need help for my 16 year old son

[suzsinging]

I am new to this forum but have been reading on here for about a month. I have gained a lot of knowledge but also feel very overwhelmed. My 16 year old son was unofficially diagnosed with tourettes about a year ago (I say "unofficially" because we saw our pediatrician and a pediatric neurologist who both talked about everything I had researched about tourettes without ever saying the word- very strange). My son was on topamax for about 6 months with very little change other than annoying side effects. We were advised to come off of it last summer and see what happened and my son decided it didn't make much difference. He is able to control his tics very well at school and in public- most people don't know he has it- his baseball coach just thought he was a "quirky left-handed pitcher" until my husband talked to him about it. This year he has dealt a lot with anxiety/ocd type thoughts which only aggravate the tics. After reading and talking to a few of you, I started him on some supplements (magnesium, B complex, and inositol) about 2-3 weeks ago. The anxiety seems to have lessened but the tics are really bothering him (when he complains, it's bad) and I'm not sure what to do. He is really trying to do whatever I tell him (no caffeine, artificial colors, play station, better foods, whatever pills I hand him) but he has expressed real frustration lately. I know he is under a lot of pressures at his age- he took the SAT on Saturday and ticced like crazy that night after taking a 5 hour test. I know the tics are affecting his decisions about dating, college, etc. He is a great kid but I don't think he can even express how difficult this can be at times.

 

I've gained great advice on here and it has opened up conversation with my son (for example someone mentioned their son's problem with braces- that's when my son's tics first really flared up- and I noticed him biting on his utensils- so I asked him if he'd rather have plastic forks and he said "YES". Just something little that I didn't realize could help. I didn't realize that all of his biting/chewing things was connected to the tourettes. He had to start wearing a bite splint at night because of his teeth grinding and that has improved also.

 

Ok I realize I'm rambling now. There's so much I need to learn and am hoping some of you can help. How long should it take to see a difference if a supplement is working? I would love for him to be under a doctor's care but really don't know where to go. Any suggestions?

[faith]

hello suzsinging and welcome.,

I think its great that your pediatricians were able to talk about your sons symptoms as they are and not use the word tourettes. I have had that similar experience, and I'm fine with it. I think the perception of tourettes is changing and in the past it was assumed to be someone who walked around jerking and cursing. I remember the physicians assistant who saw us in the ped neuro's office saying, sometimes a tic is just a tic. I mean, it is what it is, and I don't think putting any name on it is going to change it. My son has tics, your son has tics, and many of our kids also have some other issues, and I think these days, most kids have a whole host of issues going on (just talk to other moms and you'll see) just pick one from column A and two from column B, if you know what I mean.

 

How long has your son had tics? are they just starting to worsen now at this age, or would you say they are better than when he was younger. May I ask what type they are? Interesting that the topomax did not seem to help him.

 

Faith

[suzsinging]

hello suzsinging and welcome.,

I think its great that your pediatricians were able to talk about your sons symptoms as they are and not use the word tourettes. I have had that similar experience, and I'm fine with it. I think the perception of tourettes is changing and in the past it was assumed to be someone who walked around jerking and cursing. I remember the physicians assistant who saw us in the ped neuro's office saying, sometimes a tic is just a tic. I mean, it is what it is, and I don't think putting any name on it is going to change it. My son has tics, your son has tics, and many of our kids also have some other issues, and I think these days, most kids have a whole host of issues going on (just talk to other moms and you'll see) just pick one from column A and two from column B, if you know what I mean.

 

How long has your son had tics? are they just starting to worsen now at this age, or would you say they are better than when he was younger. May I ask what type they are? Interesting that the topomax did not seem to help him.

 

Faith

 

thanks for the encouragement! You're right, we did appreciate that our doctors didn't make it a big deal as, overall, we know we have a great son and tics are just a part of who he is. We have 5 younger daughters who never call attention to it and love him no matter what he does!

