Bringing biofilm back

We've used the biofilm protocol in the past with Grayson.  It was the only thing that pulled us out of the trenches when his OCD, anger/aggression and tics were out of control.  We had tried antibiotics twice, long courses pulsed, for his Clostridia, e.coli and strep, to no avail.  It never failed, his symptoms always returned within 6-8 weeks.  Biofilm to the rescue!!  No more antibiotics for this household! His last stool test was clean as a whistle!  Only good bacteria to show for, yeah baby!!

Grayson is currently in managed recovery with no more of the above symptoms.  They are GONE!  We know we still have a long healing path ahead of us, because he can't sustain without the supplements and antimicrobials, and he regresses slightly when he is sick or maybe he's just like the rest of us when we are sick, impatient, cranky and tired.  A child doesn't have the filter to control what they think so it comes across as lack of control when it may just be normal sickness response, FINALLY!!  There was a time when he never got sick, hypo-immunity)

I bet you are wondering why we would need to bring the biofilm protocol back then.  Well, it's not for Grayson, it's actually for Gavin!  He has been catching cold after cold since before Thanksgiving.  When he is sick, he is completely unbearable to manage.  He has never been a sensory kid like Grayson, but when he's sick, his clothes bother him, sleeves and socks, his coat bothers his sleeves (figure that one out) and even food textures become an issue suddenly.  His mood is volatile constantly, he looses speech only screaming and yelling for communication.  He is irritated 24/7!!  He has had bloating and the red anal ring the entire time he's been sick as well.  I tried increasing his antimicrobials with no success.

Then it dawned on me....BIOFILM!  If it worked so well with Grayson, it should also work with Gavin now.  I only started it a few days ago and the results are astounding!!  It's bringing back so many memories from using it with Grayson, but it's working SO much faster!  He immediately began having army green BMs which is always a sign of bacteria die off, yippee!!  A few of them even had mucus with them, which we never see.  The red anal ring is gone, just like that!

It's like we flipped a switch on in his brain!  He is speaking in full, thorough sentences, including following through with conversations.  He listens, responds (even uses "yes" instead of "yeah" or "I did" or "I didn't" instead of just "yes" or "no") and carries through to the end of the conversation calmly and appropriately!!  He is using manners on his own, he is cleaning up messes without being forced, he even played in his room alone for over an hour this morning, reading books and playing with trains.  His belly is down, he's patient and cooperative, and best of all, he is HAPPY again!!  Nothing makes me happier!

Today he did puzzles of the Unite States, puzzles he has never even seen before, very hard puzzles with a lot of small pieces.  At first glance, he immediately noticed that a piece of the puzzle (a state) was MISSING from the pieces laid out in front of him.  He pointed to the puzzle board and said, "This one isn't here".  Unbelievable!!  He is absolutely amazing me right now.  To go from the things we were seeing just days ago, to this, it's clear that the biofilm protocol (with the addition of Lauricidin to his natural antimicrobials) is solely responsible, because nothing else has changed and he is even still sick with congestion and a runny nose.

There are times when we need to go back to basics and for us, that means reinstating protocols we have used successfully, in the past.  Since we have used this with Gavin in the past, as well (when he was MUCH younger) I expect it will work it's magic faster this time around, with lasting results hopefully.  All I know is that I will take what I can get, the vacation from the screaming alone is enough to keep me smiling, today anyway.  =)

Pharmaceutical minefield

Be careful what you wish for.

We want doctors to listen, we crave guidance from the very souls who inject our children with poison and send them reeling in toxic blood baths.  Why the bittersweet battle?  In one word - MONEY!  We want our children to benefit from our costly health insurance and rightfully so!!  Who wouldn't want their health issues addressed by their doctors and covered by their insurance?!

Be careful what you wish for.

What happens when mainstream doctors finally DO acknowledge that our children are walking medical books rather than genetically neurological head cases?  Are we really ready for that?

Cha-ching!

This is already in the process of happening, so we KNOW what will transpire the minute doctors realize they can cash in on "curing" autism symptoms.  Notice I said curing symptoms?  Mainstream medicine is a pharmaceutical conundrum, the proverbial symptom band-aid, if you will.

Take PANDAS for example.  PANDAS stands for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcus.   Let's thank ADHD.com for this detailed description of the 5 diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis of PANDAS below.

What are the diagnostic criteria for PANDAS?
Pandas is diagnosed if there is an episodic history of the following symptoms associated with strep infections.

• Presence of Obsessive-compulsive disorder and/or a tic disorder, ADHD symptoms or oppositional behaviors
• Association with neurological abnormalities (motor hyperactivity, or adventitious movements, such as choreiform movements)
• Pediatric onset of symptoms (age 3 years to puberty)
  Episodic course of symptom severity. (symptoms come and go)
• Association with group A Beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection (GABHS)
• GABHS evidenced by either a positive throat culture for strep or positive for streptococcus serology (ASOT or AntiDNAse-B)
• A history of Scarlet Fever or Rheumatic fever

What is an episodic course of symptoms?

Children with PANDAS seem to have dramatic ups and downs in their OCD and/or tic severity. Tics or OCD which are almost always present at a relatively consistent level do not represent an episodic course. Many children with OCD or tics have good days and bad days, or even good weeks and bad weeks. However, patients with PANDAS have a very sudden onset or worsening of their symptoms, followed by a slow, gradual improvement. If they get another strep. infection, their symptoms suddenly worsen again. The increased symptom severity usually persists for at least several weeks, but may last for several months or longer. The tics or OCD then seem to gradually fade away, and the children often enjoy a few weeks or several months without problems. When they have another strep. throat infection the tics or OCD or associated behaviors return just as suddenly and dramatically as they did previously.

It is quickly gaining popularity with mainstream doctors.  And what is their treatment for it, you ask?  Well, medication, of course....pharmaceuticals.  One of the worst things you can do to a child with an autoimmune disorder such as autism is prescribe them antibiotics, it messes with their already dysfunctional immune system.  It tears down the already lacking terrain of their gut and it messes with their ability to fight off ANYTHING, let alone the nasty strep infections.  In fact, one of the reasons people have problems with oxalates, is because antibiotics kill the oxalobacter formigenes bacteria and there is no known way to replenish it, via probiotics.

