JBC

Thanks very much for your replies. I appreciate it! Caryn, wouldn't it be great if you didn't have allergies anymore? Wouldn't that be a nice perk of going GF!

Hi all -- Does anyone know of any natural seasonal allergy relief my 10 year old can take, that doesn't contain corn or corn derivatives? Claritin, including Claritin Reditabs (which he took last year before he developed this intolerance) contains corn derivatives. Thanks for any suggestions or ways to proceed!

Hello -- I bought the Aquasana water filtration system for the faucet and after finally getting all the treads right when installing the filters for the first time (which took a while), we used the filter for six months. However, when changing the filters at the six month mark (when recommended) in attempting to remove the old filters, I found it impossible to do so. Both taking off the filter covers and physically getting the filters out was impossible. I had to throw away the water system without replacing the filters because I could not get the filters out fully (one part was stuck at the end that you cannot reach). Also, it's important to keep in mind that you should not 1) run hot water through the system and 2) if you go away for a few days, you need to run water through the system for a long time. Also, the filters themselves are very expensive. I would not recommend this sytem as it was a big disappointment.

Hi -- Just remember, just as the other tics came and went, this one will, too. I know how hard it is--my thoughts are with you.

Hi -- My son is 10 and when he tics, his current ticcing is generally small squeaky noises (usually when reading at night--one every minute to two minutes), and nose/mouth scrunching (generally in the evenings--could do a few in a roll, then no more all night), all of which I can completely live with! There are days when I don't hear/see any tics. The waxing and waning for him is hours or possibly a day or so, definitely not weeks or months. Onlyin the last 2-3 months, when he started getting severe stomachaches (though he had less painful stomachaches off and on for the past year or so), did I think to do the elimination diet (intolerant to corn products) and cut out artificial colors, flavorings and preservatives. He's been much better, and only seems to tic (making the small squeaky noises or face scrunches) at night or when reading in bed at night. I'm not sure if it's the waning or actual improvement since it's only been a little while. His tics this year are more moderate than last year's. Last year (in fourth grade), when he had a couple of band concerts, he would be so stressed beforehand (up to a week before) and during the concerts that he could barely sit still and his whole body was ticcing. His worst tics were in 4th grade (so far--fingers crossed that we're done with that stage). He also had a neck jerk tic for a few weeks that was awful to watch and was painful for him. He also went through a shoulder shrugging phase. Fourth grade was an awful year for him. Prior to fourth grade, his tics were less obvious--humming or eye blinking. Until I found this site, I really was clueless about what to do. I knew I didn't want to medicate and I haven't. His grades are fine and he doesn't have any learning disabilities. I don't know of any of my or his dad's family members with tics. I do have a 16 year old nephew with significant ticcing, but he's also allergic to many foods and his mom, my sister-in-law, has OCD. Thanks for the great question; hope others will let us know their experiences.

Hi -- My son has had serious stomach problems, too. He had a lot of gas after meals, and some nights would be rolling on the floor in pain from the gas. I did the elimination diet (if you google it, you'll come up with lots of advice on how to proceed with an elimination diet, which I found helpful). I also kept a journal of all foods eaten, as well as a 1-10 rating system after eating each meal as to how he feels. I found out my son is intolerant (can eat but gets a stomachache immediately) to corn and corn products, such as corn starch, etc. Eliminating this food has eliminated the stomachaches! Everytime he now gets one, I know it's because he had a corn related product in his food and, sure enough, each time I re-read the label, a corn product is in there. I think its really important to figure out what each child is allergic/intolerant of. Hopefully it'll just be a matter of finding and eliminating the problem foods to solve his continual stomachaches. I think doing the IgG testing is a great idea. Also, and it sounds like you're doing this, eliminating all artificial coloring, flavorings and preservatives might be helpful. I've found my son has much less ticcing as a result of the corn elimination and adherence as much as possible to no art. f/c/p. Hope this helps.

Hi ilovedogs -- I'm pretty new to the site, but I've learned so much in the short time I've been here! I started with an elimination diet and found out my 10 year old son is intolerant to corn and its products (gets a stomachache almost immediately). Having cut out corn products, I also am now very strict about eliminating artificial colors, flavorings and preservatives for my son. It's been two or three weeks, and unless he's waning, which he could be, the tics have been remarkably better for the past few days. There are good chunks of time when I don't see the tics at all. So, for us so far, eliminating allergic/intolerant foods and artificial ingredients, is doing the trick so far (fingers crossed). If the more moderate ticcing comes back, I think my next step is a vitamin supplement (Intrakid most likely). I have kept a detailed food journal the entire time, and that's really helped me. I have found going slow, trying one change for a period of time, has helped me focus on what may help and what may not. I hope this helps you.

Thanks for providing the discount information and status updates. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that IntraKid shows results for your child for the long haul. I'm very interested in purchasing Intrakid, too, but I'm hesitant because it's pretty expensive. Of course, if it makes a huge difference, then it's well worth every penny. If I get Intrakid, I'll definitely update everyone on progress, too. I have a 10 year old son with moderate tics and some anxiety (overnights, being by himself, etc.). Thanks again for all the great comments/suggestions. This forum is fastastic! JBC

Hi Jasminky -- Thanks for sharing your vitamin selection! Were you able to figure out where the ingredient list was for Intrakid? I looked around a bit but couldn't find a list of ingredients. Did you have any better luck? Thanks! JBC

Thanks, Caryn. My son has a dr's appt. next Tuesday, so I'll raise it with his dr. then. Thank you!

Hi -- I'm new to the forum and have found all the discussions helpful and some were pertinent to my son's situation. My 10 year old son has tics, moderate I think, which he has had for a couple of years. For the last year, he has has periodic stomachaches, which then lead to headaches, which can last a couple of weeks or more. Lately, for the last few months, it seems his stomachache never leaves him. He describes his pain as dull, in his abdomen. He has just been tested to see if he is lactose intolerant, but I didn't get the results back yet. My sense from looking at the readings as the nurse was taking them was that he was not lactose intolerant. If that is the case, then I still haven't figured out what his causing his stomachaches. Anyone have similar circumstances and what was found in their cases, if anything? I read in the posting, below, about a "leaky gut". Could someone tell me what that is? Could this be relevant to my son's case? Thanks very much for your input. I appreciate it! JBC