Claire

Julie, I had called a local "Kelly Paint" store and they had it for a couple of brands. We didn't get it from Home Depot, so I don't know, but it was easy to find. We 'moved out' for a couple of days during the painting, but had no issue coming back At least it is temporary, and congrats on your success so far!! Nice thing about have a no-tic baseline--you can spot the triggers more clearly. Claire

Paint is a big trigger for many!! For the future, they have low VOC (Volume of Contaminants) paints that don't cost significantly more (when you consider that most of the painting expense is labor). They use this paint for hospitals. When we repainted, we even used it for the primer. It takes weeks and weeks to go away...leave the windows open as much as possible for a bit to help. Given that you can't reverse the painting, Patty had a great idea on the Austin Purifier. We have one for chemicals...(we use the HEPA for normal). It is very quiet too! However, tough to do the whole house with one filter... http://www.natlallergy.com/cat/11/healthma...-purifiers.html Claire

Hi Carolyn, I third what Chemar and Kim said, you are amazing and persistant...far more than I would ever have expected. That poster just had issues with empathy...not everyone has that ability. I do think people's tastes are quite different. As for Stevia, it has a bulk (non-liquid) form where it says on the package just how to substititute it for sugar. You need the bulk to work in baked goods. HOWEVER, the aftertaste is real and you could never just substitute it for sugar....YUCK, I tried!! Either use it to reduce the sugar or use the xylitol or whatever. I did small batches... Claire

Hi Giselle, Well the DMSA probably helped with the lead. We certainly have done the other things you mentioned, though his zinc/copper ratio was always fine. Also, his glutathione never got in the normal range with the oral, and I only recently got him to do the transdermal again, so maybe that would have made a difference. MT promotion is supposed to help with mercury, good luck! It took us a year to get his zinc high enough to meet Pfeiffer's criteria...I think the serum zinc at 70 ish was our starting point. We ended up doing zinc at 70 mg/day back when he was 100 pounds. We tried 50 mg/day and it didn't do enough for him. Ultimately the 70 overshot a little too, but Pfeiffer wasn't worried, they said MT would bring it right back down which it did. I do suggest that you talk to your DAN doctor about this criteria of Pfeiffers (and confirm with Pfeiffer that they didn't change it in the last year, which I doubt) and see about modifying his supplementation. For that high a dosage, you really need to test regularly for both zinc and copper levels. Another help is taking zinc by itself at bedtime (better absorbed), plus we ended up combining some zinc citrate and some zinc picolinate. Anyway, I am hopeful about the EDTA for lead. My mercury levels are still so high, I wish I had an apples to apples comparison for the MT on myself. I preferred that over DMSA too, based on risks. Claire

If you search this site, you will find lots of discussion on this.... IgG is food sensitivity IgE is food allergy. IgG is the one most people here do first. Claire

Giselle, I asked you on another thread how you got rid of lead. Maybe you will see it here? We were doing calcium and MT promotion but it doesn't seem to be doing it for the lead. Gonna start EDTA soon. Chemar, Interesting re recommending honey, but every doctor is different...or maybe just the type of honey. Xylitol does have a laxative effective for MOST. That's why I have limited portions. Though really it is odd, I can have a fair amount without any issues. Claire

Presumably xylitol doesn't feed yeast, though some claim that everything feeds yeast. Not like sugar anyway. Yes honey feeds yeast. Giselle, that is really strange (and terrible) about xylitol and dogs!! Claire

Carolyn, I thought you had yeast? Sugar and carb cravings are common with that. Even if you don't have yeast, blood sugar issues and hyperinsulism cause cravings. I have always had a problem with sugar, so I don't eat sweets with sucrose, period. What we do for my son and I is substitute Xylitol and Stevia for the sucrose. Xylitol is one of 2 sugar alcohols that I know of that is not derived from corn. (Erythritol is the other, but it is 40% less sweet than sucrose or something). It is completely natural and has no aftertaste...at least good brands don't. We order from www.smartsweet.com. (The other brand we tried at WHole Foods was awful, don't remember the name). It is fine for baking...we make gluten-free cinnamon rolls with it too. We use Pamela's Wheat Free bread mix (no milk or corn I think). Really the taste of sweets can get me to eat more than I need, but I don't get the sugar fluctuations and cravings afterward...it is even okay for diabetics. You can only eat a limited amount or you get diahrea...that is enough to force anyone to be well controlled after overdoing it once! Stevia is a totally natural sweetener, and I often blend the two, to reduce the risk of stomach upset (not an issue with Stevia). However Stevia can have a strong taste if used in excess. So I do mostly Xylitol. Stevia is great with smoothies, since the fruit somehow kills any 'licorishy' after taste. I researched the heck out of Xylitol and only found good things. In gum form it even reduces cavities better than anything. We use xylitol rinses and toothpaste and even nasal sprays to avoid sinus infections. Claire

