houston Posted May 29, 2011 Report Share Posted May 29, 2011 Has anyone seen any positive changes in tics after trying allergy controls in their home such as adding an air purifier, organic mattress, removing carpeting, etc.? My daughter's tics are definitely worse during the fall allergy season, so I'm wondering if there is any justification in spending the money to do any of the above in our home. Also, she has been using Rhinocort nasal spray for the last few years for allergies. I have seen several posts concerning an increase in tics with oral corticosteroids - has anyone seen any effect on tics using a nasal steroid spray? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chemar Posted May 29, 2011 Report Share Posted May 29, 2011 yes, air purifiers (HEPA filter, not ozonators) have been very helpful as have special covers for mattresses/pillows etc. Removing carpeting, stuffed animals and other dust traps can also be helpful Circulating Corticosteroids increase dopamine which in turn increases TS tics...this may not be a problem for those who tic for reasons other than TS. I am not sure how the inhaled ones impact dopamine, as perhaps they only have a localized action? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Familyof5 Posted June 1, 2011 Report Share Posted June 1, 2011 No doubt in my mind that my children's tics increased when they took Nasonex (topical steroid spray). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovedogs Posted June 1, 2011 Report Share Posted June 1, 2011 I have not seen an increase in tics from using Flonase with ds. I do know that he tics more when we travel to hotel rooms, etc and I attribute that to the allergens, etc in the room. My ds still has carpet in his room and even some stuffed animals but we use a HEPA filter from Rabbit air in his room and keep it on all day. It seems to do a good job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcdad Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 right after my son waa tested positive for allergies to dustmites, we removed the carpeting, installed allergy mattress and pillow covers and even installed a Rabbit Air air purifier in his classroom. We also started the Feingold diet at the same time. Since this was done, our son's tics have decreased 95%. I'm sure it was all a combination of these things that helped him. When he goes to a friends house that has alot of carpeting, he does show signs of tics. They usually disappear within a few hours of coming home. hkginger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houston Posted June 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 I really appreciate your response. Why did you choose the Rabbit air purifier over some of the other brands? We are also considering a whole house air purifier. Does anyone have any experience with IQ Air 16? I would like to have all of our carpeting removed and replaced with hardwood flooring although I'm a little nervous because some people report an increase in tics secondary to having flooring replaced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurena82 Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 Has anyone seen any positive changes in tics after trying allergy controls in their home such as adding an air purifier, organic mattress, removing carpeting, etc.? My daughter's tics are definitely worse during the fall allergy season, so I'm wondering if there is any justification in spending the money to do any of the above in our home. Also, she has been using Rhinocort nasal spray for the last few years for allergies. I have seen several posts concerning an increase in tics with oral corticosteroids - has anyone seen any effect on tics using a nasal steroid spray? Hi Houstonmom--- You mention the tics being worse in fall allergy season---- FWIW-- not sure if you live in a rural area or not, but it took a long time for me to learn corn was a huge trigger for him---and even longer to learn that it wasnt only corn products he ate, but also corn pollen in the air at certain times of the year. BEST WISHES laurie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cj60 Posted July 14, 2011 Report Share Posted July 14, 2011 Very interesting!! We live surrounded by corn and other crops. And my son's ticcing symptoms have been more noticeable in recent weeks, just as they were most noticeable this time last year. I never made the connection. Thanks! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurena82 Posted July 18, 2011 Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 Very interesting!! We live surrounded by corn and other crops. And my son's ticcing symptoms have been more noticeable in recent weeks, just as they were most noticeable this time last year. I never made the connection. Thanks! Chris Yup--corn starts tassling around now....well, or sooner, depending on your location I guess. BEST WISHES! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
setscret Posted August 4, 2011 Report Share Posted August 4, 2011 I really appreciate your response. Why did you choose the Rabbit air purifier over some of the other brands? We are also considering a whole house air purifier. Does anyone have any experience with IQ Air 16? I would like to have all of our carpeting removed and replaced with hardwood flooring although I'm a little nervous because some people report an increase in tics secondary to having flooring replaced. Hi houstonmom, My son was tic-free for about 2 weeks and then we had installers come to tear up existing carpet and put laminate hardwood down. The day after tearing up the carpet, his tics began again and they are still going. I'm hoping once the installation is complete the tics will settle down again. We are also looking into a whole house air purifier and one for his room, which still has carpet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chemar Posted August 4, 2011 Report Share Posted August 4, 2011 setscret wood can be full of yuck chemicals that are added when they process it, so this is what may be triggering the tics...also tearing up the old carpet may have released mold spores, formaldehyde and just lots of dustmite into the air.... you may want to get a HEPA filter at least for his bedroom so that he can sleep in more purified air! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
setscret Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 setscret wood can be full of yuck chemicals that are added when they process it, so this is what may be triggering the tics...also tearing up the old carpet may have released mold spores, formaldehyde and just lots of dustmite into the air.... you may want to get a HEPA filter at least for his bedroom so that he can sleep in more purified air! You know, I feel really stupid for not even thinking about what chemicals the laminate flooring could possibly contain! I was soooo focused on getting the yucky carpet out of the house. The night we pulled up the carpet, I said to my husband I bet his tics will start up again, and sure enough. We just got on Consumer Reports today to look into a HEPA filter for the house. Is there a certain model you guys would recommend over others? Thanks for the tip about the flooring, guess I'll go research that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurena82 Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 setscret wood can be full of yuck chemicals that are added when they process it, so this is what may be triggering the tics...also tearing up the old carpet may have released mold spores, formaldehyde and just lots of dustmite into the air.... you may want to get a HEPA filter at least for his bedroom so that he can sleep in more purified air! (off topic, ....well, somewhat ).... I just noticed this in your signature line: **" the microbe is nothing; the terrain is everything."** Louis Pasteur How cool is that! (I never heard that quote from him before!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houston Posted August 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 It's interesting that you noticed an increase in tics in your son following carpet removal and hardwood installation. I have been so conflicted about getting rid of our carpet. I can't decide if it will help or hurt to replace it with wood. Now I am even more concerned. I haven't made a decision on air filters yet. We have gotten a quote for an IQ air perfect 16 which is a whole house filter. It is quite expensive particularly because we have 2 AC units (about 5000+). Obviously, if I knew it would make a difference, I wouldn't mind the cost, but what if it has no effect whatsoever? I have also considered trying a room air purifier for her bedroom (I've heard Austin air purifiers are good), but my husband is of the opinion that with the AC/heater constantly running that the air purifier wouldn't be able to keep up with the constant influx of circulating air from the rest of the house. Honestly, most of the time, I am so confused about what to do next, I can't do anything at all. I would love any input from others with personal experience in this area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
setscret Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 Honestly, most of the time, I am so confused about what to do next, I can't do anything at all. This is exactly how I feel most of the time. There are so many things I'd like to try with my son, that all the variables become so overwhelming! For the most part, I try to remind myself that eliminating all the things I have so far, can only be good for all of us, even if we don't see a direct improvment in the tics. I'm happy to report that we are about 2 weeks out from the installation and the tics have calmed down a bit. Not sure if it's because all the dust, etc. has calmed down in the house, or that would have happened anyway. Guess that's always the question. We are due to have installation start up again in a few weeks in the sunroom, so I'll be keeping my eye out for any increase once we start that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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