This, that and the other

We've got a lot going on with both boys right now, since doing our last stool tests and changing the course of treatments.  Well, not changing per say, but adding to them.  In the process, I have seen die-off in both boys, always a good sign, but not always fun to live through.

Full moon
Since the full moon was February 18th (three days ago), we started Gavin's parasite cleanse on the 14th (four days before the full moon).  The theory behind this is that parasites hatch during a full moon and in order to attack all stages of their life cycle, you start four days before a full moon and continue the cleanse until four days before the next full moon.  This time, in addition to the Humaworm kid's cleanse, I decided to add in the Artmesia and a worm cleanse called W-W by Pure Herbs.  I joined him in that cleanse, just for the heck of it, even though I plan to do the family cleanse again in April.  I am not doing Humaworm, just the W-W, Artmesia and I am adding in a separate black walnut hull capsule.  I have a feeling I have a parasite issue for sure, so it can't hurt to join him in the fun.  Since starting that cleanse with him, we've had a whole slew of die-off symptoms.  Whenever he goes through severe die-off, he experiences a day or two of minimal talking.  His speech always seems to suffer on the worst days.  I'm not sure, if it's the quality of his speech or if it's his mood which makes him less interested in being social or reasonable, and just becomes quiet and demanding at the same time.  There is definitely a mood that follows his die-off, one of anger, frustration and impatience, plus he clings to me while whining most of the day.  It's like nothing can make him happy, he wants something, then he doesn't want it, then he wants it again.  The screaming over it all is the most frustrating part about it, for us parents.  It's extremely exhausting, to say the least.  Other symptoms we have seen with this particular cleanse are: severe sleep disturbances which involve an inability for him to fall asleep and stay asleep, he wakes crying every 45 minutes until he is able to get into a deep sleep, he's craving sugars, he was irritable in the first few days, and his bloating looked incredibly painful, because it started very high in the abdomen and was so tight that blue veins were pressed visibly against his skin.  Six days into the cleanse, he had watery diarrhea that burned his rear so badly it left painful welts all the way down his thighs.  He couldn't even bear the feeling of his clean diaper against his skin at bedtime.  On this same day, his urine smelled horrible, almost like he had a bowl movement in his diaper, even though he drinks TONS of water.  There was definitely some form of potent toxin in his urine! He has had a problem with sweating for a few months now, sweating while napping or sleeping at night and now is no exception.  He wakes with his pillow soaked behind him.  Since doing research on parasite infection, this is a red flag for parasites!  Chelation was supposed to start coincidentally ON the full moon, so we decided to avoid this round with him so as not to tax his liver too much.

Glyconutrients update
On a good note, we have been able to add the glyconutrients back in without a rash.  We started back on them with half a teaspoon dose.  It's been well over a week now and no rashes so far!  I think last time perhaps we increased his dose too fast for his body to handle, because when we had gotten to a teaspoon and a half, we noticed the rash during a round of chelation, which means, there was probably too much detox between the glycos and chelation, together.  I would also imagine that the combination of the glyconutrients, the active parasite infection and chelation was just too much for his little liver.  Rashes are often a sign that the liver is malfunctioning.

For me, the parasite cleanse resulted in significant joint pain in my left wrist. This only happened on the day of the full moon and it was really painful.  The aches would come and go, throbbing deep in the joint.  One of my ankles felt like it hurt a little too, but it didn't last as long as the wrist hurt all day.  I experienced some itching (yes, rectal, nice huh?) and today after my second dose, I have a strange tightness in my chest that doesn't resolve with coughing.  I have also experienced alternating bowel movements like Gavin too.

Thyroid and iodine
My hair test suggested possible thyroid problems, so I am experimenting with Lugol's 2% iodine daily and since doing a patch test, I am increasing the dose.  I noticed that increasing the dose makes me feel better.  When you do an iodine patch test, the patch of brown iodine on your skin should remain there for 24 hours, if you aren't deficient.  If it disappears sooner, you are deficient.  My patch was gone in less than 9 hours!  So I will continue to increase the drops until the water tastes metalic to me, then I will back off and maintain at that dose.  Then I can repeat the patch test to see, if that dose is offering enough iodine to make my body happy.  When that happens, the patch should remain on my skin for at least 24 hours.  I am now also testing the boys with the patch test, today in fact!  Iodine is known to help with parasites, fungus and bacterial infections, so it's very possible they are deficient too.  I would guess that I could have passed on any of my own deficiencies to them, resulting in many of the issues we are battling now.

UPDATE - Within 5 hours, Gavin's iodine patch is gone!  I'd say he's deficient.  Grayson's is still going strong.  I guess tomorrow I will add iodine for Gavin and see how it changes things.  One thing I have learned in the interim is that adding iodine addresses parasites....interesting.

Attack of the antivirals
With Grayson, we decided to hit him hard with the natural antivirals and there is clearly a reaction happening.  I'm not sure, if the term die-off is appropriate in this situation, but it sure appears that way.  He was already taking high doses of olive leaf extract, and we added in monolaurin and lysine.  With the addition of these supplements, he is rubbing his face, nose and ears all day.  It doesn't seem to be bothering him.  He used to have more of a swatting action, but lately, it's a backhand rub on the cheeks, nose, across the mouth and forehead and he rubs the back of his head behind his ears a lot, sometimes grabbing and bending his ears.  He looks so funny when he has this chronic itching, because his hair is always sticking up all over from rubbing his head!  hahaha  In the past I would have thought this was a tic, but it's not a consistent motion (not sure, if that even matters) and he says he is itchy.  He is even putting the palm of his hand over his ear and pressing/rubbing, like you would if you had a deep inner ear itch. I've noticed that since I increased the monolaurin, he is now nasally too.  His tolerance of the monolaurin is low, we just increased his dose to three little pellets, when normally a scoop is used.  I am wondering, if this means he has a problem with Rubella, since I have heard that monolaurin is the natural antiviral of choice for rubella infections.  Oddly, even with these strange behaviors, his mood has been phenomonal!  In the very beginning, his moods were like the wind, but that passed quickly.  We've even increased his DMSA this round with no ill effects, amazingly!  In the past, just a tiny increase would send him into meltdown misery!  Not this time.  He's finally on a full 5mg dose of DMSA.  Still nowhere near his maximum dose since he could go as high as 20mg per dose safely!  I still feel like we are really making progress.  His more consistent cooperative moods make parenting a breeze!  This is something I haven't been able to say in years.  I am proud to say that I am enjoying these days immensely!