Giselle, Pfeiffer usually gives cautious feedback about their helping with tic syndromes--Several of us hear contacted them at one point. I will say that I believe most treatments for metal related immune issues are likely to address a similar immune issue for a tic syndrome child. They insist on a serum zinc/copper test with zinc at least 90 (Labcorp does this test...you can get it from www.directlabs.com). After much research, and a year of supplementing zinc before his zinc levels were high enough, my son and I have been doing MT promotion through Pfeiffer since January. Unfortunately, we don't have an apples to apples before/after for my son's mercury. It doesn't seem to have impacted his lead though, bummer. Still, I think it makes a ton of sense, and seems very safe. One capsule every other day is easy also. *What did you do to lower your child's LEAD?* We are going to start a form of EDSA lead chelation soon. Pfeiffer just had us supplement calcium for the lead...it wasn't enough. Claire

bumped. Claire

I noticed the increased ticcing with the video games. For some children, this is a trigger. You might take the game away for a week and see if this helps. Here is a link where a number of parents posted on their experience with this trigger: http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p?showtopic=852 This is just a symptom of other issues, but if it helps, then you might be encouraged to try some of the natural treatments. Also, the story of you as a child made me feel so sad for you and for the ignorance of your teacher. Those memories die hard...I know that you would worry doubly for your child. There are so many ways to help your child naturally. Claire

Kim, THere is an icon to click for English. I ordered by sending an email to the address you posted, with my mailing address, asking them to send me the porphyrin test kit. They emailed me back saying normal mail was just fine. Since we still showed issues, I assume it is, but just ask them directly if there is impact. contact@labbio.net Claire

The numbing cream made a big difference for us. If it is not a fasting test, I would let her chew xylitol (no colors) gum during it to distract her. (Dare I say a nothing artificial sucker during the draw?) Otherwise a treat ready for immediately afterward, as someone suggested. And Kim, I guess I posted on drinking water before your time. It apparently raises the blood pressure and helps with the draw, plus the recovery. Though we were drawing blood for a year when I found out. Claire

Kim, I just hung up from a consult with our DAN doctor. He is going to start us on a liposome-based EDTA program which is supposedly absorbed as well as IV EDTA. www.lipoflow.com is the website, for those with lead (and maybe mercury) that want to ask their doctor about it. He says EDTA is really really low risk, unlike DMSA, which he still has issues with in terms of the risk. They can even do the glutathione in that liposome form. He says we will need to increase metabolites when we do this as the mobilized lead will need help getting transported out. I believe he meant antioxidants, but we will find out. He agreed that the lead in the bones leaches out into the blood when mobilized. Then if the body can eliminate it, great, then more leaches out until eventually you are okay. He is researching something they do for mercury (their studies) and may use this program for me. I will keep you posted...it may take him time. Oh yes, he had gotten literature from the lab in France and will look at our tests to learn more. Hopefully his other patients will then benefit from that. Claire

Ok, got the results back. Son:Profile suggests a Mildly Mercury Toxic Effect. Me: Profile suggests a remarkable Toxic Effect on bodily physiology. We both were really high in Coproporphyrins, which indicates lead and mercury. But they didn't comment on lead, so I emailed them to ask if this is 'sufficient' to indicate lead. I am glad that my son is only mildly toxic for mercury. After 2.5 years, I would hope that this would be under control, certainly his symptom improvement reflects this. I am still concerned about lead and will look into oral liquid EDTA again, to see if that is still a safe and effective method. As for me, well, I may wait a couple of months and retest to see if the MT promotion is gradually lowering my levels. I don't mind trying chelation on myself. I know I still have yeast issues! At least I was FINALLY able to raise my antioxidant levels which should help. It took removing my amalgams to have supplementing antioxidants even have an impact on my levels. Claire ps THANK YOU KIM! I SEE THIS MERCURY URINE TEST AS A 'MUST HAVE' STARTING POINT TEST. Mercury is a likely root problem for many of our kids.

