mommyfor4

Hi, I can't really help with the specific antibiotics but I can state that the problem may not always be "the antibiotic" but the form it comes in. Many kids antibiotics are liquid and therefore flavoured, coloured and sweetened, all which can increase tics in kids who are sensitive. Capsulated antibiotics can also have additives so being aware of any "additions" is important. Our ds is very reactive to most pharmaceuticals and I am convinced it is an additive issue. You can ask for a list of ingredients before accepting the prescription...just a thought! Best wishes, Megan Oops must have missed Cheri's post or posting at the same time...I guess we agree

Hi Lynn, so as you saw in my post I suspected the paint, silly putty and after Cheri's son's observation the silly bands. So doesn't my ds come home from a movie with a friend with a mittful of them again. His tics were elevated...discussed it with him and he mentioned feeling light headed but thought it could be the movie (too much stimuli) He decided the bands could very well be the issue, gave them up and had an epsom bath and by this morning tics are mellow again! It's got me convinced. Makes sense as he too is sensitive to chemicals etc. He isn't willing to chance it, thank goodness! Let's hope this trend passes quickly... Megan P.S. Glad to see on your post that he is healing quickly and doing much better

Oh, I am so glad you mentioned that. My kids have been coming home with them...I refuse to buy them but their friends feel sorry for my poor unfortunate kids . I started to think I was over reacting but you're absolutely right and that could explain some mood stuff and some unexplained short term tic bursts last week! I knew I was right...wait til I tell my kids!!! Just kidding....tempting though. Megan

Hi everyone, hope you all survived Halloween in one sane piece! We did pretty well our son raked in the candy, ironically, he can have none of it! He traded it all in for a gift card to Wal-Mart.... Anyway, I have had two major moments since Halloween. The kind that leave you thinking "are you kidding me?" The first was Halloween night and the following day. We saw an obvious increase in tics and started to question if our ds had snuck some "forbidden fruit" while trick or treating. Then it hit me.....the face paint! All the colour, BHT and other junk. We washed him immediately and epsom salt bathed him and it mellowed after the second day. The second incident was last night. He had received "silly putty" instead of treats from his teacher. After only 5-10mins of handling it he started ticcing like crazy, tics we have not heard in some time. It was the only new addition so I assumed it was the culprit...again sent him to wash and epsom salt bath and found the tics again started to diminish! Are you kidding me?!!!! I know the importance of clean diet, no chemicals etc. but I was shocked at the speed and reaction to these things. It was a reminder again of how quickly he can be thrown out of balance and how our skin's absorption also plays a big role. A little scary! On a positive note...still doing really well on the Progressive multi, grandparents and teacher have even commented! Having one of those rare moments when we feel like we are really managing his tics and not always five steps behind, pinpointing triggers with a little more ease now that we have his basic gameplan down. Have a great weekend all! Megan

Hi Mar, we have had strickingly similar experiences with our ds9! And he also is our high fever child (to the point of sweating and even nightmare/hallucinations). I have to say that the past year or so since managing his diet and avoiding all artificials and watching for food intolerances we have not experienced such scary fevers. That being said, I was told a few years ago by a previous Naturopathic Dr. that we could use the homeopathic Belladonna for extreme fever. But I do want to caution the importance of talking to your Naturopath or Dr. first. I have used it on the rare/extreme occasion and it did seem to work but these are not things I would use without further advice. Maybe Chemar or some of the other more seasoned mom's might know more? What I DO know is our ds cannot have ANY commercial fever/cough/other meds. as he ALWAYS reacts and those reactions seem worse than the initial symptoms and prolong or exacerbate the situation. Good luck! Megan

Yes, been there too! What if I didn't immunize ?( he reacted every time and yet I still finished) should have been stronger What if I didn't allow those antibiotics when he was young? should have researched more Maybe I started solids too soon? Maybe I was too stressed when I was pregnant? Maybe, Maybe, Maybe... Then one day I realized it doesn't matter, can't change that. My Naturopath regularly reminds me that the mother's whole health (mind, spirit, body) directly effects the family as a whole. I stopped worry about the past and started focusing on my plan of attack. "What if's" leave you helpless, but creating a plan gives you back some power. Yes, stress can effect our kids and exacerbate their tics, so taking care of you also takes care of them. Stop blaming yourself and take back the control. Your son will thank you for it! You are already on the right track: A friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of ones heart Chaff and grain together, Knowing that the gentlest of hands Will take and sift it Keep whats worth keeping, And with a breath of kindness... Blow the rest away Be a friend to yourself Megan

Oh Lele, I am so sorry Have you seen a Naturopathic Dr.? Maybe they have some suggestions. It is such a helpless place sometimes being a parent especially when dealing with multiple issues. Know that you are a great mom, willing to look for answers, and that's all you can do right now! Is there any commonality with when he has an asthma attack? School, home etc. Maybe it is something that can be removed as a trigger? I don't have experience with asthma but do know that the cleaner the environment the less bronchial coughs our son got, plus eliminating dairy and wheat was huge for respiratory issues. I hope you can get some guidance from someone with more info than me. Just lending my best support and prayers. Megan

