? for Claire on TV/Auto tics

[Guest Guest_angibrandy]

Hello. I haven't posted in a while. My son (5 yrs old) started ticcing in December after three rounds of antibiotics and bad diet, etc. We started supplements and changed the diet, and what was once ticcing throughout the whole day (eye roll w/a blink tic), turned into no ticcing at all for a few weeks at a time in February.

 

Then, during the last two weeks, his eye roll tic popped up again, but so far it has only been when watching TV or riding in an auto. This could be because we had a regrowth of yeast, or because he has a slight virus (cold) right now. I just don't know.

 

My question is, why do these things two things trigger tics so much? I don't understand why or how the movement affects them?

 

Also, is a plasma screen the same as an LCD? Is the effect (no flicker) the same in both?

 

Claire - you had mentioned something about the importance of having the child sleep in dark once (no night light). Could you explain the theory behind that to me?

 

Claire - are your son's tics gone now, and can he tolerate the LCD well? I thought you had said in one of your prior posts that you bought one. I am considering it for my son even though we can't afford it right now. I don't know what to do about the riding in the vehicle tic...I can't just not take him anywhere. How do you handle watching tv at school???

 

I am so frustrated, because he was watching tv and riding in vehicles for weeks with no problem...is this just typical of the waxing and waning of this type of tic disorder?

 

Interestingly, since adding supplements, he is doing better behaviorally...less whining, sleeping good, less teeth grinding, etc.

 

Any help or insight you could lend would be greatly appreciated. I'm lost right now.

 

Also, does anyone know how quickly yeast can regrow - weeks, a day, etc?

[mmazz]

Oddly enough my son started ticcing in Dec with eye rolling/blinking. This went on until the end of Jan. Feb was great practically tic free. Yesterday he started the eye rolling/blink thing again. I contribute it to the weekend diet. I allowed him to eat pizza w/o cheese and he ate four slices on Friday, he ate pancakes but this time I used a wheat batter instead of the corn batter I normally used. He ate two adult sized pancakes Sat and Sun. His energy level was off the wall starting from Friday, so I suspect a wheat allergy. Also the weather has changed and this to could set something off. We are virtually off TV accept for about 1-2 hours weekly and I use an LCD screen. He watches TV in school sometimes and when tic free he is fine, when tics are present he will do the eye rolling/blink thing with or without LCD screens. As for the yeast...it is ever present and diet changes, even a little, can tip the scale. I think it weird that your child and mine are experiencing the same symptoms schedule.

I too, like you, are feeling overwhelmed and confused and afraid. These feeling we have are normal because we love our children so much. But stressing over it will only make our children stress more which promotes these tics. The children are so sensitive they pick up on all of our feelings even though we try so hard to hide it. Time will teach us and as the children grow perhaps they can help us better understand what they feel and when they feel it so we can help them better. Good Luck.

 

Marie

[Guest Guest_angibrandy]

Hello. I am struck at how similiar our situations are. Tell me, does your son do okay when riding in the vehicle, during his tic-free times?

 

I have not nor will I seek an official diagnosis of Tourettes from a doctor...I guess I figure - what difference does it make? The difference is, I need to heal his immune system, and I did slip on the diet a little, which I need to improve.

 

This thing that is troubling me so much is I have this fear of heavy metal problems. I have always had a phobia of heavy metals, and I am blaming myself for my son's problems. Diet, stress, etc...I did it all to him. And I'm so sorry now.

 

LIke you, I love him so much and I'm trying so hard to stay strong, but when I see him tic when he watches tv or rides in the van, it breaks my heart and gets me really down - especially after going for a while with no tics.

 

If you wouldn't mind, would you let me know...how is your son doing in school? Is he on-track intellectually and developmentally? How about physically? Does he participate in sports? Part of me is so worried that if my son has heavy metal poisoning, he will have problems in school. Or, do the metals affect the digestive system more than the brain? Sorry, I'm rambling here...I'm just so scared, and I want to heal my son completely.

 

I also have fears on how I am going to handle the special diet issue at kindergarden next year, and also no tv watching, if he still can't tolerate it by then.

 

Please help!

[Claire]

Angibrandy,

 

I am not posting here anymore, so if you have questions and will register and send me a private message, I will respond to you. Your identity (and mine) are still anon using private messages.

