I want to know if anyone has info on long term side effects of my son's meds for ts. He takes clonidine, topomax and daytrana patch. It seems like that is alot of meds for a ten year old. I am concerned about him having a happy, healthy adulthood. We have a ppo, should I ask for any specific testing? He has never had any tests. Should I ask for a heavy metal test? Or can I buy one? I am looking into alternative meds if anyone has any advice!!!!::

Hi and welcome

I dont know much about topamax , other than that it is usually prescribed for epilepsy, not the patch you mention, but I do know that my husband (who also has TS) had some rather alarming side effects, including psychosis, from clonidine

his doctor gave it to him primarily for his high blood pressure, but also because he had started ticcing again, after many years of almost non existent tics(few facial movements and a throat tic were about all left)


I noticed that you also posted on my thread re the successful treatments that helped my TS son, so you will have seen re the supplements that are helpful

I really would stress the need for extra magnesium in TS. My son now uses the Natural Calm powder mix and finds it by far the fastest acting. We get all our supps cheapest at iherb.com
Also try those Epsom salts baths (magnesium sulfate) target sells cartons of the salts in the pharmacy section. 2 cups epsom salts in a tub of warm water--soak for 20 minutes before bed.

re the testing, most conventional doctors dismiss anything other than textbook treatment for TS (ie medications) so they usually wont agree to the testing. Integrative docs (MDs or DOs trained in conventional medicine, specialized in alternative/natural medicine) are more open to it

do you have a family history of tics/TS?

any history of strep infection in your son?

does he have any food or environmental allergies?

recent vaccinations?

knowing those answers would make recommending tests easier

My son is 10 years old also and was dx with TS at the age of 6. He has been treated with Clonidine and Abilify without any improvements. He stayed "drugged" and has experienced increased weight gain and (I believe) that Abilify has made the facial tics even more severe. If you research Abilify, you'll find that out too. I regret ever putting him on the medication and now have removed him from all meds. I'm currently trying magnesium suppl. due to the overwhelming testimonies I've read on the internet regarding the link between TS and mag. deficiency. Also, diet plays a huge role in our overall health. I'm eliminating all dairy products to see if maybe it's a food allergen causing or triggering his tics. If you decide to go this route, I would suggest eliminating only one food type at a time. Do a little research and always talk to your pediatrician before starting or eliminating anything but, I will keep a post on here as to how he responds to this treatment. Hope this helps.

The movements in the face and neck/mouth caused by drugs like Abilify, are called Tardive dyskinesia.

This may respond to Vit B6...
There are some studies showing response:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18052557

The cause of Tardive involves dopamine receptor blockade.

Also here:
http://www.tardivedyskinesia.com/treatment/vitamins.php

If you decide to use B6, I would suggest you use the activated form called P5P.

Here is my thread on B6:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread30724.html

I would definitely do the magnesium as well, since these two nutrients work together in many places in the body.

Hi Cutiepiesmama and Tiny!
It's fantastic you are looking into options for your children!
Chemar and MrsD will only help!
Best wishes!
~DejaVu