One week to fewer tics...(?!)

[Claire]

Below is a one week trial plan I put together that may be doable for newcomers. Often, people have multiple issues.

 

Many of us had longer term treatments that made a difference (Heather and yeast, mercury for others), but it may be hard for people who can't afford doctors to guide them to 'believe' and motivate themselves to do this on their own. My goal is to have something that shows right away that alternative methods DO make a difference, so newcomers may be more willing to go the distance and address all the issues.

 

I compiled a list of the things that seemed to benefit multiple people on this board to get people started. Inherently this will be more than some people need. You can try one or two things at a time or go on a camping trip in the spring (e.g no electricity, limited food choices...) A parent wouldn't even have to tell a younger child what was going on -- they could just have run out of certain foods, that week, make a big deal out of practicing home cooking, and insist on family time over TV/computer time, but that is an individual thing.

 

Finally, I listed the elements separately, so a parent can pick and choose a subset if they would like.

 

Below is my recommendation --good to read posts from lots of people on their success stories. Any 'compilation' post inherently doesn't reflect individual success plans.

 

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

BEFORE STARTING THE WEEK TRIAL PLAN

 

1) Though both Tourettes Syndrome (TS) and other tic syndromes can improve with alternate treatments, with TS you are more likely to have some continuing tics (and even with tic syndromes). Tic syndromes affect 10-20x the number of children than TS.

2) The object of the long-term treatment is to improve your childs physical health and to find a balance of a manageable program and minimal tics, that keeps a close eye on your child's mental health from too much focus on this and too many restriction. Whether it is tic syndrome or Tourette's, the plan is the same.

3) A low stress environment is always beneficial for children with neurological issues.

4) I believe that the unanimous advice of the regulars on this board is to never ask your child to stop ticcing. The treatments help reduce their urge to tic, we never ask them to control tics--it doesn't work, perhaps temporariliy--and then can backfire, but in terms of emotions and tics.

5) Yeast is a common underlying condition for many of our kids. Try this free at-home spit test. First thing in the morning before they drink water, have your child spit into a glass of water. If the spit floats, they 'pass'. If it sinks or has stringers coming down, they may have yeast issues. There is a whole diet plan for yeast, such as avoiding sugars, refined carbs, molds, vinegars. Plus supplements such as capryllic acid, garlic, olive leaf extract, threelac.. do your research there.

6) ALTERNATIVE DOCTORS. If you can afford an alternative doctor to guide you, this is ideal--mainstream neurologists generally aren't aware of these methods. Sheila Rogers, the site editor posted a list on the thread at the top of the forum, to guide you through this process. Please don't be confused by the title "DAN" doctor-- (Defeat Autism Now), their testing protocols cover a spectrum of neurological disorders (yeast, metals, food sensitivities, vitamin deficiencies...) that seem to occur in many people on this board. Correcting these imbalances has helped many of us. The lists have MD's and naturopaths, so you can pick whom you are most comfortable with.

 

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

 

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

*****THE 7 DAY TRIAL PLAN*****

If you can't yet afford an alternative doctor (see above), or want to try some things while you decide on a doctor, this is something to try for 7-10 days that is a combination of methods that many of us started with. It is not a complete plan, does not address longer term issues such as metals, and yeast. Also, supplementation should be done with a doctor's supervision, especially for longer periods. You can ask your pediatrician if one week on these supplements is okay.

 

I think it is easier to do supplements at a different time than everything else, since some supplements (e.g. certain EFAs) can actually make tics worse in some people. Yeast detox can also make tics worse. So I would separate the supplements plan and do it the following week, adding one supplement at a time. Or do it first, though usually it takes longer to see results. In the end, the body needs healing, so even if removing a trigger such as screens works, it is not the ultimate long term solution. It is more that for some it would give a quick and sustained improvement while you heal their system. In the end supplements to rebuild the system, and avoidance of problem foods and artificial ingredients are likely to be most important to healing.

