Tics are back....probiotics?

[Eatmoregreens]

Hi everyone,

I posted on here back in January when my son (2 years old at the time) first began displaying tics - started with pronounced eye blinking, then shortly after included head tilting and face rubbing.  He experienced the tics in a pronounced way for about a month and a half.  (In that time we had a neurologist referral put in by our pediatrician and only got to see the neurologist last week!)

For a few months my son, who is now 2.5, was tic free.  However, in the last week or so we have noticed the odd tic here and there - the odd blink, a random head tilt but nothing major.  Yesterday was more pronounced and obvious - he was doing pronounced and rapid blinking in succession, a head tilt here and there and some face rubbing (I think).  

I have been doing a lot of reading on leaky gut and diet (mainly for my own health issues) and wonder about my son in this regard - he has had multiple rounds of antibiotics in his short life, is on a puffer regularly, etc.  I would like to get him on probiotics and was wondering if anyone has advice on which strains to ensure are included (and/or to avoid)?  Which ones have worked for you?  I am hoping it will help his overall health and that it will diminish / eliminate the tics. My son is on lactose free milk (which he drinks a lot of) though he is ok with cheese and yogurt.  (I know dairy is bad for a potential leaky gut but that is another issue to tackle for a different day.)  I have been reducing his puffer usage as well - not sure if that is a factor at all (thinking it is more diet related or otherwise instead but you never know).

I also want to introduce omega 3's...any advice on high quality varieties?  I asked the neurologist about giving magnesium and he said there is a risk of my son getting too much so advised against it...same with zinc.  

Cognitively he seems fine otherwise (if I weren't looking at him I wouldn't think anything was amiss) and he is meeting all his milestones, is happy, loving, talkative, connected, etc.

Thanks in advance!

Edited May 28, 2018 by eatmoregreens

[edsonr]

How is your son doing? Any changes implemented that are working?

[Eatmoregreens]

Hi edsonr,

Thanks for checking in...my son had pronounced blinking fot a few days and then it reduced greatly.  I sometimes see the odd pronounced blink but nothing too over the top.  

Around the time his blinking was flaring up, I thought back to fooda he had been eating and/or any changes going on.  There haven't been any major changes (aside from the neurologist's appointment) but I did discover that a common brand of boxed soup he had eaten has corn syrup solids in it (had no idea previously that was an ingredient).  I know high fructose corn syrup is a big no no for leaky gut.....thinking maybe regular corn syrup might be something to avoid too (though I am just guessing).  The only other thing I can think of that he was eating more of that he hadn't had in awhile was clementines.  Not sure if that could have been a trigger for him?

I bought omega 3's but haven't introduced them yet...wanted to wait until things waned and wanted to make sure things have actually settled down.  I am still looking into a probiotic for him.

Edited June 23, 2018 by eatmoregreens

[edsonr]

That's great hear that things settled down.  

I was curious because my son (who will be 5 in july), had some major tics that started in december.  We had cleaned up his diet and by mid april he appeared tic free.  About a few weeks ago we started to see a lot of facial tics re-emerge, and so far it hasn't seemed to improve much.  We did let his diet loosen up a little and we're trying to clean it back up again.

Wishing the best for your child!

[MLee]

Hi Eatmoregreens,

How is your son doing? My son has a blinking tic and I was just wondering if you found something that helped your son that you could recommend.  Thanks!