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My almost 5 year old son is due to have his MMR booster next month, I've asked our doc about doing titers and I've been told he will probably show immunity because he already had 1 MMR, so they think he needs the 2nd one no matter what the titers show. They think the risks of getting the diseases far outweigh the effects of vaccines. This doctor is our family practice doctor, not one who I take my son with tics to. I don't think he supports our path of supplements and diet, so we don't see him for tics. I know that I can't say for certain that the MMR contributed to my son's tics, but the unknown scares me and the thought of doing it when I don't know the outcome makes me sick. I'm sure some of you have been in this situation. And my younger son is due for another Hib...should I continue to vaccinate him, no tics there?????? Thanks so much!

My son is with tics is allergic to beef as well, and it states to not get the MMR shot if you are allergic to gelatin, and I'm pretty sure gelatin is made from beef. Any thoughts?

My 3 year old son who does not have tics as my other child does, is supposed to get another Hib vaccine, and I have no idea what to do about this. We have always vaccinated according to schedule, but of course with events of the past year, we no longer feel comfortable vaccinating. I'm wondering if all vaccines are linked to tics, or just the MMR? Is the Hib required for him to go to preschool?? Any information would be so helpful! And also, my almost 5 year old with tics is supposed to get his second MMR in 2 months, how have you other parents handled this??

I'm happy to hear things are going well. It seems we are battling some of the same issues...stuffy, sneezing, pale, circles under eyes. My ds tics seem very allergy related, pulling at hose or eye lids, scratching face at times. No OCD or rages. 23 food sensitivies and allergic to molds. We are on a strict diet here as well. The only time my son tics is when he is excited or anticipating something, like when he is about to read or a book or watch a show, I think it has to do with his neurotransmitters as well.

My son's birthday is coming up and I really want to make him a cake, but he is undergoing a major elimination diet including dairy, gluten, wheat, soy, yeast, CORN. It is hard to find anything that doesn't have corn in it. Any recommendations please!!!! I have no problem ordering online. THANK YOU:)

I just want to wish you luck with finding a doctor, maybe look into a naturopath as well. My husband and I are from the U.P., lived there all of our life. Our family is all still there. We've been in Madison, WI for 5 years, and I'm so thankful for being where we are. I always think that if I was having this problem with my almost 5 year old son, and living back home in MI, I would be lost with trying to find a doctor. My son has had motor tics and some vocal since around age 2,and we have finally found a naturopath to work with. We did use a DAN doctor, but it was $500 for our first visit, all out of pocket, and honestly I could have done everything he suggested by reading this board. Good luck ok!!

Hi Mar, Just wanted to say how sorry I am you are going through this. I am also having an extremely hard time feeding my son with the 23 allergies, he doesn't want to eat anymore because there is no variety. And I don't blame him, it's tough. He is being treated for leaky gut. I'm thinking of you! It's hard enough dealing with the food, but to be adding this latest worry is very difficult I'm sure. Take care!!!

Thanks for the information Sarah. I came to realize my son was having tics long before I realized what I was seeing, so I didn't document them like I should have. It's a slow process, and right now we are staying away from 23 foods, the big ones being gluten, corn, dairy, soy, and eggs. Hopefully, eventually, things will start to look up. I have never been back to the neurologist, only one time over a year ago when she thought he would most likely grow out of them. His ped game me info on TS, which didn't help anything. He may very well end up having TS, but I have no need to get a diagnosis, I'm going to continue treating his symptoms as best we can, and hope for the best:) Our hardest times are during the spring, summer, and fall, when his allergies really flare up. It is so hard at times to watch, and so sad when it feels like your child is being judged by other parents and kids. Good luck to you as well. Please let me know if anything changes with your son. Amy

Hi Sarah, We currently have him on a liquid supplement called GI Revive, he is taking probiotics, digestive enzymes, a yeast fighter, and some allergy supplements. His little gut is reacting to everything, and we had his neurotransmitters tested and many were very elevated due to his body responding to the allergies. I don't completely know what I'm talking about , but I think we have a good direction now. His tics haven't gone away by any means, but they are minimal, and all the tics he has seem very allergy related...throat clearing, scratching his skin when excited, snorting...actions you would find with allergies. He has never had any type of head jerking or neck tics. I would love to know more about your child's history as well.

My son had the IgE/IgG blood tests done and showed 23 food allergies. We are currently treating him for a leaky gut, which is what I really think is going on with him. He has a huge history of allergies, as do I, and we have no family hx of TS. It's very hard to eliminate all the foods, but well worth it. Let me know if you have any questions and good luck.

That is a good point (that Smartyjones brought up)...have you ever had your son's strep titers (ASO and anti-danse b ) drawn? If they are low (PANDAS kids can have low strep titers, even those that have had recent strep) that doesn't tell you much. If they are high...your son likely had strep without you knowing it. Do other illnesses (viruses etc) seem to affecct your son's tics? Or just food? Many PANDAS kids seem to react if others around them (family members) have strep...even if they themselves don't get it. So, that is something else to watch for. If your son happens to get H1N1 and then his tics worsen...that would be a good time to send another sample to Dr. Cunningham. Several on this board (including us) have found H1N1 a big non-strep trigger. Has your son had any episodes of urinary frequency? Mood issues? handwriting? emotional lability? Adhd? Can you clarify what you mean by OCD type tics? Any OCD? anxiety? separation anxiety? So do you think the best thing to do is wait until he is sick with maybe a sore throat and go in and have our whole family cultured for strep? We did have the ASO titers drawn a while back which were negative. He does seem to tic slightly more with colds, but I think he starts clearing his throat often from nasal drip and then those habits just stick with him. Like if he is sniffing a lot from his cold, he will keep sniffing after the cold for a little while. We've never seen problems with hand writing, urinary frequency, any type of rages. He may have some anxiety, but it's mostly with excitement or anticipation of things. That is when he mostly tics. Like before we walk into school he clears his throat a few times because he gets excited. Or if a favorite show is about to come on. Both of my boys have colds right now, no sore throat in my son with the tics, should I have us all get throat cultures?? Thank you all for your information!