No way, Simonzl, Did they say why? Claire

Interesting that he is discussing cutting back on the pollen etc shots. I took them for 20 years, and when I would stop, symptoms always came back. Until I got my amalgams out and did all this supplementation. Now I am doing without them and so far it is okay. Sorry you still have the food allergies! Claire

Hello efgh, My son went through that and it turned out he had a zinc deficiency. (Often accompanies these growth years). www.directlabs.com has a serum zinc and copper test that you could do to be sure. Pfeiffer talks a lot about zinc deficiencies and anger. In our case, we supplemented and within a month (it takes time for the zinc to go away), he was back to his sweet self. Not saying that he never gets angry, but it is at a normal level now. Claire

Fascinating Chemar, thanks! Excerpt: "Ferritin and serum iron were significantly lower in the Tourette’s syndrome subjects, although still within the normal range. No association was found between tic severity and either iron index." So much for the adage people used to think about not supplementing iron...back to my repeated advice: Get tested. For those that don't know, ferretin is stored iron and is measured in standard blood tests along with iron levels. This is something that even mainstream doctors will test! Claire

Kim, I sent you a PM on this. By the way, I really don't understand much about DHEA and won't pretend to. Since my son's levels were always fine, I just didn't research it. I tend to only research things that my son had issues with...and there were a ton... Sorry I can't be more helpful here! I am/will be spending my limited cycles now on researching hypoglycemia/hyperinsulinism and the mercury porphyrin thing. Pfeiffer seems to think that MT is at the heart of everything...it would be nice to find the chicken/egg thing...it reminds me of yeast and mercury, and which were we supposed to fix first... Claire

We did adrenal stress saliva tests too. 2 years ago (twice) and 1 year ago. (425) 251-0596 Diagnostechs $100. Need doctor's sig. or Metrametrix has one through directlabs.com, but it was $210. no doctor's sig. Both require 4 saliva samples, including one at midnight. Anyway, in all tests his DHEA/cortisol ratio was normal. However, in the first two test he didn't have enough cortisol (adrenal exhaustion), which is stage 2 of adrenal stress. We did major additional supplementation of vit C, pantothenic acid and bioflavins. In the most recent test (after much supplementation), he had elevated cortisol...which I assume is an improvement of sorts. I have never posted about this, and will delete it later--so please don't reply to this and leave my post in permanent quotes, but I was concerned that Carolyn's doctor may have given some a false sense of security that kids have plenty of cortisol. I suspect that many if not most of our kids have adrenal stress--too much cortisol--and if that continues too long it can lead to adrenal exhaustion. This was a MAJOR MAJOR challenge for us--the biggest one we have ever faced--- and one that I didn't post about because I thought it was OT and my son is so sensitive to my sharing. Claire

