Triggers

[Tattoomom]

We put ds on a gluten free/casein free diet back in 2007 and he was on it faithfully until September 2008. During this time, he had very few tic episodes. His behavior/anxiety/OCD were the same. It's hard for me to contribute the decline in tics to the diet since he was completely tic free from Feb-Aug 08, eating whatever he wanted.

 

I have noticed the Wii brings out his tics but only if he's already in tic mode. If he's in a tic free spell, it won't. It's crazy...

 

I'm sure he's sensitive to environmental allergens, as am I. I try to keep our house as chemical free as possible and we try to eat as clean as possible.

 

What have you noticed as a trigger?

[ilovedogs]

For us, the only trigger I am 100% positive of is that stress and illness makes the tics worse. Good and bad stress. I think he also tics more when he's out in the sun and when he's playing a game on the computer. We're in a waxing mode right now and he's added a shoulder shrug to the eye blinking with a head nod and I'm still trying to figure out what triggers them. It was weird how his anxiety flared up in October and tapered off in mid-November but all that time the tics were minor. Now, his anxiety is low but his tics are high. Go figure,right!??? The good news is that he doesn't seem too bothered by the tics so I try my best to implement the right supplements (which I still cannot attest to their efficacy all the time) and pray that this episode is short-lived.

[Chemar]

my son has a number of triggers...primarily chemicals. So he reacts to everything from artificial food additives, to household cleaners, scented products, perfume, chlorine in water etc

 

stress is another trigger for him and he has also had tic waxing with teeth coming out or in

 

interesting observation is that he also has waxing when the moon is full. we have kept a record for years now and it is a fact that his tics and OCD increase when the moon is waxing

 

flashing lights in darkened rooms trigger him too, as does fluorescent lighting

 

he has other triggers but those are the main ones that come to mind

 

not sure if you have read the triggers article from the main section of the website here

http://www.latitudes.org/articles/finding_triggers.htm

 

the bottom of the page has the results of the informal survey on tic triggers