Hey Kevin, the increase in tics could very well have been from a virus especially if he is now sick. Our son ( yes ds9) often will have an increase in tics prior to symptoms of virus showing up, it's almost like an early warning system. Seems that the tics are signals of most imbalances in the body even viruses etc. At least in MHO ( my humble opinion). Hope everyone feels better soon. Our house is also experiencing a similar virus and it is apparently wide spread... seeing as we are in Canada! Megan Oh yah! And I second Chris's post re: goat's milk we too were told no animal milks of any kind, we use Almond milk or coconut, if in a crunch rice ( the kids don't love it)

I'll admit it is takes some getting used to, but not as bad as Buckleys. The honey takes the edge off but there is no doubt you are getting medicinal plants. But that said ,even my 3 and 5 year olds will take it. My ds is sensitive to taste, smell etc. but he has quickly become accustom to it and asks for it now! It is also fairly cheap about 7.00 CA for the bottle. Megan

Hi Kevin, my ds9 also has a sniffing, throat clearing tic that seems like allergies but magnified. I feel like I should be a sales person for this product but we use a natural cough/allergy product called NIN JIOM and it works fantastic for our ds, great for family colds too! All natural, great beneficial herbs and honey based. May be worth a try. We went the benadryl route early on and found it definately increased his tics. Best on luck... Megan

Hi Rick, what about trying pure maple syrup or pure local honey? Our ds loves it on his oatmeal. Sorry Kevin for jumping in on your posts..... Megan

Hi and welcome! You said you have looked into alternative treatments but have you begun any? Food allergies/sensitivities CAN definately be a source for tics as you will see all over this forum. Many of us find a good multi beneficial and a Magnesium supplement (we use Natural Calm - unflavoured). Unfortunately, many of us have had to go outside of Neurologists and used Enviromental or Naturopathic Drs. Some main food triggers can be found doing elimination diet, picking one food group and eliminating it and then adding it back in to watch for tic increases. Some of the big offenders can be wheat/gluten, dairy, soy and all artificials and dyes. Also processed sugars, high fructose corn syrup, glucose/fructose etc. It is alot of work, especially in the beginning but many of us have seen dramatic results. Have you got Sheila Roger's book yet, it is a great place to start. Best wishes. Megan

Thanks for the quick reply Chris! I am now almost positive the Omega is causing tics so I am also looking into an alternative. Will keep updating... Have a good weekend as well'' Megan

Cheri I didn't even consider it could be the fish oil as he does well with fish! again, more food for thought.... Thanks Chris, look forward to hearing from you. Megan

Hi all, So we have had two good nights now, no mood issues at all and tics are still greatly decreased. I did start him back on Natural Calm (original -no flavour). I am sure now that the flavour was increasing his night time tics. He is also back to epsom bath every other night if not nightly. It really does seem to be an amazing help! I am also suspecting his NutraSea Omega 3 may increase his tics, it is lemon flavour so possibly that's the issue. Will try unflavoured and if not would love other suggestions. Have seen the postings on krill, and am interested in the one your son uses/used? Cheri. Chris I have also seen you use one called Flax Fusion, could you tell me who makes it and what is in it? Megan

Lynn, I am so sorry. It is amazing how quickly what effects our kids can bring us crashing down... Our ds has also had tic increases after dental and injury in the past, so I can only imagine It feels like everything is held in such fine balance and the slightest thing can tip the scale, so when something big happens it feels overwhelming. I will keep you and your son in my thoughts and prayers. It sounds like a temporary increase because of trauma and discomfort so hopefully you will all see relief soon as he begins to heal. Hang in there, today is a bad day but as we all have seen with our kids it can change just as quickly , these kids are sooooo resilient. Now if only we as parents had the same on/off switch Megan

Cheri, Thank you so much, you have gone over and above. Your findings are reassuring for me that this may be the multi for him. Thank you for clarifying what can be an overwhelming amount of ingredients, especially hidden triggers....I think I can speak for many (if not all) of us- you are such a blessing, a source of information, a sounding board...it is comforting to have a guiding hand when stumbling around through all this new information. Small kindnesses can have great residual effects... Megan

I have also heard good things about "Rescue Remedy" but have not yet tried it. Someone also mentioned to me last night the possibility of the moods being part of seasonal shift, the nights getting dark quicker and the cold weather moving in. He had a better night last night, we tried the Natural calm again and epsom bath but he told be after the Natural Calm his tics increased. This bottle was flavoured though lemon/raspberry, we were almost out so my mom picked some up, I'm assuming the flavour is the issue. I'll have to get more unflavoured. Yes, I have been receiving notes too and even money from him! trying to do some penance for unknown crimes. He is going away with his dad,poppa, uncles and cousin for boys weekend too, so maybe anxious? My husband works shift work so I am their constant and he REALLY loves his mom Here's to hoping both our kids continue on lesser tics and overcome their anxiety/sadness. Best wishes, talk soon. Megan