Hi Kim, Pfeiffer has deleted most of what was on their website, but I found some excerpts (below), including ..."The primary finding was that 499 of the 503 subjects exhibitedevidence of a metallothionein (MT) disorder. " Also, Pfeiffer doing formal clinical trials on MT promotion now, which to me is a good indicator that they think it is working. I haven't been to a clinic in 1.5 years, so I wanted to see if things had changed. We just got approval to start MT promotion in January 2006, because it took that long to raise my son's zinc to acceptable levels. Anyway, yes, screens was 100% of my son's trigger, and 3 years ago November 2003 (age 10) was his last episode. However, after 2 years of no screens (from ages 8 to 10) showed that he was still reacting to them when we tested it ever 6 months or so. So really it has been 5 years since we solved the tic problem from a trigger standpoint, but we didn't start treating his photosensitivity/underlying immune issues until January 2004. Then in June 2004 (~6 months) he 'passed' a movie screen trigger test...though he was a little fidgety afterwards, but no tic. Now he isn't even fidgety afterward. At school he occasionally gets CRT screen exposure with no issues, but we still do just LCD screens though, but he moved from being able to go 15-30 minutes back then to way more than he should (some days all day) with no issues. Anyway, to answer your question: We ID'd his low glutathione in early 2004 and supplemented orally for many months and it didn't his improve his glutathione levels to normal. They went up a small amount, and maybe that amount helped, but we were supplementing other antioxidants that he was also deficient in, plus supplementing melatonin for a few months, which brought his sleep cycle back to normal, which is a very powerful antioxidant. He was trigger-free/symptom free BEFORE we moved to the dermal glutathione, and his mercury levels appeared to be improved too (from hair and blood tests). Plus vitamin supplementation of deficient vitamins, and removal of certain foods. So we did too much to know for sure what brought his immune system to a satisfactory level, but I am personally convinced that the antioxidants were key. Of course, this coming urine test is scary to see what is left. It is tough to know what (if anything) MT promotion is doing for either of us! We both still have yeast issues, but Pfeiffer does say that these still need to be treated. I guess I am hoping that if the France porphyrin test still shows mercury/lead, that the combo of glutathione and MT promotion will help. Glutathione isn't supposed to really help lead removal from what I read, just mercury, arsenic and cadmium. Sorry if I wasn't clear, but his DHEA/Cortisol ratio always showed normal on these tests. What isn't/wasn't normal was his hyperinsulinism/pancreatic enzymes/blood sugar levels. I am assuming that chronic yeast is a contributor there. But I am going to start researching this area for new information since I last looked. We did and still do vitamin C, pantothenic acid and chromium for it...maybe I cut back too much on those vitamins. Ok, gotta run...I have a HUGE project that is starting...so I may be checking in less often for a while...though I will post what I learn from the mercury urine test. Thanks again! Claire --------------------------- EXCERPTTS FROM THE PFEIFFER SITE--some of this is data that was posted long ago...Claire We’ve now seen about 16,000 pa-tients and have conducted several out-come studies. They indicate successrates for young, compliant patients to be about 90% for behavior, 85% for depres-sion, 80% for many types of learningdisabilities, and 75% for ADHD. chemistry data on 3,000 adults with clini-cal depression. Some depressed patients have a genetic pyrrole disorder that renders themgrossly depleted in vitamin B6. These in-dividuals cannot efficiently create sero-tonin since B6 is an important cofactor inthe last step of its synthesis. Many ofthese people report benefits from Prozac,Paxil, Zoloft or other serotonin-enhanc-ing medications. However, similar ben-efits may also be achieved by simply giv-ing these patients sufficient amounts ofB6along with augmenting nutrients.We have separated them into five ma-jor chemical categories:Hypercupremia (elevated copper) Thiscondition is especially prevalent inwomen who experience postpartum andother forms of hormonal depression. Wehave very high success here. Treatmentfocuses on promoting the metallo-thionein protein system to achieve agood balance of trace metals. Under-methylated (high histamine)These patients often have addictive orobsessive-compulsive perfectionism.They tend to have allergy and seasonalonset of depression. Over-methylation These patients usu-ally exhibit a nasty combination of anxi-ety and depression, and are prone topanic attacks. Treatment centers on nu-trient therapy aimed at reducing dopam-ine and norepinephrine levels.Toxicity A small percentage of depressivepatients exhibit heavy-metal or organic tox-icity as their primary chemical imbalance. Pyrrole disorders This chemical imbal-ance is associated with depression, high-anxiety and poor stress control. It in-volves a severe deficiency of B6, whichis a cofactor for serotonin. These patientsMetallothionein (MT)ProteinMT is a family of short, linear,cysteine-rich proteins composed of61 to 68 amino acids. Very versatile,MT proteins are involved in manyimportant functions in humans,including detoxification of heavymetals, immune function, develop-ment of brain cells and synapticconnections, and regulation ofcopper and zinc levels. In studyingmore than 1,200 published articleson MT proteins, we learned thatvirtually all of the classic features ofautism could have resulted fromdisabled or defective MT.The MT protein family is composedof