TV/computer and tics

[Heather]

Claire,

 

I love the family movie night idea. You son is very lucky to have such a supportive family.

 

We had another great day. In the last 2 days the tics have been so minimal they are barely there. We did have minimal TV again today (about 1/2 hour) and although he ticced mildly while watching, it pretty much went away immediately when he stopped watching.

 

I discussed it with him tonight and he was quite open and receptive about it. We have been finding so many other things to occupy our time that it hasn't been that big of an issue. He even had a couple of offending foods, both today and yesterday and didn't react like he usually does. He did tic mildly...although I am not sure if it was the food or the little bit of TV he watched. I am sure it will take some time to figure this out since in order to avoid a severe emotional upset I am not going at it cold turkey. It is also hard on his sister who gets a little upset herself when she is not allowed to have the TV on as usual.

 

Anyway, when I discussed with him tonight how little he was ticcing, he asked me what he was doing as tics....he didn't even realize he was ticcing at all. That is how minimal it is right now.

 

I am so thankful for your knowledge on this Claire, such as screen size, well-lit room, distance away, etc. I am more convinced each day that we have a new key to the puzzle here with regard to my son's sensitivities and this one is certainly a biggie.

 

Heather

[Heather]

Claire,

 

I agree with Chemar (as she said on another thread), you are too valuable to disappear for a month. As Chemar also said, don't worry about slip ups with wording. We all understand the stress that everyone is under during these times and sometimes when quickly adding a post, we say things that might not come out as intended. Believe me, I have my share of posts where I have said things and then want to disappear for awhile. We need you here!!!!!

 

Anyway, if you do check in I have one quick question for you or anyone else who may know something about the photosensitive individuals. How do Gameboys fall into this catergory? Claire, does your son react to gameboys or does he even own one? I am having a little trouble with the no screen this week since it turned cold outside and we just didn't get out as much after school, coupled with the fact that I have been busy with work. I allowed him to play his gameboy for about an hour after school and he went to bed ticcing tonight more than he has in days. I wouldn't have thought the flicker would be the same with the Gameboy since I though it was an LCD screen and it is so tiny. I have tried to do some searches on this gameboy/seizure issue and although there is much info. about the flicker effect of the tv/computer screen, there are limited sites where the gameboy is actually mentioned.

 

Chemar or Ronnas?

I know Claire has mentioned you did have some experience with this as well, however, in looking at the back posts I couldn't find anything on what your experience was specifically. Do you have any thoughts on the Gameboy vs.

TV/Video Screens?

 

EFGH or Jean,

Does your son play gameboy?

 

By the way Chemar, I am very happy for you and envious at the same time with the team of integrative doctors you are working with. I only wish the rest of the medical/alternative community would take this approach.

 

Heather

[Guest Jean]

Hi Heather,

 

I don't know about others' son. To my son, gameboy and Xbox are the same triggers as TV. He still has no TV, gameboy, Xbox and computer. He does have computer lab once a week at school though. Currently, he is under a naturopath care and his tics improve a lot. I'm still not dare to introduce TV (and others) to him. He seems getting used to of it. I bought quite few board games for him, and my husband and I play with him a lot lately. How's your son doing? I'm glad that you found the trigger.

[Guest Guest_efgh]

Heather

 

My son plays game boy and video/computer games once in a while. He does pretty ok on them , His main triggers are Television and MILK. Does your son get vocal tics while playing with the game boy?

 

Keep us posted.

 

Claire,

 

good to know that you have decided to start milk for your son. Can understand that you are working late hours. We all would be misssssing you and I would request you to try and squeeze in some time and continue posting here. Your inputs and caring posts are really too valuable for all of us as Chemar rightly said.

Is your son sleeping well these days?

 

Chemar

 

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you for your patient posts and we all have been IMMMMMMENSELY benefitted by your rich experience. Thanks a ton for all your precious information and your patience.

 

Ronnas

 

Glad to know that your son is doing very well and is able to tolerate TV. that is a big breakthru. congrats and Goodluck.

 

Jean

 

Great to know that your son's tics have improved a lot. Congrats.

[Claire]

Heather,

 

I do plan to check in, just not post, but this is important.

 

I didn't think Gameboy had an LCD monitor, where did you read that?

