CarolynN

CSP, You know I don't know the answer to your question, but I only can imagine that the body would need so much more nutrition, from all sources, to provide what is necessary to change from being a child into an adult. I had OCD really bad between the ages of between 9-14 area. It seemed to calm down after around that time and perhaps even a little before. It is hard to pinpoint exactly now. But it did calm way down (my parents did not know what was going on so I did not have any medical treatment. They took me to a doctor and all the doctor did was give me some special soap, that was more mild, and told me to stop washing my hands so much.) I am planning on trying to find some information out about this on the internet when I have some time to research. So if I find something I will let you know. Have a great day, Carolyn N.

Hello again Kim, Well in regard to Dr. Houston's response, he said that he has never heard of that big of a reaction with tics before with No-Phenol. He told me to stop giving it to him, for now, but you will read in a minute I just decided to cut his dose way back. No-phenol was actually designed to help with the digestion of fruits and vegetables and also it helps with processing artificle dyes in foods. The reason I ordered it was to help Daniel with processing the dyes and hopefully to build up his tolerance to this very big sensitivity for him. I just want him to be able to have a piece of birthday cake without it being a big issue (I am sure you know what I mean). Dr. Houston also created other enzymes to help with the digestion of gluten and also proteins. My understanding is the No-Phenol is used to compliment their other products or you can use it by itself. They also are coming out, or already have I am not sure, with a product called Trienzya which is a capsule with a bunch of the enzymes mixed including the No-Phenol. But here is the link to read more about the No-Phenol http://www.houstonni.com/products/. But yes all the reading I have done the No-Phenol does attack yeast just as you described (so one should expect some possible die-off reaction). I have to say again AMAZING customer service with this company. I truly was impressed with the quick response back regarding my issues. I did give Daniel an 1/8 of a capsule of the No-Phenol last night and tonight and he seems to be doing real good at this point. I am giving him the No-Phenol late in the day, just once, so if he does have a reaction I can have an idea. Now I called my Naturopathic Doctor and she said when taking enzymes at first you are going to see reactions. It is the toxins leaving the body and your body having to adjust to this process. So the increase in tics did not surprise her nor did the very sulfur smelling stool. She said if this all keeps up for a while then I need to go back to see her. I just found a vitamin C product the other day called Nature's Way "The Right C". It claims to be superior absorption but also non acidic and Ph Neurtral. It said "stomach gentle". It is 1,000 mg a tablet. The only problem is they are not chewable, fairly large, and very hard. I just was concerned for my son, who is 7, swallowing something that big and hard just in case it happened to get stuck (he can swallow pills now). So my thought is if they sell this product that is "stomach gentle" perhaps there are other vitamin C products that claim to be the same. Kim, I am wondering do you know the reason your son has reflux. I listen to "Talk Radio" all the time and there is a doctor by the name of Dr. Bob Martin I have listened to for years and years. He is an amazing source of naturopathich information. I know I have heard him discuss this exact same issue you are having with you son. Unfortunately I don't remember what he said but I do know there are ways to handle this naturally. He use to have a practice here in Arizona but now he only does radio and personal consultation over the phone. Here is his link http://www.doctorbob.com/about.html . The other thing you could do, is I know he has a national show, you could call him up on the radio. I actually did that a few years ago with a situation regarding my dad (I had to wait a long time to get on the air though!). But for a lot more in depth information I think a phone consultation would be really great. The price is listed on his website. I have to tell you the more I am studying about the PST intolerance, especially from the link you gave, which is the http://www.newtreatments.org/fromweb/sulfur.html link, the more I am convinced that is indeed in core of Daniel's issue. I am bound and determined to get the root of how to improve that system in the body. What I learned from this article is it not only filters out toxins and excess histamine, but it also filters out excess DOPAMINE. So when the system gets out of whack it cannot keep up with what it needs to do with keeping the dopamine in check which is obviously the root of the issue, in the brain, with tourettes. Also I learned this system filters out excess hormones. I was thinking, in regard to the tics peaking at age 9-11 area, is it because the hormones are getting going and this system of the body is having to try to keep up with this extra demand on it. So hence it is being overtaxed even further? Another very interesting thing is, and this is a huge issue for so many with tourettes, is the toxins from the candida choke this sulfation system greatly. So if you have candida you are over taxing this system of the body that needs to "clean out" other toxins from your body including from our food and environment. So basically the candida toxins are taking up space in this system that will make it disfunctional. All this back up with the toxins again will not regulate the dopamine or your histamines correctly. This is why it is so important to get candida under control and hopefully keep it under control. I also learned, from the same article, that chlorinated water, like when you go swimming, is very hard on this system of the body. It really knocks down the sulfate ions needed to process toxins. So the doctor, who wrote the article, suggest espom salts bath right after getting out of the pool. She also stresses the importance of not bathing in water that has high chlorine levels and she suggest ways around that if your tap water is high in it. I remember Chemar's son has problems with chlorine I wonder how many other people have noticed this? Also Tylenol is VERY hard on this system of the body. I can't remember exactly what she said but I am pretty sure she states it completely wipes out all the sulfate ions for a period of time. So much of this is making more and more sense to me. If I cannot get answers from my two Naturopathic Doctors, regarding how this whole sulfation system can be improved, I will be calling Dr. Bob Martin myself. I really think he could help me understand what to do for Daniel , or at least where to go for the right answers, to improve this part of his body. I really think the No-Phenol and the other enzymes my Naturopathic wants him on, to help with processing proteins, is going to help. It will just take a lot of tiime to build up to the level where his intestinal track is nice and healthy. I also think the probiotics will help too! Have a great day Kim! Carolyn N.

