pools? sunlotion? sun? What is triggering these tics?

[juls]

My son is now eight. He began having tics when he was five. They began at the end of June and went away in September of that same year. The following year they returned again at the end of June and never went away. As the tics got worse (they began as verbal tics and then motor tics followed) I started my son on some of the supplements mentioned on this forum. In January of this year I added L Carnitine and vitamin C to his supplement regime and his tics disappeared. It was amazing! The only time he they returned was for a short period in March when he did not take his supplements for three days. When the supplements were taken again all the tics disappeared...until July 5th. They have all returned in spite of his supplements.

 

This is the third year that I have seen tic begin in the last week of June (or early July in this case). I'm pretty sure it has to do with swimming, sun lotion or sun. He does have a sun allergy and gets bumps from sun exposer. I also know that pool water chemicals are often listed as tic triggers. I don't want to stop him from swimming yet I am so sad to see these tics starting up again after 6 months of being tic free.

 

Any thoughts? Any ways to prevent this without stopping pool time?

 

Juls

[Chemar]

Hi juls

 

my son has to totally avoid chlorinated pools as his tics go thru the roof with chlorine

 

he also tics more when he is over-heated

 

re the sun lotion....there u would need to check re any perfumes, chemicals that could be triggering

 

again, my son's experience with anything perfumed is not good re increased tics

 

HTH

[PANDAS_Denmark]

Hi Juls -

I have a nearly 7 years old son with PANDAS - and has experienced exactly what you describe concerning your son : Tics starting (again) or getting worse in the end of june/early july.

It is now his fourth summer this way.

The previous summers I was pretty sure too, that it had to do with swimming, sun lotion or sun.

As such I have tried - the previous summers - to avoid these possible triggers one at the time, writing down too in "his" diary, whatever the reactions where.

This made it possible for me to conclude, that sun lotion and swimming pools indeed do make his tics worse (and gives him a scarlatini form rash too).

Last year year I decided to avoid both sun lotion and swimming pools.

However - his tics started anyway at exactly the same time.

This made me rethink. Maybe there was another trigger, that I had not thought of previously ?

I reread his diary, where I do all kind of notes (a habit I developed during the time before his diagnosis was given, as the doctors knew nothing about PANDAS - and told me I was crazy when I mentioned it).

Doing in this, I found that it might be a possible trigger being with other kids having impetigo (a very common skin disease caused by staph or strep , which usually affects pre-school and school-aged children, especially during the summer).

This summer - exactly 1 day after being with his best friend having impetigo - his tics restarted :-(.

 

Am I the only having this experience : That impetigo is a (major) trigger ??

 

Love

PANDAS_Denmark