And when parents become desperate, because antibiotics no longer work (the bacteria become resistant to antibiotics and they build a matrix of biofilm to protect themselves) they are instructed that the only next step for them is a treatment called IVIG where blood plasma with protective antibodies is provided via a blood transfusion.  Sounds ideal, doesn't it....a quick fix?!  One IVIG treatment requires upwards of 10,000 donors!!  Knowing what I know about illnesses like Lyme Disease, you couldn't pay ME to have this done with my kids.  I don't want someone else's undiagnosed illness.  Think about how hard it is to detect Lyme Disease, and how common it's become!! Even, if I were assured and RE-assured that the blood was specifically tested for Lyme Disease (among other illnesses), that would not be enough for me to risk my already fragile kids lives with the possibility that even one of those 10,000 donors could have Lyme Disease.  There are other ways... 

How should PANDAS be treated?  I'm no doctor, of course.  All I can tell you is that our older son had all of the symptoms associated with PANDAS at one point, errrr ok many points...HAD is the key word there though.  I'm not convinced that all of the children being diagnosed with PANDAS actually have it, because many bad bacteria can exhibit the same symptoms.  In fact, although Grayson had Hemolytic Strep bacteria, his more dysbiotic bacteria was Clostridia.  My guess is that none of these doctors are checking their patients for heavy metal toxicity (properly) and I am sure they aren't considering a GFCFSF diet or any other diet for that matter.  Like Lyme, Clostridia, Klebsiella, yeast overgrowth (and so many other pathogenic illnesses), PANDAS responds well to all the same methods of recovery being used in biomedicine. Ironically, camel milk has been compared to doing IVIG, perhaps this is one of the other reasons we are seeing such results with our treatment choices.  If you want to learn more about why camel milk works, this link will take you to an earlier blog entry on camel milk.

If I were to consider all aspects involved with PANDAS, this is how I would approach it (wait, this is how I DID approach it, although in a slightly different order).

• GFCFSF diet
• Avoid refined sugars, simple carbs, and food coloring
• Introduce camel milk
• Add a liver support like artichoke extract or Liver Life.
• Natural anti-microbials for yeast, bacteria, parasites and viruses
• Weed and seed - It's EXTREMELY important to replenish the good bacteria with very high numbers of probiotics when you are spending most of your day killing off the bad guys.  I call this weeding and seeding...we give about 350-500 billion CFUs nightly, at least 3 hours away from any natural antimicrobial.  We were careful to increase their probiotics slowly, because this can cause significant die too.
• IgG food sensitivity testing and removal of all IgG positive foods
• Rotation diet for foods that are approved in diet
• Clean up toxins in environment like play-doh, markers, lotions, shampoos, and toothpaste, to avoid the gluten and casein as well as cleaning products, their mattresses, plates, pajamas, etc.
• Organic Acid Test from Great Plains (addressing issues as per the results)
• If high oxalic acid comes up on OAT, immediately start the low oxalate diet, heck, I would even go as far as to recommend trying a low oxalate diet for any and ALL kids with chronic pathogenic issues 
• Supplementation for possible deficiencies
• The biofilm protocol (without EDTA, very important!) for persistent bacterial and yeast infections
• Hair "toxic and essential elements" test via DirectLabs.com (it's called Hair Elements-DDI KIT) to assess toxicity levels (reviewed against Andy Cutler's book, Hair Test Interpretation)
• Andy Cutler chelation protocol - this is another great link for his protocol
• Possibly even do a stool test anywhere along the way for the sake of knowing exactly which gut bugs you are dealing with so you know how to tailor your antimicrobials

So yep, doctors are finally on board with PANDAS, but what exactly does that mean?  Do you also want their assistance with autism? I don't.

Be careful what you wish for.

UPDATE December 8th...This just in  from MercuryExposure.org!

From a 1984 study by Rowland et al. Antibiotics and Milk play a role in the efficency of Hg Excretion. In this study rats were given high doses of oral antibiotics the half-life for excretion of mercury increased from 10 days to >100 days. If the rats were also on a milk diet the excretion half-life increased to over 300 days. These results are consistent with the theory that demethylation of methylmercury by intestinal microflora is a major factor determining the excretion rate of mercury.
Effects of Diet on Mercury Metabolism and Excretion in Mice Given Methylmercury: Role of Gut Flora

ABSTRACT.
Mice fed either (1) a pelleted rodent diet, (2) evaporated milk, or (3) a synthetic diet (high protein, low fat) exhibited different rates of whole body mercury elimination and fecal mercury excretion after exposure (per os) to methylmercuric chloride. The percentage of the total mercury body burden present as mercuric mercury was highest (35.3%) in mice fed the synthetic diet (which had the highest rate of mercury elimination) and lowest (6.6%) in the animals having the lowest mercury elimination rate (milk-fed mice). Mice fed the syn-thetic diet had lower mercury concentrations and had a higher proportion of mercuric mer-cury in their tissues than the mice from the other dietary groups. Treatment of the mice with antibiotics throughout the experimental period to suppress the gut flora reduced fecal mer-cury excretion and the dietary differences in whole body retention of mercury. Tissue mercury concentrations and proportion of organic mercury in feces, cecal contents, liver, and kidneys were increased by antibiotic treatment of mice fed the pelleted or synthetic diets.
These results are consistent with the theory that demethylation of methylmercury by intestinal microflora is a major factor determining the excretion rate of mercury.

