Weekend in the Big Apple

We took the kids to NYC this weekend.  New York is a wild and exciting place to visit, people bustling all over, cars, horns, trucks, sirens....a sensory overload for someone with Sensory Processing Disorder.  There was a time when this would have been challenging for Grayson and there certainly were times when his hands instinctually went to his ears, but I am really impressed by how much love both boys had for this frenzy of a weekend!  They were kept up well beyond their bedtime, we traveled via the subways and we allowed them to eat some foods while we were out!  They were GREAT!

Even as well as they did, being in a hotel and hiking around a polluted city has it's consequences for the immune compromised.  Then compound the issues with less sleep and honestly, I'm very surprised we didn't have more trouble on our hands.  It wasn't long before Grayson was swatting at his ears and itching his ankles so I knew something was up.  By the end of the weekend, they were happily exhausted, but clearly needed an increase in their antimicrobials to combat the damage it did internally, because we could see their frustration thresholds slowly creeping backwards.  Today I noticed his fear of bugs came back (he was crying at the far end of the deck and wouldn't walk past a bug that he was convinced had a stinger) so we also added in his homeopathic constitutional remedy and I will continue to give it daily until that fear is reduce to a more normal response to bugs.  Gavin's red anal ring had come back too, which is already almost cleared up since having a good dose of antimicrobials this morning.

We had been reducing their supplements and antimicrobials, but then the mold exposure created a riff in that plan.  Just before this trip we had increased everything slightly and returned a lot of the supplements we dropped, just for the sake of immune function and combating the mold exposure.  We had decided this was not a good time to experiment.  Then after this weekend, we went up yet again.  They've bounced back really well too!  It's clear that the antimicrobials are the key to their behavior control.  It NEVER fails us.  When they aren't right, increase the antimicrobials and we get our kids back, but not after a little die-off.

The subway is coming...clearly not one bit afraid!

This weekend it was obvious to us that they are doing really well though.  There was little to no sensory overload, they handled change like troopers, they LOVED the subway even with the number of crammed people, the jolting unpredictable movements and noise!  They were certainly cautious when it was appropriate, but they weren't overly shy or frightened of anything!  In the past, doing anything adventurous and loud (like carnivals) was a highly stressful event with us trying to convince Grayson that he didn't have to be afraid of every sudden noise he heard.  He would literally scream with his hands over his ears, he couldn't even focus on us talking to him.  We had to get out of the situation to get him to listen to us and when he could concentrate, he was always distraught with his own reaction, but it was truly instincts at play.  He didn't want to be afraid of the sounds, he just couldn't control his reaction. 

There was a whole lot of walking this weekend.  At the height of Grayson's symptoms, he couldn't even handle walking around a store without sitting in a cart (mercury effects the mitochondria causing reduced energy).  He walked all over NYC this weekend and we are talking about blocks and blocks and blocks of walking!

Today is our first day home and with their increased doses of antimicrobials, they are playing well together (getting into mischief, of course) and seem very happy and content.  I don't think I could have asked for a better outcome from our little weekend away!

Learned our lesson, again

We have been doing this for two years now and know our kids pretty well when it comes to what antimicrobials they need, the doses and when.  We have never intentionally stopped their antimicrobials with the exception of when my husband decided to test it out while I was away, which didn't go over well.  I can't lie, we often hope that they might not need so much to keep things maintained so when we are forced into a trial for something like the stool test we did with both of the boys two weeks ago, we have a secret, unspoken hope.  We hope that when going back onto the antimicrobials, they won't need as much and/or that the die-off won't be as severe, because that would mean we are seeing the ultimate goal, the BIG light at the end of the tunnel.  We also know that chelation is going to require 100-300 rounds for complete recovery, so the fact that we are only on rounds 46 and 22 means that this is purely wishful thinking on our part.

