Tics or OCD?

[susanna]

My older son (age 9 1/2), who I've always suspected of having some OCD tendencies, started exhibiting what look like tics, however, I think they may be more OCD than true tics. (For those who don't know, I orginally came to this site searching for help for his younger brother who had a sudden explosion of tics...I believe he has PANDAS...for him the tics are under control at the present.) During the past school year we, as well as his teacher, noticed eye blinking in our older son...had his eyes checked out by a doctor and they were fine. For a while, he also had a mouth stretching tic....this started when his lips/mouth became chapped....even after the chappiness went away, he would still do the mouth stretching....it did eventually go away for a while, however, during the summer, the mouth stretching has returned on and off, and the eye blinking has gotten worse. The eye blinking went from squeezing both eyes shut, to now only squeezing one eye shut....he actually stops talking each time he "winks". In talking to my son about this, he says he can control it, but it "feels good" to do it, hence my suspicion that it's OCD related. Anyone have any experience with this type of OCD tic?

 

When we went through testing for my younger son I also had my older son tested...he had many of the same food sensitivies and issues as his younger brother. Where we have been pretty successful in adjusting my younger son's diet for his food sensitivities, we have not been as successful with the older son. I do my best to keep the artificial junk away, and do some basic vitamin supplementation.

 

What I guess I am looking for are recommendations of what supplements, if any, you have had success with for this type of OCD tic. I do have a homeoptahic pediatrician who has worked with us on testing, etc, and I do plan on scheduling an appointment with her for this issue, however, I would like to look into any supplements which have the potential of helping this "tic" before I get in to see her.

 

Thanks

Susanna