Discussion
The marked diet-related differences in whole body retention of Hg after MeHg exposure confirm the re-sults of Landry et al. 3 In addition, the differences in whole body retention were reflected in the amount or concentration of Hg present in the carcass (the major site of deposition of Hg in the mice), brain, blood, liver, and kidneys. The effect of diet on Hg concentration in brain (a target organ for MeHg toxicity) suggests that diet may influence MeHg-induced neurotoxicity since the concentration of Hg in tissues, particularly the central nervous system, has been correlated with the inci-dence of neurotoxicity in rats and mice.· 19 20

The three diets used in this study have many differences which make it difficult to differentiate the effects of specific dietary components1 although it would appear that dietary fiber is not an important factor governing the rate of Hg excretion since both the milk and GIBCO diets contained little indigestible residues.

Although differences in concentrations of Se were found in the three diets, it is unlikely that these were responsible for the differences in Hg elimination rates since the RMH3000 diet contained by far the highest Se concentration, yet mice fed this diet had an intermediate rate of Hg elimination. These results agree with those of Stil-lings el al., 21 who found that though dietary Se reduced the toxicity of MeHg, it did not appear to influence Hg elimination in feces or urine.

Over short time periods (up to 5 hrl co-administration of MeHgCI and low-molecular-weight thiol compounds has been shown to decrease blood Hg concentration and increase Hg accumulation by various organs by comparison to MeHgCI given alone. 22-24

Thus, differences in thiol concentrations in the diets and tissues may be responsible for diet-related changes in HHg tissue concentrations. However, in the present study, the thiol concentrations of the three diets were similar, and although some differences were detected in concentration of nonprotein-bound thiols in liver, they could not be correlated with Hg excretion rates or tissue Hg levels since mice fed milk or GIBCO diets had almost identical hepatic thiol concentrations. The con-centration of sulfhydryl compounds in the small intes-tine was highest in those mice fed milk probably due to an increase in glutathione from bile, because the ma-jority of the sulfhydryl groups were not protein-bound. However, it seems unlikely that differences in intestinal thiol concentration significantly affect Hg excretion rate since the sulfhydryl concentrations were greatly in excess of the Hg concentration to which the mice were exposed. It is noteworthy that the administration of MeHgCI increased (by 1-2 JLmoles/g tissue) the concentration of nonprotein-bound thiols in the livers of mice in all dietary groups, presumably affecting an increased synthesis of glutathione in bile.
It is possible that diet may also affect the whole body elimination of Hg via an effect on excretion of Hg in bile, since age-related changes in Hg elimination, can be as-cribed, at least in part, to changes in biliary excretion. 25

The differences in the amount of mercuric Hg in the whole body (Table 2), in the various tissues (Tables 3 and 4), and in cecal and colon contents (Fig. 4) in the animals fed the different diets suggest that diet-induced differences in Hg elimination are related to the extent of MeHg demethylation by the animals. The mice with the highest rates of Hg elimination, namely those fed GIBCO diet, had the highest proportion of their Hg body burden as mercuric Hg.

The previously demonstrated ability of the intestinal microilora to demethylate MeHg6 and its capacity to alter its metabolic activity in response to dietary modifi-cation 13•16 suggest that diet-induced changes in demeth-ylating activity of the gut flora are responsible for the differences in Hg elimination seen. Tlw results of the present study lend support to this theory.

It is clear that in all dietary groups a large proportion of total Hg in the gut was present in the mercuric form, especially in the cecum and colon. In particular, the GIBCO-fed animals reatained very high levels of Hg in the cecum and colon. Furthermore, the major route of excretion of Hg was the feces with only small amounts emerging in the urine, and in the GIBCO-fed mice the increased Hg elimination occurred via the feces rather than the urine. This indicates that MeHg demethylation occurs at sites where the product, mercuric Hg, does not re-enter the general circulation since parenterally administered HgCI2 is excreted mainly in the urine (Landry et al., unpublished observation, 1982).

Treatment of the mice with antibiotics to sterilize the gut contents virtually eliminated the diet-related dif-ferences in whole body Hg retention, in Hg excretion in feces and urine, and in the amount of mercuric Hg in whole body, gut contents, and tissues (especially in liver and kidney). These results are consistent with the theory that demethylation by the gut flora is a major determinant of the rate of Hg excretion after MeHg ex-posure. The almost complete retention of the dose of MeHg (apparent elimination of half-times> 100 days) in the animals without a gut flora and the increase in MeHg concentration in blood and liver is also consis-tent with the theory since it would be expected that the greater proportion of MeHg relative to total Hg in the gut of antibiotic-treated animals would result in greater absorption of the administered mercury dose.

Landry et al. (unpublished observation), using mice give MeHgCI intramuscularly, have reproduced the dietary-related differences in Hg elimination seen in orally dosed animals, but the three diets had little effect on Hg retention after parenteral administration of HgCI,. It would appear, therefore, that if MeHg is demethylated, diet is unlikely to exert any differential effects on Hg ... retention, suggesting that the differential effects of diet oc-cur on demethylation or on excretion of MeHg in bile.
In the mice given antibiotics, some residual formation November/December 1984 [Vol. 39, (No.6)] of mercuric Hg was apparent (Table 2) suggesting that sites of demethylation other than the gut flora exist. One possible site is the liver, although enzymatic demethyla-tion of MeHg by this organ has been little studied. It is also possible that the slow release of inorganic Hg from MeHg in the presence of thiol compounds17 contributes to inorganic Hg formation in vivo. \1\€ have confirmed (unpublished observations, 1981) that this can occur in the presence of thiol concentrations found in bile and in the liver (approximately 5 ~-tmole/mll.

In conclusion, the results of this study confirm previous reports 10 that the gut flora is the major site of de-methylation of MeHg in the mouse and strongly suggest that dietary effects on Hg elimination rates are mediated by changes in demethylating activity of the flora. The result of a high demethylation rate would be the formation in the gut lumen of mercuric Hg which, being poorly absorbed, interrupts the enterohepatic recycling of MeHg. 4

Large variations have been reported in rates of elimi-nation of Hg in human populations exposed to MeHg.18 It is conceivable that this variation may be related to the wide variation in composition of gut flora among individuals.29 Furthermore, if the major differences in gut flora that have been observed in populations in different geographic areas 10 are reflected in their MeHg demethylation rates, it is possible that there are inter-individual as well as inter-regional differences in suscep-tibility to MeHg poisoning.

