Lingering tic -- need feedback / Naltrexone question

[sahm]

Hi everyone,

 

I was on this forum this spring when my DS5 developed several tics following his 5yo vaccinations. We've since been seeing and environmental physician and have done lots of supplements, 2 strong antibiotics, various tests and are currently doing IV iron infusions. The tics have almost disappeared (not sure if they "phased out" or were helped by the new supplements bc the major ones stopped the first day we went to the doctor - strange).

 

The 2 tics that persist are:

- tiny vocalisations with breaths ... these are apparent mostly when he is tired at the end of the day

- licking fingertips and then touching his lips.

 

My questions are:

1. He is totally aware of when he does this finger lick thing and he doesn't like me to see. Often does after he touches something or at tball practice after his hands get dirty. Not all the time, just intermittent. It seems like OCD but I have no idea how to deal with this. Ideas?

 

2. His doctor has him on low dose Naltrexone to boost his immunity. Is this safe in your experience or should I have questioned this more? It's the same doc that has been doing all the natural stuff and "environmental medicine" tests and supplements.

 

Thank you!

[faith]

sahm,

how long on the naltrexone?

If you think it is any of this supplementation, which do you think helped the most? do you mean you just started something new and it seemed to help the tics, or has this been a while? Is he still on antibiotics?

[sahm]

sahm,

how long on the naltrexone?

If you think it is any of this supplementation, which do you think helped the most? do you mean you just started something new and it seemed to help the tics, or has this been a while? Is he still on antibiotics?

 

It has been about 1.5 months so far on the naltrexone- his doc says 6-9 months we'd see a difference in the runny nose department. THe antibiotics were late spring for a couple weeks. I think maybe the L-Theanine/Taurine/Magnesium stuff has helped the most but I also think some of his tics just kind of went away. I'm not sure what helped the most but we did a LOT of different things since the spring.

 

I'm curious about the safety of Naltrexone (low dose) and if anyone by chance has any experience or knowledge of it?

 

Also just not sure what to do about this finger licking thing. But I know no one can really help me w/o knowing more...

[Chemar]

my son was on LDN (low dose naltrexone) in 2001 briefly. It was supposed to help with the tourettic OCD. But he hated the way it made him feel and so we stopped it immediately. He was on other medications as well at that time and so it may have been a cumulative reaction, or just his own specific reaction to it

 

I know it is used for autommune conditions to MODULATE the immune system. It is also used in treatment of alcoholism and opioid dependency

 

re the finger licking...that could be either a tic or OCD, or the morphing that happens in tourettic OCD

 

perhaps ask the doctor if you can give any of the supps that are known to increase serotonin and see if that helps it (eg Inositol or tryptophan or 5HTP or methionine etc)

there are also foods rich in inositol that can help http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1245264/an_introduction_to_inositol_includes.html

Lemon Balm tea is good too (we use Celbrations Herbal brand)

[sahm]

Thanks Chemar,

 

I didn't know naltrexone was used to treat tourettic OCD. My son doesn't seem to feel weird on it, other than a few weeks of being a little more "worked up/intense" he seems back to normal in that way.

 

I do wonder about the finger licking, esp since it seems like a compulsion to him. Also totally aware of it. At this point I'm trying to encourage him not to in a non threatening way. It just feels like I should.

 

He does take 5HTP (twice near bedtime). THanks for the other ideas too!!