 

In any case, YES games on Gameboy are a problem for many with photosensitivity. The reason that I can answer this so positively is not just based on my son's experience with small screen on hand held devices (something they had him use in typing class), but the fact that a good friend sent me the Gameboy paperwork and it did contain the same "photosensitive epilepsy warning" as the X-box does. As we have discussed, it is the same trigger. That is why I liked your schools term "screens" so much. In anycase, you have an early indicator for yourself from your son's experience. My son never had a Gameboy, one less habit we had to break thank goodness.

 

Please don't misunderstand I am not in any way taking a break for my inadvertently typing error to Chemar, she knows I had no bad intentions, and is a forgiving soul even had that been true. This extra 30 minutes for posting unfortunately is all that is left of my day and I want him to have time for a workout. I was going to do it recently but wanted to be there during your 'no screen week'! When work eases I will be back.

 

I am so glad that Sheila posted that new doctor thread. Now it is right at the top and newcomers can find the discussion easily without us needing to repost the information buried in other threads. We have had a lot of newcomers lately, which is great, and many will need professional guidance. Thanks Sheila!!

 

Jean,

Glad to hear your son is still doing so well, and thanks for the information. It is so good that you, efgh and Heather now have experience here, it was tough to be the lone voice on this and though it is a personal decision what to do with the information, at least maybe others will find out. I suspect that there are children out there with really severe tics for whom this could bring them under control. It is not easy to test, but certainly better than drugs. I get how parents might choose tics over screen removal, but I fear for children whose parents don't know of this trigger and eventually put their children on drugs for the problem, when screen removal might solve the problem. Certainly screen removal is the lessor of options for that group.

 

Claire

[Guest Jean]

Claire/Efgh,

 

Thanks for your message!

 

Claire, I totally agree with you. I used to let my son "freedomly" play games (gameboy, Xbox, and computer games) and watch TV. If he wouldn't have this problem, I probably wouldn't think about board games as "Electronic baby sitter" seems easier to parents. Now, I do enjoy the time playing with my son. It becomes family fun time. Lately, I'm nervous to see kids playing with electronic games all the time. I hope the issue (not only tics) can be reconized by more people. Kids need to have more activities other than E-games. I guess we'll learn the lessons from our kids.

[Heather]

Thank you all for your responses.

 

Claire, I appreciate you answering my questions during your busy time. I will keep working with this as I am now convinced we have found a main trigger.

I have no time myself tonight to post.

 

Heather

[Guest Jean]

I have to share this with you. My son had his 4th time visiting to his naturopath last week. After 2 months different sets of remedy treatment, he’s doing much better now. We rarely see his tics. He just had another round of virus infection last Wednesday. He had fever 105, but we didn’t see his tics increased (as he used to). We’re very happy with our naturopath. Meanwhile, he had 4 sessions of NAET treatment. Two of them are for radiation. His muscle testing showed that he has reaction to “radiation†(that includes TV, computer, microwave, sunlight, etc.). For trial purpose, I let him watch DVD move from my laptop yesterday twice (30 minutes/each), and he did not show his eye-rolling. I also let him watch once this morning, and he had one time eye-rolling then, but fine the rest of the day. I have to mention that we rarely see his tics these days. Regarding the eye rolling, I don’t know how much that NAET treatment contributes to it, but his 2 month intake remedy definitely helped. Currently, he’s continually on his 3rd set of unda remedies. At the same time, TV and computer allergens have been ordered. His NAET ND will test him next week in separate with the “radiationâ€. I’m still at the observation stage for the NAET treatment. I’ll share with you more if I see more positive outcomes.

[Guest katherine]

Hi Jean,

 

I pop in & out & I was wondering how you went about finding a naturopath. This is a route I would like to take with my son but don't know where to start.

 

Appreciate any information & glad to hear that your son is doing well.

 

Thanks,

Katherine

[Chemar]

Hi Katherine....

you can check the thread that Dr Sheila Rogers has posted re finding "alternative" physicians....hopefully you will find one in your area there. If not, let us know and we can put out some feelers for you

 

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p?showtopic=565

[Guest Jean]

Hi Katherine,

 

As Chemar mentioned, I got the information from this board (i.e., DAN list). I have to give my deep appreciation to members on the board for their great help during the time. I selected 4 NDs who are in my area from the DAN list, and sent e-mail to each of them. In my e-mail, I asked the following questions:

 

1). How long have you been practicing as "Naturopath"?

