tourette's syndrome

[Guest Jennifer]

I have a 7 year old son who began facial tics/grimacing 2 summers ago. The tics waxed and waned to other tics, motor and vocal(sniff/snort). We saw a pediatrician and a neurologist that summer. Around August the tics faded and during the school year they were very mild to nothing at all. Well the following May we began seeing eye blinks and a few different facial grimaces again. We thought there has to be a connection somewhere with the months. We have a pool and always open it at the end of May and thought it must be chlorine. We changed to the chemical baquacil--no change in tics. Again in August the tics faded to almost nothing--at Christmas we noticed one tic but it faded. This year we haven't opened our pool, just waiting on the tics-thought this would help rule out some things-like allergies in the air, etc. At the beginning of June, we went swimming at a friend's house. I watched Jarrod closely to see if tics started. Ididn't notice anything that day. But the next morning while he was watching TV he was blinging and opening and closing his mouth-maybe 5 times for each tic within 45 minutes. I haven't seen this again.

 

I know he swims under water a lot with his eyes open. I have wondered if his eyes are getting dry and this is triggering tics. When we have our pool open he might swim 2 0r 3 times a day. But when school starts in August we stop swimming and this is when the tics have faded the last 2 years.

 

Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Does anyone else have any ideas or suggestions?

 

Thanks,

Jennifer

[Ivan]

I've seen a lot of eyerolling and neck tics with my son (11) when he goes swimming in a public pool. I've never paid much attention to it but read somewhere that it's not even good to take a bath in chlorinated water at home but that seems a little extreme? but here the pools are loaded with chlorine and kids are in there for hours. you said you switched to Baquacil. That should be better from what i have read. But maybe your son is sensitive to something in that even still since it's still a sanitizer.

 

Or maybe your pool was a lot better for him but he kept also swimming at friends houses last summer? could that be? also are you watching what he eats. i see a lot of posts on that. it was really good you wrote this. am going to be more careful about pools for him now. good luck. hope you tell us what else you find out.

[Guest Jennifer]

Dear Newbie,

[Guest Jennifer]

Dear Newbie, I just read your reply. We have watched for foods that may trigger tics. Foods do not seem to effect him, when he is not ticcing regularly ffrom Aug. to May--the only thing that seems to cause tics is very exciting activities, like Christmas, or if he is extremely tired. In the summer months, he seems to tic more watching tv, playing video games. We usually don't swim at friend's houses much when our pool is open. But you may be right, both chemicals are a type of sanitizer. He plays often in the sprinkler, before swim season, but we haven't noticed anything with that. But being immersed in water and swimming in it is different. The second summer the tics weren't as varied or as frequent. This could have been due to the use of Baquacil or the use of Bonnie's vitamins.

 

Thanks again for responding. My mom and husband are good listeners but sometimes you need a new listener! Thanks

[Guest Jennifer]

Sorry Ivan I referred to you as Newbie. This is my first time to type on a forum. I have messed up twice already. I'll get better at it.

[Chemar]

Hi There

Chlorine is a very definite tic trigger for my son......

 

it is real hard to balance as being in water seems to calm tics, and so much water has chlorine.......from tub to pools.

 

We had a discussion recently on the BrainTalk Forum about the survey here at Latitudes and what sets our kids off.........

 

you may want to add chlorine there as I dont think any of us remembered to add it

here's the link http://neuro-mancer.mgh.harvard.edu/ubb/Fo...TML/005226.html