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TV/computer and tics


Claire

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Guest Jean

Efgh,

 

I don't think the remedies are for tics specifically. Per our ND, homeopathic views entire body as a whole rather than targeting each individual symptom only. Her focus is to identify the root cause of illness based on my sons' symptoms (tic is one of them), that includes working with the digestive system which can cause many neurological or toxic related problems, allergies, and other weaknesses in his system. I found this is very interesting and amazing. She added a new remedy to last (month) set of remedies. This remedy was mainly for digestive system. Initially, it aggregated my son's tics. She said it detoxed too fast. She asked us to stop this new one but continue the rest, and reintroduced it from small dosage and gradually increased it to the full dosage. My son was able to handle it then. His tics are nearly gone (and that was before starting NAET radiation treatment). It was amazing. I would never think about a "digestive" remedy does anything for tics. I hope this helps, and good luck on your ND visiting.

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I wrote a long post earlier, but deleted it, since I already have more info. My son will have so many classes in middle school that use TV that I am proposing to his potential school for next year (not certain yet where he will go) that they let us loan 3-4 LCD computer monitors, one for each of his classes. I assume that music and math won't need one, but that language arts, science and social studies (and one I forget) will. They would stay in his room all year and move to his new classes the following year (we wouldn't mention it to the kids. At $450 each, that is $1350 if we only need 3. The person I spoke with was open to the idea.

 

They may pull back when they consider that it is 15" monitors and I bet the current TV's are 19".

 

I will keep you posted. We are a long way off, but I would rest easier thinking they were receptive to this. I just don't want to pull him out of a class nearly everyday for TV, and this is just too much exposure for him.

 

By the way, it is tough to say, but after 10 days of vitamins and 2 days of food elimination, plus super exercise to get ready for my cholesterol retest in 90 days, my head is definitely clearer (less tired) today. I sure wish I knew what it was--too many health improvements at once to point at one of them, but I sure know that in the past, the exercise alone was not enough.

 

Claire

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  • 4 weeks later...
Guest Octavian
Thanks Claire. My naturopath mentioned that yeast may not be a real issue for my son since he was not much on antibiotics. But, I feel that since he was on inhaled steroids for asthma, yeast could be an issue.. He feels allergies are the main cause of tics in my son's case..

A lay man question - Is it ok to give capyrylic acid even if yeast is not an issue - can't it be given as prophylactic? Claire, what is the dosage that you give and for how long has the doctor adviced?

Heather, for how long have you been advised to give threelac? Do you give it everyday?

Claire, thank you very much for your input on TV. I tried my son on LCD monitor and did not see any significant difference. He seems to get his vocal tics even on lcd monitor. What perplexes me the most is that he is tic free when he plays computer games on the computer or when he plays on the playstation in the TV but the moment he watches a movie/cartoon on either the same computer or TV he gets vocal tics. Otherwise, he is perfectly fine. My doctor mentions that its common for kids with tics to have this reaction to TV since they are idle then and HAVE to do something! (your thoughts please)...I read a very good article from Dr Mercola on this too.

I have done the same observations:

 

1. TV (regular) is a catalyst for my son. As soon as he start watching TV the ticks increase in number and intensity. I repeated the experiment many, many times. I cannot say it is trigger though.

2. Definitely when he is playing the ticks are low or almost none but they do increase while he watches only (idle time).

Kind the same phenomenon happens while he listens being in a group: ticks are there. As soon as he gets in action they tend to disappear. He is doing many sports and I was concern about his abilities being affected but what happens is he does not display them while in active move.

 

As a side note: same thing in school. His marks are in the A range during the tests but he scores very low for the learning skills in class.

 

Talking to the teachers: he gets distracted very easy and cannot follow the presented ideas but he performs very well in tests or when he is asked in class.

 

Talking to him about the behavior: he gets bored therefore starts doing something else.

 

My opinion: the "idle time" strikes again in sense of he cannot stay focused when he is not directly involved in the action.

