Sheila

Hi -- I sent a private message to you just now. Let me know if you can't locate it. (In case you aren't familiar, look for the little envelope at the very top right side of page in the blue bar)

Hi Chanis, I'm sorry you are dealing with tics in your teenager and also have concerns with your little girl. I know someone in London who may be available to connect with you, let me see and get back to you, OK?

Hi mlee, Assuming there are no serious health issues (heart disease, irregular heart beat, colitis or other digestive disorders) there should be no problem with short nightly Epsom salt baths as you describe. A side effect such as dehydration would typically only occur with hot, long baths. You can also watch for any laxative effect. Usually 1 to 2 cups of salts are used for a standard tub. Is that what you are doing? It's nice to read that it seems to be helpful.

OK, thanks for the response. We would love to hear what you think, if you do try it.

You might want to look into Kirkman nutrients. This is an FAQ on their products. HERE You are right that the nutrients mentioned could help but probably won't be enough alone. Do you think he would be willing to monitor his diet and see if he finds anything that makes tics worse? It's good you are looking for answers and help.

Hi lulu648 -- I know this is a late response but it in some ways the fact that no one responded reflects that we have not heard any reports, positive or negative, about the tichelper.com online program. It is set up to be entirely self-directed. The site offers this video: https://www.tichelper.com/demo/video/ Note: when they talk about tic triggers, it is not in the same way that we do with Latitudes (foods, chemicals, etc) it is more situational based. One of the questions is whether there would be any interaction with a therapist, and this is the answer, below. No, the TicHelper.com was built to interact with you based on your input into the program. In other words, the program is tailored to assist your child with the specific tics that are problematic to him or her. Each person working TicHelper.com will experience a unique and individualized program that will adjust to his or her specific needs.

Matt, I sympathize with your concerns and know this must all be very distressing. I would focus first on why your son has not been feeling well--the stomach aches and headaches. The underlying problem could be connected to the tics, since you have already seen a neurologist for an evaluation and results were negative. You could see a pediatrician to rule out infection, and also look for a well trained naturopath or functional medicine practitioner to explore laboratory tests for food sensitivities. A candida overgrowth or other intestinal imbalance is often found with kids who have tics and digestive complaints. Reduce sugars dramatically and be sure to avoid any artificial flavors, colors and preservatives. Consider taking him off dairy for a 2 week trial. Is there any chance you have a mold issue at home? I'm dropping you a message. Let us know how your son is doing please.

Hi misy_15, Kudos for doing some lab tests that could prove very helpful. Please let us know if you see improvement on the gluten-free diet. This link has a discussion (from Great Plains Laboratory --which I believe you said in another post that you used) on a a child with autism who had elevated Arabinose You might want to see if you can glean any tips from the discussion. Note that antifungal medication was needed for several months to normalize levels. Just passing this on. In looking into DAO and histamine, I wondered if you really wanted to decrease the DAO? This article might be of interest to you on histamine sensitivity and DAO. I know it is hard to find answers, not just in the UK but in most areas. You might want to look for a functional medicine practitioner in your area. Try this site https://www.ifm.org/ Hope this helps and that you find everything you need to help your boy. You seem to have already uncovered some important clues to follow up on.

Hi tryinghard and welcome to the forums. Sorry to hear you are dealing with vocal tics. I'm dropping a note and hope others will have more to say. I'll just mention that sometimes (nothing is the same for everyone) chemical exposures and/or mold have been linked to vocal tics. In general, allergies can have an impact--and not just for throat-clearing type tics. Having worked on the two books our organization has, I can assure you that there are helpful ideas for adults -- the principles do not just apply to kids. We often hear from adults who found them useful. Do you have allergies in yourself or your family? Sheila

