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This sampling of letters is shared as a means of giving readers options that might help Tourette syndrome (TS)  symptoms. There are no studies to support them, and what helps one person will not necessarily help another, as individual needs and biological make-ups differ.  But we hope these provide encouragement for you to pursue complementary treatments if you are so inclined. Also, if you have found something that helps alleviate TS symptoms, we hope you will share it with ACN.

OPC-3 and TS

My ten-year-old daughter was diagnosed with TS eighteen months ago. She has had several facial and vocal tics, as well as head-shaking. We were considering starting her on Clonadine when my pediatric neurologist encouraged me to explore herbal remedies.

Through this exploration I found OPC-3. My daughter has been taking two capfuls of OPC-3 each morning for the past six months. I began to notice her symptoms decreasing after two weeks. She stopped shaking her head, has no vocal tics, and only minimal facial tics. This remission of symptoms has lasted for six months.

I am a registered nurse, and understand that OPC-3 is not a proven medical remedy. I only hope that another child with TS could benefit from it the way my daughter has.

Editor: OPC-3 (Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins) is an antioxidant combination of OPCs and other bioflavanoids. It contains extracts from plant sources such as grapes, cranberries, bilberries, and the bark of pine trees. Among the list of many conditions listed by the company that have improved with this supplement (based on anecdotal reports) are TS and attentional difficulties. The manufacturer states that studies have revealed no evidence of negative side-effects. OPC-3 is stated to be 20 times more powerful than vitamin C and 50 times more powerful than vitamin E as an anti-oxidant

Diet and TS

My son is 12 years old and has TS. We went to the only environmental physician in our state who is a member of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine. He was put on a very restricted diet for 3 weeks. During that time the vocal tics were reduced, but the bodily tics increased dramatically. He did, however, lose the weight he had gained from his TS medications. We are not going to give up, and are now pursuing homeopathy. We will keep you informed of the results.

Editor: We have not had reports previously of a restricted diet increasing tics, and would be very interested to know if others have experienced this. Such a reaction would seem possible if the items remaining on the diet were triggers for the TS symptoms, or perhaps if there was a cleansing process taking place resulting in a temporary intensification of symptoms, such as that associated with a yeast die-off diet. Other unidentified factors may have also been involved. We would like to emphasize that we are seeking both successful and unsuccessful treatment reports, and we appreciate when readers take the time to respond, as in this case.

The approaches that seem to have been most helpful for TS patients related to food sensitivity, based on a preliminary and informal review of reports, include injection therapy (most positive results) or sublingual drops, with therapeutic dose determined by intradermal testing. Accuracy of testing is very important, and levels need to be regularly updated, at 6-month intervals in some cases. Avoidance or rotation of foods can be combined with this therapy, and therapy can often reduce the strictness of the diet required.

Readers should be aware that the American Academy of Environmental Medicine has different levels of “membership.” A Fellow in the academy is a physician who has completed all educational requirements and has been elected to Fellow status by a board of directors. A Member is a physician who is interested in pursuing the practical application of the concepts and techniques of environmental medicine, has taken courses, but has not yet met Fellow requirements. A provisional member is a doctor who has begun a study of environmental medicine through the American Academy of Environmental Medicine. Physicians within the academy have varying specialties and may differ in their approach to particular conditions.

My son has TS. He was diagnosed one year ago. He is now eight. We have noticed that he is very sensitive to chemicals. Paint and perfume increase the tics. It seems like they started after a strep infection. Also, two days after getting a hepatitis-B and chicken pox vaccine his tics were off the wall – I wonder if there is a connection.

e-mail

We have made some very simple changes for TS that have made all the difference. Our third grade son had facial and neck tics, and vocalizations. Just by giving him some B vitamins and flax seed oil, improving his diet and cleaning the dust from his room, his tics are basically gone. Now they only occur if he eats or drinks something he shouldn’t – usually something with artificial colors and flavors. He always knows what he’s done to bring them on. I’m so amazed.