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Octavion,

 

In my view the idle time allows the effects of the TV light flicker to be seen--also, almost like hypnosis, the brain is not otherwise engaged and thus more likely to respond to the flicker trigger. Many of us thought that the idle time watching TV was what was the basis for the tics--that is certainly the norm in thinking and one that I think is damaging because it is so universally applied that people overlook the possibility that the TV may be a trigger in itself.

 

The only way that I see to know for sure, which I did (if you have read this thread you will know what I will say next...:wub:

 

Stop all screen viewing (TV, Computer, Gameboy, Big-screen movies) for one week. If your child's tics disappear or improve remarkably, then like some of us here, you will have seen the cumulative and lingering effect of the flicker of TV. Ideally, TV/Computer can be reintroduced using an no more than 15" LCD monitor with the brightness turned down, and viewed in a well-lit room. Do this every other day and see what he tolerates. Or alternatively, put the screens back and see if the tics come back.

 

The study below (I posted it on another thread many months back) shows that 8% of the non-epileptic population has an abnormal brain reaction to light flicker. TV and computer CRT screens both have this flicker, plus some of the games do. Note that this reaction falls off with age. The way I read the item below, 7/8 don't have this reaction by age 16-21!! I know it is less common in adults, though I have plenty of friends who can't handle the flicker from CRT screens.

 

http://www.john-libbey-eurotext.fr/article...29-36/index.htm

 

"Eeg-Olofsson and Petersén [21] used stricter criteria for the normal population, excluding those with headache, paroxysmal abdominal pain, or a family history of epilepsy, and found that 8% of 673 normal children aged 1-15 years had "abnormal patterns" with IPS. Only 2/181 (1%) subjects between 16-21 years old had these, both of them women. Criteria for an abnormal response to IPS were, however, loose, including diffuse paroxysmal slow activity and spikes without generalisation."

 

Also note the distinction between photosensitivity and epilepsy below.

 

"Photosensitivity does not constitute an epileptic syndrome on its own. It is found in all the main categories of epileptic disorders and can be a characteristic of some disorders such as eyelid myoclonia with absences (EMA) (see below). Sensitivity to IPS is customarily divided into 3 groups: patients with flicker-induced seizures only, patients with flicker sensitivity and some other epileptic disorder, and asymptomatic subjects with photosensitivity as an isolated finding."

 

My own son ticced during idle TV, but not during computer games where he was active (except highly stressful games), but it took removing both before his tics cleared, and they cleared 100% and haven't come back in over 2.5 years, other than the 4-5 times he had some exposure to CRT screens. Those took up to 1 week to resolve

 

In the end, as with others, I hope that corrected underlying immune issues, or passing age will eliminate the flicker sensitivity for those of our kids who have it. We are not there yet.

 

Good luck!

 

Claire

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  • 1 month later...

Another woman on Braintalk did no screens for over a week with her son. She told me she was going to--her son has TS:

 

http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/showth...5523#post235523

Laurie in NY

New Community Member Join Date: Jul 2004

Posts: 4

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

No tics even when upset!!! He is tic free when off the computer. The 1 time he saw a monitor he ticced like crazy and it took 3 days to calm down. We're at our summer home so he has also been tv free and no exposure to friend's game boys, video games and large screen tvs. Of course with Tourette's I always wonder if its coincidental, however I don't think so. We will try him on a laptop with lots of natural light in a week. The other unknown is what if any effect the homeopathic remedy has on him. I will see if I can borrow an alphasmart to try with him if he doesn't tolerate the laptop. Thank you for all the info.

 

--------

I just posted to her to look at elevated mercury...and if she wants to differentiate between this and the homepathy, just reintroduce computer.

 

Claire

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Hi,

 

I have been reading this forum for months now. I have gotten so much encouragement and information from all of you. Thank You all so much.

 

My son is 9. He started showing tics when he was 4 but no one except me noticed them. I have had them off and on my whole life and manage so I knew what was happening.

