Sheila

Hi Vvny, I'm so sorry to read that he is having such major vocal tics. We can see if anyone answers about guanfacine. I'm wondering how is your son is when he wakes up in the morning compared to when he goes to bed at night? And when do they get the worst during the day? How were things before the lockdown? Hoping to hear back, Sheila

I wouldn't lose sleep over this, though I understand your anxiety over it. Hopefully having his dad around will help keep things under control (great he is going)! Maybe Dad can privately help give some guidance on the food choices. If he had severe allergies it would be one thing--then strict adherence would be critical--but that doesn't seem to be the case, right? You know best what it takes in the way of certain foods to tip the scales and increase tics. If if he does go off script and has an increase in blinking it could be a learning experience and he can get back on track once home. It's always a balancing act between issues like this and self esteem/having fun. With my son, he learned that if he was at a party he could take something like a soda, which he knew increased tics, and only have a sip or two, then ditch the rest. When is the camp?

Hi MLee, I've heard a theory that for those with an immune/allergy connection to their tics, just as allergies and sensitivities often improve with age, so do the tics along with them. I don't think research has looked in this direction though.

Hi -- I'm glad you could see some connections with your daughter and some of the symptoms/conditions from the book. I hope the reference below can be helpful to your family. As in any situation, medical needs are unique to the individual and I can't predict if this will be a match for you. Wishing you the best! Sheila This doctor is active in the field of environmental medicine. (They are few and far between). I believe he is near Flint. i did not see a website for him. Gerald D. Natzke, D.O., FAAEM, DABEM 9475 Holly Rd Ste 205 Grand Blanc , MI 48439 Tel: (810) 344.4567

Thank you for adding your feedback, ahmoy44. And it's good to know you had positive results with adjusting diet related to gluten, eggs and refined sugar. It's always helpful for members to receive encouragement on how lifestyle changes can help some people so they can try for themselves. How are things going, Sunflower78? Please let us know if there is any specific info we can provide that might be useful.

Hi -- we are locking this thread so the conversation can be continued in the Comment area of a regular article. That way more people can see it and learn from it. I hope you will participate in sharing ideas there! Please see here. (https://latitudes.org/can-you-help-amelia-with-her-tics/) Thank you!

Hi there and welcome to the forums. Where do you live please? (State/country)

Hello Lenny and welcome to the Forums. I'm really sorry for the delay in responding, this totally slipped through! As Ahmoy44 said, you seem to be in the US. What area of the country are you in? I'm asking in case you would benefit from seeing an environmental physician. Allergy testing is a controversial field, with people--even on this forum-- turning to a range of techniques for allergy testing. Part of the issue is cost and whether insurance coverage is an issue. In general, I would not recommend the mail-in testing. A number of lab tests can be completed depending on the situation; it is best to have a practitioner overseeing those. Please write back and let me know where you live and tell us a little more, OK? Do you think anything changed in your son's environment around the time when the vocal tics started up? How long has he had those? I'm glad you have seen some improvement with the diet changes you've tried. Sheila

Hi Ahmoy, welcome to the Forums. It is good to see that you have already made some helpful observations to help get you started in the right direction. Please check your email, I have sent a note to you there and we will look to provide more info here in the forum. Hopefully there will be more answers for you and your daughter soon. Sheila

Hi Ashley, Please see this article by Dr James Greenblatt, one of our advisory board members, that includes a discussion of NAC. While not addressing each of your questions, I hope it will be useful. Wishing you all the best, Sheila https://latitudes.org/key-nutrients-for-adhd-ocd-and-tics/

Hi Sunflower78--welcome to the Forums. You sound like a wonderful mom and all the efforts you have made to stay green, breastfeed and eat clean have no doubt helped your son. Please don't assume it was the vaccines or that you did anything wrong. Many, MANY kids have symptoms just like your boy. Sometimes they go away on their own, sometimes it takes extra steps to find the cause and then go from there. You are right that there is no way this could be considered Tourette's (Geez!). I apologize that I am out of town and have to get off the computer but will check in soon. Don't despair, there are lots of things that can be done to help your son. Others on the Forum can help also. Best wishes, Sheila

Hi Dawn, You've taken a number of sensible approaches and made a significant effort; I'm sorry you haven't hit on the answers you need yet for your boy. It can be complex to sort everything out. For example, and I'm just throwing this out there for the concept--the diet could have been helping and maybe your community sprayed for mosquitoes and that triggered the neck tic. I'm not suggesting this happened--but it's why it can take patience and investigating to figure things out with environmental approaches. Let's see if others come up with ideas for you as far as physicians. In the meantime I'm sending a private message since you said you are willing to travel. Sheila

Hi Sad Dad, Welcome to the forums. I'm so sorry you are in this situation of feeling helpless. So many of us have had that awful feeling yet also been able to turn things around. Please read a couple of articles on our site that give a overview of approaches people have found useful, linked below. (Don't count on one thing, like some magnesium, to be a silver bullet.) Also I would suggest you get the book you see at the top of this page -- Stop your tics by finding what triggers them. It could be helpful in trying to get to the bottom of what is going on. Our other book, Natural Treatments for Tics and Tourettes -- both books are on Amazon--will give a broader picture beyond triggers, including nutritional supplements and ideas for lab testing if that were needed. Lots of info from families who met with success with natural approaches are included in both. Here are a couple of articles--remembering that everyone is different, just to give some concepts; you can find more on the site. https://latitudes.org/dealing-with-tourettes-or-tics-i-wrote-this-just-for-you/ https://latitudes.org/how-we-reversed-jessicas-tic-disorder/ Our organization finds that tics are often allergy connected--and not just just throat/nasal, but rather an allergy that affects the brain. That allergic inflammation or immune response can be triggered by factors such as gut conditions, chemical exposures, typical allergens, or dietary issues. Please don't be sad. You've come to the right place to start looking for answers, and you seem like the type of parents who can find them. Your daughter sounds like a sweet and lovely girl. It's good to continue to just think of the tics as habits and avoid her being self conscious of them. I hope this helps? Sheila

Hi Jasmina, I'm glad you will be able to follow up when you go to Beijing. I think you are right that the swimming could have caused the difficulty breathing and an emotional reaction. Chemical exposures can affect people in different ways. It would be good if you could get him back to a normal day without hours of exposure very day to pool chemicals and control his diet, etc. Also I am sending an email note to you, please look for it. Good luck with all your efforts!