In this particular case, we truly thought we might have been out of the woods with the high doses.  They initially handled being without the antimicrobials REALLY well, then when we chose to only use partial doses of their antimicrobials, they appeared to still be handling it incredibly well, no severe die-off, but we began seeing the Jekyll and Hyde behaviors again, which you might remember from a previous post.  This always means that we are killing only some of the pathogenic load, so we see small improvements and then they relapse into more die off, almost constantly.  This means we need to increase until we see more consistent behavior.  The problem is when they have gone days without any antimicrobials, allowing the overgrowth to go unchecked, it means having to really hit them hard to get back on track.  Then die-off just sucks, plain and simple.  The symptoms creep up on us and the die-off lingers for longer than expected. Sometimes it means even doubling up on doses and increasing the frequency until we get to a better place again.  This solidifies our need to be consistent, because once we are there, life is good.

So now two weeks into having them back on the antimicrobials, we are still struggling with normalcy.  One thing for sure is I can definitely see what their yeast and bacteria symptoms are now, it's so evident when we go through something like this.  And what happens is we first see the yeast overgrowth, because that increases in an attempt to deal with the bacterial overgrowth, it masks it.  So when the yeast levels begin to come down enough, the bacteria overgrowth is exposed and the symptoms change.  Grayson has been itching a LOT, which sometimes confuses me, because it can be confused with tics.  He swats at his head and ears, but he is also rubbing his head, telling me his ears and head are itchy.  This is a major yeast sign for him and it's been pretty constant for the past two days....die-off!  Prior to that, he was exceptionally hyper, too happy, yup yeast.  Then today he came home from school spaced out, tired, grouchy and negative, bacteria.  I've noticed over the span of about three days now, he's lost his sparkle which is a trait Grayson has had his entire life, since the moment he was born, he sparkled.  It's times like these when I see how tragic it must feel for the parents who have more severely effected children.  When your child loses his smiles, his eye contact and his sparkle, you've lost everything.  They become an empty shell, staring back at you with blank eyes. This is also the part I wish my family and friends could understand about why we do what we do.  The only people who truly get it are us and his teachers, because they spend hours a day with him. 

Gavin is effected differently, his BMs started off horrendous.  He was having half constipated and half loose stools in one bowel movement.  Just a few days ago he passed the oddest looking thing, which interestingly I've seen with him before.  It's hard to imagine this thing could be duplicated which leads me to believe it was something of significance.  Without making this too gross, it was a string of "balls", for lack of a better word, all linked together with about a 5-6 inch fibrous some-thing-or-other.  Both times it came out with another stool, but it was completely independent of that part of the bowel movement.  I assumed last time that it was yeast related, but it's possible that it might have come out during a parasite cleanse, I'm not 100% sure though.  I have had a few people tell me it could have been a dead tapeworm.  One of those people said she has seen the same thing numerous times with herself, her husband and others who have had tapeworm infections.  Talk about being freaked out!  So I am researching that angle.  One thing I can say is that his behavior and bloating changed almost immediately following the passing of whatever it was!!  He also responds to die-off with increased screaming when he can't cope.  So instead of communicating with us when he is frustrated, he loses his ability to calmly communicate, he has outbursts all day when anything challenges him.

At a time like this when both are experiencing die-off together, especially when we've hit the bacteria stage, it makes for a great combination of screaming and anger, impatience and tears.  Let's just say that today I am glad to have my husband home from his business trip, because I need the break!

Stool testing

We've come full circle since our stool test break from the antimicrobials.  We increased slowly and secretly hoped we wouldn't need as much to keep them maintained....wishful thinking!  We were continuing to see the Jekyll and Hyde behaviors, good one minute, not so good the next.  As long as we don't see consistency with behavior, we know we need to increase their doses until we do see those nice smooth days again.  We are back where we started as mentioned in this post about Nutraceuticals for yeast, bacteria, viruses and parasites and things are running more smoothly now.

We did our stool tests through Direct Labs, since it means we don't need to take both boys to a doctor that isn't covered by insurance, just to pay for the tests ourselves anyway.  Our doctor is about 45 minutes away, so we would be spending the money on gas to drive there too.  Using Direct Labs allows us to order the tests online, the kit comes in the mail, we collect the samples and send it back using the enclosed Fed Ex envelopes!  Easy peasey lemon squeezy!  The test we chose is supposed to be 100% accurate and at Direct Labs it's called the "Microbial Ecology Profile -MM KIT".  It's retail price is over $1000, but they have it for $259!  

Here is Metametrix's overview of the test:


GI Effects is unlike any other stool analysis profile, going beyond the standard parameters for identifying gastrointestinal disorders.