What is your child's history/symptoms? That's important too. Also, was your son in an exacerbation at the time of blood draw? Any recent steroid use, plasmaphoresis, or IVIG? He doesn't not have a history of strep, his main symptoms are vocal/motor tics and I would say some OCD type tics. He was waxing with tics during the time of the draw. No history of steroid use or IVIG. He has huge problems with food allergies, which I believe are a main influence on the tics.

My son's cam kinase result was 110, which Kathy said was close to the control of 101. I'm very new to all of this, so I am wondering if PANDAS can be ruled out. Any information would be welcome and appreciated!!!

We have been seeing a DAN Doctor here in Madison for my 4 yr old son with tics. We have run food allergy tests as well as neurotransmitters tests. He has been very helpful, but I don't feel like we see him often enough. I did email him with some questions about 3 weeks ago and still have no response. I feel like we really need to find out more about what my son is deficient in or if heavy metals are a problem, and much more guidance on supplements. We are trying to figure out for ourselves what we should put our son on and really have no one to run it by. Should we see a naturopath as well, or someone else. Thank you so much!

Just sent in bloodwork today for the study, and am wondering how long it usually takes to get the results. I know they are super busy and closing on the 12th I think. Any information would be great! Thanks!

We always have our boys "trade in" their halloween candy for a toy..and they love doing this and so do we:)

Wow, thank you Caryn. We started the Kids Calm before we went corn free, and never thought to check. Thank you for letting me know this, I have read through many of you posts actually, because I have seen you have many diet restrictions as well. I appreciate the information!! Happy Halloween!

SF Mom, I have sent an email to Dr. Cunningham, and hopefully will here something soon. Thank you so much for your information, and taking the time to reply!!

Looking back my 4 year old son has had little vocal and motor tics for around 2 years, we didn't document anything because we didn't even realize at the time what they were. After going through some rough times in the spring, we have been using a DAN doctor. We have no family history of Tourettes that we know of. My son as well as myself has a lot of environmental and food allergies. His food results came back with 23 allergies/sensitivies, so we our diet is extremely limited. He is wonderful about it all, and accepts fully that he has allergies and never tries to eat something he shouldn't. The PANDAS came back negative, neurotransmitters came back with a lot of elevations. We have him on Kavinace, which we see no improvement. He is also on Kids Calm, Flax seed oil, Vitamin D, probiotic, digestive enzymes, and allergy meds. He tics mostly with excitement/anticipation of things, and with TV. He does get epsom salt baths on most nights. Our doctor felt this is something we can clear up, but nothing is really improving. His tics wax and wane, but they last for a while when they are there. We are gluten free, soy free, dairy free, corn free, egg free, plus many other foods which he is sensitive to. I feel it is a combination of food allergies since they are so many, but also like it's something with his neurotransmitters because of when he tics. I don't know much about Candida, or if we should check for that. Any tests or suggestions would be so helpful. Thank you so much. I'm feeling hopeless at the moment, but I know we will keep fighting this.

Hi, I need to start my 4 year old on digestive enzymes and probiotics and have no idea what I'm looking for in these products. We are currently GFCF and soy free, we started this 2 weeks ago, but will be finding out for sure this week if he actually does have sensitivities to these. Any information would be great and places to order these from. Thanks!

So my son has had tics for about 2 years now on and off, both motor and vocal, but nothing major I would say. He has many environmental allergies, but we have never tested him for food allergies. I don't believe we have any family history of TS, but I can't be positive. I have been doing epsom salt baths every night, and have ordered Kids Calm, multivitamin, and some flaxseed oil. I have no idea what else to get because my son is 4 yrs and 42 lbs and I don't know what is safe to give him. I haven't gone over any of this with a doctor so far. Should I be giving him L-carnitine and taurine as well? Do I need to see a doctor with all of these supplements? Any suggestions on possible food allergies. His tics now and have been a in the past is throat clearing and in the past few days some lip movements, not sure what it is called. I ordered Sheila Rogers book and will read that when I get it. I need some direction, there are so many avenues to explore that I am so overwhelmed trying to figure out what my next step should be and what I should be doing first. Should I do food sensitivity testing, IgG? Thanks!

Thanks for your reply, but I just ordered one yesterday when I ordered some other supplements. I do appreciate you responding to me. Thanks again! Hi, I don't post often but read a lot. I represent a company called Shaklee that sells high quality gluten free, children's vitamins with no artificial colors, flavors,etc. They are called "Incredivites". They are chewable. You can send me a message if interested and I will be happy to give you the link to my website and answer any qu. rgcamom

Can anyone recommend a good, pure multivitamin for a 4 year old boy. I need to get him started today and will buy in a store or online. THANKS!

Hi, what kind of good, pure multivitamin do you recommend for a 4 year old? Thank you!

My son is 4yrs old, I want to start Kids Calm and am wondering if I should do L-Carnitine as well for a throat clearing tic. Is he too young? Should I space it out if it's an option for him? Thanks!