Cocoa Beach, FL 

Do you know anyone who has tried Cell Tech super blue-green algae for Tourette syndrome/Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorders (TS/ADHD)? I’ve been hearing reports that this supplement has helped these conditions. I’m thinking about starting my 12-year-old son on it. I have had him on Rexall homeopathic remedies for 6 months, and they have definitely helped his tics and ADHD. The only time his tics surface is when he plays Nintendo for a long time. The problem with the homeopathic remedies is that it takes three boxes a month, and they are expensive for me, even at wholesale prices. Please let me know about the algae.

Editor: We have had reports on algae (see sampling below), and we hope readers will continue to contact us with positive or negative accounts. Algae is available in natural food articless and from two other popular sources: Cell Tech, a multilevel marketing company, and Conscious Living Systems, which sells direct to the public (phone: 800.469.2290 or outside the U.S. phone: 510.633.1840). The homeopathic medicines from Rexall are over-the-counter preparations and can be ordered from Rexall distributors.

I would like to report two cases of Tourette syndrome that have had an excellent response to blue-green algae. Two of my four children have TS. At one point, we were forced to consider medication for the older child but were able to bring about some improvement with homeopathic treatment. She continued to have mild tics, general awkwardness, some obsessive-compulsive symptoms, mood swings, and a tendency to focus on minute details of whatever she was doing, to the point that it impaired her academic performance. Within days (!) of starting the algae, all of this was essentially resolved.

My 6-year-old started showing symptoms around age 4. His movements resolved within several weeks of starting the algae. One attempt to stop resulted in a reoccurrence of movements. He is now accustomed to his green applesauce.

I am a board-certified psychiatrist with a heavily pharmacological practice. At first I was extremely skeptical about the algae, but it’s hard to argue with results. I have since learned of many other people with similar anecdotes, and one fairly large-scale pilot study using blue-green algae for ADHD children showed statistically significant benefits. The algae seems to have a reliable effect of improving energy and wellbeing and seems helpful for many degenerative conditions involving the immune system.

I have seen enough to know that we need to look at this more systematically. The first step is a pilot study on blue-green algae for Tourette syndrome.

—Bruce Goderez, M.D.

We have a 12-year-old male in our autistic residential community program with Tourette syndrome who eats super blue-green algae from Cell Tech. It appears the algae helps his tics, which have lessened but not disappeared. He has only one alpha and one omega capsule per day. We are planning on increasing the omega but not the alpha. (We are concerned the alpha will give him too much energy.)

I have a 14-year-old daughter with Tourette syndrome (TS). The symptoms were quite severe when she was 8 or 9. We treated her with homeopathy with good results; at this point, her symptoms are virtually unnoticeable. We now have a 5-year-old who began to show TS movements when he was 4. We started him on blue-green algae, sold by Cell Tech. He seems to have responded well.

Editor: The algae issue has been difficult to sort out as we await studies on its use. We have received more letters on it (usually for ADHD) than for any other supplement. In confirming these reports, I often learn that the algae was taken along with other supplements, including enzymes, vitamins, and/or minerals. The fact that Cell Tech is a multilevel marketing company and many of those contacting me sell the algae makes it harder to know how to deal with the topic. However, there is nothing inherently wrong with multilevel marketing. Further, those who have been personally impacted by a product in a positive way tend to be the most ardent supporters of it, and their motivation to sell the product is not always simply financial

A Vegetarian Times article in November 1996 suggested that algae suppliers may occasionally be harvesting a toxic alga (microcystis) along with the Aphanizomenon flosaquae more commonly known as blue-green algae. Both Cell Tech (phone: 800.800.1300) and Conscious Living Systems (phone: 800.469.2290) have strongly objected to inaccuracies in the article and have sent convincing rebuttal letters to Vegetarian Times. Please contact these companies for clarification on this issue.

Allergies

I questioned our son’s neurologist about possible causes for the onset of tics, but he dismissed allergies completely. The tics coincided with Halloween and overeating of chocolate and other candies with artificial dyes and flavorings. I suspect a combination of allergens led to the exacerbation of his tics.