Hi supermom13, thank you for sharing your interesting observation about how your boy did onZyrtec versus Claratin. I hope he is doing better right now. First, yes -- there is a very big connection between allergies and tics for many people. Neurologists usually don't look into this. As for your son doing better on Zyrtec than Claritin, while they are both antihistamines, they have different ingredients. I'm not sure which children's product you used, but below is an example of the difference. It could be that the Claritin was not as effective for him, but also possible that the ingredients, such as aspartame (Nutrasweet) set him off. Or something else in the product such as a number of artificial colors (not good for tics!) especially in the grape one, among other ingredients. Please see below and consider if it helps answer any questions . Please let us know what you think! Sheila ZYRTEC CHILDRENS Active Ingredients: Cetirizine HCl 5 mg (in each 5 mL) (Antihistamine) Inactive Ingredients: anhydrous citric acid, flavors, propylene glycol, purified water, sodium benzoate, sorbitol solution, sucralose CLARITIN CHILDREN'S Active ingredients: Loratadine 5 mg (Antihistamine) Bubble Gum: Aspartame, carmine, citric acid, colloidal silicon dioxide, flavor, magnesium stearate, mannitol, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium starch glycolate, stearic acid Grape: Aspartame, citric acid anhydrous, colloidal silicon dioxide, D&C red No. 27 aluminum lake, FD&C blue No. 2 aluminum lake, flavor, magnesium stearate, mannitol, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium starch glycolate, stearic acid

Hi Sarah, I'm glad finally had your appointment with the pediatric neurologist. You have had the classic (frustrating) experience that parents encounter when they take a child with tics to the neurologist. You want help, but what you get is a label. No further workup was suggested because the docs don't know what to do about tics. Which is not a very stellar approach for a physician who is supposed to heal people. For processing it, my suggestion would be to ignore the label of Tourette's. It is not helpful and is somewhat arbitrary. Please know that allergies can cause both vocal and motor tics. Plus, allergic kids are often hypersensitive to toxic chemicals and some foods. Further, allergies are often made worse by nutritional imbalances. These are all areas to explore. I would suggest you look at the pinned articles posted at the top of this tic forum, and check out our books: Natural Treatments for Tics and Tourettes and also Stop Your Tics by Learning What Triggers Them if you have not done so. A diagnosis of Tourette syndrome can frighten and paralyze parents. Put it aside, and do your own follow up by learning what is actually wrong with your young son and finding ways to make him healthier. The good news is that there are many avenues to take, and you can--and I predict you will--find answers. Please keep in touch and let us know how you make out.

mlee, to piggyback on Chemar's suggestions, it can be helpful to know what your son might need to be "detoxed" from. For example, does he have heavy metals in his system, did he get exposed to toxic chemicals, or does he need a food-detox program. You might want to consult a naturopath to get some guidance on this. (Sorry that I did not go back and review your posts before writing that suggestion-- maybe you have already done that!)

To Lost99 -- it is a good thing to be looking at probiotics. I would agree with maryangela that a yeast imbalance seems to be very common with kids who have tics. It is often overlooked. Hope you have had a chance to implement that, along with dietary change to avoid foods that "feed" the yeast, and have seen some positive change.

Hi Wonderful Mom -- I saw your separate post and responded there. Please be aware that a simple single intervention does not always make a major improvement, such as giving an Epsom salt bath. It can be a relaxant for the muscles and helpful for some people, but usually other efforts are needed. Don't get discouraged and avoid feeling overwhelmed. There are many things that can be looked at. You are in a good place here in the Forums. I'll look forward to your answers to your separate post.

Hi --(and you do sound like a "wonderful mom." ) We are glad you joined the forum. Some people could think you are jumping on this very quickly when it might just go away, but since your daughter and you are both well aware of the vocal tic starting up as it did, you see a pattern and it can be very frequent, then I would encourage you to go ahead with your efforts. At the same time, it would be a good idea to be low key and casual about it. What you have seen so far with improvement could be a coincidence. But Chemar's suggestion of keeping a log is a very good one and will help sort things out. . Sometimes there are more tics at night because of fatigue. But you also see a TV connection. Is the TV she watches in the bedroom? How is your daughter when she wakes up first thing in the morning -- is she calm with no vocalizations? If so, when do they start up? Does she have allergies? Looking forward to learning more. Sheila