 

His tics worsened dramatically when he was 7 when he got a Game Boy for Christmas. (Someone has to do something about that Santa character). Anyway, it took 3 months before the tics worsened so I didn't make the connection between them and the Game Boy. He also gets migraines with the throwing up and everything so I took him to a Neurologist who wanted to put him on Clonidine.

 

My son didn't want it even though the tics were really bad. That led me here. I have since taken away the Game Boy and 2 other hand held games. I discussed it with him regarding the TV. He was OK with it as long as we get a LCD TV for the fall. (He is a HUGE NE Patriots fan and can't miss the games).

 

I started giving him Magnesium Taurate and between no TV and the Mag he is doing wonderfully well.

 

I haven't heard anyone mention glare here. My son reacts to glare as though it were TV. When he swims in the pool, he needs to wear UV goggles near the pool area. Even the glare from a lake or pond will set him off. He now wears sunglasses when he goes fishing.

 

Everyone here has given me so much hope from your posts and experiences - I wanted to let you know that you are helping so many people who never log on and post.

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Hi Anne Marie,

 

You are a terrific mom to be so helpful! I am so happy for you that you found a way to help your child. (Our DAN doctor says magnesium is the most common deficiency by the way) I also love the way you negotiate with your son on this, it sounds like our family. Be sure and only get a 15" LCD monitor, to minimize any possible reaction.

 

My son's reaction to computer developed and worsened over time. I think this is why so many people miss this connection. This sensitivity can occur and grow over time.

 

The light sensitivity can be just to the flicker (my son) or to the glare also. The light sensitivity can definitely cause migraines. In fact, other than photosensitive epilepsy (1 in 4000), migraines seem to be the next best documented reaction to light flicker.

 

As for the reaction to glare, this is something that is very common with Irlen Syndrome (photoscopic sensitivity). www.irlen.org My son doesn't have this, but in one of my posts I wrote of a recent conversation I had with Helen Irlen. She says that certain frequencies of light cause the glare reaction. So while sunglasses may help, it is possible that certain colors frequencies are actually the culprit rather than light in general. This site (Latitudes) has more information on the theories--that is how I heard of it. It is widely known enough that the special ed teacher at our school uses the sheets and our opthamologist was familiar with the studies also. Although Irlen syndrome is currently associated with glare issues, learning issues autism, and photosensitive epilepsy, no tic studies have occurred. Just as this whole light flicker issue hasn't been formally studied for tics.

The easiest thing to do is to read about it (search this site and read through the checklists of reactions and symptoms) and then order the colored overlays to test your son on ($30). IF after doing this, you feel it may apply, then you might consider formal testing. We did a screening test, but it sounds like going to one of their clinics is far better.

 

As I have posted elsewhere, mercury may be an issue for those with light sensitivity also. e.g. Mercury causes light sensitivity, but not all light sensitivity is caused by mercury of course. B2 deficiencies also cause light sensitivity. My son has mercury issues, not B2 deficiency.

 

Best of luck and thanks for letting us know. This input on what works for your child really helps others in the same situation.

 

Claire

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Hi Ann Marie,

 

I forgot to mention that the sites on flicker sensitivity specifically call out light reflecting off water as a trigger. Again, they only discuss photosensitive epilepsy (rare) and migraines (more common), but it appears to be the same trigger for tics for some kids with tic syndromes.

 

If it is that kind of reflective glare off water vs just going out into the sunlight, then it might not be an Irlen issue after all, but still in the 'flicker' category, in which case sunglasses may well be the best approach.

 

Claire

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Thanks for writing back Claire.

 

It is so wonderful to have others to talk to who are going through the same issues. I considered Irlen Syndrome but he doesn't have any trouble reading or any of the other problems I read about with Irlen. I have never gotten him tested, though.

 

The glare from water is more of the trigger rather than the bright outside light. If I need to, I will consider testing in the future.