 

1) NO SCREENS for a week (no TV/Gameboy/Big screen movies) [For 14 of 15 people that I know tried this, it made a big difference at the time--clearly, it was most effective at the beginning of the program--before healing occurred, but this is where the newcomers are. Over time, either try an LCD monitor or once their system is in balance, many can tolerate CRT screens again

Summary of posters stories:

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p?showtopic=852

 

2) SUPPLEMENTS TO GET STARTED (in lieu of testing for deficiencies. If you take away foods in the next step, you will want to make sure they have a solid base of vitamins. At this point I would do RDA's and later customize more based on doctor guidance

-Magnesium Taurate

-Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D

-Omega 3's 1 pill fish oil often preferred over flax seed oil for boys, but some have issues with fish oil, do this one by itself

-Borage or Evening primrose oil for GLA--1 cap each

-Probiotics 1 cap (for yeast issues)

-B6 or p5p on alt days (B's make some kids hyper)

-B complex (B1, B2, folate, B3-Niacinamide...)

-A multi-vite with A/C/E/Selenium --at doses in the multivites

-no copper or artificial ingredients in the vitamins

-Alt day: B-12 (with methylcobalomin) sublingual tablets or gum

-Alt days: Iron (unless they get it in fortified cereals) by itself

-Zinc Citrate/piconlinate at bedtime, by itself

-low or no manganese--it can aggravate tics.

 

Add vitamins one day at a time to test for reactions. Or investigate www.bonniegr.com for her supplement program, but then if your child reacts to some, you wouldn't know. With vitamins, more is not necessarily better! Capsules are easier to swallow, so is using a straw (Chemar's tip)

 

3) NO ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS.

No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Shopping at Whole Foods or Wild Oats is generally safe. www.feingold.com is a non-profit program that maintains lists of acceptable foods. In addition to the artificial additives listed on Feingold, most here avoid corn syrup (esp high fructose) and sucralose.

summary of poster's experience

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p?showtopic=795

 

4) ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGEN CONTROL. If your child has respiratory allergies, wash all his/her bedding and put a HEPA filter in their bedroom. A anti-dustmite pillow and/or mattress cover would be ideal. Vacuum the room before bedtime (but not with the child in the room)

 

5) ELIMINATION DIET yes, normal foods can cause tics--if your child is sensitive. There are formal testing methods to determine this (e.g. IgG blood tests), but an elimination diet is doable if you don't have a doctor or the funds to test. The objective is to see which foods your child reacts to, if any.

summary of poster's experience

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p?showtopic=794

 

The most common one seems to be milk and wheat (actually casein and gluten)

Many/most here had multiple allergies, but it is a good place to start. If I had to pick on, it would be dairy.

 

Before you begin, I would strongly suggest that you plan out the diet before you get started. Make sure you have the safe foods list ready and the food stocked in house. Doris Rapp's "Is this your child's world" or "Our toxic world" may have a list--or call your my ENT/Allergist today and ask for a standard food elimination diet list.

 

You will also need recipes and alternatives so that your child can still have delicious, nutritious meals. Amazon.com has a great book I got--it has really helped with wheat/milk substitutions --the standard American diet is 70% wheat and dairy. They have wheat/gluten-free, milk-free, egg-free and even lots of yeast, corn-free and soy recipes.

 

If the food elimination plan works, and if you indentify the sensitive foods, you can investigate enzymes with meals (e.g. Houston Pharmaceuticals). But it affects the supplement program, e.g. you should take less B3 and B6.

 

4) AIR FILTER in the room at night ( for families with potential mold, dust, synthetic carpeting, and/or paints and chemicals for the children to react to. )

 

5) Lots of prayer.

 

If significant improvement is seen after 7 days continue with the program until no improvement was seen for 3 days in a row. I see this as their neurological baseline for this particular assessment. Then they can figure out whether to add in foods one at a time, add in CRT screens, in reduce amounts, or go back to life as normal and try each category one at a time later to see if just one element is enough for them The main point is to give confidence so that they will go through the effort to find the way to heal themselves or there child.

 

Treatments vary considerably and are greatly influenced by your and the doctor's preferences. Virtually all can be done without prescriptions--just supplements.

 

Claire

[Heather]

Great Idea Claire and we all appreciate your dedication to this site and helping others.

 

Your list is excellent and I would just like to add one more little tidbit of information.