four primary types:MT I and II exist throughout thebody, with high concentrations foundin brain, liver, and intestinal mucosa.MT III is found mainly in the brain,where it has a primary role inneuronal growth inhibition andapoptosis. Recent studies haveshown low levels of MT III in thebrains of Alzheimer’s patients.MT IVMT IV is found primarily in theepithelia of skin and upper G.I. tract.Some of our studies yielded badnews. For example, most Down syn-drome kids have crazy chemistry levels.We expected balancing their chemistrywould help them. It was a complete zero.If they were depressed we could makethem happier.If they were hyperactive wecould make them calmer. But we couldn’timprove the retardation. That was a tre-mendous disappointment.Another disappointment was an out-come study for Obsessive-CompulsiveDisorder (OCD).We’d had some successwith patients who claimed to be com-pletely free of OCD with our therapy. Mosthad high blood histamine, a marker forunder-methylation (see side-bar page 13)and low levels of catecholamines. Butwhen we did the statistics we found thatonly one out of six OCD patients im-proved significantly.Interestingly, we’ve had good suc-cess, about 65%, with people who haveobsessive-compulsive tendencies, not afull expression of the condition.How do you measure success?Our outcome data are obtained in in-terviews with parents and teachers. Ourmost recent study involved 207 consecu-tive behavior cases over a select timeframe. That’s called a “census sample.”We tracked down families and used stan-dardized measurements of behaviors toobtain the data. The results show that11% of our patients did not initiate treat-ment, and a total of 23% became totallynon-compliant within eight months.However, 91% of the compliant pa-tients exhibited fewer assaults and de-structive behaviors, with half reporting acomplete remission of these behaviors.These findings were reported at theAmerican Psychiatric Association. A for-mal paper is being prepared for the jour-nal Physiology and Behavior.In 1992 we began accepting casesof depression and measured an improve-ment rate of 85% of the patients after thefirst year.We can help most victims of de-pression, but not all. We have extensiveWe believe Tourette syndrome isnot a single condition. The indi-vidual phenotypes may requirecompletely different treatmentapproaches.www.Latitudes.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 5 said they weren’t aware of such a corre-lation but they would look into it. A fewyears later I received a letter stating theyalso found a high incidence of Ritalin dur-ing TS onset, but didn’t know if it was realor coincidence.They suggested these pa-tients might have developed TS anywayand the Ritalin just triggered it. We’veseen hundreds of kids who took Ritalinand had to stop because they developedfacial or shoulder tics. Nowadays, I thinkmost physicians monitor the possible de-velopment of tics when prescribing stimu-lant medication.I know you have exciting results basedon a recent study on autism at theHealth Research Institute.We believe we may have discoveredthe primary cause of autism. In June2000, we created a database of lab chem-istries for 503 autism-spectrum patientswho had been evaluated at the PfeifferTreatment Center. Between 95 and 160separate analyses of blood, urine, andscalp hair were evaluated for each pa-tient. The primary finding was that 499 ofthe 503 subjects exhibited evidence of ametallothionein (MT) disorder. Copper/zinc ratios were extremely high — rang-ing from 1.5 to 2.5 in most cases — com-pared to a normal value of about 1.0.In May 2000, we reported this work atthe annual meeting of the American Psy-chiatric Association. We proposed thatautism is caused by the intersection oftwo factors: (1) a genetic defect that re-sults in impaired MT functioning, and (2)an environmental insult during early de-velopment that disables MT.Wasn’t a copper to zinc ratio imbal-ance in autistics previously reportedin the literature?High copper levels have been men-tioned since the 1970s, but the connec-tion with MT and brain development wasnever understood.An MT-function abnor-mality can cause impaired brain devel-opment and extreme sensitivity to toxicmetals or vaccines. It appears we canexplain every aspect of autism from thissingle disorder. Pick one and I’ll tell youhow impaired MT functioning explains it.How about the fact that autism beginswithin a set time period — usually byage three?MT proteins are directly involved inbrain development. By age three, thebrain has usually matured to the extentthat an environmental insult can nolonger provoke autism in at-risk children.How does this relate to growing con-cerns that some vaccines are caus-ing autism?Until recently, most childhood vac-cines contained a mercury-compoundadditive used as a preservative. Manyexpectant mothers are also given flushots that contain mercury. Children witha genetic MT protein dysfunction wouldbe expected to be hypersensitive tomercury.Also, MT is involved in the develop-ment of the immune system. A dysfunc-tion in MT might well result in hyper-also have symptoms of severe zincdeficiency.I’ve had families dealing with Tourette’ssyndrome (TS) report that they went toyour clinic with varying degrees of suc-cess. What can you tell us about TS?We discourage Tourette syndromepatients from visiting the clinic since out-come studies indicate a treatment suc-cess rate of only 15 percent. While we’vehad a few dramatic successes, most TSpatients do not improve with this treat-ment alone.Having said that, I do have some in-sight into the underlying profiles of TS.Lab results suggest nearly all of them areunder-methylated. They often respond tocesium, a nutrient metal in the same fam-ily as lithium and sodium. In addition,some TS patients are helped by supple-mentation