Effects of Diet on Mercury Metabolism and Excretion in Mice Given Methylmercury: Role of Gut Flora
I. R. ROWLAND, Ph.D. The British Industrial Biological Research Association Woodmansterne Road Carshalton, Surrvey, United Kingdom R. D. ROBINSON, M.S. R. A. DOHERTY, M.D. Department of Pediatrics Environmental Health Sciences Center University of Rochester Rochester, New York 14642
Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal
Arch Environ Health
Published/Hosted by Taylor and Francis Group. ISSN: 0003-9896.

Alinia

We've all been on Alinia, an anti-parasitic prescription medicine, for a little over a week and a half.  I'm honestly surprised that more DAN! doctors aren't using this in place of meds like Flagyl, which wreak havoc on the body.  They could kill two birds with one stone, because in addition to fighting parasites, it also kills anaerobic bacteria like e.coli and clostridia!

The pros we have seen, by comparison to using Flagyl:

• no crazy die-off symptoms
• minimal bowel changes (although they do exist, they are not nearly as bad or as frequent as with the Flagyl, but Gavin is having a lot of black specs in his stool)
• only positive changes like more calmness, focused play, cooperative play with both boys, patience, increased compliance, happiness, no screaming for communication, better communication in general, bellies are lower, I could go on, but I think you get the point.
• and the best news, it doesn't kill off good bacteria (only anaerobic bacteria), so it can be dosed with probiotics and won't compromise the already damaged intestinal landscape!

The only con is that this product cannot be compounded, which means you are either stuck with a suspension that has red dye and sorbitol or large tablets with a yellow dye coating, sorbitol and need to be split.  We chose the tablets, because both boys can swallow pills and red dye is the absolute worst.  We peel the yellow coating off, split the tablets into quarters and put the pieces in some pear sauce since they no longer have their easy-to-swallow coating.  Oh, there is one other con, they need to be dosed every 12 hours which means we are waking them up at about 8:45pm (they go to bed pretty early) every night for 32 days.  Then combine this with round the clock dosing on weekends for chelation and boy it gets fun around here!

We are really hoping this takes care of the parasite for Gavin, he's a different child right now, we feel like we've finally seen the real Gavin come out of his shell.  Even Grayson has been effected by it quite a bit, so we are wondering, if he had the parasite undetected or if it was still clostridia at play in low levels.  He had started to get a bit grumpy, argumentative and negative for a little bit, now we are seeing our happy-go-lucky boy again.  We thought it was age-related stuff, now I am convinced more than ever that the difficult behaviors we see in kids is more than age-related.  Every time I've ever thought we could be over-analyzing age-related behaviors, I am proven yet again, that the condition of the gut is in fact related.

Why does camel milk work?

The answer to that question is so complex, but I would bet it has something to do with the nutritional deficiencies our children tend to have as part of the complex myriad of symptoms they experience.  They have problems with absorbing nutrients, because of the landscape of their compromised intestines, and it's those very nutrients the camel milk provides in a "food" source, making them more bio-available to our immune-compromised children.  And that brings me to the camel nanaoglobulins that mimic the human immune system, literally!  They are minuscule in size by comparison, but look exactly like ours, their size allows them to cross through cells so when you drink the milk, you are filling your blood (and intestines) with these nanoglobulins.  This is equivalent to an IVIG treatment!!  For those who dont't know what IVIG is, here is a brief description found online:

"Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIg) is a solution of highly purified immunoglobulin G, derived from large pools of human plasma that contain antibodies against a broad spectrum of bacterial and viral agents. This solution is delivered intravenously and is used primarily to treat three categories of illnesses: immunodeficiencies, autoimmune neuromuscular disorders, and certain rheumatologic conditions."

IVIG is VERY expensive and very rarely covered entirely by insurance.  I have heard that out of pocket quotes often exceed $5000 even for those who HAVE insurance coverage for some of it!  And most people require IVIG multiple times.  Sure makes the camel milk look cheap, doesn't it? 

Camel milk is anti-bacterial and anti-viral.  It's a wonder why we get such great results when you combine all these traits in one power packed serving!  It MUST be raw to get these benefits! 

Speaking of results....lets talk about my kids.  We've been on the camel milk for 24 days as of today.  We were originally only using half of the recommended dose with each child daily and seeing a wide variety of improvements.  I want to know it's full potential though, so we are increasing.  I started increasing two days ago and we are now on a pint and a half a day, between the two of them.  Two pints would be about the recommended dose, give or take a few ounces.  It certainly isn't hard to get in them, they love it!  Yeay for that!  I don't have to squirt it, pop it open, mix it or pour it into them!!  And they enjoy it, something I gain pleasure in!  Our kids are troopers, they take concoctions of the nastiest tasting stuff on earth without a flinch!  So a treatment they love?! Sign me up!!

I just can't get over the changes with Grayson!  If you read my earlier entries about his aggression, his tics, his negativity, his inconsistencies.....itching, head swattting, bloating, sleep disturbances, severely emotional outbursts, my goodness, life was never dull around here!!  He was so volatile I wouldn't even sign him up for activities.  I was literally afraid of his behaviors, would he tantrum and cry uncontrollably, because he doesn't want to do something; would he freak out from lack of confidence; would he just completely resist participation?  We tried a few things like soccer and ice skating.  He zoned out on the field in soccer and he refused participation with ice skating.  I gave up and I am not a giving up sort of mom, but he had my endurance beat, I just couldn't fight another fight, nor was it healthy.

Fast forward to today, these are the traits I see in Grayson on a CONSISTENT basis now and yes, this is SINCE the milk!!

