Nick231

Hey everyone, Having taken some advice from posts here a few weeks ago I started on a regime of things for my tics that seems to be working really well - their severity and violence has decreased, and my state of mind is better than it has been in a long while. I'm taking: Magnesium Calcium Zinc Flax Oil Evening primrose I've developed a bad tummy though - cramping, a nagging pain and sort of irritible bowel symptoms. I've been trying to adjust the doses of the things I'm taking and managed to stop the really severe reactions, but I still have really bad cramps and the pain. Has anyone else had this experience, and is it likely to get better as my body gets more used to the regime, or might I have to start over from scratch with some new things? As I said, I'm doing so well, but am just a bit worried about my tummy. Hope to hear from you. Nick

Just in case anyone is wondering - the word that caused the '######' in my message was actually rather innocuous - but I guess there are filters here that pick up on any potentially not-so-nice words. The word I used was the one that means the opposite of heaven!

I was wondering if anyone here has any experience of hallucinations occuring just before the onset of TS symptoms. The reason I ask is this: My TS symptoms appeared when I was 7, just three months after a one off, full-blown hallucination, that lasted for about 15 mins and scared the ###### out of my parents. There was no family history of anything similar (the hallucination, I mean) and I have never experienced one again. It was so traumatic for me, I can still see it now if I think about it, and I often wonder if it might have somehow been related to the onset of TS, or if it might have even 'triggered' the TS. I have not been able to find any info on similar cases. Maybe the two things were totally unrelated, and the hallucination just a one-off freak thing. Anyone with any similar experience, or some other 'traumatic' event taking place just before onset of TS? Would be grateful to hear from you, as I'm still (30 years later) trying to piece things together and make some sense out of the TS enigma. Love and strength to you all. Nick

I know how hard it can be when the tics suddenly seem to get worse. There is so much good advice on this forum, so many ideas, results and possibilities and it's quite natural that you should want to explore various options, experiment and eliminate. But unfortunately, with TS, I really believe that the greedy Touretty brain often just 'decides' to dump obstacles along the way - often alarming, violent and exhausting things. I'm sure there are ways to help control things, but ultimately we are dealing with something so deep and unexplored in the brain that we are left desperately searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack. But don't despair too much. The violent tics do seem to go in phases but the violence usually decreases at some point, all on its own. I have TS very severely and although right now I'm going through a shattering time with my tics, I do know that at some stage they will calm a bit. It's the not knowing when that bothers me. When all else fails and I'm desperate, I try to 'float' through, accepting that things are as they are, and, curiously, this accepting is rather calming. I tell my family to float too, when they see me in a state, as their reactions, whether alarm or heartbreak, can unsettle me. Good luck and strength to you.

Thanks again Chemar. It's interesting that your husband was a bit edgy with 5HTP. I've also seen stuff that says it can make one a bit jittery. I was just curious about it in relation to tics - mine are so severe - but it was in an obscure (I think) article that I read about it actually decreasing tics. Having said that, it can, as you say, often be a vicious circle with the tics - stressing over them making them even worse - so anything that can, at least help eliminate some anxiety can only be a good thing. I might try it at some stage, but for now will probably start with diet and the other supplements you mentioned. N

Many thanks, all of you, for your kind words and the advice. It is all new and rather daunting - this new, for me, natural approach - espec having been on conventional drug thrapies for so long. I'm certainly going to give a few things a go and will no doubt have endless questions as I go through this exploration. It's so nice to know that you are all there and that this is such a supportive forum. Nick

Has anyone had any results with 5HTP for tics? I've read some good things about it relating to state of mind and one article that said it might help tics, but isn't it rather stimulating, rather like St.John's Wort is supposed to be - with the tics, I mean? Any ideas? Nick

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum and been inspired by the wealth of helpful and very human posts I've read. It's so heart-warming to find a forum where people really seem to care. I'm 36 and have had TS very severely since the age of 7. I've been on SSRI anti-depressants for years and was most recently prescribed Orap, but ended up not taking it because I'm so scared of all the possible side-effects. I've just managed to get off the SSRI - the withdrawal was long and traumatic - and I'm now drug free for the first time in many years. My tics are still almost unbearable and although I look at each day as a new challenge and try to be as upbeat as possible, it's sometimes very hard to keep going. I want to try a natural approach to my TS, not only to see if it will help, but also in order to start living again without powerful and toxic drugs swimming around in my system. I've seen many posts here about the possible benefits of Flax oil. I've just started taking it, but have no idea how much I should take in order to see if it affects my tics. Would be grateful for any tips on dosage. Also, does anyone have any ideas how I might go about cleansing my body after so many years on drugs? I know there is a plethora of herbal cleansing products available, but I'm daunted by just how many things I discover I should be taking. To make things easier for me, are there a few 'essential's' that can be recommended? I'd be so grateful for any advice. Love to you all, Nick