Allergist? Hepa Filters? Which should I start with?

[mom2three]

Hi,

I haven't been reading this forum in a while because we were having a calm few months.

 

My daughter has tourettes and experiences body moving tics as well as vocal tics.

However after putting her on Magnesium, B-complex, and a good multi vitamin she experienced about 6 months without any tics.

 

Recently she has begun ticking again. I really think it is allergy related as she does have the "traditional" spring and fall allergies and I am sure that she must have more.

Recently our heater has been running (dry forced air heat) as well as having a christmas tree etc in the house.

 

i was curious if taking her to an allergist have having her tested would be the best option.

If we could find out exactally what was triggering her ticks we could try to eliminate them.

 

Also does anyone have experience with hepa filters? do they make a difference? If so what brands/types are best and where do you place them in the home?

 

also, if i do go the allergist route is there a certain type of doctor i should look for or any allergist will be okay. Also (lots of also's)

are there any particular tests I should ask for?

 

Thank you all for any help you can give.

[mom2three]

I'm replying to my own post haha.

 

 

I found this office which is a bit of a drive but do-able

Does this look like the type of place that would offer the correct type of testing for tics?

They list a lot of disorders but tourettes isn't one of them, however I know its similar to other things.

 

what do you all think?

 

http://www.woodmed.com/

[Chemar]

hi

I would definitely ask *first* if they have any experience with TS and tics before making an appointment. Environmental doctors are very clued up as a rule.

 

there are many brands of hepa filter and it really is what fits your budget. they do help very much. Best to place in bedroom and in rooms most used

 

re allergies...yes, knowing what the allergies are will have a very beneficial effect on correctly eliminating the allergens and so de-stressing your child's immune system, and hopefully also reducing tics.

 

all the best and let us know how things go

[Calicat]

Hi,

I have a Hepa air filter; I personally put it in my kitchen to be somewhat central, but also because I have experienced my own worst allergies in the kitchen. I do not know if my daughter has allergies that manifest as tics, but her tics are absolutely minimal now. I believe it is more the supplement therapy than the filter, but the filter helps me and I'm sure it all works together for good for her, too. If I get another air filter, it will go in her bedroom. Also, I do have one of the more expensive furnace filters which is a Hepa as well.

 

We went to a traditional allergist about a year and a half ago. My daughter tested allergy free. However, I personally had my own suspicions about her being sensitive to mold and possibly some food, such as chocolate and artificial ingredients. If she gets any amount of chocolate, she will have nightmares or night terrors that night. Artificial ingredients make her act a little "weird"--stuff a parent definitely notices. She's not herself, she's a bit hyper, a bit pushy/jumpy/rough, I hardly even know how to explain it. Also, the tics kick in more. Anyway, a traditional allergist will not test for that stuff. Also, there is a difference between traditional allergies and delayed allergies... I believe the delayed ones need to be tested with a blood test, not a prick test.

 

Hope this helps a bit.

Calicat