Hi Jasmina, Your English is very good and we were happy to hear from you! It is good to learn that you have found a way to get help for your son. You have made some good starts. I'm sorry not to be able to give you suggestions on amounts of supplements for detox but can say that the amount you are giving of B6 is quite low, nothing to be concerned about; (you can check with your doctor about using more). Some people need to take it with food to avoid stomach upset. In addition to the approaches you are using I wanted to mention that it is important to avoid potential triggers that may be affecting him. Triggers include diet and also things in the environment. We have a book, Stop Your Tics by Learning What Trigger Them -- and it was just translated into Chinese. The concept is that if there is something aggravating his system, it is best if it can be avoided and this will also help other approaches be more beneficial. The publisher gave me these two links for the book in case you are interested. I don't know how it works with you being in China and trying to order from Taiwan, but I hope this could be of some help to you (please let us know if you decide to do it): FROM THE PUBLISHER: You could find the complex Chinese edition on our official website:https://www.wunan.com.tw/bookdetail?NO=14327 Or on Books.com.tw:https://www.books.com.tw/products/0010820544 (Books.com.tw is the biggest online bookstore in Taiwan) We are looking forward to hearing back from you, Jasmina and hope you can find all the answers your son needs, Sheila

Hi, garnerflys, welcome to the Forums. Sorry to hear your son's tics are getting worse. I'm sending you a message shortly-please look for it. Thanks! Sheila

Hi Samz, I'm really sorry that doctor did not work out! How very frustrating. I will give this some thought. Are you willing to travel? Sheila

Hi Ryan, Welcome to the Forums, and I'm glad you wrote. It is clear you have been though such a tough time with your Tourette's. I'm sorry to learn of it, and all the meds you have tried unfortunately haven't been enough help. What area of the country do you live in now? I'm gong to send a private message to you--please watch for it, OK? Sheila

Hi Ashly -- I apologize for the delay in getting a response to you! I am sending you a private message tonight. Please check. All the best, Sheila

HI Joy -- There are a number of reasons that people can have short term memory problems, and different approaches can possibly improve it. Since you have seen that there is a diet connection to his tics I would continue to pursue that approach. Also two additional ideas to consider are that amino acid imbalances or a lack of certain nutrients (i.e., B vitamins) can affect focus and memory. For this effort I would see a nutritionist who is skilled in working with youngsters and natural approaches (versus a conventional nutritionist at a hospital setting, for example) or an integrative practitioner who can test for deficiencies or make recommendations based on a clinical evaluation. And along the lines of the probiotic that you mentioned, a common cause of memory problems is "brain fog" caused by a candida overload in the gut. You can see this article for an explanation. Someone does not need to have all the symptoms for a connection with candida--but you will see memory in the list. Since you are not sure how much cooperation you will get from your son with diet change you might need a practitioner to explain it to him (if indeed it seems this is an issue) rather than you trying to control his diet especially since it usually means reducing intake of some favorite things like breads and sugars. There are other causes and approaches, but starting here could make sense for you. (With the B vitamins be sure to get one that doesn't upset the stomach. ) Also our book Stop Your Tics by Learning What Triggers Them gives a lot of ideas of things that could be playing a role. It is user friendly. I hope that gives you some direction. I know it is a challenge, but you seem to be on the right track! Sheila

Hi samz-- it is impossible to suggest a perfect match (just like trying to find a dentist everyone would like). But this doctor seems relatively close and has the type of approach that has been helpful for some with the issues you are facing. You can check out the website and see what you think. I hope you will keep us posted. Sheila http://www.francisholisticmedicalcenter.com/

Thank you for sharing your experience with acupuncture for your facial tic, Jay. So glad you found relief. Do you have to maintain this on a regular basis?

Hi samz, I've read your report and really sympathize. You've undertaken a number of sensible approaches. I'm glad you all experienced several months without symptoms, but I know how upsetting it is when tics resurface. As I'm sure you have read, sertraline is a strong medication with a significant number or potential side effects. As a policy, we never advise someone on whether to start or stop a prescribed medication, but it is always good to be informed when you make your decisions. I would suggest that your description "crawling out of his skin" can be a classic allergic response. Also the sensory sensitivities your child experiences can have a biological basis that could possibly be treated. He might benefit from a comprehensive approach with the help of a physician who could evaluate and treat nutritional imbalances, chemical and food sensitivities, and allergic responses. Please let me know if you would like help in locating a doctor like this in MA, OK? Hang in there, I'm sure you can find some relief for your little boy.

Sorry for the delay Sutjipto. Have you by any chance been able to have him evaluated by a movement specialist?

Hi Sutjipto, I will see if I can get in touch with the other parent to ask her. Question-- what about when your son is sitting down? And has your son (or you) ever noticed anything that makes his tics worse besides standing or walking? Sheila