New here...need help with tic disorder / tourettes

[julie1967]

Hi, my 9 year old son has tic disorder (not officially diagnosed as Tourette's Syndrome but I am still not sure of the difference) and is in a really bad stage now of severe tics. I am interested to hear of any natural remedies or dietary changes to help calm his tics and his anxiety.
Today I went to the health food store and got the following:
CALM (a magnesium supplement) to help him relax at bedtime' a b-complex to help with general anxiety and depression and Omega 3 (because the guy at the health food store said it was great). He suggested limiting carbs and diet drinks as well.
Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

Julie

 

[Lothlorien]

Julie, I think you've got it covered. I would have suggested exactly what was suggested by you at the health food store. Let us know how it works for you. You should probably start to notice a difference in a few weeks.

Also, I would try to keep as much natural products in his diet as much as possible. Stay away from chemical/food additives.

Has he had a neurological evaluation? Neurological disorder should be ruled out.

 

[julie1967]

Thanks so much for the response - glad to hear I was given good information at the health food store, I really know nothing about this stuff yet!

He did have a neurological exam about 2 years ago and the diagnosis was nothing neurologically wrong just a tic disorder. She wouldn't classify it as Tourettes at the time because the tics come and go so much.
She said there were medications he could take if the tics got so bad that they bothered him or interfered with life or he got teased too much but she didn't recommend them as they are apparently very strong.
So, I will continue on with the new vitamin/mineral regimen and try to cut out processed foods as much as possible and still get him to eat LOL!
Thanks again for the help!

 

[hearts and roses]

Everything you're doing is great. Keep it up. As my daughter grew older I had less control over what she ate outside our home, but at home we try to stick to all natural/organic and take supplements that meet of our individual needs. My daughter refuses to take any supplements of any kind - she thinks I'm a quack. Haha.

I tend to disagree with the reasoning behind your son being diagnosed with a tic disorder as opposed to Tourettes. And I'm not saying your son has Tourette's Syndrome, he may very well only have a tic disorder.

My daughter's Tourette's Syndrome symptoms, all of them including the tics, have ALWAYS waxed and waned - it's cyclic. I have found that almost all of these brain disorders are cyclic in nature and do tend to wax and wane, so the tics coming and going do not necessarily rule out Tourette's Syndrome.

If a definitive diagnosis is important to you, I would seek a 2nd opinion. However, if you're seeing results with the change in diet and supplements, then just keep doing what you're doing.

The only reason I was happy with an actual diagnosis was because then I didn't think I was crazy anymore, Know what I mean?? Otherwise, you're treating the symptoms anyway.

Good luck.

 

[aeditha17]

I agree with JoG. Tics are suppossed to come and go - that's the very nature of Tourette's Syndrome. My 11 y/o son has been diagnosed since age 7 and we have bad days and good days and also bad seasons and good seasons.
Really, try for another neuro evaluation. Call around and see who is pediatric and has special interest in movement disroders - they tend to have much better diagnostic processes.
Watch the medications - from personal experience we never had good luck with them. Our pedi neuro said it best and I quote him often. "You have to decide when the tic or behavior truly interferes with daily life. Is his need to hang the clothes in his closet in a color-coded order really a problem or just a unique part of who he is? Is the hand wringing tic causing difficulty or discomfort, or is it just something unique to your child?"

We had to step back and take an inventory and we came to the conclusion that we were going with-o the medications (besides, he has ADHD andADHD medications make Tourette's Syndrome worse, usually). Though we have had success with the Omega 3 and watcing his caffiene intake. Also, believe it or not, he just started karate and he seems so much more centered now.
Also, be aware of all the difficulty a Tourette's Syndrome kid faces at school (even if yours is not formally diagnosed, take a look at these things, it may help strengthen your case for a Tourette's Syndrome diagnosis).

1. Graphomotor skills - sloppy handwriting, resistance to completing handwritten assignments
2. The end of the school day tic explosion because they have been holding it in or back at school
3. Timed tests. BIG problem with us. The anxiety over taking the test makes his tics worse, then he can't complete anything in time because he's ticcing.

Just a few things to share from my personal experiences.
Good luck to you!!!!!!
{{HUGS}}
Brandi