• Amazing confidence!  He will try anything and although he hates failure (not a bad thing) he isnt' freaking out or hitting himself in the head over it.  He picks himself up (figruatively speaking) dusts himself off and moves on.
• We've signed him up for guitar lessons and I am so impressed with him!  He is learning very fast, he is willing to attempt anything we ask him to try, he doesn't fight me when I ask him to practice (although it's in short spurts, lol, hey whatever works).  He is willing to "perform" the things he learns without hesitation.
• He is happy every day, VERY happy and not the overly giddy kind of yeasty happiness, but a real genuine happiness. Coming from the deep, dark caves of anger that Clostridia brings, this is a HUGE and very welcome change.  There was nothing worse than watching our 5 year old wake up angry at the world, his pajamas too tight, clothes bothering him, shoes won't go on right, chair isn't even, everything was too something and the reaction was far beyond extreme, it was frightening.  I am so so so SO relieved to see this change so consistently!
• He's interested in playing with Gavin who has a very challenging personality, but he makes it work most days lately.  There is often a lot of fighting, because Grayson is so controlling, but he has been slowly opening up to listening to Gavin (when I request him to do so).  In the past, he would stomp off, crossing his arms, yelling that he wanted to "be alone".  Now he is listening to me calmly and trying whatever I suggest.  Wow!
• Compliance!!
• His flexibility is amazing.  We haven't had any issues with transition at all.
• Consistency - did I mention this AGAIN?  HAHAHA  In the past we have called him Jekyll and Hyde, because from one moment to the next, he would flip from happy to emotional, then angry, then giddy (too happy), it was an exhausting roller coaster ride to parent him.  He's consistent, he's happy, he's flexible and compliant.  This is what normal is all about!!

I am in heaven with these changes.  If I never saw another change in him for the rest of his life, I would be on cloud nine, diet and all.  It would be a bonus, if the camel milk can help with his sensitivities and leaky gut (which it is purported to do), but honestly, I don't know that I would be ready to give him gluten and casein back anytime soon anyway, but I would LOVE to be able to nix the low oxalate diet!!  And eggs, we would LOVE to get eggs back in the diet, especially, because his cholesterol was too low to begin with.  But this is dreaming and I am not a dreamer, I am a realist, I prefer to live in today.  Today deserves all of my attention.

Gavin is flourishing too, as you have probably read in previous entries about the camel milk.  He's just a fire cracker!  He's affectionate and powerful at once.  He's our little daredevil with control, loves to make people laugh, but is a lovey too.  He's kept all of his gains, but I notice that with him, when I increase the milk, we get a period of what resembles die-off.  His stools change, his temperament becomes less tolerant, and he becomes excessively hyper temporarily.  I am taking this to mean that he needs the increase and that we will need to continue to increase until this subsides.  Keep in mind that he has a virulent parasite and I am hoping the milk is doing something about that! I would expect some die-off with anything that could be working!

I can't wait to see what more camel milk brings!!  If anyone reading this has been on the fence about camel milk, I give you a resounding "TRY IT!"  Don't let this opportunity pass you by, you may never know what real healing is until you give it a shot!  My husband and I are even considering using it for ourselves, if we decide to stop it for the kids (as in done healing).  It's THAT phenomenal!

I get it now!

Andy Cutler has been quoted as saying that chelation makes you feel like you've been roto-rootered from the inside out.  I get it, I now know how my kids feel, why they don't want to eat sometimes, why they say their tummies hurt.

I've never had obvious problems with food (other than dairy which has been out of my diet for years now) before starting chelation.  And even on round I don't seem to have any issues, but now two days post-chelation I have been nauseous, light-headed when standing up fast and after eating, I am experiencing reflux and burping like a friggin truck driver!  This is something I have NEVER had other than during the later months in my pregnancies.  I don't know, if these new symptoms are in direct relation to chelation and redistribution or if I have suddenly developed new food sensitivities in the process. 

On a good note, we had visitors who had colds, which were passed on to the boys (of course, that isn't the good part) and I didn't catch it!  I started to feel a sore throat and swollen glands in my jaw for one day, so I upped the Vit D significantly and began taking oil of oregano every hour.  It never progressed!  In the past year, I've been catching everything they get, so this is a huge accomplishment, for me anyway!  Perhaps the Protandim I started before the dental revision is reducing oxidation enough to prevent me from getting sick!  The studies showed it to be 100% effective in reducing oxidation significantly.  I have read that people taking it weren't getting sick like they used to.  I wish I could give it to the kids, but it's ingredients are high oxalate.

Now with the boys getting sick barely one full week after having had the stomach bug, which was just one more of the illness, after illness trend we've been experiencing since November!  Yes, November!  They have been sick just about every other week since then, no joke!  I know school passes a lot of bugs around, but they shouldn't be catching every single illness they encounter, so we brought them to the DAN! doctor since insurance will cover a sick visit and we could use the opportunity to discuss why they are sick so often.  Of course, I know it is related to their immune system, but more importantly, is it something we can address?  Or is there some testing we should consider?  We already have two pages of blood work to have done on Grayson, for the viral titers and immune function testing, but our insurance company told us they needed "notes" from the doctor as to why we need it done otherwise they can't approve payment.  We spent a good portion of our visit addressing that little detail.  The doctor is going to call our insurance company to see what they need.  In the meantime, he suggested we start the boys on Thymucin which is a Thymus extract.  The Thymus sits below the thyroid and both are heavily effected by mercury, it tends to accumulate in the glands, causing problems with function.  The thymus is basically responsible for our immune function!  It educates the T-cells and taking thymus glandular has been extensively tested as regulating T-cell and suppressor cell balance. 

We will be doing two additional tests with each of the kids.  NutrEval from Genova Diagnostics is a nutritional evaluation which will look at so many things including dysbiosis, heavy metals, how the body is using nutrients, and many more things.  It provides a framework of core nutrients in 5 key areas: Antioxidants, B Vitamins, Digestive Support, Essential Fatty Acids, and Minerals.  We will also do another IgG food sensitivity test.  We've never done this with Gavin and I want to see, if it's involved with some of his mood swings lately, plus I'd like to get an update on Grayson.  We've changed a lot of the foods they eat, but I worry that they could be developing new sensitivities. 