 

Congrats on being so observant! That is the great thing about finding a lower baseline, it makes it easier to identify the trigger(s) when things shift.

 

Claire

 

 

Hello to all, all is well and I do check in to at least read your posts!

[Guest Guest]

Hi Angibrandy,

 

My son has similiar sysmtoms/situation as yours. He was doing great last 4 months. But all tics came back a month ago due to the triggers (that he has been avoided for a while). The latest test results showed that he has heavy metals (mercury and others). Like you, I always worry about him so much as we all love our chilren. I would strongly suggest you to check the "FINDING MEDICAL HELP" thread posted by Sheila Rogers to find out if there is a DAN doctor near your area. DAN doctors can help you to run tests for things that you have concern. I also suggest you to read Clairs earlier postings:

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...owtopic=411&hl=

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...owtopic=551&hl=

 

Also, the SAMSUNG LCD TV/computer monitor is currently on sale. It's 15' screen if you don't mind the small size. The same screen monitor can be used for computer, TV, and videos. This model will be replaced by a new model from SAMSUNG. That's why the price goes down so much.

 

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Pr...oductTabDetails

 

Jean

[mmazz]

First things first, you need to know that you are not to blame for any of this. I too wrote in a posting that I was such a failure, etc. We give our children what we think is best at the time we do it. Good, bad or indifferent we do our best. It is impossible to keep a clean diet for ourselves let alone our children. We are a society that are spoon fed what the government wants us to do, like vaccines. We are also spoon fed that processed, packaged foods are better for you because they boast low carbs, low fat, sugar free. Our news papers are now advertisements for the highest bidder and the media also spins its web for who pays the big bucks. It is sites like this one that give information to people like us and it is us that now have to make the big decisions like whether to supplement or medicate or what tests are available. To blame ourselves is useless energy. Energy better served loving our children. My son is an average 6 year old well beyond his years on a maturity level. I swear he's been around a couple of times. I worry about his future but I will share what I have shared on another post. I have a 12 year old with asthma (diagnosed at age 4). It was pretty nasty, he was sick all of the time and on meds in multiple levels which included many trips to the ER and steriods, etc. I joined support groups and read, read and read. I was convinced that he would be a weak person who would have to live in a bubble his entire life. Today he is very athletic, Capt. of his hockey team and has been an All Star Player for many years running. Looking back in time I would have never thought this was possible.

A tic is not life threatenting, life altering perhaps but not life threatening. When I left the neurologist office last month I was delighted that she said he was normal and healthy. He just tics. She told me that 85% of people out grow chronic tics. I am hopeful that he is in the 85% and that is what I am hanging on to.

In the meantime we have to focus on the positive with good diets, happy families and building a great relationship with them so that if it does get tough when they are older they are comfortable in coming to us with their troubles and fears. Just like what all parents are supposed to do with their children. You are a good and caring mother!!! We have a journey ahead of us and we all know about the path less traveled.

 

Marie

[Dara]

Hi Everyone,

 

I haven't posted in about a week because it's been rough around here. My son Karl, who is also 5 years old had been doing really well during the months of December and January (he started seeing an environmental MD in November, who did a ton of tests and put him on a strict diet and supplement routine). By the beginning of February, we started seeing some of the tics come back and during the last three weeks, Karl started a humming tic which he's doing constantly which almost sounds like little 'um' 'ums'. I've taken TV away(two weeks now), have stuck to a STRICT diet, kept up with the supplements. My husband and me are at our wits end. Terrified and scared is a better way to explain it. I've been so upset these last couple of weeks that I just made an appointment to talk to a psychologist. I really feel like we need to talk to a professional who might possibly give us some techniques for dealing with our situation.

 

Our son always tics in the car. As far as the TV is concerned, I never noticed a correlation between it and the tics, but I took it away anyway. It's amazing how one day I feel so strong and the next so defeated. I wake up every morning and say God give me the strength to handle this situation. I know some of you might not understand what I'm going to say next, but I actually think that I'm scared to be around my son. I love and cherish him so much, but seeing and hearing the tics all day long is sometimes almost too much for me to handle. Especially since they were practically gone at one point.

 

We have an appointment with a DAN doctor on May 28th who I'm hoping will uncover something that our EM hasn't. In the meantime, we're sticking to the strict diet and supplement routine and won't stop until our son is cured.

 

Take Care.