The GI Effects Profile uses DNA analysis to identify microbiota including anaerobes, a previously immeasurable area of the gut environment. DNA assessment is specific and accurate, avoids the pitfalls of sample transport, reports results as specific numbers, and is more sensitive than classic laboratory methods.
Download the White Paper on documented limitations of culture based stool assessment.

Advantages of the GI Effects Stool Profile

• Greater Accuracy
  Microbial DNA analysis improves the accuracy of results and includes both aerobes and anaerobes. Anaerobes comprise over 95% of the bacteria in the gut and are difficult to detect with old culture methods.
• Antibiotic resistance genes
  DNA analysis detects organisms possessing genes that give rise to antibiotic resistance, offering clinicians a superior tool for effective patient management.
• Single Sample Collection
  Culture methods require multiple collections, whereas the GI Effects Stool Profile requires only one sample collection leading to improved patient compliance!
• Eliminates Errors in Transport
  Sample transport is a source of significant error in culture analysis due to the change in microbial balance from the time of collection. Using DNA analysis, the specimen is placed in a fixative tube that stops microbial growth and offers a highly accurate snapshot of the microbial balance in the gut.
• Increased Sensitivity
  GI Effects detects as few as 5 cells per gram - a 5000-fold increase in sensitivity over microscopy for parasite detection.
• A Better Value
  No reflex or add-on costs for additional testing!
  

Why Use Stool Analysis?

Gastrointestinal function is important for general health. The intestinal tract contains significant amounts of bacteria; some beneficial, some neutral, and some harmful. Balancing beneficial microbial flora in the gut is key to proper digestion, efficient nutrient usage, and ridding the body of waste and pathogens. Poor digestion and malabsorption can lead to immune dysfunction, nutritional insufficiencies, mental/emotional disorders, and autoimmune diseases.
Metametrix offers the Complete GI Effects profile for the most thorough look at the gut microbiome.

Wishful thinking....and a glass of wine

Is it bad that I want to drown my sorrows in a glass of wine....that I haven't even poured yet?

I was hoping that the too-good-to-be-true signs we saw after taking a break from their antimicrobials/nutraceuticals for the stool test meant that the overgrowth wasn't too out of control.  Unfortunately, it was just the calm before the storm.

Grayson went off to school perfect and came home like a space cadet.  I knew this was the start of the oh so familiar downward spiral that inevitably follows a break from their antimicrobials.  He was quiet and distant, played on his own a lot and Gavin's interferences resulted in explosive outbursts.  His belly which had been so flat for a week now, was bloated again tonight.  After bedtime, he came out of his room twice to rub a wet washcloth on his neck, because he was hot.  He was also exceptionally thirsty.  All signs of die-off.  Now, I have to decide whether to wait this out to see if he levels off again or to continue to increase the antimicrobials.  My gut tells me, we are going to be heading right back to the high doses of antimicrobials.

Gavin had a rough day today too, he was more volatile than Grayson.  His die off signs are different from Grayson's.  It actually took a while to get a handle on what they were, considering what we were so used to with Grayson.  Today his belly was huge and his moods were extreme.  He was still speaking very well, but the moods were just out of control.  He couldn't handle any direction, and he would vacillate between needy/clingy and defiant.

Bedtime was tough, I was alone tonight, but now I sit here with the glass of wine that my husband brought me and I am in self-pity-land for now.  Tomorrow is another day.

Nutraceuticals for yeast, bacteria, viruses and parasites

There is much discussion among the bio-medical moms about "yeast protocols", but it's more than that.  When we have an imbalance in our gut flora, yeast (also known as candida) grow out of control and can even become systemic. When this happens, it's very likely that there are also other pathogens along for the ride.

Why does this happen?
There are many reasons for yeast, bacteria and parasitic overgrowth, some of which are:

• dysbiosis
• prolonged antibiotic use
• impaired digestion for any reason
• poor diet
• some medications
• immune or autoimmune problems
• poor liver function or liver disease
• nutrient deficiencies or malabsorption
• prolonged disease

It's hard to know what came first, the leaky gut or the dysbiosis, but what it all comes down to is that our children require daily assistance in fighting off these buggers (at least until we can get to the bottom of the problem by removing the cause and chelation does that).  Many doctors prescribe ineffective RXs which are temporary fixes and the pathogens actually have become resistant to them, so we prefer to use natural methods of keeping them down!  And they work!

