update on daughter and other thoughts whirling in mind

[Calicat]

Hi everyone,

I haven't posted for a while, because we have been having a good summer, with the tics (throat clearing and sniffing) slowly reducing until they were practically none. But I bet you can guess why I'm posting again... tics have started again, but a new one this time. Just two days ago, she started doing this blinky looking thing, except it is mostly just on the one eye (kind of like a fluttery wink).

 

You know, it's frustrating. There are two main environmental docs in my city, and I'm on a LONG waiting list for the one I really want (will probably get in around January 2008). The other one I managed to get an appointment with within a month, so we had that in July, even though my daughter's tics were pretty much gone by that time. I was so disappointed in this guy. He didn't let me talk much, didn't understand the connection between tics and allergy, and even questioned me on why I was so sure it was tics, and not rhinitis or other conventional allergies. Well, I think this eye blinking tic shows that I was correct, doesn't it?! Believe me, I would LOVE to be wrong!!

 

My daughter is on Kid's Calm, calcium, natural multivitamin, and until a few weeks ago, was also on a kids' enzyme. Three weeks ago, I stopped the enzyme (we were at the end of the bottle anyway), because I wanted to test if it was one of the things having a positive impact on the tics or not. Plus, a health food store owner had told me that bodies can become very dependent on the enzymes so not to give them unless necessary (don't know if that's true or not). So, I stopped them, and three weeks later, here is the eye winking tic. Do you think it sounds like this is related??

 

Any thoughts on the eye winking tic, or the next supplement I should try adding to the list?

 

I have been wondering, the more times a kid has little tic episodes, or different tics, do you think it is more likely they will be dealing with Tourettes, or is it still possible to be a "childhood tic" and just go away forever?

 

I've also been noticing that soooo many stories start with "My child was 5 years old when they started with the tics." Mine was too. Is this a sign of something?

 

My daughter also wets the bed, which seems to be a fairly common experience here. Sometime maybe we should take a poll about the age of onset and the bedwetting issue. I'm not sure if dairy affects her, because she hardly ever drinks milk, but we do have yogurt and cheese.

 

I worry so much about what will happen if this gets worse as she goes into grade one this year. I feel hesitant to even accept a day job (I'm currently a tutor) this year, just in case she really needs me to take her home on particularly bad days, or even homeschool her if the vocal tics come back badly. I hate living on the edge like this, not knowing if it will get better or worse.

 

Thanks for listening to my ramblings!

 

Calicat

[faith]

Hi calicat,

could I ask how long things were good before the eye winking started? I know that one, my son has done that too, but when I see that it doesn't usually last too long? I have mentioned before that when I see that I make sure he gets the magnesium and sometimes add a little B1 for a few days. (totally my experiment -- Don't know the dynamics but B1 was something I must have read somewhere for eye tics.

 

Had you tried anything in the way of allergy treatment to see if it had any effect on the throat clear/sniffing? My son has a vocal sound (like a grunt) that I am trying to investigate if allergies of this time of year have anything to do with it. He was doing better spring and early summer too, and now seems to be doing it more than I am used to. Please let us know if that eye tic subsides quickly, it would be interesting to know if the tics our kids experience are shorter lived and milder at least, considering all the health strategies we are employing. Would you say your daughter has had less sleep this summer and maybe eating more junkfoods?

 

Thanks

Faith

[Calicat]

Hi Faith!

You bring up a lot of good points. I sure hope my daughter follows your son's lead and this tic lasts only a short while. Although I have to say, as tics go, it's not a bad one... doesn't disrupt anyone or hurt the child at all... she doesn't even know she's doing it (I asked her about it). I'm mostly worried it will morph into something worse, or that it's the beginning of another big bout of tics.

 

My daughter always gets her magnesium at bedtime (and so do I... it really helps me sleep!!), but I will do a little research on the B1 and probably try it out myself. Thanks for the idea!

 

You asked how long things were good before this tic started. Well, I think they had been down to a very minor level of only a few tics a day for about a month (throat and sniff) after doing the vitamin thing plus no artificial ingredients. You can imagine my relief at that point, and then my heart sinking when the eye wink started.

 

I do think the throat and sniff may have been allergy triggered, but it's hard to tell. One reason I'm suspicious is because both bouts of tics in her life, once at age four and once at five, happened in the spring. Also because I have classical allergies, triggered by mold and dust, I think.

 

I thought about the summer thing as well. Yes, definitely less sleep and a few treats... hard not to give hot dogs and marshmallows while camping! I will have to tighten up again--darn!

 

Thanks for your reply,

Calicat

[Pamela Kay]

You know I think that my sons new bout of tics is due to environmental allergies. I remember last year it happening around the same time. I have looked into everything else and this really makes sense. Plus my husband has been displaying tics as well. I just wish I knew what the environmental allergy was.

 

I too would be interested to see a tic onset and bedwetting pole. This is all linked I am sure.

 

Pam

[bmom]

Is this the same Pam as "its me"? Just curious because "its me" said Bontech helped with his tics too. My husband has a few tics and my son started in Feb. My son has been pretty much tic free since May. Thank God! I started my husband on supplements 2 months ago and he continues to be worse on them than before. I dont know if I should stop or stay the course. I am frustrated that they did not help him and wondering what to do. I tried him on flax/ fish combo and he seemed really bad for 3 days. Stopped that, but have given him mag.,b vit, grapeseed, and multi with no improvement. Did your husband get worse before better and do the supplements seem to still help?

[Chemar]

Hi Calicat

I am multitasking here so have to be brief.....

 

 

two amino acids that have been found to help with tics are taurine and l-carnitine, with the latter having helped a lot with my son's eye tics initially, but then he seemed to not tolerate it well anymore (after about a year of use)

We still use taurine as a general tic reducer

 

 

Vitimin B1 is very beneficial.......my son took it to combat mosquitoes when on a missions trip to south america, but found that added benefit re the tics. (mosquitoes hate blood with B1 in it)

 

so sorry to hear of your experience with that one doc..........another reason why I always suggest to ensure that the physician has experience with tics etc

 

when we were doing the dx carousel, we had one doc say my son's sniffling/throat clearling/cough etc etc was due to asthma and wanted to put him on inhalers etc. Thank goodness we got other opinions!!

 

re the enzymes........our experience has shown that even subtle changes in the supplement program can impact tics and so we tend to stick with what is working. If the system needs the enzymes ( ie is not functioning optimally on its own) then they may be very important in the overall treatment success, as they may be helping the other supps etc be absorbed and function

 

ok

gotta run

HTH

[Pamela Kay]

Sorry different Pam.

 

My husband actually does not take anything for his tics as they are not usually bothersome. Lately his eye has been twitching like crazy though and that was bothering him.

[Calicat]

Thanks Chemar and Pamela Kay for your thoughts and ideas which are very helpful, as usual! The eye winking is still continuing in "clumps" throughout the day. She complains that her eye feels "sticky" (it doesn't look sticky or strange at all).

 

I've only just added the enzymes back, so I'll give that some time to settle and see what the effect is. After that, I'll try the taurine, l-carnitine, and B-1 slowy and one at a time and see what happens. I feel like an inventor who is searching for just the perfect combination of elements to create some miraculous new invention... only I'm looking for the perfect combination of supplements to create a miracle.