with free-form amino acids.We did a TS study in the late ’70s incooperation with the Chicago TouretteSyndrome Association. We enrolled 24pairs of brothers in the study—one brotherwith TS and the other without it. We foundthree completely different chemical types.One group primarily had coprolalia—thesocially-unacceptable inability to controlspeech. Another group had a high inci-dence of learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD, and dyslexia. Their chemical im-balances were similar to those found inpatients with learning disabilities. Thethird group had peculiar trace-metal pat-terns that were unfamiliar to us.We believe TS is not a single condi-tion. The individual phenotypes may re-quire completely different treatment ap-proaches. Our data indicates that TS isassociated with under-methylation andresultant low levels of norepinephrine,dopamine and serotonin. The obsessivecompulsive disorder aspect of TS is con-sistent with under-methylation.The most striking result of our studywas discovering that more than half theTS subjects had developed the conditionwhile taking Ritalin. We may have discovered the primary cause of autism. In June2000, we created a database of lab chemistries for 503 autism-spectrum patients . . . Between 95 and 160 separate analyses of blood, urine, and scalp hair were evaluated for each patient. The primary finding was that 499 of the 503 subjects exhibitedevidence of a metallothionein (MT) disorder. Copper/zinc ratioswere extremely high–ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 in most cases–compared to a normal value of about -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- herself had a metal-metabolism disor-der. About one out of three autism fami-lies report that the symptoms were evi-dent at birth.What about the fact that autism mostlyaffects boys? And why has the rate ofautism increased so dramatically thatit’s being called an epidemic? About 80 percent of autistic-spectrumpatients are males. Estrogen and proges-terone help promote the body’s produc-tion of metallothionein. As a result, males have less protection against mercury andother environmental insults that may pro-voke autism.Over the past 20 years there’s beena dramatic increase in the incidence ofautism, which is known to be a geneticdisorder. An epidemic of a genetic disor-der is possible only if environmental fac-tors are involved. Many observers be-lieve that the genetic defect results in hy-persensitivity to vaccines, and that theincreased incidence of autism parallelsthe increased number of vaccinationsgiven to children.Some families report success with se-cretin therapy. Does this fit into yourtheory?MT IV (see page 11) is in high con-centration in parietal cells of the stom-ach. An MT dysfunction might be ex-pected to impair the production of stom-ach acid. The acidity of food entering thesmall intestine signals the pancreas tosend secretin, which stimulates the re-lease of carbonate, digestive enzymes,etc., to enable proper digestion. An in-sufficient amount of stomach acid couldresult in a weakened or absent secretinresponse. The metallothionein theory isconsistent with reports of efficacy of se-cretin in some autistics.Assuming that a metal metabolismdisorder is the underlying cause of au-tism, how can this information helpfamilies? Prevention of autism through early sensitivity to the viruses in a vaccine,especially if several vaccines arebundled together like the MMR(measles, mumps, rubella).How does MT functioning relate to the need for some autistics to avoid casein from milk products, and gluten? If MT is not functioning properly, you would predict intolerance and hypersen-sitivity to casein and gluten. The enzymesthat break down these proteins in the small intestine are zinc-dependent. The zinc for these enzymes is delivered by zinc metallothionein. A serious MT dys-function would diminish enzyme activity and the ability to completely break downcasein and gluten.It’s interesting to note that one of thefunctions of MT is to kill candida albicans. An MT dysfunction could explain whyso many autistic kids have a tendencyfor yeast overgrowth. What about the wide range of symp-toms among autistic children?The specific symptoms depend onthe intensity of the insult and the age atwhich it occurred. Insults in-utero andearly infancy generally have a more pro-found impact on brain development thanthose later in childhood when brain or-ganization and development is morecomplete. It’s also possible that the in-sults temporarily shut down MT, and thesymptoms may depend on the stage ofbrain development at that time. For ex-ample, a heavy-metal insult during de-velopment of the speech center couldresult in speech delay. A severe insult atthat time may result in mutism.These environmental insults could beprenatal? Using mercury in vac-cines is a bad idea, but allowing preg-nant women to have flu shots with mer-cury stabilizers can be worse. There is clear evidence in the literature that mer-cury goes to the fetus preferentially. Th Over-Methylation Many people who suffer from anxietyand depression are over-methylated,which results in excessive levels ofdopamine, norepinephrine andserotonin. Typical symptoms mayinclude chemical and food sensitivi-ties, underachievement, upper bodypain, and an adverse reaction toserotonin-enhancing substances suchas Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, St. John’s wortand SAMe. They have a genetictendency to have depressed levels offolates, niacin and vitamin B12.Biochemical treatment focuses onsupplementing these nutrients. Thesepeople are also overloaded in copperand methionine. Supplements ofthese nutrients must be strictlyavoided.Under-MethylationMany patients with obsessive-compulsive tendencies, oppositional-defiant disorder or seasonal