My 10 year old has started ticking a lot so quick

[MISSY81]

Hi everyone, I am new to this….  A very concerned and worried Mum.  I feel my world is crashing down.

Other than the odd shoulder shrug bearly noticeable, there was the odd eye roll when on the computer gaming and when tired.  Nothing that worried me as it wasn’t really noticeable at all.

A week of good weather we were in the garden a lot, playing a paddling pool, football etc.  Had the odd ice cream at Granny’s etc.  Got a bit of sunburn and after sun was applied.  Temperature was between 29 and 31 degrees.  Had an ice cream at the ice van Sat.  Zoo on Sunday and had a iceberger ice cream.  It was either the morning after or the Tuesday he was playing on the gaming pc and he started the throat clearing. The shoulder shrug became worse and the eye rolling.  It happened to get worse so quick.  It scared me.  That was 3 weeks ago.

His diet has a lot of refined sugars like bread and convenience foods like pastas, frozen chicken, take away pizza, tined tuna, noodles as well as good like natural oats, carrots, bananas, potatoes, fresh meet etc.  He doesn’t really like veg… We had a picnic at the zoo were he had a large bag of crisps with his sandwiches.. On their ingredients was dried yeast extract and glutamate.

This is all the information at the moment leading up to that day.

I started him on a gluten and dairy free diet starting last Monday.  
 

I give him magnesium started 2 weeks ago (was 100mg but now 200g starting today) along with a folate.

 

I am trying to stop him having foods with  artificial flavours, colouring and preservatives.  His magnesium lists sweetener (xylitol, steviol glycoside) and natural flavours (raspberry,cherry) anti-caking agent (silica)

His folate has B6 and B12 and in the ingredients lists sweeteners: sorbitol, sucralose Flavouring: Natural orange flavouring.  Is this ok???

**Is it too early for changes to happen regarding the change in diet?

**Are the flavourings in his vitamins/minerals to be avoided?

 

is 3 weeks too early for me to worry so much about his tics??
 

Any advice please.

Thank you,x

 

 

[MLee]

.
 

 

Edited July 4, 2022 by MLee

[MISSY81]

Thank you @MLeefor your response.  I will keep the diet and supplements going in the hope that it will improve them.  Are the natural flavours in supplements bad???  Am I better using adult supplements and halving the dosage??

He has mild asthma but hasn’t caused him problems in a few years were he would have picked up a few chest infections in winter.  Around the 10th June he was a bit chesty with a cough and I thought he had a chest infection.  Due to convid, my doctor wouldn’t see him until he has a negative test.  By the time we got test and results his chest had cleared a lot so we never did go to the doctor.

He doesn’t have any adhd or add.  No known Tourette’s in the family.  I had a few facial tics (blinking and nose squishing) when I was about 11 or 12 which went away quickly.  I only know now that they were tics.

My doctor has referred him to paediatrics now.  He doesn’t mention his tics, nor do i to him.  I don’t think he realises he is doing it.  Worrying me more than him!

[mar]

Hello are you available to talk 

 

[Fc100]

Hello Missy81 how is your son doing mine 7yr old started doing that since August of 2021. However his tics have changed to different ones I have read a lot of things about this topic but it’s very frustrating for us the parents see them. I had mine in gluten free diet but  it didn’t really make any difference not sure what really causes this but what I can recommend you is to keep your kid active and give him a lot of water. I just hope one day my kid stops doing it but only God knows when. 

[Nate]

We saw food changes have an impact the very next day. Major impact...from 20 or more tics per minute to 0 the next day. Just my suggestions....cut out almost all processed food. Loaf bread (nature's own works for us) is ok. Eliminate fruits and veggies for a day. Very limited plant foods including rice and potato. No whole grains (including oats and rice).  Feed him peanut butter sandwiches, meat, bread, and raw cow milk. I would be surprised if you didn't see dramatic improvement next day. Also make sure no exposure to fragrances, essential oil, or other cleaners (always plant based). I truly feel for you. Most stressful years of my life. We went from a 10 to 0.5 on a scale from 0 to 10 in regards to tics. Most all days are now tic free at 10 years of age.