He is highly allergic to Vaseline lip therapy, which contains vitamin E acetate; he is not allergic to plain Vaseline. Ken has had skin rashes in the past and seems to have difficulty ridding the body of fat-soluble allergens. The information you provided has convinced us to have him tested by a qualified allergy clinic, even if our HMO doesn’t pay. As a biochemist, my “gut” reaction is to find the cause rather than add new chemical allergens to his body.

We are planning on having Ken tested at the closest environmental allergy clinic. They have experience with ADHD but not TS. Are there other environmental allergy clinics documenting data on the relationship between allergies, chemical sensitivities, and TS?

Editor: Collection of information from physicians is in the preliminary stages. Environmental physicians do not claim to have a cure for Tourette syndrome, but individuals undergoing such specialized treatment for allergies have sometimes found their Tourette syndrome symptoms improving significantly.

I have a 13-year-old son who was normal until the age of 11. One day, he started heavy eye-blinking. Side mouth-twitching soon developed, then more serious tics, such as bending his head way to the side, and extreme shoulder shrugging. He later began repeating negative statements over and over and became high strung. These symptoms continued for one year.

At this point we decided medication would be better than the psychological damage he was experiencing. A year ago, he began taking Clonidine. His tics diminished, but they were still enough for his peers to notice, and they interrupted his social life.

In desperation, I began reading books on natural healing and allergies. My son is very allergic to dustmites. I covered his mattress and pillow and removed dust from his bedroom. I began giving him lecithin and vitamins E, B, and C. His condition showed clear improvement, and he has been able to reduce his Clonidine. He now has occasional vocal tics (not in public), and 95% of the physical tics are gone. I feel that allergy plays a role in TS, and that vitamins are very helpful for controlling tics.

Amino Acids

My son’s tics began at the age of 7. Psychologists, psychiatrists, and pediatric neurologists saw him for two and a half years without any benefit. In the meantime, my wife and I were reading all we could find on the subject. One day, we found The Amino Acid Revolution in the library. It doesn’t mention Tourette syndrome (TS), but it does refer to the use of glycine and taurine for spastic conditions. We gave them to our son, along with the co-factors vitamin C and vitamin B6.

Over the years, our son had shown a great many different tics, but even when his TS was mild, he made popping noises when he was relaxed, as when going to sleep or listening to stories being read. The first night after we gave him the amino acids, all his tics disappeared, even his “pops.” Not only that, but his attention difficulties disappeared as well. However, the attention disorder returned after a few months. Some time later, we decided to see what would happen if we stopped the amino acid therapy. He has remained symptom -free for almost three years, except for a couple of brief, mild episodes when he was under a lot of stress.

We do not imagine that what worked for our son will work for everyone, but if it worked for him, it will probably benefit someone else. We hope so.

Editor: Latitudes vol. 1, no. 1 had a report by a family who successfully used amino acids and vitamin supplementation for their son. Though it is not mentioned in the article, this family had read the same book. The article is posted on this web site under Nutritional Therapy for TS. We recommend seeking professional advice when pursuing amino acid therapy, as indiscriminate supplementation can have serious side effects.

Biofeedback

Our son has never officially been diagnosed with TS, but his physician prescribed Clonidine, which sent him on a spiral of weight gain, irritability, and little improvement. We felt it only masked his tics and did nothing to prevent them.

We flew to a neurotherapy clinic in Denver and saw a neuro-psychiatrist who is using EEG biofeedback therapy. We had unbelievably positive results — but, unfortunately, not permanent on our child.

We also believe environmental chemicals impact TS and that diet plays a huge role, especially sugar and caffeine. We plan to have him allergy tested.

Editor: We have heard that EEG training, when effective, can be beneficial for up to five years, then may need repeating. In the initial stages for younger children, more frequent "refresher" sessions are usually required. Most work has focused on ADHD, but some practitioners say they have also had successful results, in varying degrees, with TS and autism. Long-term studies are not available.

EEG biofeedback helped save our son. He had experienced occasional mild tics since kindergarten. When he was 10, some social difficulties with older students at school occurred, and his tics went wild. We were worried sick and began Clonodine. It worked only in the beginning; then we had to increase his dose. Once he adjusted and was no longer tired, it failed to work. He was irritable and gaining weight; we felt like we had lost our child.

