StevieGirl

What I found when this all started was honesty was the best policy. I had my son watch youtube videos of other kids with tics. Right away, he realized he wasn't alone. As far as school goes, I talked with his teacher last year, and they came up with a plan to tell the other kids about what was going on. That he has vocal tics, and he can't help it. That holding them back would be like holding back a sneeze. At kindergarten, the kids might not get it. But at such a young age, kids really are accepting. My son has lots of great friends, and they just know that he makes some noises - that's just him! Sure, when middle school rolls around my school fears might be worse. But I'm still holding onto the hope that he's going to grow out of this. *hugs*

First off, I want to thank everyone here who posted! It took me a while to come back, because I had to step away from the reading. I was reading myself into a frenzy (which is so easy to do now with the internet!) So over a week has gone by and things were pretty much the same. It was me I was trying to change during that time, not him. I had to just chill, basically. I made an appointment with his natropath, which was today. All the way there he was ticcing quite a bit. Pretty much all vocal. The other appointments his tics weren't that noticeable, so I was glad she would finally see what things are like at their worst. His test showed a strong reaction to Goldenrod and Ragweed - which are insane right now. Also some reaction to grass and pine. Food reactions are corn and wheat - but just slight. She pays attention to the allergies going on at certain times, so when I told her this all started up a little over 2 weeks ago, she just smiled and nodded. We were taking garlic, fish oil and magnesium. She did her little test (hard to explain if you've never been to a natropath), but the test showed the garlic and fish oil were no longer effective, so she gave us some pills called MyoCalm P.M. It's a natural supplement (can be found online). I just gave him one and I have to say it's been pretty quiet around here! Fingers crossed. We're coming up with a plan of what he can tell his classmates about his noises. I figured we would tell them he has allergies. While some kids sneeze, he makes other noises. Again, thank you all for listening and giving your advice. I'm sure this isn't the last time I'm going to need you all.

Hi all. Please excuse me while I ramble on and on. This is my first time posting anything about what we've been going through here. So I have a 9 year old son with vocal tics. I first noticed it when he was about 4. I've mentioned it to his doctor twice since then. The first time she completely blew me off, the second time she may have made a note about it, but his tics weren't active at the appointment, so we didn't pursue anything about it, plus I was there for something unrelated. Last summer (summer of 2010) his tics hit high gear. Vocal and physical. They still weren't "severe". He "hups" and snorts. And the physical tics were eyebrow wiggling and this snapping motion with his fingers. It seemed to change monthly - different sound, different motion. We had a bit of a rough school year. The teacher and students were great, and I was probably more stressed than anyone else. His math went from above grade level to below grade level. I blame it on multiplication. He was fine until that came along, and he just didn't "get it". We saw a natropath who recommended magnesium and fish oil (we've been taking the fish oil gummies). We had good and bad days, but nothing major. Then this summer, things really tapered off. I took him off of the magnesium and fish oil, wanted to give him a break and things were fine. Tics were very minimal. Then comes last Sunday. We woke up and his tics were coming in full force. Pretty much just vocal tics, with a little eyebrow wiggling. But it's just one after another after another. Constant noise. I started him on the mag and fish oil again, and also threw in some garlic pills (also recommended by natropath). It's Tuesday, and things are still very active. And I hate to say it, but I haven't been handling it well. School is 2 weeks away, and I'm just sick to my stomach about how his tics have progressed. I know he senses me being upset now too. I've gone as far to have a drink or two at night to take the edge of my emotions. I'm so not a drinker, maybe have a drink 4 times a year. And I'm almost ready to make a dr. appointment for some Xanax or something to help me deal. I just want to cry constantly. This isn't how I normally am. I've taken Xanax once in my life, when I had to fly (I hate flying). But how can I be strong for him when I can't even be strong for myself? I've been doing too much reading - PANDAS and everything else - and I just get more hopeless. Doctor's that won't help, treatments that don't work, medications that make things worse. . . . This is the time it got bad last year, so that makes me think it's some kind of allergy. The natropath said something about a corn allergy, and right now I think there is lots of activity in the corn fields, so could it be that? My son was just around his friend who was just getting over strep - is it PANDAS? It's consuming my every thought. Things I was looking forward to in the coming weeks no longer excite me. I just want to hold him, homeschool him, take any worry away that he might have. Then I try to talk myself off the ledge. It's just a vocal tic! It's noise! Whoopee. It could be something life threatening like Down's Syndrome or Cerebal Palsy. It's just a tic. That self pep talk doesn't last for long. Last night my husband said he feels there's nothing he can do, so it doesn't bother him much. But in my my thinking, I won't stop until I find out what I CAN do about it. What if it IS PANDAS and he's suffering something attacking his brain? How am I going to find a doctor who will listen to me and do everything they can? I'm tempted to try medications just to get him through school. But I'm not a medication type person (that's why we choose the natropath first. Plus we don't have health insurance right now). We also tried acupuncture, but that didn't help. So I guess I'm just looking for a pep talk from those who have been there, or are there. Maybe if someone is in a similar boat, I could use an email buddy to vent to. No one knows what I'm dealing with, so it's hard to talk to anyone about it. I pray at night that this will pass quickly. I just don't know where to go from here. Thanks for listening.