 

Dara

[mmazz]

Dara;

 

I too was scared to be around my son but these little ones are so in tuned with our thoughts and feelings that they pick up on the stress. I know it is easier said than done but you have to let go of the fear/stress and once that level is brought down maybe Karl will be less stressed. Also if you know that TV is not an issue reintroduce it to him slowly with calm shows. This will give you some time to let him enjoy and relax and you can walk out of the room and get some time to yourself. Anxiety seems to be a big trigger with all on this site, so perhaps if you lessen the level (and believe me no matter how hard you try to hide it they know) he might feel less anxiety.

Remember that all they know is that Mommy and Daddy are unhappy and they took all of my yummy food away and they took TV away. It is not a far leap to think of it as a punishment. I remember that my son took me to the frig and told me to eat. He noticed that I was so stressed that I was not eating. We did not leave the house for quite some time because of fear. Fear is wasteful. Take a few deep breaths, try to relax and enjoy him. Children come in all flavors, savor the taste of yours. And remember that the people on this site have shown improvement but it took determination and time. Just give yourself a chance...and remember to breath.

 

Marie

[Dara]

Hi Marie,

 

Thanks for the encouraging words. I agree with what you say about trying not to be anxious around Karl. It's just that my feelings are getting in the way and it's very hard to pretend that nothings wrong when in fact something is very wrong. I just want to know that my beautiful little boy will be ok.

 

Last week Karl brought home a little book that he and his teachers put together. In it was a picture of one of his boy dolls. Under the picture, Karl had the teacher write, 'My baby steals sugar from the kitchen'. I was so heartbroken. As you know, Karl tested positive to cane sugar, so he's not supposed to eat any, not even honey. I think deep down in side I'm very angry that this has happened to him. I'm trying and doing all that I can do at this point. Thanks for listening.

 

Dara

[mmazz]

Dara;

 

Bigs hugs to you as I cried when I read your post. I too know the heart break but talking to people who can relate to children is a great idea. We all forget what it is like to think with clarity of a child. For the past couple of months, when I speak to my son I get on my knees or sit down with him so I am eye to eye and on his level. I offer him words to explain his feelings to me and I have become the blame of all of his anger until he is able to better handle these emotions. The things that I have tried came from everyone I spoke to and it seems that all help in some very little way to make the big picture easy for us as a family to handle. It is not going to take away tics, but it does help you heal the broken heart of what you think is a less perfect picture. When the reality is you have a real person in front of you who needs something extra and that does not make him less than perfect...just unique. We have no other choice but to handle this the best way we can. But we can not blame ourselves, just like we can't blame our parents for whatever is wrong with us. Nothing heals like a mother hug and kiss, the warmth of sharing stories, excitments and joys and the feeling that no matter what mom has your back. The trinity of the mind, spirit and body must work in perfect harmony...Mom heal yourself and the rest will provide clarity to deal with life has to offer. God Bless and I'll be posting.

 

Marie

[Chemar]

dear Dara

 

I was given some really good advice when I was going through agony after my son's diagnosis with Tourette Syndrome.

I was reminded that what I was feeling was a form of grieving, and grief has many stages.

 

I dont know what is causing your son's tics and so I realise our situations are possibly very different. In my case, I simply had to accept that my son had inherited TS from my husband (I have written befire about how our son's diagnosis brought clarity for the family on what my husband and his dad had experienced when they were younger which had been called "bad habits" but were in fact tics)

 

With genetic TS, there is no cure.

As we have shown however, there are many good and natural ways to decrease the severity and the frequency of the tics and the associated disorders.

And for that I am so very thankful.

 

But

truly, the turning point for all of us came in acceptance of the situation.

Once that happened, we already saw an improvement because we could now appraoch the treatments with a more peaceful attitude, and so, by the stress and anxiety etc going down...we actually managed to achieve more than when we were freaked out about it all.

 

As I say, I realise your son's tics may be rooted in something other than TS and so the solutions for you may well be very different than for us.

 

I just know that a wonderful thing happened when we simply said "it's OK to tic, because that is what people with TS do!"

Our son stopped feeling like he was doing something "wrong" and so he embraced the dietary changes and supplements and the other good things as a way to help him.