You will not find the definition of nutraceutical in the Webster Dictionary, it's a fairly new term being used by holistic doctors.  My favorite definition was found on wikipedia

"Nutraceutical, a term combining the words “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical,” is a food or food product that provides health and medical benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease."

I recently decided to start myself on a regimen of the kid's nutraceuticals to see, if they had any effect on me.  I have more energy while taking them and, if I forget a dose (I usually take them twice a day) I notice that my mood becomes more irritable and I get a tickle in my throat forcing me to continue clearing it.  I also notice a die-off effect, if I don't continue taking them on a regular basis, indicating rapid overgrowth in the period that I am not taking them.  The throat-clearing is something I have noticed coming on for years and the only time it goes away is with grapefruit seed extract (GSE).  I also know that I suffer from the virus Herpes Simplex I which is evident by mouth sores and just about every time I get sick, I end up with one or more.

Immune suppression
There are latent viruses and then there are chronic persistent viral infections.  An example of a chronic persistent viral infection is EBV (Epstein Barr Virus) and some herpes viruses.  When a person has a chronic infection like this, their immune system is always slightly suppressed, leaving them vulnerable to other immune attacks.  Imagine an army trying to fight off their opponent, and then while they are fighting, yet another group comes in and attacks them from a different angle, and perhaps even another....they are going to lose the battle merely based on the fact that they just don't have enough guys or energy to fight them all.  This is what is happening to our bodies.  It's not that some crazy mongo-pathogens are growing into Hercules, it's that our immune systems are suppressed with so many daily and bio-accumulative assaults ranging from heavy metals and chemicals to plastics and who knows what else in our make-up, deodorant, lotions, shampoos, toothpaste, pesticides, plastic containers, plastic liners in baby formula and metal cans and yes, in vaccinations too, etc.  We can't fight these pathogens off as readily as we used to be able to so now we are seeing the effects of this phenomenon in GI disorders, autoimmune disease, neurological disease and even cancer.  It used to be only the elderly that were effected by the build up of these toxins, but now, as recent studies have indicated, babies are born sick, pregnant mothers harbor multiple chemicals and our children's rate of learning disabilities, ADD and Autism are significantly on the rise.

The daily grind
So what is our current chosen nutraceutical routine?  We have tried ALL kinds of herbs like Neem, Goldenseal and Uva Ursi as well as Caproyl (caprylic acid) among so many other products aimed at taking down these nasty invaders, but the tried and true products that never fail us are simply the following:

• 3-4 drops of high potency good quality Oil of Oregano (OoO) three times a day.
• 125-300mg of Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) three times daily and even more during rounds of chelation (never take GSE combined with SSRIs, because they both slow phase 1 in the liver detox pathways).  This is the liquid version (each drop is 10mg) and this is the tablet version(each tablet is 125mg).
• 20-25mg of biotin daily (split into 3 doses) - this is a B vitamin that is created by the good gut bugs, so when we are low in those, we are low in biotin and yes, this is the same biotin that strengthens hair and nails, lol.  Biotin prevents yeast from colonizing and morphing into it's more dangerous form, the same form that causes leaky gut.
• 100-750mg of Olive Leaf Extract (OLE) three times a day.  We use Swanson Vitamin super strength, but there is also a smaller dose, both are great and cheap!  If you want an alcohol free liquid, this is a wonderful product, but keep in min, each FULL dropper is only 100mg.  It's great when you are just starting out.

This combination has been fool proof and as many times as we have tried adding to, removing or switching them around, we always end up back at this arrangement, because it works for us. 