 

His tics probably started around age 7 or 8 with sniffing and throat clearing which we attributed to seasonal allergies and had him on claritin and flonase for a short while. When he got braces at age 12 he started doing a lot of head, neck tics which we attributed to the appliances in his mouth. It gradually went to foot stomping, dragging, touching things and then to his one big vocal tic which consists of hitting his head and shouting "Amen"- we realize we have a lot to be thankful for and can all laugh over that one -God is gracious! He does a lot of humming, mumbling, etc, and there is kind of a pattern to the tics he does (maybe ocd in a way- like he has to get them just right before he can quit).

 

He was only on the topamax for about 6 months- we increased from 25mg to 50 (he's 6'2, 165 lbs) and the hand/foot tingling was bothering him despite drinking a lot of water plus he lost weight which you can see he did not need to do. I was always hesitant about medication anyway after reading Sheila Rogers' book and tried discussing allergies, supplements with the neurologist but got NO support.

 

I can honestly say that tourettes does not control our lives and am thankful that my son can control his tics when he needs to- I think it's easier at his age- I can't say that it's gotten worse- probably typical waxing and waning - however, it seems to be bothering him more now probably for social reasons (dating??) I think he's learned some of the triggers on his own (he won't go to movies, avoids caffeine, goes to bed if the ticcing gets too bad,etc.) I just keep thinking there must be something that can help even if it doesn't remove the tics altogether. Luckily my husband now really understands that it is not something he can fully control and we can all talk about it a little easier. But then again we have to be careful not to talk about it too much or that will make it worse.

[CSP]

Welcome suzsinging,

 

I have a 15yo who exploded with ts at 12yo. he had some very minor to no tics starting at age 8 or 9. My son got braces last June and had months of waxing. He did just have 4 adult teeth pulled and so far no waxing.

 

He has had a good year at school and has the 504 as of a month ago. His teachers all really love him and he is a great ball player. Now with all that said I believe my son suffers with the same issues about dating/driving/college. ect... He is to take the drivers permit test soon and I can tell he is nervous about it, however I have not seen an increase in tics over these thoughts. He has had some really "ditz" moments latley, and got into trouble this weekend, but with his grounding he did not show any increase in tics. (????) In fact yesterday was very very good for him.

 

We have seen it all so far... screaming, cussing, body tics, but all in all he has been a good boy.

 

So what kind of diet has your son been on? Have you seen where he may have had calmer tics at different ages? I mean I feel like my son did well in 8th grade but had a bad summer and beginning of 9th. He started getting better in Nov.

 

My 17yo DD took the SAT this past Sat. too, is your son in 10th or 11th? DD was very nervous, but thought she did fine, she does not have ts though.

 

One last question, is your son a late bloomer? My son seems to be taking forever to get through puberty.

 

CP

[melanie]

Welcome suzsinging,

 

I have a 15yo who exploded with ts at 12yo. he had some very minor to no tics starting at age 8 or 9. My son got braces last June and had months of waxing. He did just have 4 adult teeth pulled and so far no waxing.

 

He has had a good year at school and has the 504 as of a month ago. His teachers all really love him and he is a great ball player. Now with all that said I believe my son suffers with the same issues about dating/driving/college. ect... He is to take the drivers permit test soon and I can tell he is nervous about it, however I have not seen an increase in tics over these thoughts. He has had some really "ditz" moments latley, and got into trouble this weekend, but with his grounding he did not show any increase in tics. (????) In fact yesterday was very very good for him.

 

We have seen it all so far... screaming, cussing, body tics, but all in all he has been a good boy.

 

So what kind of diet has your son been on? Have you seen where he may have had calmer tics at different ages? I mean I feel like my son did well in 8th grade but had a bad summer and beginning of 9th. He started getting better in Nov.

 

My 17yo DD took the SAT this past Sat. too, is your son in 10th or 11th? DD was very nervous, but thought she did fine, she does not have ts though.

 

One last question, is your son a late bloomer? My son seems to be taking forever to get through puberty.

