Tics and TV

[Giselle]

Hi everyone! I just had a question. I asked my son's DAN doctor and he had his opinion but wanted all of yours. I wanted to know that if we knew our son ticced more doing something (like TV) did that "strengthen" the tic pathways? Meaning by letting him tic did it create more tics? He didn't seem to think this was the case and I actually don't either. So TV is in, although he doesn't watch much as he's a real builder and would much rather make things. We of course don't allow the food triggers in as the foods actually causes harm to him (gluten, casein, corn, dyes) and feel those are different. Just wondering what you all thought?

 

Thanks,

Giselle

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That is an interesting question Giselle. We found after the PANDAS outbreak that TV was an obvious trigger, we mentioned it to doctors who did not suggest he stop watching tv and had not heard of the connection, other than my ped. advising that on gameboys etc there are warning about tics. It was only when I came across this site and Claire's thread on tv that we decided to take him off tv 100%. The trigger was so obvious while watching tv - he would be ticcing non stop especially eye tics but also other motor tics, then he would turn from the tv to answer a question and the eye tics would stop completely. They would start up whenever he turned back to the tv. We found going off tv 100% obviously reduced the tics he would have been having were he watching tv and I do think they decreased all around. We even find now when he is sick he will tic more at the tv and then those tics stick with him for a half hour or so. It was an interesting topic started recently on braintalk - about kids picking up tics from other kids at camp - I think it might have been your camp question. My son always tells me not to bring up his tics or it makes him tic - for example a few weeks ago he had a sore in his mouth under his tongue and he was sticking his tongue out in a ticcish way. Once the mouth healed up the "tic" stopped, today I showed him I had a canker in my mouth as well, then he remembered that he had one and that it was now gone and he was not sticking his tongue out anymore. Then within seconds he stuck his tongue out twice then said I should not have reminded him about it. He has not stuck his tongue out since. Thank goodness.

 

Not sure if I have answered your question or just talked in circles.

[Giselle]

No, not circles at all, just more pieces to this very strange puzzle. It makes me realize a couple of things 1. that a lot of my son's tics are OCD tics (which have been helped considerably now that we've addressed his neurotransmitters) 2. that I haven't got a clue! about all of this! I do know that my son was reacting quite strongly to our computer screen until my husband upped the hertz or flicker rate. Everytime something like that happens we just marvel at how super-sensitive he is. We are almost giving up movie theatre movies because he really goes ballistic in there. It's just so dark and the only light sourse is flickering at 24 frames per second. But the room we have T.V. in is super well lit and like I said he hardly ever watches. Flourescents don't seem too bad for him, but again, his classroom has a lot of natural light as well.

 

The mouth sore piqued my interest though. My son gets A LOT of them - does your son?

 

Giselle

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Hi Giselle,

 

This was my son's first canker, but I used to get them a lot during university. I always assumed it was stress related - exams etc. In Dec/Jan this year I started getting them again all the time, one after another and they were very painful. Again I assumed they were stress related but decided to do a little research on them - I found one reference to toothpaste with SLS sodium lauryl sulfate causing cankers for some people. I checked my toothpaste and sure enough the brand we were now using had SLS in it (crest) . The brand I usually use does not ( colgate) . So I changed back to plain old regular colgate and the cankers disappeared never to return. My guess is now that the toothpaste may have been the cause in university as well. Amazing what we learn!

[evelynr]

Hi everyone!  I just had a question.  I asked my son's DAN doctor and he had his opinion but wanted all of yours.  I wanted to know that if we knew our son ticced more doing something (like TV) did that "strengthen" the tic pathways?  Meaning by letting him tic did it create more tics?  He didn't seem to think this was the case and I actually don't either.  So TV is in, although he doesn't watch much as he's a real builder and would much rather make things.  We of course don't allow the food triggers in as the foods actually causes harm to him (gluten, casein, corn, dyes) and feel those are different.  Just wondering what you all thought?

 

Thanks,

Giselle

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