Kim, Thank you so much for your information. It was very helpful!! I gave Daniel about 1/8 of a capsule tonight and so far he is doing well with it. I think slow and easy is the best way to go. I have to say that I e-mailed Dr. Houston's company, regarding his increase in tics which seemed to stem from the No-Phenol, and I got the fastest replies back. Great customer service and Dr. Houston himself even e-mailed me back to give me some information. As he progresses with this No-Phenol, I will definitely post as to how it worked or did not work. I want to give it a solid month to build up tolerance or perhaps even 2 months. I am just so praying it helps him. I am also investigating other ways to help with this PST intolerance. There seems to be some other ways to boost his sulfation system. I actually just read an article you had posted that had so much helpful information. One thing that was suggested was taking 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar twice a day (I found out they do sell it in capsule form). What confuses me about taking the apple cider vinegar is the product, itself, is on the high end for salicylates. So you would think this would be a contradiction. Just as a side note, and I am going to start a new thread about at another time, it seems like taking 250 mg of Vitamin C (3 times a day breakfast, lunch, dinner) is helping keep his histamine down which in turn is keeping his tics down. Vitamin C is one of the best things in controlling histamine from what I have read. I was thinking rather then giving it to him in one lump sum why not space it throughout the day to give his body a nice steady amount. Thanks again for replying. It means a lot to me to have such a great network of people to go through with this journey. Carolyn N.

I am trying to figure out what is going on with Daniel and whether if he is really is experiencing a die off reaction to candida. He had started on an enzyme, his doctor prescribed, about a week ago. I had noticed a few increases in tics after starting this enzyme. Enzymes do kill off candida. Well the other night, when I gave him the first dose of Benadryl, he had the strongest gas it smelled just like really BAD ROTTEN EGGS. The next day when he went to the bathroom to go number 2 that same very strong smell was present. Last night we gave him Benadryl again and once again that VERY strong smelling stool is back. He also had the No-Phenol enzyme for the second dose. Can candida dieing cause this smell? Can Benadryl cause this smell? The other thing to mention is we have been giving him Epsom Salts baths. Can they cause this smell? Obviously something major is going on in his intestional track. Has anyone, who has experienced a die off reaction, had this same experience? Thanks again for all your advice! Carolyn N.

