san70

Cheri, Thanks so much for the advice. I will try soaking a cloth in epsom salts and putting it on his neck. I will also check into the website your recommended. By the way, does your son frequently go to the chiropractor for readjustments? For how long does he find relief? San

Faith, My ds is 8 1/2. As far as how long it took for the neck tic to really, really decrease (I rarely see it)...well, I would say about a month. But, school has also ended during this time. I am super vigilant with his diet, though, he has had a few cheats of the "forbidden" food and I did not notice any neck tics. He does, however, stretch his fingers a lot and move his tongue back and forth when he is eating. It's hard to explain. He doesn't lick his lips but he touches the corners of his mouth with his tongue. Thanks for your advice. I will try the motrin or aleve. Can I give aleve to him? San

My son has been complaining that his neck hurts. The mag taurate that he has been taking has thankfully stopped the neck tics. However, he complains that his neck really hurts. I am not sure what to do for this. Chiropractor? He will occasioanally ask me or my husband to massage his neck but not for too long. He has a little touch sensitivity issues so I question whether or not any massage or chiropractor/therapist would be helpful for him. Any ideas?

Definitely meet with the teachers before school starts. Please don't assume that the teachers understand ts. I would explain to the teachers the specific tics so that they know. Unfortunately, I don't think that all teachers understand what a tic is and that is uncontrollable. I frequently touch base with my ds's teachers to see how things are going in class and socially. Unfortunately, it does take too long to get the ball rolling with a 504 or IEP. In my school system, they seem to push the limits in terms of time holding meetings at the 30th, 45th or 60th day. Good luck and welcome!

I agree. Unfortunately, when tv programs present information like this, they always seem to show the extremes. This further perpetuates the ignorance of society in understanding ts. I suppose, they seem to think that it is entertaining to show this. How disgusting to take advantage and exploit our kids!

Thanks. I will look into one of the local health stores for the empty capsules.

Where can I get empty capsules? I never thought about that. Thanks!

I wonder the same. If the magnesium level comes out within the normal range, is it just that our kids have trouble processing it? Would an increase help them? For those who have given mag supplements, do your kids have low counts? Do our kids need more to help with the tics?

Does anyone take magnesium taurate in tablet form? My ds takes the mag taurate in capsule form from Cardiovascular Research Ltd. I would like to increase with the taurate but I do not want to increase a full 125 mg. I have not found the mag taurate in a tablet form so that I can cut the pill in half. Any suggestions?

Holly, What are some of your son's other behaviors that make you think of asperger's? San

Chemar, That article was great and definitely reader friendly. Thanks! San

Momof4boys, Being proactive with your son's school is a great idea. I would also suggest that you meet with his teacher before school starts in August. Even though he is in a mainstream class and all teachers should have experience with kids with special needs, TS is still something that many teachers do not fully understand nor do they have much experience. Be sure to let all of his other teachers know what's going on (phys ed, art, etc.). I would also suggest that you keep in close contact with his teachers throughout the year. We have to remember that we are our children's advocates. I am a teacher and I have had students with TS but none have had aides. I agree with Michelle that our TS kids really don't stand out, particularly in the early years. Be sure to touch base with his teachers to see how your son is doing socially as well as academically even with the IEP. Don't let the IEP team snowball you with all of their education jargon. If your school system is overloaded in the special ed area as much as mine is, the special ed team often pushes the time limits to the very last day and does the bare minimum...maeaning whatever is written on the IEP. They really don't go the extra step that many kids need for whatever reason. I don't mean to be pessimistic about it but I have seen how the schools work with IEPs and how they manipulate what is written on there while still being compliant with the laws. Just be sure that you understand everything that they say in the team. You are part of the team and do have control over what is included on your son's IEP. You know him best and they know what is going on educationally so together this IEP should be written. I hope this helps. San

Carolyn, I read your post on MSG and the hidden foods. Thanks. That's quite comprehensive and extremely helpful. I never knew how many foods have MSG. Did you find that as a result of ingesting MSG that your son ticced the same or do the type of tics vary? Has anyone noticed this? San

My ds is 8 and weighs 50 lbs. He is 4'2". He has been on 125mg of magnesium taurate for about 1 month now. I haven't seen an improvement in his tics. What does this mean? Should I increase? He gets a multi in the am and I give him the mag taurate at dinner. Does this mean that he is not responding to the taurate? He has neck tics and some arm stretching, finger stretching, and some back bending. I need some advice. I haven't tried the Kirkman's cream yet. He does take the epsom salt baths occasionally. He complains that his neck hurts. Help!

I have seen some people talking about the scratch test for allergies. Do I simply rub the arm with what I think may be the offensive allergy? I am thinking more about outdoor allergies. Does it also work with other foods?