Then we learned about EEG biofeedback from Dr. Hoffman in Denver and went there for a complete brain mapping. My son’s theta waves on his right frontal lobe were unbelievably off. We located a specialist who continued the work. After only four sessions, we noticed a huge change. Within six weeks, my son was off Clonodine, and tics were drastically reduced. We did 60 to 70 sessions in all, and insurance paid for some of it.

Because of his weight gain from the Clonodine, we wanted to deal with his diet. During a short vacation, he exercised vigorously, ate no sugar, very little fat, and many veggies. The change was dramatic. Now that I have seen your articles on food [sensitivities], allergies, and tics, I think this could be the missing link for us. I wonder why the neurologists I went to didn’t see the allergy correlation. But then, they didn’t think biofeedback would help either.

Chemical Sensitivity

My son has TS. He was diagnosed one year ago; he is now 8. We have noticed that he is very sensitive to chemicals. Paint and perfume increase the tics. It seems like they started after a strep infection. Also, two days after getting a hepatitis B and chicken pox vaccination, his tics were off the wall. I wonder if there is a connection.

Diet

We have begun alternative therapies for our son with TS, age 6. We have gotten as far as eliminating foods he is allergic to and are seeing remarkable results. He is almost never aggressive (previously, he required 100% supervision when with other kids) and has fewer and shorter tantrums. He still takes Risperdal and Buspar for his tics and anxiety, but if he misses a dose, he no longer goes berserk.

My son had various tics that began at age 7. He is now 10. Two years ago, we put him on a diet that eliminated dairy products, sugar, and white flour. [As a result,] his tics have been very light.

We have made some simple changes for TS that have made all the difference. Our third-grade son had facial and neck tics and vocalizations. Just by giving him some B vitamins and flaxseed oil, improving his diet, and cleaning the dust from his room, his tics are basically gone. Now they occur only if he eats or drinks something he shouldn’t — usually something with artificial colors and flavors. He always knows what he’s done to bring them on. I’m so amazed.

I am a 31-year-old male and have had TS for 18 years. I attend a national neuro-clinic in London that has been helpful with medical information and drugs.

I have never had any advice on nutrition. Recently I started to look into this myself, just as many of your readers have. Only by cutting out alcohol (to nearly none) and by taking B6, zinc, and magnesium tablets am I now able to feel good. I have fewer tics and panic [attacks].

In my mind, there is no doubt that proper nutrition and physical fitness could lead to a normal life for persons with TS. If lab tests [for nutritional deficiencies] were carried out at the point of discovery of TS, I am sure most people would not have to take the hard path that some of us have experienced.

My husband does not seem to have environmental sensitivities that affect his TS, but foods like sugar, chocolate, and possibly dairy have adverse effects. He does daily relaxation, which is helpful, using meditation tapes. [We are going to try another interesting treatment, and if he has positive results, we will let you know. I believe that sincere and open-minded seekers will find the help they need. May your network keep growing and growing.]

Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE)

One of my sons (age 8) had ADD and some preliminary signs of TS. I placed him on a multivitamin and multi-amino acid formula, then added DMAE. After two weeks on DMAE, I saw an amazing improvement in his attention span and memory. To see if this was a spontaneous improvement, I removed the DMAE. Within two days he was back to his “old self.” I put him back on DMAE, and within two days he was once again improved. It is inexpensive and is available in the health food articles as a nutritional supplement. My son began with 100 mg per day, which I increased during the next week to 500 mg. After two weeks on 500 mg, the daily dose was decreased to 250 mg, as a maintenance dose.

Editor: We generally advise checking with a physician or well-trained nutritionist before using supplements for which reports on potential side effects are not readily available. Also, the multivitamins and/or amino acid supplementation may have had a positive influence on the DMAE response in this case.

Dimethylglycine (DMG)

Latitudes is very interesting and helpful, and I saw the article on DMG and autism. I tried DMG on my son who has TS — not autism — but he hits himself and has tantrums. It was wonderful for a month or two and continues to help him. You encourage me to keep reading and experimenting.

