These Two Nutrients Helped Our Son with His Tics

As a dad I dealt with Tourette syndrome while growing up, so my wife and I have been on the alert for any signs of tics in our son. My tics started when I was eight years old and though they got pretty serious, they were under control a few years later. My parents told me that the Latitudes.org website suggested an all-natural “allergy approach” for tics, and it worked. We make sure our family now follows the same healthy lifestyle.

We have no toxins in the home, we allergy-proof bedrooms, and we skip snacks when they have chemical additives. We avoid too much sugar. We also don’t use scented products. That sounds like a lot, but it’s really just a way of life, and one that’s growing in popularity. While we are in no way perfect with it, we do a pretty good job.

Our son is ten now, and for a few years we have been giving him magnesium (either glycinate or citrate), plus a quality probiotic and a multivitamin. We didn’t have any concerns about tics until last Fall. We started to notice that he was was blinking his eyes, making gulping sounds, and rotating his shoulders now and then. It seemed like they happened more when he used his computer, but after a while we couldn’t tell what was behind them. He knew it was happening and he was getting a little self-conscious.

We asked him to see if he could find what might be causing the tics. He thought that computer or video games, plus treats he’d get at school were related, but he didn’t know for sure. We got him blue-light protective glasses to wear for computer use (the amount of time was also reduced), and asked him to be more strict with his diet. We watched for a few months but the tics  stayed the same. They weren’t serious, but I was getting concerned. It wasn’t bad enough to see a doctor, but we wanted to find an answer as soon as we could.

I joined a Facebook group to check in with what other parents were doing, and I also did some online research. It seemed that it could be worth trying two other supplements. I added them to what he was already taking and we have not seen any tics at all in more than six months. Nothing else has changed. We are very encouraged.

I’m sharing it because maybe it can help someone else, even though we all know that what works for one kid might not work for another. If anyone wants to try it, I would suggest giving it a little time to take effect to see if it is going to be a good match for your child. From everything I’ve read, these are safe amounts, but it’s always good to check with your doctor, especially if any medications are being taken.

Here’s what we added:

• B6 Vitamin (50mg)
• N-Acetyl L-Cysteine (NAC–600mg)

I also found an article here on Latitudes.org that focuses on NAC, which you might find helpful.  https://latitudes.org/key-nutrients-for-adhd-ocd-and-tics