Need help

[hel24]

Hi. Im new here to the forum. My seven year old son has been suffering with tics for a little over a year. When it first started it was just a facial grimace which then turned into the vocal tic as well the sudden body jerks he has. For awhile his tics somewhat subsided greatly. Well over christmas he started doing it so badly he would be sweating. From my observation over the holiday it started after he played the new skylander game for the wii. From what ive read, the tic can go on for a long time after that. His tics have been much worse than when they were a year ago. The doctors told me that they start looking at tourettes if hes still doing it in a year. I want to do everything I can to help him; I want drugs to be my last resort. Ive done some studying about triggers that he may have so I have cut him down on video games. Well hes still doing it but the tics arent as intense. im starting to think that it may be a combination of things such as allergies, his diet, medications, etc. it could be a number of things. So it could be just a process of elimination. I have so many questions. What kind of doctors can best help my son? Can it be the screen (tv, computer,ds,) thats a trigger? What foods should I eliminate first? Should I log his tic activity for the doctors? If anyone can give me some ideas about were to start and what theyve tried that works please let me know.

[Chemar]

Hi and welcome

 

we have a number of posts archived here about tics triggered by photosensitivity so it may well be the flicker from the TV monitor that increased the tic.

If you do searches for Claire's posts on screens and photosensitive tics you should get a lot of info

 

An Integrative doctor may be best as they are trained in conventional medicine, so are MDs or DOs, but they also specialize in alternative/naturopathic/environmental health so have a more holistic approach.

 

Dairy and gluten seem to be the main foods that are associated with allergies, but they dont trigger tics in everyone

 

Keeping a journal really can be very helpful

 

here are some good threads to get you started http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2459

and

an excellent reference book http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1314

[guy123]

What kind of TV do you have? Some people have said CRT TVs (the old kind) are worse for tics than LCD screens (the new, thin and flat kind).

[mommyfor4]

Hi and welcome,

A great first step is usually to remove all artificial sweeteners, colours, flavours and preservatives if possible as they seem to be a big trigger for most kids either as tics or ADHD type behaviour etc.

We have noticed the keeping the room well lit and using a LCD, LED or Plasma TV has helped some but video games especially ones where they are just sitting and staring at the screen is definately a trigger for both tics and mood swings. The simple act of turning on a light to match the brightness of the TV seems to diminish this some, but we really limit screen time regardless especially videogames.

We have a great chiropractor who is also a trained Naturopath and he has been invaluable through this.

An elimination diet can be difficult at first but can be a very usefull tool especially if you are charting tics.

The one thing many people seem to forget is the everyday triggers...they can be dishwasher soaps, laundry detergents candles, cleaners etc. The more natural the better.

I wish you the best...

 

Megan

[blakes_mom]

Hi. Im new here to the forum. My seven year old son has been suffering with tics for a little over a year. When it first started it was just a facial grimace which then turned into the vocal tic as well the sudden body jerks he has. For awhile his tics somewhat subsided greatly. Well over christmas he started doing it so badly he would be sweating. From my observation over the holiday it started after he played the new skylander game for the wii. From what ive read, the tic can go on for a long time after that. His tics have been much worse than when they were a year ago. The doctors told me that they start looking at tourettes if hes still doing it in a year. I want to do everything I can to help him; I want drugs to be my last resort. Ive done some studying about triggers that he may have so I have cut him down on video games. Well hes still doing it but the tics arent as intense. im starting to think that it may be a combination of things such as allergies, his diet, medications, etc. it could be a number of things. So it could be just a process of elimination. I have so many questions. What kind of doctors can best help my son? Can it be the screen (tv, computer,ds,) thats a trigger? What foods should I eliminate first? Should I log his tic activity for the doctors? If anyone can give me some ideas about were to start and what theyve tried that works please let me know.

Has your son already been tested for PANDAS. My son had tics too and was diagnosed with PANDAS. Antibiotic therapy is helpful for this. Pandasnetwork.org has some great info on this diagnosis.

[cory2605]

Hi hel24,

 

My son also had a sudden onset of tics at age 7, as well as sudden fears and emotional melt downs. He also became 'spacey' and inattentive. I researched and researched, went to Dr. after Dr., I even enrolled my son in a Pandas research study. As a result, I have come to a few theories: 1.) His tics, fears, and OCD behavior are/were the result of an autoimmune disorder 2.)The H1N1 flu vaccination he had received a couple weeks prior (they gave him both the regular flu and the Swine flu shot in one visit) was the catylst for him in this autoimmune disorder 3.) I believe that children who do begin suffering from tics, OCD, etc., often have a genetic history of autoimmune disorders. I have also found several things which trigger his ticse his tics as well as supplements we add and foods we avoid which have diminish his tics. But the biggest help was PRAYER! This time a year and a half ago, I wanted to die as I couldn't bear to see my son 'suffer'. I actually think I made things worse for him by becoming totally and completely obsessed (OCD?) with his problem and finding a 'fix' for it. The stress and the message to him that he 'wasn't okay' probably served to make things way worse. But, being the faithful GOD that he is, my prayers were answered and for now he is a HAPPY, seemingly well-adjusted and extremely intelligent 9 year old kid with lots of friends. At first I thought the tics were the worst thing in the world and everybody would make fun of him. This hasn't been the case and generally kids can control the tics at school and let them out when they come home. Anyway, here's what we found:

 

Larger, high definition T.V.'s viewed from a distance do not cause the onset of tics as the old style 'flickering' t.v.'s (We actually went out and bought a large flat screen we we realized the difference it made and we are a budget conscience family!).

 

Video games trigger tics big time for our son, particularly the Japanese animated ones. Basically, the more fast paced, the worse the tics.

 

Gluten, food coloring, high fructose corn syrup and excess sugar: We started out eliminating dairy...that had no effect. We then removed gluten and we definately saw a major improvement in his spacey behavior (more than the tics). Food coloring, high fructose corn syrup and sugar maee the tics way worse.

 

Excercise in the form of outdoor play helps a lot to release the pent up energy.

 

Stress makes his tics a lot worse.

 

If he is sick his tics also get a lot worse. In fact, I have taken him to the Dr. twice in the last two years suspecting a virus of some sort even though he was basically symptom free. The first time he had the flu and the second time he had strep, as did my daughter who just happened to come along for the ride!

 

In the evenings I give my son a Magnesium supplement called 'Kid's calm' which is awesome. I also began giving him a B Vitamin called 'Inositol' for his mild OCD and periodic fears. It also seems to have helped quite a bit.

 

I hope you get a lot of encouragement and answers from this forum. I know you feel very alone and afraid right now but since my son began having these tics 2 years ago, it's amazing how many dozens and dozens of people I have since noticed that have the same thing. I would never had noticed had it not been for my son.

 

Sincerely,

 

cory2605