 

Providing a stress free lifestyle is extremely important as chronic stress causes the adrenal gland to release the hormone cortisone which can result in major physical ailments because of a weakening of the immune system. We all know that when under stress your immune system is not up to par. Physical symptoms caused by stress are more common than people realize. I read one article that said that doctors feel 50% of regular visits for minor ailments (headaches, backaches, etc.) to the doctor are a result of stress. So even if prayer may be politically incorrect to say, there are definite studies talking of the importance of spiritual wellness or an inner peace and the impact on physical health.

 

In our case, there were many factors leading to his illness but I believe that stress was the final trigger for my son, being in a very stressful home situation in a new environment. This is when my son's tics began and even now when they are very minimal, the times that they do surface is in stressful situations. I think it was Jean who also pointed out that it was after she lost a baby that her son's tics started and how desparately he wanted that baby.

 

Please do not make your child feel that ticcing is bad or that they should try to control it!!! This may be more harmful than you realize.

 

Perhaps this information is too much for the quick fix theory and should be a different thread, but I just want parents to be aware that it is very important not to put added stress on the child by telling them to try to stop ticcing. As Chemar has said many times, this may worsen the problem.

 

Heather

[Claire]

Thanks Heather,

 

I actually wondered about this last night later, both from the standpoint of general stress, and from the idea that a week to fewer tics might in someway backfire and have parents put pressure on their children to stop ticcing. I agree with you--I will modify the initial post for this later. I also thought of exercise, which helps stress and seratonin, but then I worried that they would push the child there also! I guess we need to trust the parents to find the balance.

 

I am also still concerned that for older children, who have more set lifestyle habits, that these measures could seem punitive in some way--even if they are meant as a test rather than a permanent plan. Parents know their children and would need to use judgement in deciding whether this approach was feasible or might backfire. We might need some great alternatives in the recipes/food choices (pancakes, bread, snacks) as well as playtime alternatives to screens.

 

Claire

[Chemar]

It is a very good thing to have threads like this one and thanks for the time you have been putting in to provide these summarizing threads Claire.

 

I do just want to stress again...at the point of being VERY repetitive...that it is ESSENTIAL to distinguish between tics that are being caused by Tourette Syndrome and other tics.

 

Heather raises a very important pont about the importance in NEVER putting stress on the person ticcing by in any way making them feel responsible for the tics that they cant help, or by showing your frustration that there isnt the improvement that you are looking for.

And especially NEVER have them feel that you are punishing them for ticcing, which, in a child's mind, can easily translate from your helpful attempts to eliminate food or screens or even by making them swallow icky supps

 

I did a posting recently which I am going to bump up and also put the link here.

I stress again that I wrote it for the benefit of those who tic from Tourette Syndrome.....that is truly all I have experience with, and so I fully realise that things are different in other tic disorders.

But, for those with TS it is encouraging to know that their ARE ways to improve quality of life by seeing the frequency and severity of tics reduced.......but it is IMHO just not being realistic to do these excellent and beneficial things with the expectation that the TOURETTE tics are going to totally disappear. Yes, sometimes they do go into remission, and yes, many people find a natural decline in their tics as they get older, and YES YES YES! using supplements, and healthy diets free of artificial stuff, and eliminating allergens, yeast and metals and other environmental toxins and strep and all the other very important tests recommended frequently here .....all these things REALLY do help to reduce tics.......

BUT

if you have Tourette Syndrome you tic!

that is simply a fact.......

and it is IMHO more valuable to accept that it is OK to tic than to become obsessed with trying to stop ticcing.

Do what you can to help reduce the tic frequency and severity, but dont let the stress of doing that become another tic trigger

 

 

here is the link to the thread on TS and Triggers

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p?showtopic=772

 

and here is the link to the article by Dr Sheila Rogers on things that are triggers for tics

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

 

again, I commend Claire for the excellent job she is doing to make all this info so clearly available to both old timers and newbies

[Claire]

Chemar,

 

You know I agree 100% on the emotional aspects, which are critical.

 

Claire

[Heather]

Just an addition to the above.

