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I have been lurking around these forums for about 10 months now. I just signed up now because I wanted to report our experience using Repreeve. I guess my story is no different from anybody else's here. To summarize it is a story of misery, desperation, helplessness, worry, but also determination and perseverance, driven by the deepest love for my DD (who just turned 10). She started having very mild tics when she was in kindergarten. I was sent home multiple times by many, many doctors. She started getting worse in April (2015) when she was 9. She had different tics that continually changed from one to another (head bobbing, abdominal contractions, eye blinking and rolling, neck stretching, and seizure-like tics that were very scary, etc.). We tried diet intervention according to what she tested sensitive to, heavy supplementation, and almost everything else in between, which could be material for a whole book! In November, her tics had changed from motor to vocal ones. She could no longer be under the radar at school. They were constant and SUPER loud. We were so desperate. She had to be kept home from school for an entire month, and she was starting to feel very sad and isolated. Since I have been on "research mode" for the past 10 months, I came across Sheila Rogers' post on those new patches (thank you so, so much Sheila!), and out of desperation I decided to order a sample (which by the way was free). I am very happy to report that even though my daughter's tics are not 100% gone, she is finally doing much better, and has been able to return to school. I am sharing this story to encourage you guys to ask for, and use their sample. Who knows? It might bring some relief for your child, and you have absolutely nothing to lose.I really didn't expect the patches to work for my daughter because she is a PANDAS/PANS child (by the way 9 mos. on antibiotics never made the tics go away either). I also started DD on the Feingold diet on Dec 31 which I know is also helping, but the tics started to diminish while wearing the sample of the patches (5 days before starting the diet). Since she is a PANDAS/PANS kid, the patches are not obviously the only thing we are using around here. So, I do not know if the tics were meant to diminish on their own, but for me, it is too much of a coincidence the almost immediate relief my daughter enjoyed after 9 months of being completely annoyed by her tics. She says the patches are diminishing her urges to tic. I just hope this post can at least help one child and his/her family out there. Good luck everyone!

First, I want to thank Sheila and the staff for their amazing web site/forums and incredibly helpful book. I am so glad I found these amazing resources!! Please excuse the long post, but it's been a long story.... But it is: My 8 y.o. son started ticcing when he was 4--mildly, no one really noticed but me. Then, they went away within month or two. When he was 6, they came back. He started ticcing more regularly but still mildly and intermittent. In March of 2015 at the age of 7, his tics became so bad it was completely dramatic. Happened two weeks after having an ear infection and being diagnosed with seasonal allergies. Having read about PANDAS, in May, I asked for strep testing after he had the ear infection. His ASO test came back at 707 (normal is up to 200). They put him on antibiotics and he was tic free for two months--May until July. Then we saw a neurologist who said he doesn't have PANDAS because it's so rare and he didn't have the dramatic change, I guess. I still didn't believe it so we had his ASO repeated in July and it was in the 400s. His pediatrician said it was coming down, so the strep was not the reason for the tics. Then in September, I wanted to see the levels again, and it was lower but still in the mid 300s. I pleaded with the doctor to giv ehim antibiotics. She did, Amoxicillin 10 day trial. But no improvement in tics. In November, we had him tested for the last time and it was still in the low 300s. His tics went from eye blinks, to facial rolls, to throat clearing, to grunting--all at once or separately. The grunting has been going on since October. It happens several times a minute. Sometimes several times a second, it seems. Then when I had enough of no one really caring, I wanted to get a final opinion, so we saw a PANDAS expert in December, Dr. Josephine Elia at Nemours/DuPont in Wilmington, DE. She was great but said he didn't have PANDAS because we have a family history of tics (my dad has motor tics but no vocal tics). She did a thorough evaluation of him and said although he didn't have PANDAS, he looked allergic so recommended allergy testing to us. Even though to anyone else, including his parents, he didn't appear the least bit allergic. But I guess they can tell from the color inside your nose (grey?). We also put him on Claritin and then Zyrteck for 6 weeks (as recommended by Dr. Elia), as well as a netti pot. No improvement in tics. We also did a dairy-free trial for two weeks and no improvement. We saw a great allergist in King of Prussia, PA, who has an integrative medicine background. She tested him for 55 allergens and found he's allergic to just about every outdoor allergen, dust mites AND our dog (as well as cats, but we don't have one). We would have never guessed he was allergic as he's never had any symptoms other than seasonal ones in the springtime--no other time. Could this be the allergy coming out in tics? Or is it just a trigger to the tics? It breaks my heart that he's allergic to our 10-year-old dog that we've had since he was a puppy and before our son was born. The allergist said we don't have to get rid of our dog, but that we have to make a lot of changes, that we're prepared to do. Dog out of his room/daily vacuuming/HEPA filter/ dog shampooing weekly. And then the supplements (high end/expensive) Omega 3s, Probiotic, Multivitamin and B-Complex. Tonight he started shoulder shrugging and neck bending. It's bad. Just looking for direction. I'm glad we have some answers in that he definitely has allergies, but I just don't know what to do with this information. Other than treat him with the supplements and see if it helps. Do you think it's the allergies causing the tics? Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

Hi, I am 26 M. I am having eye twitching since i was 12yo .I used to have cold once every year but not as severe as the one i had 20 months back. Took over the counter medicine.No antibiotics.Stayed at home & Cold lasted for 3 days.On the 4th day i resumed work & started clearing my throat occasionally.I thought its just because of the mucus.But in a week or so it matured into throat grunting. I also consulted 2 neurologists and i told them about the infection,they said 'it doesn't matter'. Since it was a sudden onset of Vocal Tics after infection, i am considering strep. Can it be? I have never ever had vocal tics before. I got the ASO test and expecting results shortly. If the ASO levels come out high, what should be my next step ? I would be visiting the ENT in a day or two. Or what kind of a doctor should i visiting? If it indeed was a strep that lead to the onset then is their a possibility that the treatment can reduce/cure the vocal tics ? I came to know of PANDAS just a month back. Also take a look at this article - It states the tics can be eliminated if due to PANDAS - does it seem legit? ttp://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/attention-please/201107/evil-pandas-part-ii-adult-affliction-treatment