depressionare under-methylated, which isassociated with low serotonin levels.They generally exhibit seasonalallergies, perfectionism, competitive-ness, and other distinctive symptomsand traits. They have a genetictendency to be very depressed inlevels of calcium, magnesium,methionine and vitamin B6, withexcessive levels of folic acid.These under-methylated individu-als may benefit nicely from Paxil,Zoloft and other serotonin-enhancingmedications, although nasty sideeffects are common. A more naturalapproach is to directly correct theunderlying problem using methion-ine, calcium, magnesium and B6.SAMe, St. John’s wort, Kava andinositol are also useful in treatingthese individuals. Many persons withTourette syndrome fall into thisbiochemical category.D ironmental controls, and other steps toenhance G.I. function.Four to six weeks later, we prescribeindividualized nutrient therapy to ad-dress specific biochemical imbalancesand promote MT function. We ask par-ents to send progress reports during thefirst four months of treatment, and rec-ommend a follow-up evaluation and labtesting after four to six months. Compre-hensive follow-up is important so we canadjust dosages for growth and incorpo-rate advanced treatment protocols.Do you use chelation in your clinicwhen treating children? If so, why? We believe that therapy based on promotion of metallothionein is more ef-fective and longer-lasting than chelation. Whereas DMSA (DimercaptosuccinicAcid) can effectively remove mercury,lead, and other toxic metals from the body,it is relatively ineffective at reducing cop-per levels, and does little to protect thepatient from future toxic exposures.MT promotion therapy does it all. Iteliminates toxic metals, removes excesscopper, restores toxic-metal barriers inintestinal mucosa and blood-brain bar-rier, and promotes development of newneuronal connections. We do occasion-ally use clatheration or chelation for pa-tients with especially severe toxic levels.Why is there so much professionaldisagreement over megadoses ofnutrients?Many professionals seem obliviousto genetic differences in metabolism andbiochemistry. Everyone is not the samenutritionally and biochemically.If we carryout a complete biochemical analysis onanyone, we will typically find this personto be unusually low in four to six importantnutrients because of genetics. He or shewould profit from many times the RDA levelfor those nutrients if they only knew whichfew out of the hundreds they were.This same person would also havea genetic tendency to be overloaded incertain nutrients. Overloading nutritionalsupplements can be very harmful. Afterstudying the biochemistry of 10,000 in-dividuals, I’ve learned that the greatestmischief is usually caused by nutrientsstored in excessive amounts rather thanat depleted levels. The most commonnutrients in overload include copper,iron, folic acid, calcium, methionine, man-ganese, choline and omega-6 fatty ac-ids. Of course, these same nutrients maybe deficient in others. That’s why multiplevitamin/mineral supplements are usually limited in benefits, and may do moreAlthough only 10 percent of our database case histories involve seriousmalabsorption, more than 90 percentof autistics exhibit this problem. There are three primary classes of ab-sorption problems: (1) stomach prob-lems, including excessive or insuffi-cient HCl levels, (2) incomplete di-gestion in the small intestine, and (3)problems at the brush-border of theintestine where most nutrients are ab-sorbed into the portal blood stream. direct analysis for MT in blood, and (3)chemical analysis for copper, zinc, andceruloplasmin in blood.Babies found to be predisposed to autism could be sheltered from exposureto toxic metals, vaccines and other envi-ronmental hazards until three years ofage. In addition, parents would need tolimit the child’s intake of copper and takesteps to avoid zinc depletion. For the more than 500,000 autism-spectrum patients in the U.S., nutrienttherapy to promote metallothionein maybe a very effective therapy. Restoring MTto proper function has the potential of (1)eliminating food allergies, (2) eliminat-ing malabsorption, (3) detoxifying heavymetals, (4) overcoming taste/texture sen-sitivities, (5) achieving homeostatic con-trol of copper and zinc, and (6) reducingthe tendency for yeast overgrowth. Best of all, improving MT function maydramatically improve the child’s ability todevelop new brain cells and synapticconnections. The brain is constantly form-ing new cells, which requires proper metallothionein function that we can ad-dress nutritionally. Ourdatabase indicates that those peoplewith a metallothionein (MT) disorderare especially sensitive to toxic metals,and that over-methylation is associatedwith severe chemical sensitivities. Effec-tive treatment requires a three-stepapproach. I think the combination of MT-promo-tion therapy and behavioral therapieswould make a great marriage. Behavioraltreatments are an effective way to showerthe brain with impulses, which can stimu-late the development of brain cells andnew neuronal connections. However, ef-ficient development of neuronal connec-tions requires good MT functioning. Ifwe can improve that function, then thebehavioral treatments may work dramati-cally faster and more successfully.ACN believes that while TS and OCDare conditions with genetic predispo-sitions, environmental factors deter-mine the onset and severity of thesymptoms to a very great extent—justas you’ve proposed for autism. If weraised the necessary funds, would yoube willing to analyze the data you haveon all the Tourette syndrome patientsin your database?Certainly. That would be most inter-esting and could help identify subtypesof Tourette syndrome. Hopefully, thiswould lead to more effective treatmentsthan currently exist for this disorder.