As I am writing this, a light bulb went off about my own situation!!  Bloating, gas, indigestion, reflux and nausea are all signs of pathogenic overgrowth!!  I need to up my killers, PRONTO!  A friend also reminded me that H. Pylori symptoms are always GI related.  One round of chelation unleashed the H. Pylori in her, as well.  Oh goodness, this is going to be FUN!  I really do know how our kids feel now.  Please be patient with them when they don't want to eat or they are not themselves, they can't possibly understand why they feel so awful!

Metametrix DNA microbiology test results

I am experiencing a lot of emotions about the results of the boys' stool tests.  One one hand, Grayson's results look great!  The test is perfect, he is colonizing the good bacteria (not as high as he should, but better than the last test which had none of some good bacteria), has no significant bad bacteria or yeast and no parasites.  As wonderful as it sounds, yes we are clearing things up, chelation is working, and the antimicrobials are working, there is still something going on.

Yeast, bacteria or virus?
For those of you who have been following our story, you know that we had huge issues with Clostridia and yeast in the past, along with symptoms of regression recently.  So if they aren't yeast and Clostridia, what are they, right?  We have always thought Grayson was a "viral kid", meaning that he would have high levels of live viruses residing in his gut.  This was evident by his lack of illnesses when he was two and now his frequent viruses, and it was confirmed when I added OLE (olive leaf extract) to his daily routine.  Ten days into treatment, he broke out in a viral rash that looked like the chicken pox, but less severe.  It was all over his truck and neck for days.  This is a common event for those who are treating for latent viruses.  So now all this stool test tells me is that I was right, we need to focus on attacking the viruses, although, we don't know which ones we are aiming for.  I can guess that being he was given four live virus vaccines in one visit, before all of this started, we should probably consider the measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox, at minimum.  In fact, when we did the vaccine treatment with the BioVeda BAX3000, he had a significant reaction that started right in the office after the treatment.  He got really hot, flush and itchy and immediately broke out in yet another rash!  Since getting the results of the stool test, I added Monolaurin back into his routine and just two teeny tiny pellets (they are usually given as a scoop of pellets) send him reeling in emotion, impatience, itching, and head swatting comes back along with some minor sensory symptoms.  Viral die off can cause a flare in yeast, so it wouldn't be uncommon to see a combination of viral and yeast symptoms.  I can tell that the addition of the Monolaurin is doing something to him, because he wakes in the morning in a perfect mood, and then after his dose, the symptoms begin to rise.  Using some PectaSol C calms down the itching at least.

The monster within
Ok, now for the interesting one.  Gavin's test found a parasite called Dientamoeba Fragilis, also known as DF.  (sigh) It's a flagellate protozoan parasite.  Sounds nice, doesn't it?  I hate to say it, because I probably should have done this test with Gavin sooner, but I had a feeling part of his problems were parasitic.  He never gained weight well (always under the growth chart), he eats more than we do some days, he's hungry constantly, always had the red anal ring, severe bloating (especially lately), food sensitivities, eczema, recently he started saying he was having pain in his upper intestinal area and his BMs have always alternated between constipation and loose.  I always said his issues were only GI related and ironically, this parasite resides in the large intestines reeking havoc on the GI system. Now take a look at how similar the list of symptoms from emedicine are compared to what we were experiencing:

In chronic infection, duration of symptoms is greater than 1-2 months. Abdominal pain is the more common complaint. In children, pain varies with regards to location, duration, and character.

Other GI complaints include the following:

• Anorexia
• Weight loss
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Bloating
• Flatulence
• Alternating constipation and diarrhea

Nonintestinal complaints include the following:

• Headache
• Fever
• Malaise
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Weakness
• Pruritus
• Urticaria

Other sites go on to say that chronic infections cause food allergies/sensitivities, especially to wheat and milk!  Another symptom noticed by those with confirmed cases is green BMs with undigested food.  Gavin requires the use of enzymes in order to prevent the undigested food from showing up.  He has always had a random green stool here and there  and now that I have started treatment for this parasite, just this morning his stool was green!  We did the family parasite cleanse only 4 months ago, but we avoided wormwood (artmesia) so I decided to add that in this time.  He is most definitely reacting to this treatment with strong emotional frustrations, his tags in his clothes are bothering him suddenly, severe bloating and he is very needy.  He's speaking less than previously too, or perhaps it's just more to the point with his unfavorable mood.  I hope we are on the right track to dealing with this parasite, because I have read such conflicting information about effective treatment protocols!  It appears to be a very hard parasite to eradicate.  I'm not surprised though, I heard the same thing about the Clostridia in Grayson.  We are combining the anti-parasite treatment with the biofilm protocol (without EDTA) to ensure that the anti-parasitics reach the bugs.  I've also read great things about a product called W-W by Pure Herbs.  I may do what we are doing now for a little over a month (today happens to be four days before the next full moon, so it was perfect timing to start treating!) and then I will repeat a treatment every month with the W-W which is recommended by using it four days before the full moon until four days after the full moon, for about 9 months.  Contrary to this treatment though, I have also read that a prescription called Alinia was successful at eradicating it in another mother/child that were infected with it.  But this mother said it was absolutely imperative to use it in high doses for a long time (35+ days).  So I think I will try the natural route first, retest and then consider the Alinia, if this doesn't work.  I am sure I will see a decrease in symptoms, if this parasite is killed off.

On a good note, already since using the biofilm protocol with the Artmesia and black walnut hull all together for the first time today, his belly is less bloated and his mood is getting better.  We also had a green stool this morning, wondering if that signifies die-off....there is much to research!

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.

Biofilm

This is probably a new term for you so I will edu-ma-cate you first. Biofilm is a polyssacharide matrix that microbes develop to protect themselves. It allows them to survive in a less than optimal environment, AKA - a healthy body? These pests are smarter than us and always will be as long as we continue to use medical prescriptions to fight them. Biofilm is a sticky film that allows them to remain undetected by the body. So while we are doing all of our treatments trying to kill these little suckers, we see some progress, but then stopping the treatments proves to only result in yet another build up of the symptoms yet again.  So we know we probably have a biofilm issue at hand. Since the Flagyl antibiotics only addressed our bacteria issues for about two months, if even, both times we used it, we knew we had something more deep seated to deal with. This stuff has probably been setting up residency for a few years! We knew it was time for the BIG GUNS!! Hence, the biofilm protocol!