 

I haven't gotten him tested for Mercury yet. So far we have only been to regular doctors. The one he went to laughed about the flicker effect. She said that it is a myth, not even an issue with his migraines. I didn't even bring up the vitamins. Life would be so much simpler if these doctors would recognize the role of vitamins and minerals in general health.

 

So far the Mag taurate and no TV has reduced his tics greatly. But school is starting soon and he will have a weekly or bi-weekly computer lab as well as occasional movies -not to mention the added stress. I haven't decided what to do. Last year I picked him up just before computer lab because it was the last class of the day. I wasn't sure enough of my findings to discuss it with the teacher.

 

He does fine with my husbands laptop watching movies from across the room. Our personal budget is tight and the school budget is really tight so I'll have to figure something out.

 

I've also considered testing him for pyroluria but so far our regime is working. Hopefully that is all it will take.

 

God Bless you all.

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Hi Ann Marie,

 

How frustrating for you with your doctor not recognizing it even for migraines. By the way, did 'no screens' improve the migraines also? I know they can have multiple triggers too.

 

When I asked our main pediatrician about computers and tics, he said he had never heard of such a thing. Then his partner saw our son for something later and I asked him and he said that he saw it all the time! Then a friend told me of the warnings about tics on computer games--granted, they said to stop in case of photosensitive epilepsy, but at least they still mentioned that the games could trigger tics at all. I felt so 'vindicated'. I realized how frustrating it was to be limited by the amount of knowledge to specialized conditions that a particular doctor had--and got on the internet, as you did!

 

As for our school, what 'saved' us is that his teacher 1) had noticed the tics in my son before we figured this out totally, and 2) said that computer screens also made her feel badly, so it was 'real' to her.

 

We loaned an LCD monitor for our son and it became the class's favorite monitor.

Do you work outside the home? If not, you could bring it in before school just on computer days--once you have the driver that comes with the monitor installed, it is plug and play. Then bring it home for the football games. I used to think it was the stress of school as a factor, but at least for our son, it was just the CRT screens. If they only teach typing at school, you could get the Alphasmart for that time--I think the cheapest is $100. It all depends on the teacher and the school. Our elementary school was great, but our middle school is much bigger and maybe more accommodating.

 

I had the same reaction to Irlen--my son doesn't have learning issues either. As I said in my second post to you, since it is sunlight reflecting vs just the brightness of the sun, it may not be Irlen afterall. Though Helen Irlen told me they don't have to have learning issues to have Irlen, my understanding from her was that there was generally a sensitivity to light in general, e.g. when they first walked outside. I haven't ruled it out, but since avoiding the flicker solves the problem, like you I am going with what works.

 

By the way, we just raised my son's magnesium dose due to his deficiency and he said he was nauseous. We also raised his capryllic acid, so not sure the culprit. In any case our doctor said that if you raise the dose do it slowly as it can cause diahrea (I just read nausea also). Also, I read that too much magnesium without some offseting calcium can cause a calcium deficiency. We were giving 125 mg and moved it to 250 mg a day. I will keep you posted in a couple of weeks as we experiment (I will cut both out and add only 1 in. I did this in the first place, but now my son says he has been nauseous for a time and never complained, bummer!

 

I understand what you are saying about staying with what works and not spending more time on it. I did just 'no screens' (except LCD) for my son from age 8 to 10 (with some trial and error on the screens) and only started looking for ways to 'cure' the problem due to my fear of his middle school not being cooperative. At this point, fortunately our DAN doctor wrote us a note for middle school--that alone was worth the cost of the visit. Unlike his elementary school which just followed my instruction (I had to sign some standard permission for him to even use the computer and I signed it his new middle school seemed unwilling to cooperate, but when I mentioned a doctor's note they completely changed. Now the negotiation is WHAT they will do, not whether they will do it.

 

Soon enough, LCD's will replace CRTs and we will have 100 hz TV's and all this will be a non-issue...I hope!

 

Good luck with the school and let us know what you work out.