Tolerating the nutraceuticals
I have heard so many parents say that their children don't tolerate one or the other and I do know this is entirely possible, however, I think when a child is showing an inability to "tolerate" one of the above by way of an exacerbation of symptoms, I would bet that it's not an intolerance.  This is called "die-off".  In fact, when Grayson's IgG allergy panel showed ALL citrus as something he reacts to, I was sure that his worsening of symptoms when given even 10mg of GSE was related to an intolerance.  I just couldn't get his yeast overgrowth under control though, so I decided I had to push through the first few days to see, if I was wrong.  I am so glad I did!  Notice that above he is now on at least 300mg of GSE three times a day?  Originally, one drop would send him into an emotional, sensory tizzy!  I thought, no way can I give him that!!  When I pushed through what proved to be die-off symptoms (the toxins released into the bloodstream when yeast are killed is multiple times worse than their waste byproducts when they are alive) for the first week or so, we came out on the other side experiencing a new calm I had NEVER seen before!  And since then, we have been slowly increasing his dose to the point where he is fairly consistent unless we are stirring things up with chelation or he gets sick, both increase yeast overgrowth.

I would go as far as to say that all Americans and their children have some form of overgrowth, if they are overly emotional, experience more than typical outbursts or tantrums, sensitive to things like sound, or even if they crave sensory input like loud music and physical pressure (Grayson used to push his hands between two cushions of the couch a lot, a friend's daughter rolls herself under cushions and asks her mom to lay on her).  Increased viral infections (under-active immune system) are another sign and even harder to connect with is the LACK of illness from an over-active immune system.  Grayson started out with hyper-immunity and we thought his incredible lack of illness was a good sign.  We couldn't be more wrong.

Typical (the more common) symptoms of candida overgrowth are:

• Frequent stomach pains and digestion problems
• Skin problems (skin infections, eczema, psoriasis, acne)
• Foggy brain / Trouble concentrating
• Constant tiredness and exhaustion
• Anxiety
• Mood swings
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Anger outbursts
• Irritability
• Headaches
• Intense cravings for sugars, sweets, and breads
• Itchy skin

I think it's safe to say that most Americans suffer from at least one of the above, no?  And what about our poor diet as mentioned earlier on?  We are seeing this crop up as the cause for so many things now!  I think it's safe to assume that many Americans suffer from Candida overgrowth, at minimum.   It's more evident in our kids by way of neurological symptoms.  Grayson's Sensory Processing Disorder completely evaporates when the yeast condition is under control.  As SOON as he experiences overgrowth that we haven't caught, we begin to see signs of tics, sensory defensiveness by way of frustration with clothing and his blankets at night, sensory seeking which involves bumping, crashing and jumping and one of the biggest signs is an over emotional state of mind.  Within 15 minutes of his nutraceutical dose, it fades away, sometimes after a temporary worsening.  These are very common symptoms in children and I know from talking with many many other bio-med moms that they are fairly consistent across the board, although their sensory symptoms do vary from child to child.  Some are more sensitive and some are less sensitive to the overgrowth, in other words, if you were to test a child for levels of yeast, one child who is VERY sensitive and symptomatic could have lower numbers than a child who reacts less, but has higher numbers on the test.  I am not sure what drives this and what other factors are involved, it could even be related to an actual allergy to the toxins, but that is just one possibility.  One thing I do know is that Grayson is super sensitive to any change, even changes in temperature, weather, and diet, so it makes sense that he would be so sensitive to the ever-changing landscape of his pathogenic burden. 

What about bacteria?
Now that we've touched on yeast and viruses, what about bacteria?  There are some nasty bacterias getting attention out there, like the increased infections involving e.coli and nursing homes experiencing clostridia problems, and what about the strep bacteria, some people get that infection regularly (I can honestly say I have NEVER had one, knock on wood).  Grayson has been tested and has all three of those residing in his gut and I am not referring to the good strains.  We were also able to see from testing that he was not colonizing the lactobacillus strain we give him nightly!  Here is the link to the first blog I wrote when we first had Grayson tested and discovered the clostridia and yeast.  When Grayson is experiencing bacteria overgrowth, we see a completely different set of symptoms arise.  Over time we start to see a worsening in behavior, a defiance starts to creep up, we see a Jekyll and Hyde sort of bouncing back and forth moodiness and then suddenly we realize that our days are completely riddled with explosive, negative outbursts.  Nothing is right, nothing makes him happy, he says mean things, he pokes fun at his brother with pleasure, he slams doors, hits walls, screams and hates everything and everyone.  If we are just keeping the bacteria at bay, we will have days of this, on and off, then we either realize it's happening and increase his OLE and OoO (they are antibacterial in nature) or it gets out of control and then we need the big guns!  The biofilm protocol!  When we first learned of Grayson's seriousclostridia overgrowth we tried three courses of (20 days each) antibiotics aimed to focus directly on the Clostridia and he was a DREAM while was being actively treated, we had our Grayson back.  Within 6-8 weeks, the symptoms would begin to crop up again and before long, we were back where we started.  What it did do for us was prove that the Grayson we knew was hidden under there and needed no prompting to use manners, be affectionate with us or his brother and he was completely compliant again.  We just needed to figure out how to peel off this layer of evil.  This is where the biofilm protocol came in.  Just giving the meds or nutraceuticals just wasn't enough.  But we didn't give up, because we saw that recovery was possible.