 The first step of this process is a few specific enzymes that poke holes in the biofilm by breaking down their cell walls which then allows the following treatments (natural antimicrobials/antivirals) to get in there and kill them while they think they are hiding. It's a process that takes time (months), but usually results in great long-lasting benefits....providing we are also removing the metals at play too! These things go hand in hand, microbes and metals protect and benefit each other.

Once we open the biofilm, we are essentially reactivating the body, because previous to this step, it was actually unaware of it's very well hidden intruders. This can result in a plethora of symptoms that can range from flu-like to stimmy and irritated. It's basically BIG die-off and the process requires a good mop-up step to usher out the toxins (like having a dead creature in your basement, eeeew, get it out, right? It's toxic), otherwise they will overwhelm the body (and the liver) and become neurotoxic in the process. So here is our daily routine now:

I am only doing the biofilm protocol once a day right now, but after 3-6 weeks, we will consider a second dosing schedule in the day. So essentially what I am doing is using the biofilm in the morning hours (getting the empty stomach is easier then) and then I continue with the dosing schedule we were using pre-biofilm in the later parts of the day, because, if we go more than 3 hours without dosing something, the yeast and bacteria start right back up. Then at bedtime we give hefty doses of probiotics to rebuild the good flora. More good crowds out the bad!

The "killers" as I like to call them (antimicrobials/antivirals) may be more than some kids can handle, but as I mentioned before, we get severe overgrowth pretty fast, otherwise. So while the biofilm is in place, I am hitting this stuff pretty hard and seeing results! Previously, if we went more than 6 weeks without Flagyl, we saw MAJOR bacterial symptoms (aggression, hitting, throwing, defiance, spacey interchanged with hyper, negative attitude all day, and a lot of emotions and crying).

We do a bit of rotation, because of leaky gut, so the food supplements along with anything that contains coconut (a #1 on his IgG panel) is rotated on a four day rotation.

1 - I keep the bottles of Klaire Labs Interfase (Important, NOT Interfase Plus, it has EDTA in it which is unsafe for mercury toxic people) and ViraStop (you could also use Lumbrokinase here which is GREAT for Lyme) with a cup of water on my nightstand since he comes to my room first thing when he wakes. This allows me to start the pre-food dosing asap. I give him 1 ViraStop and 2 Interfase caps on an empty stomach.

2 - When we get downstairs, I give him either his home made electrolyte solution or an apple cider vinegar drink made with warm water, baking soda and honey (depending on our rotation day). He drinks these right down on an empty stomach and looks forward to both of them!

3 - 30-45 min (I use the stove timer, lol) after the Interfase and ViraStop, I dose our "killers" (4-5 drops Bio-Alternatives OoO, 3 droppers full of NOW Foods OLE which is 300mg, 15-20mg Biotin, 3-4 drops GSE and/or Nystatin depending on yeast symptoms, and then we rotate either a full cap of Pharmax Caprylic Acid or a 1/3 of a cap of Natures Way Uva Ursi - this is a new add in for us so we are starting slow). We LOVE the Caprylic Acid and see a difference in him when using that on his rotation days.  A quick note about GSE here - In the two years since I've written this blog, we have learned that a few drops of GSE wasn't our ideal dose.  He is now on two Nutribiotic tablets (125mg each) PLUS 10 more drops.  I wish I tried this sooner, but working up slowly is also important for the sake of severe die off and liver tolerance.

4 - He takes digestion enzymes and two HCI (hydrochloric acid capsules), eats and has his supplements then I set the timer to an hour but anywhere between 1-2 hours is good.

5 - 1-2 hours after supplements and "killers", I give two PectaSol C by EcoNugenics to mop up. This is proven to also move metals. It's a Modified Citrus Pectin which interestingly our son does fine with considering all citrus was elevated on his IgG. You need a dr to order, but all I did was call and tell them that Dr. Woeller of AutismActionPlan.org (I am a member) suggested them and they let me order. It's expensive, $69 a bottle, but there are 270 capsules in a bottle. Everything we give seems to be expensive, ugh! I could be driving a brand new Mercedes, I tell ya!! Not even kidding...You can also use good old activated charcoal here though.

6 - I wait another 1-2 hours to start dosing our "killers" again and then we do that at 3 hour intervals so usually that works out to around noon or 1pm and again at 3-4pm. This is perfect for his school schedule this year, but I am seriously fretting about him in all day kindergarten next year.

7 - At dinner he has 4-6 ounces of kombucha (a fermented iced tea drink with enzymes, probiotics and B vitamins, it's the only way he tolerates the B vitamins!) and at bedtime, 3 Culturelle and 3 New Beginnings Probiotic Support which contains a good amount of Sacc B in addition to a broad spectrum (no-strep strain) dairy-free probiotic. We are doing well with these lately, I can tell by the way he wakes up the next morning. He is calm, happy and compliant.

So that is it, our routine, which now seems to be working pretty well. Sometimes we need to up our yeast protocol, especially when we are on a chelation round, but he responds well and quickly. We also do the epsom salt baths a few times a week, and I have recently added in a bentonite clay bath here and there to assist with the toxin die off. He gets various supplements three times a day as part of all of this, as well.

We had massive die off initially, probably for the first 5-7 days, but that seems to have leveled out, thankfully. I thought I would really lose it, but I stuck with the protocol, increased the PectaSol mop up a bit occasionally and sure enough, he has leveled out nicely, phew!! It's been a while since we have had a good constant without Flagyl. We still see some yeasty signs, as I mentioned, so we are working that out too. He's getting "bored" with school and I don't know, if that is related, but the teacher has been made aware so after the Holiday break, I hope he gets back into the swing of things. I have to say that this is the longest we have gone (8 full weeks) after ending the Flagyl, without major bacterial signs building back up!