 

I do feel it is important for parents to see that for children that don't have Tourettes, tics can be treated and even stopped with natural supplements. If you do have a diagnosis of TS then that is one thing, however, I have read that mercury induced tics are far more common as Claire mentioned. My son's tics started over a year ago (both vocal and motor) and if we had taken the medical treatment route he now would qualify for a TS diagnosis, even though I don't believe he has it. If I had followed what my medical doctor prescribed, then he would still be ticcing now, maybe severely and maybe for life. I feel that if you don't have the actual gene for Tourettes, it is realistic to believe that tics can be stopped, not just decline with age or be reduced. There are many stories of people with tics who have stopped with the right supplements. I think that if you are determined to pursue the answers, then it should be made known that yes, many tics CAN be stopped.

 

When my son started ticcing severely in November, he was injuring himself and would not even go out in public because of his snorting. I NEEDED a quick fix, even though my naturopath said it was a long road to healing. This is when I started researching on here and I would've loved at the time to see this post "a week to fewer tics" that gave me a direction to start. His tics were so debilitating I would've done any and all of the elminations just to get him out of the house. I spent my evenings after he went to bed crying and extremely emotional thinking that maybe it would never stop. It tooks us 2 months to get him back to school and even longer to figure out other triggers.

 

Once they got to a manageable level there was not the urgency for treatment, and we definitely would've been ok with his minimal ticcing. However I will keep learning and reading until I have done all that I can do (maybe a lifetime). Yes, it is ok for my son to tic and he is completely at ease with his ticcing (he doesn't even realize he is doing it anymore). However, I will admit life would be easier if he didn't tic and didn't have to continue with all of the eliminations. I have faith that someday soon we will get to that point.

 

Heather

[Guest Ronna]

Hi to All,

 

Claire, thank you for starting a potentially VERY helpful thread for parents who are new to tics, TS and all the comorbids such as anxiety, OCD, rage etc etc...

 

Your dedication to this site is very much appreciated and you have helped to many. My goodness I feel like I could type about a million words of advice for a new parent. I am simply overwhelmed with the thought..."if it was possible and I could turn back time to 3 years ago when I began this journey...what would I tell the "mommy" I was back then....

 

Ok...so I am sitting here and I am thinking...what possibly could have helped back then...I am stumped...all of the talk about supplements, diet changes, meds, doctors etc would have been completely overwhelming to me for the simple reason that for me it took a LONG time to even come to terms that "something" was going on with Kurt. I read all about TS...I even talked to the president of the TS society of Canada and this all just upset me terribly...let's just say she was an old hand at TS and gave me a heart attack.

 

Yikes...so what am I trying to say...I guess my first feeling is that most of us are so use to talking about supplements etc that if a post is done doing a 7-10 day "starter" for tics.... well it needs to be VERY simple so as not to overwhelm parents new to the idea of alternative treatments for TS. Overall I am not sure if there can be a "quick" start to dealing with TS.

 

My overall feeling is that each change whether it be diet, supplements, stress reduction etc needs to be done one at a time...WHY?...because at one point I went bonkers doing everything and then basically had to start back at square one to sort it all out and figure out exactly what was helping and what wasn't.

 

Off the top of my head...my advice for a parent new to tics, OCD, TS etc based on my experience would be...

 

1. Phone your family doctor and make an appointment IMMEDIATELY...mine is a long story but overall Kurt's tics started very suddenly and I wish I had seen the doctor sooner.

 

2. Learn the basics about tics and the comorbid conditions. Be knowledgeable...I was a nurse but trusted the doctors to guide me for a long time. It is important for the parent to be knowlegdable enough to make informed decisions along with the doctor...you need to be an equal partner in the care of your child...you know your child better than anyone and need to trust your instincts.

 

3. If the tics have happened suddenly consider PANDAS and speak to your doctor about this possibilty...even if your doc is not knowledgable about PANDAS insist on at least having a throat culture done. Insist on a referral to a neurologist or pediatrician who has experience with tics etc.

 

4. I totally understand the feeling of needing to do something IMMEDIATELY. Some tics are just horrible and my son use to BEG me to make his neck tic stop. I guess I cannot stress enough that each change that you make should be done one at a time. Having said that I think right off the bat creating an accepting supportive environment which is focused on reducing stress, focusing on a healthier diet, focusing on routine and consistency along with providing a good multi vitamin are all very important things that can be done at the same time as other changes are made.