Biofilm protocol

Biofilm Maturation

Pathogens develop a polysaccharide protective coating over themselves allowing them to hide from treatment.  That is their ultimate goal, survival! In fact, I think it's their only goal!  Even the bacteria in and around your teeth develop biofilm, known as plaque.  Based on it's exposed location, we are able to remove it every six months when we go to the dentist for a cleaning, but what if it's in your intestines, then what?  The biofilm protocol is a process that involves using enzymes to poke holes in the protective polysaccharides that bacteria build around themselves, allowing the chosen nutraceuticals to get into the matrix and attack the bacteria.  The final step of the biofilm protocol is a mop-up so that the intense die-off toxins are absorbed and ushered out of the body so it can't do any additional damage to it's host.  This is a daily process that is done until the symptoms are eradicated.  We have only had to do this twice, the first time was for about 3-4 months straight (things were REALLY out of control when he was three years old, I'm sure you could find a post from back then to see the details) and then one other time to just keep things under control and we didn't need to use it for long the second time around.  As we near higher rounds of chelation, we aren't seeing the massive swings up and down like we used to.  We have occasional regression which usually has a cause like illness or chelation itself (which stirs things up) and then there is rapid recovery once the trigger is resolved or gone.  He still has a sensitive system and full recovery will require years of chelation, but the progress is encouraging, we are fighting a battle worth fighting!

And I am sure you probably don't even like to think about parasites, but we all have them.  We deworm our pets every 6 months, what makes us think we don't need to do the same?  To see my more detailed post on parasites, you can click here.

Balancing act
These gut bugs are all intertwined in some way.  They communicate with each other, they feed each other, and they hitch rides on one another.  It's important to understand the symbiotic relationship they share in order to treat for them.  Also, having a microbiology test done is a good way to start, otherwise you are aiming in the dark.  When you know what you are aiming at, you are much more likely to hit it.  The best part about many of the microbiology tests available, is that they also test each of the microbes found in the stool against natural and RX anti-microbials to determine what they are resistant to and what works best at killing them.  They provide a scale of what has the best and worst effect that allows you to really target the buggers!!  Once you know what you are going after, it's good to know how they effect each other during treatment.  Typically when someone tells me they are fighting a yeast infection of any kind, I immediately think bacteria.  The reason is that yeast tend to increase when they are trying to fight off a bacterial invasion.  So the symptoms you will see first are yeast symptoms.  You will hear a lot of parents say that their children are giddy, too happy, inappropriately laughing at things or even nothing, almost like they are drunk and suffer from sleep disturbances.  Some even get the drunken sailor walk!  This is because yeast put out ethanol, yes that is alcohol, so they ARE drunk!  Funny?  Not when it's your child.  So back to my point, first you see these symptoms, so you immediately think you need to attack the yeast beast, right?  WRONG!!  Doing so, without also administering an anti-bacterial is going to result in the nasty increase (or unleashing) of whatever bacteria the yeast were trying to control.  We experienced this big time and I will tell you that, if I had to choose, I would take a nasty yeast overgrowth over the evils of bacterial overgrowth ANY day.  My child becomes the exorcist with bacteria, complete with head-spinning and spitting!  Ok, not really, but he might as well!  It's BAD.  So, make sure to ALWAYS treat both together.  This is why we give GSE with OoO and OLE.  And to add insult to injury, if your child is also viral, and/or has parasites....the picture gets even more complicated.  Yeast tend to hitch rides on parasites, actually feeding off of them, one parasite on top of another, nice picture?  And viruses?  When there is viral die off, or shedding, there is an increase in yeast, it actually feeds the yeast.  So this is precisely why we give all three together, because GSE attacks yeast (and also some bacteria, but not all), the OoO is a really good broad spectrum that attacks both also and OLE is an anti-viral and anti-bacterial.  But beware, killing off too much of one can cause an increase in another pathogen.  Killing too much yeast off can result in more bacteria overgrowth and vice versa, etc.  The trick is to experiment with your child (or yourself) to find the right combination.  For example, if you see bacteria signs, there are two possible things you can do, decrease the anti-fungal (GSE) or increase the anti-bacterial (OLE).  I am inclined to raise the appropriate nutraceutical first.  Then I stay at that dose for a few days to see how they respond.  I make adjustments regularly, even today.  If your child is sick, viral die off will feed the yeast, and eating foods that feed yeast will also cause an increase, bacterial infections will show with bacteria signs, etc.  It's a balancing act.