 

CP

 

I would like to hear more about the braces and the tics I noticed that too is there some evidence of the two?

[suzsinging]

Welcome suzsinging,

 

I have a 15yo who exploded with ts at 12yo. he had some very minor to no tics starting at age 8 or 9. My son got braces last June and had months of waxing. He did just have 4 adult teeth pulled and so far no waxing.

 

He has had a good year at school and has the 504 as of a month ago. His teachers all really love him and he is a great ball player. Now with all that said I believe my son suffers with the same issues about dating/driving/college. ect... He is to take the drivers permit test soon and I can tell he is nervous about it, however I have not seen an increase in tics over these thoughts. He has had some really "ditz" moments latley, and got into trouble this weekend, but with his grounding he did not show any increase in tics. (????) In fact yesterday was very very good for him.

 

We have seen it all so far... screaming, cussing, body tics, but all in all he has been a good boy.

 

So what kind of diet has your son been on? Have you seen where he may have had calmer tics at different ages? I mean I feel like my son did well in 8th grade but had a bad summer and beginning of 9th. He started getting better in Nov.

 

My 17yo DD took the SAT this past Sat. too, is your son in 10th or 11th? DD was very nervous, but thought she did fine, she does not have ts though.

 

One last question, is your son a late bloomer? My son seems to be taking forever to get through puberty.

 

CP

 

It's great to hear from someone with a son about the same age. First of all, yes, I defifnitely think my son is a late bloomer!! He is 16 and in the 11th grade. He has a late August birthday and in hindsight we realize he would have benefited from a later school start but he has never been a behavior problem and was doing so well in kindergarten academically that we didn't consider it. It really showed up in middle school that he was young and of course that's when the tics really got going. Having a 14 year old daughter, I sometimes feel like my son is just now really maturing so maybe the biological things going on have had a big impact on his tics as well.

 

We have never done any allergy testing and though I try to serve well-balanced meals, my kids have certainly had their share of junk food. At 16, my son eats out a lot with friends. During baseball season, the team ate at McDonalds after every away game!!! I know that that coupled with lack of sleep, stress, etc. does not help his tics! I'm just not sure where to start with his diet!!

 

Z has been driving for over a year now and is actually a very cautious driver, I think, because of his tics/ocd thinking but it still makes me nervous at times! We haven't really shared his condition with many people- only a few teachers as we felt needed- I sometimes wonder if that was the best way to handle it or if maybe it would help him to let people know??? He definitely has had good years and bad- last summer was great (but then again- no stress) and then he was doing alright this year until baseball season started and he had some trouble pitching and it was downhill from there. The high school season ended last week so I'm eager to see if the tics get any better without that pressure. I keep hoping with age the tics will decrease and his management of anxiety will get better- I already think he turns a lot of tics into funny sayings, etc so that others don't know it's a tic. For example, whenever his 10 month old sister comes into the room he yells "Little Thing" which she thinks is hillarious and outsiders think is adorable- we know it's a tic!

 

Have you got any suggestions about diet or anything that has worked for your son?

[suzsinging]

I would like to hear more about the braces and the tics I noticed that too is there some evidence of the two?

 

My son had a herbst(sp?) appliance put in his mouth to correct an overbite and then 1 1/2 years of braces. His head, neck, mouth tics went crazy!! Then after he had them removed he started grinding his teeth so badly the dentist had to make him a bite splint to wear at night. I explained the situation to the dentist (that he was actually grinding during the day, not in his sleep) and he explained that even the slightest misalignment could be causing the tics. The bite splint has definitely helped and I rarely see him grinding anymore. The post from someone about metal utensils was a real eye opener because my son was biting his fork at every meal. When I asked him about it he said he would rather use plastic utensils and plastic cups. Who knew??

[CSP]

Hi again,

 

Yes, my son does the same thing when he wants to hide a tic, he yells out some word that sounds like it is just normal talking, but we can tell those are tics too.