I just signed up for the ASD_solutions board that Kim pointed me to... They auto-sent me something on glutathione. So I pulled in an excerpt below. You know that I think many of our kids have low glutathione...this is definitely the case in the autism community, and it was a standard part of the DAN protocol for mercury chelation the last time that I looked. We did (do) this instead of chelation. The test for this is usually the Great Plains OAT test... Transdermal is better absorbed than oral... (kirkman labs has it) Claire There is evidence that glutathione depletion can lead to neurological damage; low levels of glutathione have been found in Parkinson’s disease and cerebral ischemiareperfusion injury.29 Glutathione, as both a carrier of mercury and an antioxidant, has three specific roles in protecting the body from mercury toxicity. First, glutathione, specifically binding with methylmercury, forms a complex that prevents mercury from binding to cellular proteins and causing damage to both enzymes and tissue.30 Glutathione-mercury complexes also reduce intracellular damage by preventing mercury from entering tissue cells and becoming an intracellular toxin. Second, glutathione-mercury complexes have been found in the liver, kidney, and brain, and appear to be the primary form in which mercury is transported and eliminated from the body.24 The transport mechanism is unclear, but complexes of glutathione and mercury are the predominant form of mercury in both the bile and the urine.31 Glutathione and cysteine, acting as carriers of mercury, actually appear to control the rate of mercury efflux into bile; the rate of mercury secretion in bile appears to be independent of actual bile flow. When bile flow rate is increased or decreased, the content of mercury in the bile changes inversely so net mercury efflux from the liver remains unchanged.32 However, increasing bile levels of both glutathione and cysteine increases the biliary secretion of methylmercury in rats.13 Other studies have confirmed this data in animal models.33-35 Conversely, glutathione depletion inhibits biliary secretion of methylmercury in animal models and blocking glutathione production appears to shut down biliary release of mercury.35 Cells of the blood-brain barrier (brain capillary endothelial cells) release mercury in a glutathione complex. Inhibiting glutathione production in these cells inhibits their ability to release mercury. 23 Mercury accumulates in the central nervous system primarily in astrocytes, the cells that provide the first line of defense for the central nervous system against toxic compounds.36 Astrocytes are the first cells in brain tissue to encounter metals crossing the blood-brain barrier. They also contain high levels of metallothionein and glutathione, both carriers for heavy metals. It is hypothesized that astrocytes are the main depot of mercury in the brain.37 In studies with astrocytes, the addition of glutathione, glutathione stimulators, or glutathione precursors significantly enhances the release of mercury from these cells in a complex with glutathione. Fujiyama et al38 also suggest that conjugation with glutathione is the major pathway for mercury efflux from astrocytes. Glutathione also increases mercury elimination from renal tissue. Studies in mammalian renal cells reveal glutathione is 50 percent as effective as the chelating agent DMSA (2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid) in preventing inorganic mercury accumulation in renal cells.39 Third, glutathione increases the antioxidant capacity of the cell, providing a defense against hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radicals, and lipid peroxides produced by mercury.30 The addition of glutathione to cell cultures exposed to methylmercury also prevented the reduction of cellular levels of glutathione peroxidase, a crucial antioxidant enzyme necessary for protection against the damaging effects of lipid peroxidation.30 As an antioxidant, glutathione appears to protect against renal damage resulting from inorganic mercury toxicity. The co-incubation of rat renal cells with glutathione and inorganic mercury was significantly more protective of renal cell injury when compared to inorganic mercury exposure alone.40 Antioxidant levels – specifically glutathione, vitamin E, and ascorbic acid – are depleted in renal tissue exposed to mercuric chloride (inorganic mercury), and the addition of glutathione increased levels of both vitamin E and ascorbic acid in renal cells exposed to mercuric chloride.24 Mammalian cell lines resistant to mercury toxicity have been cloned.41 They do not readily accumulate mercury and are resistant to the toxic effects of methylmercury or inorganic mercury. An outstanding characteristic of this cell line is that glutathione levels are five times greater in these cells than the parent cells from which they originated. The authors of this study conclude that the mechanisms of resistance were primarily due to glutathione’s ability to facilitate mercury efflux from cells and the protective binding of mercury by glutathione to prevent cellular damage.

We tried avoiding xanthum gum and it was too hard. My son did fine with it...so little is in any recipe. I needed to make his diet livable. Claire

Kim, Very interesting...they told me normal first class mail was okay and it only cost $2.50. Perfect that the porphyrin test measures lead and mercury. It will be interesting to see re plastics and arsenic too. I think he had high arsenic in one old blood test...will have to check. I talked to Great Plains the other day and the woman on the phone told me they were suing Metametrix about the OAT test. Since I already paid for the Metametrix OAT kit, If my son's pediatrician agrees to sign for the Great Plains OAT test, I will have him do both of them at the same time, with the same sample. THAT should be an interesting experiment! A little OT, but I have told many parents of ADD/ADHD kids--that I know in real life---about immune testing, even taken the time to write out a few tests. Anyway, not one of them has done any of this. Claire