I might also add that when I started this protocol with our 17 month old (who also shows signs of yeast and bacterial infections) we had the oddest BM and since he is still in diapers, I got a nice eyeful of a small compact ball of mucus and sticky green something-or-other, eeew! I have read that the biofilm is clear so I am not sure what the compact green stuff was, but it was all intertwined and weird, to say the least. Dr. Woeller suggested that it could just be a plug that was moved out by the protocol. It didn't even connect when I was changing the diaper, instead, at 5am the next morning my eyes popped open and I thought, "I KNOW WHAT THAT WAS..." AKA - biofilm response! Onward...

Doctor doctor on the wall

I swear that is where I feel like our doctors are these days, posted like a trophy on the wall. "Look, I am a degree"...but where is the continuing education, where is the common sense, where is the research? I know, I know, I have been reminded by even my own pediatrician that they do NOT prevent, they are taught to treat illnesses, to be reactive, not proactive and they use medicine, period. We are so torn between going to our standard pediatrician who is covered by our insurance, but doesn't know a thing about what we are going through or going to our DAN! doctor who is a holistic doctor and handles many cases of children on the spectrum through biomedicine, BUT insurance will not approve any of his tests or treatments, they are considered "experimental", hence making the appointment ineligible for payment too. Until a parent is faced with these frustrations, you could never ever know how frustating it is to know that your child will only get better, if you are financially capable of fronting the cost for the doctors, many tests and the long-term treatments necessary to correct his or her health problems. How do you think it would feel to know that the only thing standing between you and your child's wellness or recovery is money, and a lot of it? Frustrating to say the least, unfair at best. On top of it, the parents need to highly educate themselves on the treatments, because there are SO many biomedical protocols out there. What works for one might not work for another, so in addition to spending a fortune, imagine spending a fortune on things that don't work so you end up with bottles upon bottles of full supplements that didn't work, just to move onto the next $40 bottle of something, that maybe doesn't work either! It's a never-ending battle and we feel SO alone since we often can't just pick up our phone and call a ped for advice. They wouldn't even run a viral titer so I can see if he has developed antibodies to the vaccinations he DID get.

Since we are caught in this position, I had some standard blood tests run on Grayson just to see where his health status is, at least it's covered by insurance. He doesn't have anemia, his hemaglobin is good, thyroid good, D levels are great, but his CBC showed elevated platelet counts. The range is 150-400 and his count is 532. I have done some researching and the scary things like leukemia aren't even an option, I won't even give that a thought, but some things did pop out at me on a few web sites. I saw mention of irritable bowel disease and clostridia as possible links. Now THIS would make sense. So while I am still uneasy at the results, I am somewhat relieved to see that the very thing we are battling could be at play here, again, supporting every route we have taken, confirming to me and anyone else who wonders about holistic quakery, that this autoimmune issue is, in fact, real! I am not trying to find something wrong with my child, I don't WANT him to be like this, he just is. The recurrent medical findings confirm that my child is not a case of hypochondria, he is ill, very ill on the inside and I intend to fix it, even if I have to do it alone! If your child had a heart disease, you would do everything, and more, in your power to help him, this is no different.

Long time no chat

Wow, it's been months since I have updated the blog. School started and things got crazy! As the old saying goes, "No news is good news" and this is true in our case! We had such great changes with the Flagyl in July and then in a matter of months, we were seeing an increase in the bacteria-behaviors like anger, aggression, defiance and the resurgance of sensory issues occasionally. So back on the Flagyl we went...I wanted it addressed before school started and what a great idea that was. Last year when he started school, he was a mess, an absolute mess with hitting, very vocal meltdowns, temper tantrums and acting out. This year he is the perfect dream student! He is older too, of course, and he loves helping the younger students which I hear he does very patiently...that's my boy! We have been off the Flagyl for about a month and so far so good. We try to keep the bacteria at bay naturally with daily Olive Leaf Extract, Oil of Oregano, Biotin, we rotate in Capruylic Acid four days a week and I recently bought peppermint gel caps, but I haven't really gotten them into the action yet. I am still researching that front. Then at bedtime he gets four doses of probiotics - two dairy free Culturelle and two New Beginnings Probiotic Support which contains Sacc. B.

We are still chelating and just finished with round 14. We had a few blunder rounds....forgetting to wake up for a middle of the night dose, oops, so we had a few do-overs, ha ha ha. It's going really well though. He handles chelation great, comes off the round fairly well, with just a tad of the high sensory stuff like shirts bothering him and pajamas not fitting right, the covers on the bed are annoying and won't lay right, but that is fleeting thankfully. If you read my earlier posts you see how much of an improvement this is! I have to say that since starting chelation we have seen AMAZING and permanent changes in him and of course keeping the bacteria down makes Grayson the perfect child so that helps. He was never able to peddle a bike, he hated even trying, it was just exhausting for him. Suddenly one day he hopped on and peddled around in circles, whizzing around me like a bee. That just came out of left field. He has no problem walking beside us when we are out now, he used to cry that he had to be in the shopping cart or stroller and that he was just too tired to walk. He still prefers the stroller some days, but he doesn't fight us if we say no. I believe his mitochondrial function is improving based on these changes. A silly change I just noticed yesterday...He is normally afraid of bugs, won't go near them, but was always intrigued by them. His little brother who is 16 months old has no problem grabbing a hold of the elder box bugs as they sun themselves on our deck, but Grayson would always partake in the action from a distance. Last night the baby noticed one in the house and next thing I know, Grayson is holding the bug in my face asking me if I want it. Talk about a shock! I was SO not prepared for that, ha ha ha. He had the bug crawling all over his arms and body, giggling from the tickles. I have never been more excited to see my boy acting like a BOY! He's always had these fears of things that most kids relish in, getting his hands dirty, birds, frogs and bugs. I am all for it, get dirty, get wet....you can change and wash clothing, life is too short to not enjoy being a child. And I am enjoying watching it!