Tics or OCD?

[Guest jc]

Hi! I just want to be sure - my son's tics has ceased completely for months, except that he will once in a while, on a daily basis, turn to look behind him on the floor, as if he is checking or looking for something behind him.

 

He does this once in a while at home, but more frequent at outdoors.

 

As his tics are completely gone (except the one mentioned above), I am cutting down his supplement intake (quite a plentiful to take everyday). But in order to do so, i need to know for sure whether his behavior is a tic or OCD so that I can give him the right supplements.

 

He is currently (has been taking for months) taking Grapeseed extract, multivits with antioxidants, chlorella, lecithin, vit E, vit B Complex (50) calcium/magnesium and MMS for digestion.

 

Also sleeps on magnetic mattress.

 

OCD or Tic?

 

Thanks in advance!

-jc

[Claire]

This is wonderful jc!! Absolutely wonderful!

 

Since you aren't registered, I can't click back and see what worked for you. Somehow I remember your discussing chinese herbs or accupuncture? I know you listed your vitamins, but can you share what you believed helped your child, e.g. just the supplements, or avoiding foods/artificial ingredients, homeopathy, air filter, etc...?

 

First of all, something as minor as you described isn't OCD in that OCD must impact their lives for 1-2 hours a day and cause some interference with their life, according to everything I have read. But I assume you mean "OCD-like" vs tic-like. I don't know how to tell for sure, but if he doesn't have other OCD-like tendencies (symmetry etc...) I would probably classify it as complex tic-like, though it sounds minor enough to not be of concern (more like a 'habit'), and certainly not noticeable.

 

I hope you keep us posted again after you have cut back on supplements--I will be interested to hear how that goes. Many of us hope to cut back on supplements someday also.

 

Claire

[Chemar]

Hi jc

 

based on our experience with the sub-type of OCD that occurs frequently with TS (as opposed to the "classic" OCD, which is what I think Claire is referring to) it would not surprise me if the behaviour you are seeing in your son is related to OCD. I dont think your child has TS, but I honestly cant remember. However, the occurrance of tics and this related OCD is something which even folks dealing with nonspecific tic disorders seem to have noticed. It is VERY different from classic OCD in many ways.

 

 

 

So glad to hear about the overall improvement

[Guest jc]

Hi Claire, Chemar

 

Thanks so much for your responses..

 

My son had a really bad case of head shaking, followed by facial, fingers, feet and other tics - think we call motor tics. He couldnt even eat a proper meal. That was last year in July. (I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone here for their valuable sharing and advice on supplements and related useful websites on TS, because without them, I think till today, my son will still be on medication. Thanks Chemar for sharing the side effects of Halo, from that instance I noticed the facial twitches could be due to the side effects of halo. And yes true enough, when my son was totally off halo, his facial twitches were completely gone..

 

Yeah quite difficult to tell. Looks like complex tics to me but once I asked my son the reason for looking back, he said he just wants to make sure he didnt leave anything behind so that sounds like OCD.. Yes Claire, compared to last year, this is such great improvement, and even when we are out, no one ever notice his behaviour.

 

Aside from the supplements i mentioned, we have tried almost everything - one month yeast elimination program, accupunture and tui-na (only once), chlorella to remove toxic metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium from the body, drinks only mineral or filtered water, sleeps magnetic mattress, LCD screen monitor for his pc and also air filter - we turn this on every night during bed time.

 

Today, diet wise, strictly no Coke but he drinks soft drinks during school recess and can eat any food, though we try to restrict sweets to a minimum.

 

I am not sure whether my son will eventually outgrow TS (I hope), but I think the supplements and all the other treatment do play a part together for his great improvement.

 

Best Wishes!

-jc