ADD/ADHD and Tourette’s Syndrome

Question: Dear Dr. Dean,

.... I am interested in ADD/ADHD and Tourette’s Syndrome. My daughter has very bad tics and is very moody. My son has a pretty good attitude and his Tourette’s is not very noticeable but he is hyper and he can get on people’s nerves. I have tried to go natural but I haven’t stayed on anything for a long time. I was wondering what combination would be the best for the two of them. Tourette’s is caused by a neurotransmitter misfiring which makes one twitch uncontrollably. Ritalin in children with Tourette’s makes the tics worse and possibly cause tics if one doesn’t have them. Please help, my children are in high school and things are getting harder for them. We are aware that diet is important, but you know kids.

Thank You. �Mr. M.

Response: Dear Mr. M.,

Sorry, but I don’t have any “silver bullets�for Tourette’s �especially when combined with ADD/ADHD.

Although I’ve had good success with DMAE in ADD/ADHD, since Ritalin is making things worse, DMAE may not be helpful in your situation.

I’ve used Lithium Orotate in many nerve-related conditions. It seems to act as a “nerve stabilizer.�It may help, and certainly won’t hurt.

Anhydrous betaine (TMG) is very beneficial in many cases of autism. Since Tourette's is a variant, it may help. A beneficial aspect of TMG is that it actually is pleasant tasting, and mixes well in just about any beverage, so it’s easy to administer. Hope these suggestions help.

Ward Dean, M.D.