Allergy confusion

[Anks]

Hi

I gave a son who us 6.5 yrs old and he has had tics for 1.5 years. I gave seen docs at CHOP who mostly dismiss it and tell me it may go away. I feel upset that there is not much they can do.

 

I have made an appt for getting allergy testing..hopeful we get some answers....but I keep thinking how can it be allergy when I see him tic more when he is watching TV or reading..or tryi g to see something...it's mostly eye thing...blinks. Flutters and head nods and turns. Does allergy compromise the immunity and then causes these things? Also how can it be allergy if he ate the same stuff for weeks when his tics were almost not present ..? Just confused.

Or does allergy work in mysterious ways?

 

Looking for hope here

Thank you

[Chemar]

Hi

why do you think it is allergies? If he is not showing reactivity to food or to seasonal changes, then he may not have allergies. Not every child with tics has allergies, although most benefit from a healthy diet free of artificial and chemically processed foods. There is no harm in doing allergy testing, just to be sure....but if it doesn't seem an obvious trigger there is no urgency to do it.

 

We have had a number of members here whose children seemed to have eye tics predominantly triggered by flicker on TV, computer, fluorescent lights etc here is an example of many threads on this topic (there are more in the Helpful Threads section)

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=852

[mar]

Look I into food allergies or sensitivities. My ds had the eye tics and shoulders and many more and of course he was eating all foods and who is one to know. I am not sayi g it will cure all things but ds have massive sensitivities and allergies when we tested him. One might say if he is not reacting to food you think it's okay. That is how my son was. I never though that he is sensitive to foods or allergic. But sensitivities can cause tics. They have for ds. My chd had eye tics to tv and several things but putting on a diet and getting rid of all dyes and food coloring I did see a change. He did eye blinking and head nods and much more but he is doing better with diet change.

Mar

[Anks]

HI,

He probably is senstive to foods because his ears are always red and flushed and hot...and also because he does have very bad bowels and also when he has grapes I see a bigger increase. not sure if it is my imagination. I am just hoping I can help him with diet and that will help.

[Chemar]

If you believe you are seeing reactions to food then yes, of course it is beneficial to have testing done. In the previous post, you had indicated that he was eating all the same foods and you noticed no changes in tics etc....so that seemed to indicate to me that you were not suspecting an reactivity. Sorry if I misunderstood your post.

[mar]

You mentioned some interesting things in you last post that hit home for me. Eye blinking was what started for ds. It always was worst in the fall and then started noticing it the the spring when he was about to turn 7. But he would have bad weeks and it would just go away. I know how you feel it's crazy. No diet at this time or didn't even suspect any allery. He also ate everything and never suspected food at all. At that point new it must be outdoor allergies. Digging further yes he would tick more by tv or wii so I assumed that must make it worse!!! He does not like to read and had the head nods and turns. When he would do homework he turned his head sideways and look back. I could be totally off but ds ended up getting glasses at 7. His eyes aren't bad but needs them for tv and reading. The interesting point you made was with the red ears and flushed and hot. So ds got his testing for food sensitivites done for sensitivities at 7. I brought him back tk allergist to do skin prick of the ones that came up high in blood test and had dd at the time tested bc she was having bowl issues she was 4 at the time. So I say she always uses washroom halfway through dinner like every day and crystal with leg pain once in a while at night. She gets skin prick with no reaction but her ears turn bright red and checks are red. I point this out and she says yes she is reacting but not on her arm where the skin prick happened. Wants to get her blood tested but dd would not do it. Got food sensitivity test at different doc with no blood involved and comes out gluten and milk are troublesome for her along with dyes and some other things. But once she went gluten and milk free ( which are the main ones) plus dyes and what not she stopped using the washroom during meals and stopped complaining of leg pain. So allergies do work in mysterious ways!!! Got her tested for Celiac and she is not. It's these sensitivities. In our case the red flushed ears were a sight of sensitivity. And with sensitivities you can't pun point anything. Everyone knows what true allergies can do and it's scary but in my children's case a lot is sensitivity. It might not sound like a big deal to others and they might question you but if does make a difference to them!! You also mentioned grapes which both my children are sensitive to. Back to the tv yes j panicked bc he got worst watching tv or playing any video games . I was crazy and i admit it!! researched and wondered if I should switch something. In his case he is fine with tv and video games now. Tics come and go with stress and who knows but for us I could say 100 percent the diet changed his life. Ds is now 11. Even DH who has tics says that he ticked a lot and he sees ds doing good. He was much worst at that age. He would say sixth grade was the hardest!! Ds is going into it in the fall but I used to stress out years ago thinking what will happen is it going to blow up but no I feel confident that he will be okay as long as he sticks with his diet! He has his moments but they are short lived and I know it will go away. My suggestion is don't stop at allergies get the sensitivity test. I would never believe that ds was sensitive to like 28 foods at the time. Hopefully your ds is not! But the more you know the more you can try to help him. I blabbed tik much but good luck and hop you boy is doing well!!

Mar

[mar]

Forgot to mention not only grapes but apples where a huge thing. He would spin around in circles a lot and apples would cause him to lay on his head or just ace differently.

[Cj60]

Anks,

 

Red ears can be a symptom of phenol and/or salycilate intolerance, which in turn are indicators of problems with sulphation.

 

If you google phenol intolerance of salycilate intolerance or phenol sulphur-transferase (PST), you'll find lots of information. Like:

 

"feeding large amounts of sulphur and phenolic-based foods to PST deficient children will cause a build up of phenols, amines, salicylates, and other toxic substances normally cleared by PST." http://www.allnaturaladvantage.com.au/Phenol%20Sensitivity.htm.

 

I am fairly certain my son's tic problems could be traced to problems with sulphation, at least in part. Red grapes (relatively high in phenols) were one of the first foods we nixed once we started watching (like hawks) what he ate.

 

Like your child, my son also had intestinal issues (constipation in his case) as a child. Unfortunately, we addressed that issue with a product - Miralax - that has subsequently been linked anecdotally to tics...

 

Improvements in my son's health were the direct result, over time, of 1) diet (which was developed through consultation with an environmental medicine practice, and which included thorough testing for food intolerances), and 2) the daily supplementation of a potent mult-vitamin (Kirkmans Specturm Complete II, which I first learned about on this forum). Because of my suspicion of sulphation as an issue, we also supplement glucosamine sulfate.

 

 

- Chris

[mar]

Cj60

That's interesting! Back when ds was 7 I was watching like a hawk and when he had an apple he would act different. He is sensitive to grapes as is daughter and I had ds not have appless or grapes for years. He has them sporadically now. Also ds was always constipated as a child. This really makes me wonder. Not that I want to talk about this but from two to three who knows he would have a hard time going and it's funny bc now I check if he still alive bc he goes every day and sits in their:)))) but what is crazy is that dd is sensitive to grapes have to look into the others and she is the opposite with more loose stools and never constipated??? Interesting!

Mar