 

5. In terms of routine I am a HUGE believer in this. I think many of our kids do not do well without routine. As well I think it is important that they are not overstimulated. For example, when things were difficult for Kurt especially in the beginning we really limited after school activities and general business...we focused on quiet family time, consistent bedtimes and basically circled the wagons and focused on making changes in any area we could to reduce stress. We asked family members for help and built support around us. Kurt has always needed routine but I found that when the tics began this became especially important.

 

6. Next I would say that unless the tics are very severe don't jump into the medication thing. We listened to the docs and went the med route. How I would do things differently now.

 

7. Order ALL of the back issues of Lattitudes and read them first before starting any diet changes etc. Rushing into making changes without the proper knowledge is not useful. For example, doing a food elimination diet needs to be done properly ie) it is not enough to just eliminate milk but a parent needs to be aware that ALL dairy/casein must go...for example, deli meats, donuts, hot dogs, breading on nuggets etc. etc. also have milk. There are many resources on-line and books that need to be read first before trying a food elimination diet. When I finally saw a naturopath doc I was probably more knowledgeable than her about doing a food elimination diet.

 

8. NO SCREENS is easy and can be done first while you are learning about how to do a food elimination diet. No Screens worked VERY well for a friend of mine and was all that was needed for her son.

 

9. Supplements are a tough one. It is very helpful to have a good natuopath doctor on board. I like Bonnie's vitamins and Kurt responds well to them however, with our first try this was not the case. He seemed to respond negatively to something so I looked at Bonnie's vitamins and added them one at a time so I could determine what was helping and what may be causing an adverse reaction. It turned out that Kurt was not tolerating Bonnie's fish oil supplements. (I started the vitamins and efa's at the same time...remember I was in a BIG hurry to find something that could help). I initially believed that Bonnie's vitamins did not help Kurt and quit trying them...months later I tried the supplements one at a time and this gave me lots of information.

 

10. Take a deep breath. I made myself NUTS for a long time and my best advice would be to balance learning about all of this with the needs of your family, other children, and your marriage. I was consumed by TS for a long time. Set limits on your time spent on the computer and make sure your kids and especially your husband see something other than the back of your head while you are on the computer.

 

Well that's all I can think of...

 

Take Care,

Ronna

[Claire]

From Belinda--someone who actually 'pulled it all together' and tried multiple things at once for her child with great results over the past month I think this is really a first--most of us on the board did trial and error with a number of things over a much longer time period.

 

She points out a glaring omission in my summary post here--more discussion on yeast. I am updating my intro post for this feedback. Yeast is an issue for MANY of our children, and is important for long term healing.

 

I hope others will take what she did to heart--especially those with younger children. The transition is so much easier with them. Again, this isn't forever--it is to be done initially to proove to yourself and your child that lifestyle can make a difference. This is a first step toward healing.

 

Thank you Belinda, this story is wonderful.

 

Claire

 

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

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...t=15entry5374

 

Posted: Oct 17 2004, 02:48 PM

 

...I will summarize what I have done so far.

 

Well, I am on Day 25 of my food elimination diet, and my son's tics are nothing like they used be.

 

Claire, along with all the good advice you collected from everyone, I had read that yeast could be a problem so I eliminated as much as possible to see results. Your surveys REALLY helped me establish a direction. I can't thank you enough - my despair was so great.

 

Just to give you some background, my son is 5 1/2 and his tics were very large! He would jump up and wave both of his arms in the air (this tic started when he kept jumping to re-secure his back-pack school back on his shoulders). It was very distraughting to see him do this every few seconds!!!! He had other smaller tics since last year but they were no big deal. With school starting, I was very worried about the social impacts on him.

Now, he doesn't jump at all, and he doesn't wave his arms up. He still has a few smaller tics here and there (more tics when I test his diet) but nothing like before.

 

 

From the start I eliminated:

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

TV right away - I told him that it broke. We still have it off - TV wasn't a big deal since we didn't watch too much of it anyways. (except a few weeks prior, his grandparents bought him a Veggie-tale video that he loved and his TV watching increased more than usual)

 

I eliminated sugar (incase of a yeast situation) - I used clover honey

(Today I am switching this, because I just discovered that clover honey has high salicylate content) ooops! I now bought date sugar, and I am also going to try unrefined organic cane sugar.