Bonnie, I may try the salicyte thing next though I can't imagine life without fruit. Before I started all the diet changes, we were very healthy. I admit, though, I had no idea about how terrible colors were so we did consume them. When we make a change, it is for the entire family. Ultimately, we are healthier as a result of all of this. My son has some anxiety problems though it has not been diagnosed. It always seems to take him a long time to settle down and go to sleep at night. That, in turn, makes him more tired the next day which I think for him makes the tics worse. It's this never ending, vicious cycle. All I want to do is help him. So, just as you said, here I am back reading! By the way, when your naturopath started you on all the supplements, was your son gradually introduced to everything? Has he experienced any side effect? San

Pat, Did your son find relief pretty quickly from the cream? Today, my son did not complain about his neck and he did take an epsom salt bath tonight. My son has been on the mag taurate, only 125 mg, for about 2 weeks. Another question, for the past couple of days, he has complained about his stomach hurting. He did not eat much lunch in school for the past 2 days. I am wondering if it could be the taurate upsetting his stomach. Has anyone had any experience with this? Will his body adapt to the mag over time, or is this a sign that his body isn't tolerating the mag? San

Carolyn, Thanks so much for all of the information. It is really helpful. I thought I had figured out my son's triggers, or at least some of them, but when he goes through a period of waxing, I wonder what else could possibly be going on? Sometimes I feel like I am crazy and obsessive when I scrutinize everything that has gone into his mouth. It's so hard when he is at school and he is surrounded by so much of the "forbidden foods." You really seem to have done quite a bit of research and I am again so thankful for you and everyone on this forum. As I think back, my son exhibited early signs of tics when he was very little. So, I must be patient and keep trying and researching! San

Pat, Thanks for your advice. How often do you use the cream?

Do you give the magnesium with the calcium? My 8 year old son has been in a big time neck jerking period and we have just started with magnesium supplements. Before, we were able to work with the tics by really monitoring his food (no yucky stuff, colors, flavors, etc) However, over the past several weeks, we have seen an increase in his tics particularly the head jerks. Also, he started with some back bending and lots of finger stretching. It seems that he is always moving. So, we started with the magnesium. He has been on it for about 2 weeks and I have not seen any improvements. He is on a multi, calcium and now on 125 mg of magnesium. Should I give the mag with the multi and calcium? Anybody with suggestions, please help. Tonight he asked me if he could have any medicine to help his neck because it hurts. We do the epsom salts baths though not religiously. I am so down, depressed, and upset over all of this. I don't know what to do to help him. Any advice from anyone would be greatly appreciated...please.

myrose, I have read that the Natural Calm can make kids sleepy. Is it the same for the ionic magnesium supplement that you have used?

I have been reading this forum for some time but this is my first posting. I have 2 sons with tics. One is almost 8 and has had tics for about 3 years but he definitely showed signs of some motor tics earlier. His motor tics include neck bending, eye blinking, arm stretching, scratching his belly button (has anyone seen this one?), licking the back of his hands, and stretching his fingers. His vocal tic is making a sucking sound with his teeth. I have eliminated all artificial colors and flavors in his diet and when he eats something with them at school, I definitely see an increase in his tics. I have used epsom salts in the bath. I was thinking about starting a magnesium supplement. I have done some research in terms of dosage. According to what I have read, he should have about 110-130 mg/day. I have also read about some gastro side effects. In the forum, I have not read about anyone experiencing side effects with magnesium. Has anyone experienced any negative side effects when using them? Should I start out low and see the effects? Do I space out the magnesium throughout the day? How much should I start with? I am very hesitant about introducing anything new into his diet. A couple of years ago we visited a neurologist, I was definitely turned off as he was ready to give meds. I couldn't believe it. He never even mentioned enviro factors. Thank goodness for this website and Sheila's book. They have given me hope. My other son is 5 and just this winter started with a throat clearing tic. He does it a lot! I often worry if he could be damaging his throat. His pediatrician said that everything sounds okay and doesn't think anything is wrong. It started as a post nasal drip and has continued. I don't know if it is transient or what. Perhaps when the seasons change, I may see a change. He does seem to do through some allergy type nasal thing (sneezing, runny nose) when the seasons change. Both boys are on a good multi and calcium supplements. What about the Naturecalm? I think that's the name. What is the primary ingredient in it? Would I give that with the magnesium? Also, does the brand of the magnesium supplement matter? Any suggestions? Sorry this is so long. I have been doing a lot of thinking and reading in this forum. Thanks for any advice that you can give me.

I am new to the forum. My 7 year old son has had tics for a year now. His tics started with his neck and now include others like eye rolling and blinking, stretching his fingers and arms and making a sucking noise with his teeth. I think that one possible trigger is tv since when he watches he tics a lot. Also, when we are in the car, he tics. This leads me to attribute this to photosensitivity. Another time that he tics a lot is when we are reading aloud together. When he lays in bed at night, he also tics. I am not sure what that trigger is. The detergent that I use is a fragrance free one. I have also begun to eliminate the artificial dyes in foods. Any ideas or advice?