 

The diet for us is good because he is afraid to eat out because of a bad peanut allergy. My son did not make the high school baseball team but plays for BabeRuth and loves it, he also pitches and is a great second baseman. I did notice a slight increase in tics when he was trying out for the HS ball team, and went away after he did not make it, so you may see him settle down some.

 

The one thing I have noticed is he take a martial arts class, and has told me he has shown some of the moves to some boys in school, and he believes it helps kids not to tease him. I think he feels they are less likley to do anything. Makes him feel better about himself.

 

Yes, my son also had started with a bad head/neck tic right after the braces went on. Now I think he puts his fingers in his mouth and picks at them, don't know if that is a tic or not.

 

Is he the oldest? My son is the middle child and can act younger then his 12yo sister sometimes.

 

Good luck, and good to talk to you too, and also glad our sons like baseball. Well mine likes hockey and football too, but he does not play those, just keeps up on all the pro teams.

 

CP

[suzsinging]

yes, my son is the oldest of our 6 children - he has 5 younger sisters! This probably makes him a little more cautious, more anxious but very responsible. I feel like sports have been a great outlet not only for the exercise but because he can also release some tics on the field ( or basketball court, whatever) and it's not as noticeable. I guess I've always been surprised that he wanted to be a pitcher with that kind of stress but I know in the long run he will be stronger for the battles he's had to face. It's just hard to see him upset about the tics because he normally doesn't seem too bothered by them.

 

What kind of diet do you follow? Can you see definite triggers with certain foods?

[Chemar]

Hi suzs

good to see you posting

 

my son's problem with increased tics related to metal in his mouth resulted in no braces and for years he only ate with plastic utensils. he seems ok with metal utensils now and thankfully the need for braces is no more as his teeth seemed to have grown out just fine with no orthodontic interference

 

not sure if I mentioned in the PMs that vitamin B5 really helped my son with teeth tics, especially his grinding and snapping tics

[suzsinging]

Hi suzs

good to see you posting

 

my son's problem with increased tics related to metal in his mouth resulted in no braces and for years he only ate with plastic utensils. he seems ok with metal utensils now and thankfully the need for braces is no more as his teeth seemed to have grown out just fine with no orthodontic interference

 

not sure if I mentioned in the PMs that vitamin B5 really helped my son with teeth tics, especially his grinding and snapping tics

 

 

thanks! I have him taking a B complex vitamin- is that a mistake? should i be buying individual B vitamins? I feel like the inositol is really making a difference in his overall mood/ anxiety level but the tics are still pretty strong- especially his vocal one (he's actually yelling it at home). I had him on a multivitamin until a few days ago when I realized the pills were blue and that was a big no-no. So I will have to buy some more- I'm just now realizing how many things have added colorings and wonder if that's been one of his problems. I think the magnesium is probably helping with overall relaxation but I'm confused about the vocal tic. Any thoughts?

[Chemar]

Hi suzs

 

my son cant tolerate Bcomplex so he gets his B's fromhis Jarrow Multi Easy shake, as well as extra B6(P-5-P) and methyl B12, and when needed B5

 

the best help for vocal tics that we found was L-carnitine. As with all supps, some people react better than others to it

[CSP]

Suz.,

 

There is some really good info on the Weston A. Price foundation web. You may want to check out the MSG being a neuro toxin. If your son was eating a lot of fast food with the team you may want to think about a slow detox for him.

 

My son when he has a trigger, it's the vocals that always spike.

 

CP

[suzsinging]

Thanks to both of you! I feel like we're on the right track but it's going to take some time to really "clean up" our eating habits. At 16 I can't monitor or fix everything my son eats but if he can start to see a difference I know he'll be willing to try a little harder (he's already seen the caffeine connection). He eats lunch at school because he doesn't want sandwiches from home and unfortunately, in SC, school lunches resemble a fast food menu Hopefully the summer will give us a chance to try some things without the stress of school. I have a feeling you are right about the diet- we are probably still seeing the results of the last few months of poor eating and it will take time to detox.

 

thanks again for your help- this forum has been so encouraging!