 

Claire

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Thanks Claire,

 

We haven't noticed any decrease in migraines since we've taken away the TV/gameboy. He gets migraines about every 2-3 months but they are brutal when they come. As far as I can tell they are brought on by stress (parties, holidays, first day of soccer etc) and dehydration.

 

We try to keep him juiced up but we can't do much about the stress. It is something that I am trying to teach him to manage himself since he is the only one who knows when they are coming on.

 

He's a real responsible kid and he is trying - my goal with the migraines and tics is to keep him informed and get his cooperation - some day he will have to manage all this by himself and I want to give him all the tools that he may need in the future.

 

Thanks for all your help

Anne Marie

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Jean, Ann Marie,

 

Ann Marie,

 

It is like that with my son...I debated pointing out the screens/tics correlation until I decided that if he didn't see it and believe it, he wouldn't cooperate when I wasn't around (initially he didn't). He 'gets' it with TV/tics and wheat/excema, but not so much the supplements, and definitely not artificial additives. I am thankful it is 7 years until college--time to either minimize this restriction (Heather and Phyl seemed to notice far less sensitivity when their children's yeast issues were resolved) or hopefully have him buy in more.

 

Jean,

 

My son is doing fine, thanks. 9 months since his last tics--e.g. the Harry Potter 2 movie disaster). And other than a mishap and a few tics a few weeks before the movie (his teacher had him watching TV again), it was 6 months with no tics before that. For a while this summer we were up to 1 hour of computer a day and 1 hour of TV, all on the LCD monitor. I am not sure if we pushed it or whether it is because his yeast got worse, but after a couple of weeks of this he said he 'felt' that a tic was coming again (nothing visible to me), so we did no screens to reset. We only did it for 4 days, because the feeling was gone in 2 days. He is now at 30 minutes of computer a day and 2 movies a week, of course all on an LCD monitor. I don't really want daily TV. Fortunately, our daily show was 'Friends' and that is mostly a listening show vs visual, so we 'listen' to Friends with the screen turned around when he is really in the mood. That helps him adjust to no TV during the week again. I am definitely going to buy an AlphaSmart, just debating whether the cheapest one will meet his needs.

 

He says he feels fine--'normal', as he calls it. The fears are gone. He sleeps in the total darkness and has actually moved to a new bedroom further from us. I do use the Inositol that you and Chemar mentioned, perhaps every other day, because I noticed on his Spectracell test that he is just above the deficiency level--so at the very low end of normal. He actually dropped on his Inositol level from the first test in January. [i was really glad to hear your son's fears have improved.]

 

Emotionally he still seems fine too. I am trying not to bias my own observations, but I think that the worsening of the year does have some impact on him. Or should I say, now if he has a bit of sugar I notice more of a reaction. But I wasn't aware of or watching for this until after I got the results, so I admit I can't be totally objective. With tics it was much easier, as there was a certain frequency that was quite measurable. With behavior and emotions, it is so much more subjective.

 

I am trying not to worry about next year and resolving the TV situation at school--I can't believe how much TV they use in his middle school! At least we have the doctor's note, but you know I don't want him feeling different. With some of the things going on last year, he seemed to get mentally tired earlier than normal, and I hope we get past this also by the time school starts. It is not something I can measure in the summer. Actually, we need to do some math review, so I guess I will find out after all!

 

Have you tried again with more LCD TV? My recommendation if you are trying to test out TV is to start slow. My biggest reason for this--it is difficult to cut back once they experience a greater frequency of viewing (at least with my son), e.g. it is easier to add more in than take some away.

 

Claire

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Claire,

 

It’s wonderful to hear (about your son’s improvement). You’re right. It’s a challenge to limit TV, computer, video games (and certain food) when kids are getting older. Thanks for all your advice!

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  • 3 weeks later...
Guest Oly Mom

Are there any studies to show the coorelation between TV, computer, lighthing and Tourette's or increase in tics? My son's school is willing to change his classroom to full spectrum lighthing and get him a LCD screen computer- but they also want to see studies to support my request.

 

Thank you!

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