Hi Chris, we previously had him on a chewable multi by Quest but as I said we found the artificial sweeteners. I also thought I was being diligent. I am really pleased with the new one by Progressive but as Cheri noted there are some concerns if sensitive to corn. I am waiting to hear what, if any, response she gets. As far as the anxiety it is a wait and see for the cause, but the decrease in tics is amazing us! I will keep updating as time goes but as of now I will continue with the Progressive Kids Chewables. As I noted earlier I am shocked at how hard it is to find a "clean" multi....good luck and please let me know what you find and if you see postive results as well. Take care, megan

That's funny, we just went shopping together and he specifically asked for canteloupe and lime, maybe he knows his body better than I ever suspected Thank you and I will keep you updated. I will add the Natural calm back tonight and try the tea as well with his epsom bath. Does your son use loose leaf for tea or a bagged variety? Megan

I'm sorry, I put the bottle away already, but I'm almost positive it does not specify gluten free, but the fact that he has not started his "gluten/wheat tic" is a good sign. I will keep an eye for it though in the multi and other food sources, I was not aware of that and we have had him gluten free for some years! Thanks for the heads up.... Megan

Just brainstorming here: Would any of the non medicinals be of concern regarding mood and anxiety? Same with foodstuffs? I know artificials effect his mood but have never seen this in any food other than sugars.Thus far he doesn't seem to have sensitivity with corn but I couldn't swear to it 100%. I am wondering as I type if maybe he is coming down with something and the anxiety has replaced his tics as an early warning signal. Will watch what transpires as his sister does have a cold. If he has been clear of pesticides etc. have you ever heard of symptoms as the body cleanses. He has also said he has a headache at night but I put it to the crying. Could his body be showing signs of detox? Took him off Natural Calm at the same time because of Mag. in multi, dont know if that would be relevant. Again thanks....

He is taking Progressive MultiVitamins for kids, Natural SummerBerry Flavour Chewables. one in am another in evening This is not his first nighttime anxiety but it seems so much bigger right now. He is great up until bed and then it's like the black cloud descends on him. He is pretty articulate and verbal so at least he is not suffering in silence but it is breaking my heart. He is having fears of losing me, and being bad and ungrateful. I have to say he is none of these things, in fact he is a dream son! I do need to note we have had some great losses over the past two years. His grandfather 2 yrs ago, his 23 year old cousin (1yr) and his great grandmother(1yr), but he has seemed to handle these quite well up to date. Thanks again for any advice. Megan

Hi everyone, ds started a new multi two weeks ago as his other had sucralose and sorbitol and we wanted to eliminate all artificial sweetners.(I have to say it was really hard to find one without artificial sweetners even though they were clean of all other things). We have seen such a drastic drop in his tics, we have even experienced moments of silence, this is a child who always has some form of vocal tic even when doing well. The tics are not gone but are so much milder and he has definite tic free time periods. My husband and I just stand there in awe asking "do you hear that?"..."quiet". I don't think we've had this in at least three years if not longer! I also have noticed since dietary changes etc. he has been sick less and if gets sick it is sooo much milder. He was always prone to chronic bronchitis and pneumonia, been two years since any serious coughing fits (breathless,choking and throwing up). He was our two second cough kid, coughing ALL night with most colds. But this is the biggest change we have seen, since eliminating wheat and dairy etc. Feeling so positive and praying that we are onto something here! Oh, and we have gone completely organic on all fruits and veggies as well. We had tried before but were not super diligent. He is definately sensitive to chemicals, pesticides the works. Back to school today so interested to see how he is after. Sorry for rambling, just feeling like something good is happening here! On the not so amazing side-The strange thing is as his tics are decreasing, his night time mood has changed, he is sad, and self deprecating, apologizing for behaviours that we did not even notice, and although we assure him that we are amazed by and proud of him he has spent most evening crying. Coincidence-or tied to the multi? I am fairly sure it is not an outside issue , friends etc. Any ideas? Megan

Hi Lele, I wanted to also add for your benefit (maybe)that our son was always prone to chronic bronchitis and pneumonia, he was regularly being checked for asthma etc. as every cold turned into coughing untill breathless and throwing up. We have seen dramatic change since dietary changes particularly removing wheat and dairy. He still gets colds but it has been almost two years since "scary" episodes. I still cringe a bit when his sisters get the odd cough but he has been handling them, minus tic increases of course. It is so hard to be the decision maker over our kids health and being torn in between conventional and alternative approaches. I empathize with you so strongly and pray that you find peace in the decision you make. (We find a natural cough/allegy product called NIN JIOM has been an amazing help in giving him relief for colds and allergies, it has some really beneficial herbs and is pure and honey based. Not great tasting but better than Buckleys. Our ds9 asks for it now and is sold on its results) Megan