Editor: DMG, classified as a food supplement, is available in natural food articless. Bernard Rimland, Ph.D., has pioneered its use for autism. It also has proven beneficial for some drug-resistant seizures.

Homeopathy

I am in my mid-fifties and have just been diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome, for which I am pursuing homeopathic treatment. My homeopath has recommended a remedy intended to address the tics as well as the [emotional ramifications] of years of abuse during which my Tourette symptoms were not understood.

Part of the healing for me is putting the past in perspective. I experience obsessive compulsive behavior, motor and verbal tics, unpredictable rage, and uncontrollable thoughts. I also have other medical problems, including a mild seizure disorder. I use herbs and food supplements and [do] visualization and meditation as well. I try to avoid dairy products, nightshade foods [tomato, potato, bell peppers, and eggplant], sugar, and other foods that trigger my symptoms. I find that stress and certain environmental factors also intensify my symptoms.

Homeopathy addresses the whole being and can reach deeper layers within. If one’s expectations are not met after trying homeopathy, perhaps one’s perspective can be adjusted. This may help a person understand the process and not lose confidence in the treatment. (You cannot drive a car as you would ride on a camel — yet both offer mobility.) I have weaned myself from expecting a sharp, quick reaction, as happens with allopathic medicines. Homeopathy is allowing me the freedom to heal, know myself, and improve the quality of my life.

Leaky Gut

Our 8-year-old son was diagnosed with TS. He is also being treated for leaky gut syndrome. I’m wondering about a connection between the two and also realize how counterproductive it would be for us to use a pharmacological approach to control the TS. He is not using drugs at this time. Our nutritionist and our naturopathic doctor feel that the vigilant work we do to heal the leaky gut may be helpful in some way for the TS. I’d like to believe this. They also suggested that some homeopathic remedies have been useful in symptom reduction but could offer nothing specific. We are still in shock over the diagnosis. We feel that there must be a connection between the immune system and TS and would like to pursue this area. We would appreciate any help.

Editor: Based on reports received, there can often be a connection between increased food sensitivities, which occur with a leaky gut, and TS. Studies have not yet been pursued. Readers are requested to let us know the results of any attempts to treat TS with homeopathy, with specific treatment included.

Magnet Therapy

My son has Tourette syndrome, and we have him sleeping on a magnetic mattress. His tics are now almost nonexistent. I can’t be sure that it is due to the mattress, but I am not willing to go without it to find out! I do believe that B vitamins, rest, and no caffeine also helps.

Editor: As referred to in Latitudes vol. 2, no. 6, magnet therapy is being explored under investigational protocol. Dr. William Philpott, an advisory board member for Latitudes, has suggested that magnet therapy can be beneficial in reducing certain brain activity; he also encourages attention to food allergies for autism, TS, and ADHD.

Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique (NAET)

Not only does my son with Tourette syndrome (TS) have multiple sensitivities to food and environmental allergens, but so do other family members. His brother also exhibits some tics and obsessive compulsive disorder–type symptoms when under stress. I do not have TS, but I get easily stressed, anxious, and depressed. My mother has severe allergies and asthma and is institutionalized for mental illness. I believe these symptoms are biochemical and are related to allergies — that we have a genetic predisposition for them, and stresses of a physical, emotional, and/or environmental nature bring them out.

We have home-schooled our children and have been able to avoid medication. We have tried numerous treatments for allergies, including Enzyme Potentiated Desensitization (EPD), provocation-neutralization, and avoidance-all with some success. But we always thought there might be something out there that would be less expensive than comprehensive allergy testing and treatment, less risky than EPD, and less work than the rotation diet. My husband learned about NAET, a treatment that is supposed to eliminate allergies. I was skeptical, but we began to explore it and found that it helped in many ways. An item is determined to be allergenic through muscle testing. Then the allergen is held in the hand while spinal nerve root points are stimulated and retesting is done.