 

I remove all artificial additives - and I mean ALL (except I have allowed Jeff's recommendation of Pringles Original - just to have some kind of junk food around for him - and us!)

 

I eliminated all the salicylates - I can't believe the difference of when he has grape juice or an apple! We went apple-picking and he ate an apple, he ticced almost 20 times in minute, all over again. I, also, always know when the afterschool daycare has given him something he is not supposed to eat (before I even ask him) because he tics, otherwise he is pretty calm.

 

I eliminated the most common allergies that you compiled: Wheat, corn, eggs, and I use Lactose-free milk. I tried vanilla rice milk, and vanilla soy milk, but I found both to increase his tics. I have allowed soda-crackers(wheat) and cream-cheese.

 

I don't give him any juices - only water or lactaid at this time. He used to drink grape juice VERY often (4-5 times a day).

 

Around Day 13, we bought a new mattress, a new pillow, and the dust-mite protection casings around the mattress and pillows. We saw an improvement right away. We are now looking to change the carpetting and buy a HEPA filter.

 

I have been giving him BIO-K daily for friendly bacteria (incase of yeast), and an allowable vitamin C, and a multi-vitamin. I was giving him calcium liquid, but then discovered it was diluted in apple juice so I stopped.

 

I have not used any yeast in my baking..... the feingold prog says that regular yeast is fine - but not the active-rise yeast. So I am now thinking of getting back to my real breads and not the disasters that I tried to call bread.

 

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

 

You might wonder how my son agreed to all of this?

I told him that his body was trying to get our attention by doing these tics because it cannot tolerate some of the foods that we are giving it (even though for some people it is okay). I told him that I was glad that his body was "speaking" to us so that we can figure out what his body was trying to tell us. It is like a "Scooby-Doo" mystery and we are the detectives that will solve the big MYSTERY! We also have talked extensively about chemicals in food and how nasty they are.

He bought into the idea right away!

 

I can tell you the biggest change in him (aside from the tics) is his demeanour!

He is just not the same child anymore! He is no longer fidgety, he doesn't get as hyper when he plays, he is so calm and retrospective, he is not always afraid like he used to be, he is kinder and gentler! I could go on....!

 

I am very excited because tomorrow I am going to get the results of his IgG and Essential fatty acids blood tests. I also asked them to test for gluten allergy and test for any damage to his intestines. I will have a clearer picture of what I am dealing with tomorrow!!!! These tests are costing me a bundle (I live in Montreal Canada and the naturalpath is shipping the blood to his preferred lab in the USA (with an added premium for his time).

 

I apologize for writing so much, I just hope to help anyone else that is new. I am still new at this and I am learning and learning and learning every day! The biggest thing that I am learning is patience. I am definitely on the right track thanks to everyone who has taken the time to write what has worked for them! Thank you!

 

I will let you know what happens soon!

 

Evangelia

 

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

[citygirl]

IT SEEMS LIKE THE NEXT THING I SHOULD TRY IS TO ELIMINATE THE SALICYLATES, ALTHOUGH WHEN I INITIALLY ASKED MY DOC AT OUR FIRST VISIT, HE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS NEC/RELEVENT.

 

I HAVE DONE ALL OF THE ABOVE IN TERMS OF ELIMINATING FOOD, EXCEPT SALICYLATES, AND HAVE NOT SEEN THE TICS SUBSIDE. AS I HAVE POSTED BEFORE, MY ANXIETY AMONG OTHER THINGS HAS BEEN HELPED BY IT THOUGH.

 

SINCE I HAVE HAD SOME STOMACH TROUBLES DURING THIS PERIOD, SHOULD I BE TAKING SUPPLEMENTS TOO SUCH AS THE GOOD BACTERIA MENTIONED ABOVE? DOES ANYONE HAVE MORE INFO/RECOMMENDATION ON THIS? I HAVE HAD MILD DIARRHEA FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS (THOUGH SEEMS TO BE GETTING BETTER), WHICH PUZZLES ME SINCE I AM EATING HEALTHIER THAN EVER BEFORE. MY ONLINE TEST DID STATE I HAVE DETOX OVERLOAD OF 48%. I DON'T KNOW IF IT COULD BE DUE TO FLUSHING TOO MUCH OUT OF MY BODY WITH DOING THE ELIMINATION DIET.