Hi Sarah, Welcome to the forums. I know it is hard to watch your boy tic, and hopefully it will resolve very soon. It is such a feeling of being out of control as a parent. But you sound like the kind of mom who will be able to find answers. It sounds like you have a lot going on related to the travel. Where do you live? In addition to whatever your pediatrician wants to do , you could ask for a referral to an allergist. As for what to request or questions, lot depends on the mindset of your pediatrician. Some take the approach that tics come and go, and it has been a short time (aside from the snorting) and "they will probably go away on their own." Others, and this is the small minority, will help you explore other approaches. Had the doctor done a strep test? Let us know what next step is recommended re: the antibiotic. Try to get on a strict diet right away, avoiding sugars and artificial additives. Reduce screen time, keep the house cool since heat may aggravate him (?) and make sure he is not exposed to perfumes, other scented products or cleaners. Those are just common sense things, in general, for tics. You mentioned a lot of change was taking place. After you see the pediatrician, let us know what else came up during the appointment, OK? Please write back and let us know how things are for your boy this morning. We care and know what it is like to feel helpless as you watch your child tic, but be assured that there are answers to be found and you can get a handle on this. Hang in there and please write back! Sheila

Hi Patty, sorry for the delay. At first I wanted to know if it was the tine test. Then I failed to get back to you! How has your son's memory been since you first posted? I have not seen info specifically on memory. I found the Mayo Clinic to be one of the most complete sources for consideration before use and potential side effects. There are some significant ones but they do not say how long effects such as dizziness can last. Please let us know how he is doing. Here are two links from the same site in case they are of any use. Again, not on memory per se. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/tuberculin-intradermal-route/precautions/drg-20066571 https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/tuberculin-intradermal-route/side-effects/drg-20066571

Hi Rose1, I too wish we had material in Spanish. We are looking into getting some articles translated. Thank you for bringing it up--it's an important issue. Wish we had funds to pay for professional translation and quickly jump start things. Also, welcome to the forums . . . Have you seen specific foods that trigger the vocalizations in your child that you mentioned? Could you please share those with us? I remember when an important study came out in the UK several years ago that showed how some additives could trigger hyperactivity even in so-called "normal" kids, and a doctor wrote an article that he thought it was better to let children eat foods containing those rather than avoid the foods because they need to be able to eat what their friends are eating. I was appalled -- some doctors clearly do not get it. Thank you so much for writing~Sheila

Hi Mertol, thank you for sharing your account of your daughter's tics. It is of course normal to be concerned, and the "wait and see" approach doctors often recommend for tics is frequently not too satisfying. However, it does sometime happen that tics lessen with time, so that's the good news there. However, most people on this forum are looking for answers and steps they can take to hopefully improve symptoms rather than just be observers. It's wonderful that your girl is so bright and doing well even in school even with a foreign language. I'm curious -- where do you live now, when did you move there, and what countries were you in previously? Besides a dust allergy, do you or her mom have any other allergies you are aware of? We'd love to have an update now and then, as you indicated. It's good to read you have focused on her diet. You don't have to answer these questions, Mertol, I just thought members might like to brainstorm with you if you want input. All the best, Sheila

Hi Patty, I'm so sorry you are having this concern. It would seem to be a rare reaction, if indeed there is a connection. (But we know our kids can by hypersensitive.) Can you tell us exactly which skin test was your son given?

Hi Supermom13, the term waning is used in the same way that "lessening" might be used. The symptoms are reducing. Then if they start to increase in severity or frequency, they are said to be waxing, getting worse. It sounds like your son is doing very well if he only has a couple of tics a day. For many people, waning could mean going from a score of 5, 5 being a high level of symptoms, down to a 3--simply getting better. Or it can be a time of no symptoms at all. Hope that helps.

Hi moonbound , I would agree with you that what you are experiencing is not a classic tic. I don't think age is as much the factor (tics can develop later in life, not just as kids) but rather the type of movements you are describing. Can you get a referral to a neurologist to get a diagnosis? There are a number of conditions that can result in different types of movement issues. Let us know, OK?

Patty, I was just looking online about hair loss for someone else. I found this interesting, that iron may help even when someone does not test anemic. I thought of your son and am just passing it on in case it is of interest. It is multiple pages. https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/news/20060516/hair-loss-may-be-iron-deficiency#1

Hi James, sorry for the delay with this. I searched this Tourette Syndrome and Tics forum for Garcia TMJ (not in quotes) and came up with several posts. You should be able to learn more in those. There was no link that showed all of them at once that I could share with you. If you still need the information, please go to the search area in the blue bar, top right, and put those words in. I hope you get the information you need.

Hi nervoustic, welcome to the forums. Often people who find they help they need do not come back to the forum to update old posts. Do you want to tell us more about your tic -- when it started, when it seems to be the worst? Do you have any other symptoms?