fermentors, they can feed yeast. I am not at all suggesting that you eliminate them, but it sounds like the anti-yeast diet has made you too dependent on them -- which is very, very common.

     

    I put my son on a yeast-free diet, and it took me a long time to fine-tune it. I would suggest variety and moderation as guiding principles. Add a side of cut melon and some protein to your rice stuff. Fresh fruit and vegetables have enzymes in them that rice and potato do not. They are digestively necessary (my opinion).

     

    You said that you do not cook. Some people hate it, but if it is lack of exposure as opposed to a true distaste for it, I would suggest you take a cooking class or go to some websites and see if it is for you. It can be a creative experience. Anyway, even if it is not for you, you can still do some cutting and "nuking."

     

    Try not to do rice on rice on rice. For example, try to use almond milk on rice puffs. Toss some cut strawberries or blueberries on it. Eat a couple slices of bacon or a sausage link for protein. I was just taught to "nuke" bacon. It comes out so much better! and no mess!

     

    What stores do you have access to? Trader Joe's? Whole Foods? Also, what is your exact level of "don't cook"? Are very simple recipes okay?

     

    Tami

  7. Kelly,

     

    I only asked about dehydration, working on the theory that sufficient liquid needs to be present to dissolve the pill, not acid. I know nothing of barfing tics, but I would assume an air-gulping or swallowing tic might accomplish the same. Any of those?

  8. Guy,

     

    Sounds to me like you have one or two "chronic" tics. The blinking for ten years sounds really stable. Also, it sounds like you are freaking out -- this stuff is scary.

     

    It sounds like you have sensitive eyes. You may want to have a visual exam to rule out focusing problems, which would cause visual fatigue. If your eyes feel dry, experiment with moisturizing drops. You may want to evaluate your computer/television habits. Don't watch tv in a dark room; sit ten feet away; lcd is better than regular tv. Set the refresh rate on your computer to the highest rate; maybe consider a "glare guard" if you use it frequently.

     

    Also, if all you have is a very stable eye-blinking tic, you may be an ideal candidate for botox treatment. This would make the tic much less noticeable. I think half of LA walks around with this stuff in their faces now. (Just an opinion.)

     

    It sounds like you've scared yourself real good reading about all this. The tightness in your shoulders could just be tension from all this stress and likely a mind game. I remember seeing a scene in a movie (can't remember which one) where the character was somewhat neurotic. He watched a woman in a coffee shop spill some coffee because she had a Parkinsonian hand tremor. In the next scene, he could not get his coffee to his mouth because he was spilling so much. Your mind is a powerful thing. I am "high strung" too, so I feel your pain.

     

    Tami

  9. Kelly,

     

    Gel caps do not require any stomach acid to digest. My kids love those little "pills" you put in the bathtub that magically turn into sponge dinosaurs or bugs. They are in regular gel caps and take about five minutes in bathwater. Also, if you have any experience spilling capsules on a wet countertop, they get gummy and have to be thrown away.

     

    What inactive ingredients are listed on the label? gelatin? cellulose?

     

    Is he a good water drinker? I read somewhere you should drink your weight in ounces every day. I started a water drinking regimen here when I overhauled our eating habits. My kids quit drinking completely. I suspect it was because going from McFood to whole food reduced their sodium intake by 1,000%! Anyway, I constantly harp on them to drink. Could he have been dehydrated? Long day in the sun? Any kind of bowel problems recently?

     

    Tami

  10. Kelly,

     

    Put one of the capsules in a glass of warm water and watch to see how long it takes to dissolve. Maybe the coating is the problem. If it were caught in his throat, I would think it would still dissolve (and burn his throat).

     

    One more thought. Did you actually see him take it at 1:30 or just set it next to his lunch or snack and tell him to take it? Is there any chance that he forgot it and remembered later?

     

    Tami

  11. Faith,

     

    Some one around here was giving protein snacks every three hours. It was a critical part of her treatment. I am assuming you have a fussy eater. Could you get him to eat a rolled up piece of roast beef or turkey with mustard?