 

WOULD APPRECIATE ANYONE'S THOUGHTS ON THIS. THANKS.

[Claire]

Foods are only one part of the solution.

 

If diet alone doesn't work, it sounds like you may well have detox issues. And possibly metal issues and yeast.

 

I would suggest the Spectracell.com test for vitamin and antioxidant deficiencies (no doctor's signature required). I just called them to verify this. You just need

$285 if you pre-pay

 

Also, the Great Plains Organic Acid profile will tell you if your glutathione antioxidant levels are low.

 

I don't like supplementing antioxidants such as glutathione, selenium (beyond normal daily allowances), and cysteine without knowing the levels are low.

 

As for 'not noticing the difference between LCD and CRT'--you wouldn't notice during the viewing, as the effect is cumulative and lingering The only way to tell for sure is to not have screens for a week. However, this is clearly impractical/impossible with a work environment. So the next best thing is to see if you can get an LCD to replace the CRT monitor.

 

But if I had to put my money somewhere, it would be on testing antioxidant levels. If these are low and you raise them the detox process will begin.

 

Finally, you don't say if you are doing supplements. These can help also. Other than the antioxidants, I see no reason not to try them out. Some common ones are listed above.

 

My 2 cents.

Claire

[Caz]

Dumb question - I'm sure this is answered in the archives, but is the CRT screen like a tv screen/traditional computer monitor, and the LCD more like a laptop screen, or gameboy screen?

 

Caz

[Claire]

Yes, plus LCD's can be for a normal desktop, but they are the skinny flat ones. Some CRT's are flat screens. The manufacturer will note if it is LCD. They cost more. We got a LCD that is a combo computer monitor and TV for $450.

 

Claire

[Heather]

Claire has researched this area in depth and I would just like to add a thought here if you haven't read this on a previous post. If it is impossible to completely eliminate TV, the smaller the screen and the brighter the room the less effect it will have. Also, the further away from the screen, the better. The worst experience we had was in a movie theatre.

 

The LCD screens use different technology so that the flicker effect that causes this photosensitivty is not an issue in the same way it is on the CRT screen.

 

Thanks for Claire for all of this information on screens.

 

Heather

[Claire]

Thanks Heather. That information came from the photosensitive epilepsy sites--since they have the same trigger. They say 14" (or less) screens are best, and the higher the hertz the better. Phillips is coming out with a 100 hz TV soon--not soon enough...

 

Natural lighting--by a window is best--though at night obviously this isn't possible Also ower the brightness if possible. View 3meters (9 feet) away. Okay, we never make it 9 feet, but that is what they say.

 

I think a part of this problem is that this generation is viewing these screens right up close on their desks at a very early age while the brain is still developing. Combined with either mercury leading to increased light sensitivity an/dor yeast issues leading to vitamin deficiencies due to malabsorption, leading to increased light sensitivity.

 

Plus TV screens are much larger these days than when we grew up--or at least when I grew up. So they dominate the visual arena.

 

Neurological tests were run using sleep deprivation and then a strobe light. 8% of people have an EEG reaction and 'myclonus'--which is basically a muscle jerking in the face. Why doesn't that reaction itself get notice and publicity? I think we have all read about TV and adhd--why not tics?

 

I have to keep pointing out--Heather has shown that with the proper healing, the diet can get more flexible and TV/computer may no longer an issue. Her treatment was for yeast and mercury levels. Ronnas had similar luck. The restrictions may not completely disappear, but they got looser for them.

 

This is a pretty committed group here, I must say. I really appreciate the newer members sharing the Failsafe methods and comparing to Feingold too.

 

Claire

[Guest Guest_efgh]

Claire, Can you please let me know the difference between Feingold and Failsafe? where is the comparison study between Feingold and Failsafe ? Which is the post/thread that talks about that?

My son;s tics as I mentioned is much better. He watched a movie in the theatre ( after a complete restriction for around 1 year) and he was doing pretty ok then. Slowly I have introduced the offending foods like milk, chocolate (once in a while ), He watches TV in the normal screen for around an hour daily and so far the reaction has been pretty minimal and is encouraging. He does have tics once in a while but they are NOT noticeable to others and are very very mild.