Basic foods are tested first. After the first few treatments, my son, who is most affected by TS, had a decrease in muscle tics, and his vocal tics were gone. Most significant to me were changes in mood and behavior. Right after his treatment for sugar, he became much less clingy. He is now more confident, happy, and independent. My other son used to fly off the handle and lash out physically toward his siblings over minor things. He is much more even-keeled now.

I am a physical therapist and have learned NAET so I can treat my own family. I’ve started receiving treatment myself and have noticed a dramatic improvement. Most practitioners are acupuncturists, chiropractors, naturopaths, or physicians. I am optimistic that our family’s allergies, TS, and mood disorders can be permanently ameliorated without strict diets.

I have been able to put my boys back in school, and they have adapted beautifully. The son with TS is tense and has more tics [on school days], but he has also been drinking sodas and eating foods with food coloring at school. I can always tell when I pick him up if he has eaten something he shouldn’t have. I have not treated him for caffeine, because we haven't finished all the major foods yet. I guess I am writing just to mention another natural weapon in the arsenal to combat these neurological/biochemically based disorders. I continue to use vitamins, green foods like spirulina, natural organic food, exercise, and bodywork like craniosacral therapy. I truly believe my kids are doing as well as they are because we have opted for the natural approach.

Editor: NAET is the acronym for Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique, named after its innovator. It combines the principles of kinesiology (muscle testing) with principles of Chinese medicine. A book by Dr. Ellen Cutler, Winning the War against Asthma and Allergies, explains the approach. For more information, including how to order the book and a list of NAET practitioners, see www.NAET.com.

I received the back issues of Latitudes and was up late reading through all the material. I’m very impressed with this newsletter and the amount of information from many disciplines and professionals. I am presently trying the vitamin program that Bonnie Grimaldi posted and am taking my daughter with TS to an environmental allergist. I’ve tried to change her diet to using organic foods and foods without additives. I know this might sound crazy, but she has had very few tics the past few days! I am also looking into EEG, craniosacral, acupuncture, and NAET. Do you have information on NAET? If you think one treatment is better than another, please let me know.

Editor: See above re: NAET. Until we have developed profiles of which individuals respond best to particular therapies, it is difficult to predict what will work best. We do know that nutritional deficiencies and allergies can impact ADHD, TS, autism, and other neurological problems. As a result, environmental medicine has received the most attention from our readers. That is not to say that other treatments cannot treat the actual basis for the allergic reaction or lessen that reaction. We ask readers to keep in touch with us so we can compile their experiences to share with others.

Naturapathic Medicine

I applaud your efforts in educating the public about treatments for nervous disorders that do not involve toxic and suppressive drugs. While I was serving in the Portland Naturopathic Clinic in Oregon, we saw a twelve-year-old boy whose parents had given up his medical treatment in favor of an alternative approach. His prior treatment had consisted of Clonidine, which had certainly suppressed his outbursts, but had, in the words of his father, “turned him into a zombie.”

The clinicians recommended that he be taken off sugar and ordered a hair analysis to determine mineral balance. His hair was found to have high levels of both copper and cadmium. Select vitamin, mineral and chelating amino acid supplements were prescribed. One year later the patient was still in treatment, but he now had only a slight facial tic instead of the “72 outbursts in 50 minutes” that his teachers had recorded.

—William L. Cotie, ND

SOS from Israel

I am a 33-year-old engineer, generally healthy since childhood. However, I have uncontrolled movements like frequent eye-blinking and neck stretching. I mostly suffer daily from problems in the nose and throat, much like an allergy to dust, and I make unsociable noises in an effort to relieve the stress. My allergist has confirmed that I am allergic to dust but says the throat tic is neurological in origin, like an eye blink. The neurologist diagnosed me with a mild case of IN. He gave me Haldol, which caused me to feel so bad that I stopped it. My brother is an M.D. and suffers from similar problems. He says that medicine cannot offer a solution. I feel hopeless and suffer a lot. Can somebody help me?

Editor: This writer was put in touch with a mother in Israel who has had success in treating her son’s TS through natural means. If other readers know of someone who needs a contact in Israel, please let us know, so we can refer him or her.

