xpost - supplements for tourettes

[Momma4Boys]

I posted this on the general board but didn't get too many responses - I probably should have posted it here :)

 

My ds, age 13, was diagnosed with tourettes (he has had symptoms since he was about 8 - yeah, call me mom of the year). Anyhoo - I have tried researching natural remedies but the info out there is extremely diverse and even conflicting.

 

I was wondering if there is anyone out there that has personally tried anything homeopathic and saw positive results (or negative results - I guess I need to know that too).

 

Thanks

[Ravin]

I don't know anything about supplements, but what did it look like early on, when he was 8? Our psych has been less than helpful in that she wants to treat symptoms, but not really diagnose.

[Momma4Boys]

When he was 8 and we lived in GA our pediatrician said it was a phase and he'd grow out of it - nothing to worry about. So when the doc in TX said he had tourettes I was flabbergasted...and yet it all made sense.

 

He would often scrunch up his nose or roll his shoulders over and over again, or purse his lips (we called it platypus lips), rolling his wrists (those were some of the motor tics) - his vocal tics were snorting, clearing his throat, & making little short hum noises.

 

The medications out there for tourettes seem really harsh - horrible side effects. So we have chosen not to go that route with our ds. I have heard the cognitive therapy works well (trying to train yourself to do more "socially acceptable" tics) so we will try that this fall. If you do internet research out there some people have had good results with diet changes and vitamin/mineral/herbal supplements - that is what I am trying to get some advice on.

 

IHTH - if you want to pm me we can talk about your dc more :)

[dsmith]

Some people have had positive results for the Feingold diet. My son has been very resistant to dietary interventions, but after his last bout of increased tics he is more open to the idea. He gets a lot of relief from Prozac and Abilify, but that is not the main reason he is taking them, and I would love to get him off of Abilify. Every time we lower the dosage his ticcing gets to an unbearable (for him) level. We're hoping the Feingold diet will allow us to get rid of the Abilify.