     

    As far as the "I have to resolve that it is not anything in particular at all" goes, maybe he doesn't have one huge trigger. I think that the "bucket" or "camel's back" theory probably applies to most of our kids. When you can find an enormous source of stress and eliminate it, they can tolerate more little stressors. What if he doesn't have a 10, but lives in an environment of 3 to 5's. Maybe its just a matter of eliminating enough of those?

     

    Pat said something in another thread. I must have read it eight times because it just clarified everything for me. It was something to the effect of treating the whole child and striving for overall well being. That's the perfect plan. It may also be the only plan for a kid that has a lot of little sensitivities.

     

    Tami

  12. Jeanne,

     

    I would be concerned too. What are they looking for? Find out what they intend to do if he does in fact have "damage to his basal ganglia." If it is just a matter of calling it "birth trauma" and writing that down on a chart, that doesn't really help Ben. I could rationalize testing to see if there is ongoing seizure activity -- that would produce a treatment plan, not a statistic.

     

    My son has the wheat/gluten/gliadin allergy too, and we are at about 4 months as well. (I feel your pain!) Gluten takes a really long time to clear the system. You might want to research Caryn's posts. She said it took her son 5 1/2 months gluten-free and on Bonnies to remit.

     

    Tami

  13. Faith,

     

    We have two long-haired housecats. Fortunately, they choose to live in my bedroom, but I have found it very helpful to brush them every morning. It seems to remove a day's worth of shedding. I brush them in the bathroom (tile).

     

    I heard people are less likely to be allergic to pets if raised with them, and I agree, dander is a year-round thing, not seasonal.

     

    HOWEVER, my husband is allergic to his parents' cat -- its the only cat in the world he is allergic too. He sneezes, eyes water. I told him it was impossible to be allergic to just one cat. The cat was kept inside for two weeks due to sutures for an absess, and he wasn't allergic to her anymore! Turns out it was the nextdoor neighbor's bushes that she napped in every day. Do you have a housecat? If she is an indoor/outdoor cat, try keeping her in for several weeks.

     

    Also, I find those bedtime tics to be the most persistent! I think it has to do with shutting down and quieting their body for the night. Anyone else see them at bedtime?

     

     

    Tami

  14. Bmom,

     

    I would think that the transitions lenses and a baseball cap would block an enormous amount of light. Does he wear his cap on the field?

     

    Remind me again when your son got his glasses. I noticed his ticcing episode began in March. You are certain he has light sensitivity, and if I'm not confusing you with someone else, he has a relatively new prescription; so maybe the eye strain of adjusting to new glasses set him off?

     

    Tami

  15. Pat,

    I have heard it detoxifies, but as far as the dry itchy skin goes, I have more often heard it makes people itchy.

     

    Regarding your dad's situation, I once sprained my ankle, and when the swelling went down, I basically shed a layer of skin too. It peeled like a sunburn. The skin under it was soft and new. I can see where soaking would help in this situation, but I would assume it is contraindicated in a chronic dry itchy skin condition.

     

    Faith,

    I don't know your son, but I know mine; so I got a great chuckle from the "yellowish ring around the tub" comment!

  16. Donna,

     

    I don't know how realiable the source was, but I read somewhere that hot dogs use a red dye (not #40) that is only approved for use in hot dogs. I get the nitrate/nitrite/preservative free ones from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, and I have to admit they are a nasty blue-gray, not that pretty pinkish color. Same with the dill pickles from TJ's. Without the blue and yellow dyes, they are a mucky grayish green -- but they taste exactly the same.

  17. Donna,

     

    Sorry I didn't answer your question directly. The baking soda craving sounds like it could be associated with food allergy; food allergy, or rather allergy in general, is associated with TS. Also, I believe the mom who was giving the snacks/meals on the three hour intervals was doing this to regulate blood sugar.

     

    Tami

×
×
  • Create New...