TS and Allergic Responses

[Guest Jessica]

Hello. My name is Jessica, and I'm a first-time visitor to this forum, having been referred by folks over on the MGH board.

 

My 9 year old daughter (TS++) has had some serious allergic reactions to bee stings and mosquito bites over the years, including a number of problems requiring medical attention over the past month. By allergic reactions, I mean major localized swelling and discoloration, infection, joint swelling and pain, and swelling of her eyes and tongue.

 

Conventional treatments and preventions- bugspray (DEET), benadryl, antibiotics, haven't really helped. I have a sense that there are some issues (histadelia?) associated with the TS that may respond to vitamin supplementation, diet change, or the like.

 

Any suggestions? I'm curious to learn if anyone has had similar experiences, and has had success with an alternative treatment or prophyllactic measure. I'd also be interested to learn if anyone in the scientific community has found specific connections between TS and allergic responses. Thanks for your help.

[Sheila]

Jessica, welcome, and thank you for posting on our forum. There is a documented link between immune function/allergy and tics though conventional physicians don't usually emphasize this or aren't aware of it. At a recent national Tourette Syndrome Association meeting a TS researcher said during a lecture that while they have not yet located a gene for TS, they are now looking at immune function--something they "would not have considered ten years ago."

 

Reports of hypersensitivities to allergens (including insect bites), foods, and toxic chemicals is common and we frequently receive these reports, with exposures resulting in increased TS symptoms. Reducing the allergic response through nutrients, diet, environmental changes, and detoxification when called for can make a huge difference.

 

Best wishes, Sheila