For anyone unsure of the cause of various odd symptoms, like the lists above, consider trying a course of these nutraceuticals to see, if they make a difference.  I bet they would!

IMPORTANT UPDATE - I thought it might be interesting for you to know that even with the use of grapefruit seed extract three times a day for years, our older son, who had an IgG sensitivity to every citrus product known to man, has had an updated IgG and the only citrus left on it is orange.  Grapefruit has dropped off, even with excessive usage of the GSE.  So for those who are afraid to use it, because their child showed sensitivity to citrus, this proves that it should not effect that sensitivity.  Again, EVERY child is different, I am just sharing our experience.

Where it gets interesting

When we have minor set-backs, it's hard to know, if we should be seeking the cause or, if we should just ride through the rough patch keeping things as they are. 

Triggers and Tantrums
Last night we decided to make a stir fry for the boys using Trader Joe's brown rice and lots of veggies.  They gobbled it up, loving every bite.  Then this morning, I gave them muffins that were made with small amounts of white rice.  They were perfectly behaved last night and again this morning, but not long after eating their muffins this morning, both boys began showing strong symptoms of regression.  Grayson's eyes grew pinker by the minute, he lost his never-fading smile and replaced it with a seriousness that only comes with regression and/or illness, he was spacey, and became highly intolerant of Gavin's existence, his belly bulged, and the oh so lovely defiance immediately reared it's ugly head, literally coming out of nowhere.  Gavin became highly defiant as well, which always results in screaming over everything, he also likes to purposely irk Grayson when he is like this, he experienced multiple fears in our attempt to take them to story time at Barnes and Noble and more belly bulges.  Both become insatiable, like they are bottomless pits and they react severely to being told no, tantrums, tears and more tears. 

Who, what, where and when
There are a few things that cause regressions such as this: yeast overgrowth, which could be related to them addition of rice in their diet the past few days, oxalate dumps cause the same sort of regression and with the oatmeal, brown rice and banana this morning, we have certainly increased their oxalates more than we should have.  In fact, we may even need to cut oatmeal out completely and I dread the idea of having to find another breakfast option for them, since we are already so limited with breakfast foods.  Food sensitivities are always in the back of my mind so the possibility of cross contamination with the Trader Joe's rice that we tried last night is something to consider.  And lastly, illness, and I PRAY we are not heading down that road again.  We've spent the past month and a half fighting illness after illness.  I have to admit, this morning I woke up with that strange tickle in my nose, that usually means a cold is brewing, boy do I hope I am wrong. 

What to do, what to do
So here we are yet again, the familiar air of regression.  Do we increase antimicrobials, do we give L-arginine to address the pains of oxalate dumping, do we increase anti-virals to attack a possible virus?  Unfortunately, there is no true way to know, so we are forced to pretty much ride it out at least until we see additional signs of what it could have been, in hindsight.  For instance, if they get sick, we know what it was.  We did increase their grapefruit seed extract and oil of oregano slightly by adding a mini dose in between their usual doses.  If they are having a pathogenic flare (rice feeds yeast) this increase will cause a temporary worsening of symptoms (from die off) and then they will come out of it suddenly.

This is the story of our lives, two steps forward, one back.