 

 

I do hope you find solutions that will completely "cure" whatever is causing the tics in your child. But most of all I pray you will see beyond the tics and just treasure these precious years, and remember that, although tics are distressing to you, you have so much to be thankful for. When I used to feel it all getting to me, I would go into some of the BrainTalk forums where parents of severely disabled or terminally ill children posted, and I would be amazed at their positive outlook and the little things that they so appreciated. It made me realise again that "it's really OK to tic! It could be SO much worse."

 

I hope I have expressed this well, because I wouldnt want you to think I am insensitive to what you are feeling. I truly do understand the roller coaster of emotions that you are going thru because I have been there.

And I hope that you will soon reach the point too where these undersatndable emotions subside some and so your own health and wellbeing wont be so impacted, so you can just do the best you can for your precious son.

 

with much love and understanding

Cheri

[Ronnas]

Chemar,

 

GREAT words of advice. I well remember how devastating everything was for us 3 years ago. So much has changed since then. Kurt is doing so much better but I would also second that when we relaxed and settled in things became so much easier.

 

We do use supplements and diet restrictions but the best thing we have done is focus on all of Kurt's strengths...he is an awesome kid. He still has tics, he has quite a severe learning disability with auditory processing difficulties being the most difficult and it just doesn't matter as much anymore...we just provide as much support as possible.

 

There was a time that I nearly died of exhaustion looking for answers and the constant worry really took it's toll. Really for awhi,e I was a complete mess. A book that I really liked was "Special children, challenged parents" and it helped alot in understanding the grieving process.

 

I guess I just wanted to advice parents newer to this to take it slow, limit your time on the computer (at one time my husband finally lost it and said he was not looking at the back of my head anymore while I was on the computer), and take any changes slowly. Only do one change at a time, keep a diary, seek out help from professionals such as a supportive pediatrician, naturopath doc, nutritionist etc.

 

Time has a way of healing and when we started this journey Kurt was 5...he's turning 9 now and is such a big boy. He makes me smile everyday...he was heading off to school at lunch today and before going he patted my (pregnant) stomach and with lots of honesty said "boy, is your stomach ever big mom". Ha, Ha...so much for feeling "not so big" this morning and being proud I could still fit my favorite sweats!

 

(((HUGS))) to parents new to this and please know that with time things will get better. Someone gave me the best advice at one time...

 

"Don't worry too much...the things you worry about now probably won't even be a problem later on...and then something you never, ever thought to worry about gives you a curveball"...So true...better to take one day at a time.

 

Take care,

Ronna

[mmazz]

Cheri and Ronna,

 

You gave me chills. Thanks!

 

Marie

[Dara]

Marie,

 

Your words of encouragement are so awesome. I ask god everyday to give me the strength to handle this situation and to look after Karl. I've been doing as you say in regards to getting down at his eye level. I'm constantly kissing and hugging him. Time will heal. Thanks so much for your words.

 

As a side note, I recently aquired a juicer. Low and behold, my boys love the carrot, spinach combination and I add a pear to it. What other vegetable besides spinach do you recommend?

 

Dara.

[Dara]

Cheri,

 

I ABSOLUTLY do not think you're being insensitive to my feelings. If anything, you and the others have been so awesome. I wish I could have you all over my house for a glass of wine and a chat. It's funny how you can feel like you've known someone forever and never met them before. Thank god for you guys.

 

Our son Karl has been having tics for almost a year now. It's not like it's new to us, but for some reason these last couple of weeks have been unusually hard. Maybe it's my state of mind. As I mentioned to another parent. I really started downhill when Karl started the humming tic. It's been three weeks since that one started. I was able to handle the others, not well but the grieving went away after awhile. This one though seems so permanent and of course noticable.

 

The other frustration that I have with all of this is that TS doesn't run in our families. I keep asking why???? Although we don't have TS, we do have depression, alcoholism, anxiety, learning disabilities, ADD and OCD. None of these have been diagnosed by a professional, except the anxiety which my brother-in-law has been dealing with for years and ADD which my niece has. The good news is that my son definately has some issues that I think might be a factor in the tics (yeast/bacteria, elevated cadmium (heavy metal) and possible pyroluria).

 

All three of these can be fixed. It's just a matter of how and when. Currently our EM doesn't seem all that concerned about any of these nor does he understand the correlation of these things and tic disorders. I'm hoping our new DAN doctor, who we're seeing on May 28th can shed some light on these things.

 

Thanks so much.

 

Big Hugs...

 

Dara