HI.
I'm new to this.
My Daughter, now 8, started with throat clearing in April of 2010, Dr blamed it on allergies and had me give her Benadryl. Needless to say, it was useless. Then, practically every month she would have a new symptom, the old ones never went away and they just show up in different variations of motor and verbal tics. Started going to a Psychologist who after having forms filled out by her teacher, her dad and me diagnosed her as having TS and ADHD. She was put on Tenex.
I started her off with only .25 mg and over time got her to 1 mg that Dr wanted her on. It calmed her down for about a weak, side effects: dry mouth, constipation with rectal bleeding and she is even more irritable and angry than before she was on meds. I lowered her med to .75 and have been giving her prune juice to help with bowel, took a few days but she can once again "go". I want to take her of Tenex all together and need advice on what would be safer for her tiny body.
Please help, I'm desparate.

Hello

my son has Tourette Syndrome as well as ADD (no hyperactivity)

We tried meds initially, but the side effects were just not worth it (he seemed to display all the ones the docs and pharma said were "rare" but that I have subsequently learned are all too "common" )

My son was 10 when diagnosed, and after a year on the meds, we were thankful to learn about more natural ways to help and he is now 21 and doing great!

I started him on a specific diet and supplement plan, which I have documented here
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread1145.html

I wrote that in 2006, and should mention that he now takes very few supplements, but maintains a very careful diet. Magnesium really is "key" and we have found the Natural Calm magnesium citrate ionic formula highly effective, along with those epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) baths at night for transdermal mag that seems so beneficial for tics

B vitamins (along with a good balanced multi) are very important too

I also highly recommend the book by Sheila Rogers at Latitudes
Natural Treatments for Tics & Tourette's: A Patient and Family Guide

hope that helps

If you do decide to take your daughter off the medication, please do consult your physician or pharmacist on the safest ways to titrate down

Our family member preferred to live with the symptoms rather than the side-effects.

Like with others, diet helped.

Here are three more things to look at:
Food Sensitivities
It's Not Mental
Great Plains Lab

She is off Tenex, since she only took it for 3 weeks, she is fine. One side effect that has not gone away: difficulty falling asleep and having nightmares once she falls asleep, then she's good for the rest of the night. I'm making appointment with nutritionist and neurologist. I appreciate the info and will definetly study it. Thank you.

Hello! My name is Christine (aka Tigger) and I have been dealing with TS since I was 7 years old. I'm now a successful 40 year old who loves life! I started out on all of the meds at a young age. Had we known the side effects that some would cause in later years my parents probably would have NEVER put me on them. But at the time they were the "latest and greatest". By the time I was 15 I realized the meds were doing nothing for me so I asked my doctor the best way to get me off of them since I knew I could not stop cold turkey. We did and I felt so much better. Yes, I continued to tic, but compared to the side effects of the meds that was the least of my worries.

Then in college something happened. I started working for a chiropractor doing front office work. The doctor asked me one day if I was interested in chiropractic care. I decided to give it a try and could not beleive the difference. I went from hundreds of tics a day to just 2-3 per day. I have continued chiropractic care for over 20 years now and still only have a few tics a day. Just thought I would let you know my experience.

Take care and keep us posted.
Christine