2). Have you treated children (specifically tics, allergies)?

3). What's your subspecialty (i.e., allergies, toxic compounds, vitamins, etc.)?

4). How will you make your diagnostics (i.e., yeast infection, Fatty Acid Deficit, Heavy Metal Toxicity, etc.)? via Blood test? Hair Analysis?

 

Based on the returned e-mails from those NDs, and with GOD's guidence, I selected the current one. I'm very happy with her so far. Meanwhile, we keep praying for GOD's guidence and asked GOD's help to give our naturopath wisdom to treat our son. I don't remember your son's situation. FYI. My son started his tics last October, but he is not TS. Hope you'll find the right one for your son soon.

[Guest Jean]

Hi Katherine,

 

Forgot to mention, please feel free to ask any question while searching for NDs for your son.

[Guest Guest_efgh]

Jean

 

That is excellent news. I was just wondering about you since there were no recent posts about you. great to know that your son rarely has tics these days. I have the following clarifications..

1) How many NAET sessions totally does your naturopath recommend since you mentioned you completed four of them.

2) Is there any specific NAET session for "radiation"? I am so sure that my son has this sensitivity to radiation (TV, sun, etc) and so I am very interested in this.

3) Can you explain how your naturopath went ahead with the NAET - what is the complete process as such? how long does it take and was your son cooperative?

4) what is the difference between NAET and NMT (which Nancy mentions).

5) What is the cost of each NAET session?

6) does your naturopath herself do NAET too or did you go to a specific NAET specialist?

7) Heard NAET is useful for allergies too - did you notice any change in your son's case with regard to allergies after NAET? Is he on dairy now - does he tolerate dairy well?

8) Are you giving any omega 3 for your son (flax or fish oil) and are continuing to give the probiotic for his intestinal flora ?

 

sorry for so many questions.

 

thanks in advance.

 

efgh

[Guest Jean]

Hi Efgn,

 

Don't worry about the question. I am happy to answer your questions. However, please keep in mind, we're still at trial stage for NAET treatment. Remedies that my son has been taking from our naturopath definitely helped my son's tics greatly.

 

Here are my answers to your questions:

 

1). There is no target number of sessions that each one should complete. It depends on how many allergens that the person has. Usually, each session is for treating one allergen. Sometimes, it may require 2 sessions for treating one allergen depends on the reaction level. My son had 2 sessions for the radiation.

2). See my answer in 1).

3). NAET is not painful process at all. Actually my son loves it. He feels relax afterwards. Each session is 30 min.

4). I don't know the difference between NAET and NMT. I did ask the NAET ND, and she didn't give me the answer. Maybe Nancy can answer this one.

5). Each 30 min session costs $75.

6). Our naturopath doesn't do NAET, but her partner does. That's how we got referal. If you're thinking about NAET, you may want to ask where the ND got trained from, and at which level. The one that we are seeing got trained from Dr. Devi Nambudripad directly, but she hasn't completed her advance level training yet.

7). NAET is mainly for allergies. My son had one session for calcium mix that includes dairy also. He hasn't been treated specificlly for dairy yet. He is taking rice milk mix with goat milk, or rice milk mix with regular milk alternatively. He seems fine.

8). My son is not taking any Omega 3. He had NAET fish oil treatment last week(muscle test showed he has reaction to the fish oil). He hasn't tried the fish oil after the treatment as he's been sick last few days.

 

You may find the NAET info. from the link:

http://www.naetaustralasia.com/

 

How is your son doing lately? Hope this helps!

 

Jean

[Guest Guest_efgh]

JEan

 

thanks a million for your useful patient reply. Thanks sooo much. will discuss with my naturopath on NAET.

 

Remedies that my son has been taking from our naturopath definitely helped my son's tics greatly.

 

what exactly is the purpose of these remedies - are they for tics as such or general detox or immunity??

 

My son is doing ok these days .. Overall he is ok but he is definitely not tic free. Others may not be able to notice his tics but for sure, I can see that he tics every now and then though its very mild. Is your son tic free these days?

 

To ALL,

 

I have noticed that my son has some favourite words and once in a while, keeps repeating them on and off .. is this a tic ? anyone has experienced this? words like cook, squeeze, catapult , population are some of his favourites..

don;t know if its a tic or a compulsion (ocd) or a chidlish thing.. your suggestions on this please!