Supplements

A newsletter from the Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA) had a column from a doctor in Houston. The doctor was answering a question about vitamin therapy for TS. He ended his article: “Therefore, children with TS do not need any more vitamins than other children.” This quote contradicts some of the things I have seen in Latitudes. What do the studies say?

Editor: The article was written by Dr. Joseph Jankovic, MD, a member of the TSA medical advisory board for the TSA newsletter (vol. 23, no. 3, 1995-96). There are many reports from physicians and families that nutritional therapy has been helpful for certain cases of TS, but formal studies are lacking. Successful treatments have typically involved the use of amino acids and/or vitamins and other nutrients that are known to be helpful for central nervous system and/or immune functioning. These reports do contradict Dr. Jankovic’s statement, which lacks scientific validation.

A great deal is yet to be learned in this area, and to date no studies, to our knowledge, indicate that TS individuals do — or do not — “need more vitamins” than other youngsters. Research supports nutritional approaches for subgroups of individuals with autism, schizophrenia, depression, tardive dyskinesia, hyperactivity, and numerous other conditions. We urge the development of studies for TS and nutritional therapy. We also suggest that physicians should not discourage families from cautiously pursuing nutritional approaches.

I read a book that recommends 450 mg of B6 and 400 mg of magnesium for those suffering from tics, tremors, and /or epilepsy. My 10-year-old son has TS, and it has been quite severe. Within 20 minutes of taking the tablets, his tics totally disappeared, and the calmness lasted for more than 3 hours. I intend to halve his dosage and give it more frequently during the day. He also takes Clonidine. A dietician contacted every major hospital around Australia and found that vitamin therapy has not been tried on TS patients.

For six months, my son’s behavior was quite abnormal. He began to exhibit echo speech and had a tic where he brushed his hand across his forehead. He has also been mildly hyperactive. (He has had a milk intolerance for about two years, but eliminating foods was not the answer.)

After reading that vitamin B6 can quiet nervous activity, I started him on 100 mg daily. His behavior and cooperation have been fantastic compared to before the vitamin. If I don’t give it for a few days, I can see the difference: he really gets wound up. He also had a habit of making circles as he walked; this has disappeared. Has any research been done on the effects of this vitamin and Tourette syndrome?

Editor: Unfortunately, nutritional therapy has not been studied for Tourette syndrome. B6 (pyridoxine) has proven helpful for many autistic individuals. Also, some studies have supported the use of B6 supplementation for ADHD when blood serotonin levels were low. (New England Journal of Medicine 309(21): 1328–29, 1983); Biological Psychiatry 12(5): 741–51, 1979; Pediatrics 55:437–41, 1975.)

Tic Suppression

I would like to share two things that decrease my son’s tics. The first is a “stress ball.” He squeezes this small ball, which seems to help. It can be purchased in any drugarticles. The second is “Habit Reversal,” a method of reversing habits, developed by Dr. Nathan Azrin. The technique is described in a book Getting Control: Overcoming your Obsessions and Compulsions, by Lee Baer, Ph.D. I hope others can benefit from this.

My son and I both have TS. My symptoms were worst in third to eighth grades. I found that when I had the urge to tic and I allowed myself to tic, then the urge to tic again became strong. Instead, I would try not to do anything about it, and then sometimes the urge would pass. I began to think of it as you would a mosquito bite, which, when you scratch, itches more. You may want to pass this along in case there’s another oddball or two like me!

Editor: It’s interesting to find that suppressing tics is helpful for some people, whereas for others it intensifies or at best delays the urge to tic and causes heightened emotional stress. Another approach some people try is to substitute a tic. For example, when the urge to twitch the nose occurs, consciously move the arm or another muscle area instead.

Copyright ©2007 Association for Comprehensive NeuroTherapy. All Rights Reserved.

Latitudes is a quarterly online publication of the Association for Comprehensive NeuroTherapy (ACN). Every issue has information on non-toxic approaches to autism, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety, Tourette syndrome, learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity. Subscription: $40. To order online click here. Or, fax address and credit card information to (561) 798-9820; checks can be made payable to ACN and sent to Latitudes Subscriptions, PO Box 2198, Broken Arrow, OK 74013.