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[mommyof2]

Hello Everyone

I just recently came across you site from a book i bought on tics. I have been dealing with these for so many years now and don't know what to do for my son. He started at about 3 or 4, is 9 now. It started out frist by smelling hands, blinking, mouth stretching. We always thought they were habits and would try and get him to stop and he would just to lead to something else. I really noticed something was wrong within the last year when i would watch him playing and would see him strugging shoulders and moving arms wierd. We took him for Cranial Sacral treatments and all the body jerks stopped but his facial tics will not. He seemed to get some relief from the facial tics for a few days but then would start up. It was getting expensive and the lady doing these had me going through the chiropractic office and only paying a copay but it ended up i had to pay a co pay for the chiropractic and her and it was more than her treatement. My son hated going to the chiropractic, said he didn't like being popped. Also it was at the point of no change at all in him after the treatments and they would just keep saying it is a cycle, for me a really expensive one...60.00 and they wanted to see him every 2-3 weeks.

 

Well I am now trying Magnesium capsles we had from a GNC store. He can't swallow them so i open them and mix with yogurt. Read somewhere yogurt is good to take with these pills.

 

I can't imagine it to be a food allergy because he had these for so many years and his diet changes alot with his likes. We limit him on soda, only caffeine free and only when we go out to eat which is not often or if his dad or i drink one we give him a small amount. I am also not a big one on lots of junk food. Evening snacks are using pretzels or cheese nips. Try and limit chocolate. He is not a big Tv person, only watches some sports and once in awhile watches a little tv before bed but lately TV is barely on and his tics are just as active. he plays a game boy very seldon and that is about it for video games.

 

I did buy him a cd with calming music and tell him to listen to it about 15 minutes before he falls asleep. Haven't seen much effect from that yet.

 

I know the boy puts way to much stress on himself, way to hard on himself....example he is a baseball player and can pitch a perfect inning and come up to bat and strike out and says he is a lousy ball player. His father and I both are very supportive of him and let him know how proud we are of him...doesn't help.

 

I think this summer i am going to take him to the doctor to do an allergy test. I know he does get cold like symptons in spring and fall, not really bad but there might be something there.

 

well sorry for going on and on but if feels good to have someone to talk to. I just am so frustrated. Oh and did I mention now I hear tiny sounds coming from him. Nothing really loud but very distracting to me and his father. I just hope he doesn't do this in school and disturb his classmates...maybe i am just to sensative.

 

any suggestions

 

Mary

[Cum Passus]

Hi Mary,

 

So glad you found us.

 

My husband Has TS and so does our son, not sure about our youngest daughter yet. I wanted to tell you my husband faught me on the food allergy because our son ate all kinds of foods that are big no- nos. My husband eats junk when he can get away with it. He has almost no tics.

 

We did have our son tested and found out he has a corn allergy and when i when shopping to find food without corn all I could do was cry walking down the food isles, as corn was in so much food.

 

My son does the same thing about baseball, sometimes about school work too. I do believe stress plays a huge part. I think the change in his diet has helped with the stress. Try to see what you can do about what you think might be causing stress. (easier said then done)

 

Your story sounds so much like mine when my son was your son's age. The TV, videos, soda, and sports.

My son only had a kissing noise when he was nine (13 now) not any motor tics though.

 

Read up on the diet suggestions here. I think cheese- nips, or mayby it is cheese- zits one of those has BHT or one of the other bad preservatives.

 

I hope you see some results soon since you have been dealing with this for so long.

 

A little incouragement from my son, he thinks pitchers are priceless, and the hitting will come in time.

My son could not hit worth beans, but is a great fielder, and loves the game. Baseball has been his saving grace. At 13 my son can now see what truly makes a great ball player, and we hardly ever hear him cut himself down anymore. Keep being supportive you may not see the fruits of your labor, but one day it will click, and he'll see it.

 

Good luck

C.P.

[faith]

Welcome Mary,

In reading your post about your son, I'm getting the feel that his tics have been somewhat on the mild side? I mean if you have always just thought they were little habits, that is making me think his tics are not too severe or noticeable to others? Then I'm thinking maybe you have been on the right track all along without even realizing it. You state he hardly eats junk food, doesn't watch too much tv or video games, has had craniosacral work, etc. , maybe that is why? Just a thought.

 

I wish I could answer some questions, but I don't see any direct questions. Please let us know how he does on the magnesium supplements and if you want to know about anything else.

 

Faith

[mommyof2]

Hello again...I posted on Friday but it didn't show so i will try again..

 

First thanks for the warm welcome...It is comforting to know I have place to come with people who understand the problem.

 

I did notice from reading that i started to give him the Mag. but it was the oxide so I am going to either try and find the other kind or try the kid calm vitamins.

 

I will just keep working with him and see where this all goes to. he has been making this nose and when i ask him about it he says his throat feels tight so I might make him another Cranial Sacral Therapy appointment and see if she can loosen it up, I know she did stuff in his mouth before and he said he noticed a change. i am going to try her at her office instead of through the chiropractic because that is when i noticed less success.... maybe it was just timing but we will see.

 

 

Again thanks for your welcome and for the enormous amount of information on this site.

 

Mary

[lmcgill]

I really think you should try the Kids Calm brand. I think it has helped our son out the most of all the supplements. His tics are close to none now. We recently found out he is very alergic to eggs and soy through the IgG testing. This is devastating to our family, we are vegitarians and live on soy products and eggs! We are trying to eliminate that but it is very difficult. The Dr said we can use some drops to make him less sensitive, I need to find out what is in them and if they are fine for him to take.

Welcome to the forum, it has been very helpfull to me.

[Chemar]

Lenny

be sure that. as you are vegetarian, your child is getting enough taurine, as we normally get most of our dietary taurine from meats, and taurine has been shown to be important in reducing tics in most people

[lmcgill]

Lenny

be sure that. as you are vegetarian, your child is getting enough taurine, as we normally get most of our dietary taurine from meats, and taurine has been shown to be important in reducing tics in most people

It was this board that made me decide to add a 1000mg tablet of Taurine to his supps. We are also changing his diet to include meat now. His eye blinking seems to be the only tic that will not totally go away. It veries with intensitity, may be a little worse in the morning and when he goes to bed, not that disruptive, we just ignore it now.

Chemar, I find it almost ironic that in order for his diagnosis of his tics to be "transient" they almost need to continue for a certain duration with some times of no ticcing? He has an appointment with his GP today, I am going to bring him in the IgG test results and see what his sugestions are. Thanks

Lenny