Worried

[Lynn777]

Last week DS told me his allergies (a.k.a tics) are worse at home then school. Then he was away for four days over the holiday, still ticcing a lot since the mouth injury, but his cough/ throat clear seemed better. He said today his allergies felt better while he was away.

 

I am now sadly thinking about the dog. She is a golden and has a ton of hair all over all the time? The thing is we have had her since his birth & before the tics he never showed any allergy towards her. Is it possible for the reaction to have started at the time as the tics?

 

Since onset, I don't burn candles or use air fresheners anymore. I use all natural cleaning products in his room & bathrooms. We live in a new (2 years old) house, so I don't think it's mold or anything like that.

 

Any thoughts...

Edited November 28, 2010 by Lynn777

[mythree]

Oh, that is a tough one. I don't have any ideas or thoughts on it - but I just wanted to comment that my daughters tics are usually worse at home then anywhere else. I was told that is because she can just let them all out at home and doesn't have to worry about holding them in. I guess she is the most relaxed at home and feels totally free to tic away.

 

Thoughts are with you - I know how the dog really does become part of the family.

Lisa

[Lynn777]

Thanks Lisa, that is what my husband reminded me of. Of course I'm still at the stage where I hope I just wake up one day and they are gone (I bet you know that feeling). That said, I am so hoping it isn't the dog making him worse. Of course my son comes before the dog, but I hate the thought of having to (possibly) get rid of her. Golden's are high allergy dogs. My hubby tested positive to mild dog allergy and he feels it doing high allergy. I tested no allergy to dogs (only cats) yet she even bothers me Sometimes if I pet her too long. That said I had severe allergies most of my life.

 

Thanks for the response. Have a nice weekend!

Edited November 28, 2010 by Lynn777

[mythree]

Yes, I often feel that way - would love to wake up and it is all gone. No more investigating, worrying, second guessing everything.

 

I don't know if you have other children, but when I was young - I had bad asthma. My parents tried everything, and then wondered if it was our dog that was causing me to be so ill all the time. We had our dog put down (she was too old - and nobody wanted her), and I felt so guilty like it was my fault. My whole family really felt the loss of the dog and they would break down in tears all the time. Although no one really said it, I always felt like my siblings were mad at me, and felt that getting rid of the dog was all my fault. I come from a very supportive family - but these were all my feelings at 12 years old. After the dog was gone I would still have bad asthma episodes but I would try to hide in my room and take my puffers without anyone knowing, I would hide how uncomfortable my breathing was all the time - for I didn't want anyone to know that getting rid of the dog didn't help and be even more upset with me! I look back now and realise how silly I was - but the guilt and anxiety I felt about getting rid of that dog for the sake of me was huge! And I think the guilt and anxiety also made my asthma worse.

I guess what I am saying is that anxiety etc seems to be so bad for tics too. When I read your post it brought back all those memories about our dog and getting rid of her for my health. If you do have to get rid of your dog - maybe try to spin it like you have to get rid of the dog because it is old and getting sick. Make it a totally seperate thing than about your son's tics. You'd hate him to feel responsible when everyone is feelng sad about the dog being gone.

Anwyay....just my trip down memory lane LOL!

have a nice day.

Lisa

[DoriansMom]

From what I have read all children tic more at home because they are comfortable with it. My son was the same way. As soon as children at school started saying something he started ticing at home nonstop.

We have a Golden Retriever and 2 cats. Have you tried any natural remodies like magnesium, fish oils or probiotics?

As soon as I introduced magnesium my son's vocal tics and head movements went away. will they ever come back? maybe, but for now I know it has nothing to do with the pets.

Have you had your son tested for pet allergies?

I would seriously consider the allergy testing before you did anything drastic about your pup. That would help to make the right decision.

[Rick43]

From what I have read all children tic more at home because they are comfortable with it. My son was the same way. As soon as children at school started saying something he started ticing at home nonstop.

We have a Golden Retriever and 2 cats. Have you tried any natural remodies like magnesium, fish oils or probiotics?

As soon as I introduced magnesium my son's vocal tics and head movements went away. will they ever come back? maybe, but for now I know it has nothing to do with the pets.

Have you had your son tested for pet allergies?

I would seriously consider the allergy testing before you did anything drastic about your pup. That would help to make the right decision.

 

I know for me personally, who has TS, it is always much worse at home than work -- for exacly the same reason people describe above. And yes, I too would love to wake up one day and have this and OCD just disappear. That would probably be my one wish for the genie bottle. note: I can't stop it 100% at work by any means, I just force myself as best I can to keep it more under control. not easy, and probably builds up tension I don't need.

[Chemar]

Lynn

You mentioned on another thread that you know you over-react to your child's tics. Maybe this is also contributing to him ticcing more when around you? It is a documented fact that tics wax when people focus on them, or when the person with tics feels they are causing stress for someone else.

 

 

re the Dog...yes it is a possibility that there is an allergen there. One can have desentization to that, and there are also special pet shampoos that neutralize the dander (which is usually what the allergen is)

 

You may want to consider getting a hepa filter air purifier for his room and see if that helps?

 

I do agree with the others in that people with TS tend to tic more when they are in their "safe" environment which is usually home. Often they suppress when at school, work, social gatherings and then release big time at home.

[Lynn777]

Thanks everyone,

 

First, We adore our dog and would never make a spontaneous decision to get rid of her unless it was warranted. We have had the IgG testing, but not the environmental allergies yet, I think when we go back I'll have them check for that too.

 

I know most people tic more at home, the only reason I thought is was strange is because my son said "he felt better" at school and at his Aunts house. That to me didn't sound like suppression, it sounded like something in his environment wasn't bothering him as much. Maybe at 5 that's just the way he describes it, who knows. I just got scared about the dog right away, since animals are always thought of as allergy triggers & I do believe that many of my sons tics are triggered by allergies, not all, but many.

 

Cheri, you are right about me though, I have to start dealing better. I am undoubtedly a trigger for him with all of my stress and anxiety. I try not to show it, but I believe he (and my older son) pick up on it big time! We do have a hepa filter in his room, bought it a few months after the major tic onset!

 

Thanks!

[Familyof5]

Don't rule out the mold just because your house is 2 years old! Newer homes are just as likely to have a mold problem as an older home. Look where your air handler is located to see if there is mold getting into your air sytem, look under/behind every place where you have water/look in the attic for leaks. If you can get someone to test walls where you have pipes and under windows for moisture amounts, do so.

 

For years I wondered why I felt so much better when I went on vacation or stayed at my mother's house, etc. All three of my children developed tic disorders from mold in our home. We found mold in our attic, where our air handler was located. The air handler was blowing the mold throughout our entire home for years, made my kids, myself and husband, very ill. Our house won a regional builder's award and was only four years old when we moved into it.

 

Sorry for the ramble, but since you mentioned environment I just felt like I had to share my own personal experience. Oh yeah, and my son also has an allergy to dogs. Being around a dog too long will cause him to do a "sniff" tic. However, my other two childeren are not allergic to dogs. They also have tic disorders. The tics are dramatically reduced since moving out of moldy home, starting bontech vitamins, removing wheat.

 

Best of luck to you.