Sid Davis (Springfield, Missouri, Usa) on 12/11/2009
While visiting my daughter at Thanksgiving time 2008, we noticed my then 7 year old grandson was making strange involuntary movements with his head. He would with some frequency jut his chin forward and upward, and then move it a little from side to side to stretch his neck. Again when we returned at Christmas time it was even worse, being more frequent when he was quiet than when active. It continued until summer of 2009 and suddenly by mid summer disappeared.We noticed that the head movements began again by the end of October, 2009, this time with the addition of movements with his fingers like he was hand milking a cow. He complained of his fingers hurting from the movements which he could not stop.
My first thought was that there might be a seasonal factor or possible either the physical or emotional environment at school. One thing I thought about was the florescent lights in the school which are not full spectrum.
As an experiment in early November, 2009, we began giving him 2,000IU vitamin D3 capsules, three a day since he weighed about 80lbs. Our thinking was that maybe he was getting enough vitamin D from the sun in the summer, but not in the autumn and winter. An after some more research we added one 250mg Magnesium tablet per day beginning a few weeks later and a 5,000IU vitamin A capsule every other day.
So here we are 10 days into December, and for the last week we have not noticed any tics. I realize it is harder to observe something that isn't there than to notice something that is, so we are tentative in our certainty about this cure working, but excited nonetheless.
I will post again in two months, hopefully to confirm that this truly has worked. If anyone else is experiencing this problem, please post your results if you try the vitamin D3, Magnesium, Vitamin A treatment.
Replied By Mary (San Antonio, Tx) on 04/08/2010
Sid Davis from Springfield, Missouri could you give me an update on your grandson? Have the supplements alleviated his tics? Thank you, I hope he is doing well.
Replied By Tina (Dayton, Oh) on 09/16/2010
I am curious why vitamin A would help? Anyone have any other remedies that have helped with tics? my son is having problems with facial tics and there isn't a lot of reference on here with tics.
Replied By Joe (Spanaway, Wa) on 02/16/2011
My son started to have facial tics about three years ago. All the doctors told me that there was nothing I could do and to ignore it. As a mom I knew somthing was not right. He was sensitive to everything food, chemicals etc. I took him to a natural path and he had a over growth of candida and fungal. After getting rid of the over growth the facial tics and be sensitive to everthing disappeared. When he is low in magnesium he does start to have mild facial tics and a ton of spinach seems to do the trick. Another thing I have noticed when he goes swimming in a chlorinated pool he starts to have tics, has anyone had this happen?
Replied By Sparklyfox (San Antonio , Tx) on 06/27/2011
I am a 34 yo female and my first observed tics were in a pool. That was a very profound statement I've always wondered why did my tics start randomly then. I was swimming which was a pleasant summer activity at my grandmother's pool with friend. It was low in the way of stress and I was about seven.
Replied By Nmarie (Tampa, Florida) on 03/28/2012
Yes, my son's tics were made worse when he was in a chlorinated pool. Wondering if the chemicals exasperated the problem.
Replied By Christine (Charlotte, Nc) on 03/17/2013
I found that there was a particular television show that was causing my son's tics. It was not that fast paced or crazy, but it did something to him. Once we stopped allowing him to watch that show, the tics dissappeared. We also just stopped all television for awhile, for good measure.
Replied By Debbie (San Antonio Tx) on 06/28/2016
I was just wondering if giving these vitamins and magnesium continued to work for you and how your son is doing now. I have a 10 year old that suffers from TS and I have been giving him magnesium and tart cherry juice and seems to be working at times.
Replied By Anne (Uk) on 09/03/2016
You say 'find the trigger'. I say 'I have a million triggers... I have severe lifelong and complex ocd. My tics are very severe and complex. Everything triggers it.
Replied By Nina (Mn Usa) on 02/01/2017
Please, get the "Natural Treatments for Ticks and Tourette's" book by Sheila Rogers. I am reading it right now and starting to see a link between my son's constant allergies/bronchial asthma and the eye twitching/blinking he has developed 4 months ago....i am trying to find the environmental physician/allergist and a homeopathy doctor who could test him for food sensitivities and maybe get rid of gluten and other things in his diet. There are accounts of other families in this book who have found the solution to their child's tics/TS. I am hopeful.
Replied By Linda (Canada) on 02/22/2017
We just took my 2 year old swimming for the first time in 12 months, and 4 days later a severe eye tic began. We've had her eye examined, it's healthy. Doctor says its a minor tic that we need to keep an eye on. She also has another tic (shoulder shrugging) that she exhibits infrequently, usually while seated at meals, but this I completely new and came so soon after swimming at a pool.Replied By Cate (Europe) on 01/04/2026
Reading through responses about tics being worse after the pool... Chlorine by nature kills bacteria, good and bad. The gut is the "first brain" as they say, and by destroying or messing with the gut bacteria chaos naturally ensues.
When my son was about six or seven he developed horrendous tics; he'd sit at the dining table colouring in or writing and his shoulders would leap up, his arms and hands would follow and almost flap like little wings. Deeply bizarre and confusing because they were totally uncontrolled and unconscious.
He began making a noise, I forget how it sounded now other than a disturbance to the peace, and with research it came clear he had "PANDAS" which came with a horrible warning "it can't be cured". Sounded like a challenge, so the first thing was to address sugar. We didn't eat any processed sugar, but he had a thing for dried bananas, ie. a sugar bomb. Stopped those, then followed suit with all dairy (except butter) and gluten. This made a difference but the tics changed to a throat clearing. Drove me nuts. Did high dose vitamin C (1 teaspoon powder in water, 2 or three times a day or as raw banana/strawberry smoothies), sunshine, cod liver oil, and the all-important boron to clean up the gut bacteria. Boron made a huge difference, seemed to be the missing link. If ever I can smell his breath I remind him now, ten years later to remember to take his boron. His tics never returned and PANDAS became a weird memory of the past.
Replied By Gingersnap (Washington) on 02/23/2017
Your daughter may possibly have something called Tourette's. There is a supplement called NAC that helps with compulsive behaviors. I hope this is helpful to you.
Replied By Suze (Australia ) on 04/02/2017
Hi. In regard to last post. Did tics come back after this treatment?
Replied By Melanie (Madison, Wi) on 08/18/2017
Did it continue to help the tics? Did this regimen keep them at bay?
Replied By Dave (Ohio) on 12/12/2017
Hi, this sounds just like my daughter and the tics came back this winter. Did your grandson grow out of the tics?
Replied By Robndina (Toronto, Canada) on 02/01/2018
Hello. I'm curious, how did you get rid of the candida? I know it's been a while, but I'd really like to hear how things went with your child. It's been well over 5 years... Thank you.Dina