Thank you Kim! That really helped. I also just read in "Excitotioxins the Taste that Kills by Russell L. Blaylock M.D.", it is about MSG and artificial sweetners. At this point in the book he was explaining other sources of excitotoxins. It says and I quote "protease enzymes of various sources can release excitotoxin amino acids from food proteins". This other enzyme, his doctor prescribed, has protease in it. I don't know this is necessarily a bad thing it just may need time for his body to adjust like your articile said. But I am going to need to ask my doctor. I really do think enzymes are going to help Daniel, a lot, it is figuring out the right ones and also the right balance for his body. I figuring out real quick is body is very sensitive and I just cannot jump into this full force like I was hoping I could. Carolyn N.

Okay! I am feeling better. I think I may understand more what is going on with Daniel. Thanks again to another posting I found on the Latitudes Website. As I posted regarding to my theory as to what is going on with Daniel regarding his sulfate ions well it sort of answers my question regarding the die off reaction. I found this post that confirms what I was initially thinking was going on with Daniel in regard to the sulfate ions. It explains that MSG and salicylates indicate faulty sulfation. Here is the post http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2003 . So my thought is this if he has a bunch of toxins dieing off due to the enzymes getting introduced, then toxins are building up greatly because his sulfation system is already unable to process out the toxins in just his food. I just completely overloaded his little body with toxins. It is going to take a while I am sure for the enzymes to have "cleaned" out the toxins and get his gut on the right track. I am starting to think, after reading the above posting, I may need to find a doctor who really understands this sulfation system. I am sure the enzymes will eventually help but it looks like, according again to the above post, he may need to be on a sulfur-containing amino acid too. But the writer cautions you have to be on the right kind of sulfur. I was just thinking this all goes to show that I may be on the right track for him. I was so discouraged earlier but know I realize this does fit into the big picture What kind of doctor would specialize in this system of the body? Carolyn N.

Can I just say how frustrated I feel right now. I just needed to get that off my chest. This whole thing is just like one big roller coaster I swear. Daniel was doing so well taking the Benadryl and now I think he is experiencing a die off reaction to candida because he has had a HUGE upswing in tics after taking the No-Phenol today. My questions are: Can someone tell me if they experienced an increase in tics with their child due to a die off reaction and how long does it last? How quickly can this reaction come on? Has anyone taken No-Phenol with a reaction or did they notice no reaction? I gave him his first dose of No-Phenol yesterday 1/2 capsule and 1/2 capsule today. Well yesterday I noticed an upswing in tics after he had the first No-Phenol dose. So anyway after about 30-40 minutes, of the No-Phenol today he started having a massive gulping tic that I seriously could not believe. He has never experienced a tic this dramatic and for so long. It was pretty much continual from 4 p.m. until he went to bed. He was getting very upset at himself and saying how embarassed he was. Tomorrow I am cutting way back and perhaps only give him 1/8 of a capsule. The only thing different today from any other day was the No-Phenol so I have to think he is experiencing a die off of candida. I never really suspected he had candida before, just because I have given him pro-biotics and grapefruit seed exact on and off and they help control candida. Apparently from what I can find on the internet some people take No-Phenol for the very reason of killing off yeast. Of course it has it main function of helping digest veggies/fruit and artificial dyes. I just went into my post that I did the other day regarding my thoughts on why Daniel may be so reactive to artificial foods and put in a note that it looks like he is reacting to the No-Phenol. I just want people to realize things certainly could get worse before they get better. I was thinking as sensitive as Daniel is to MSG if he has toxins from candida going through him his body is going to react what else could I expect. Thanks for your input. It is greatly appreciated. Carolyn N.

Faith, I wanted to throw out one other thought as to why the enzymes seemed to possibily increase tics in your son. Lets assume he did not have candida and that part is out of the picture. I know that enzymes will help you absorb more from your vitamins. Is it possible your child was absorbing too much of lets say, a B type vitamin, and was giving him a reaction from having too much of a supplement? I know as the enzymes build up in Daniel's system this is something I am going to have to be aware of or else he might be getting more then he will need. My thought again is some of our children are needing higher levels of these vitamins, compared to other children, because they are simply not processing them due to the lack of enzymes. Carolyn N.

Patty, Thank you for your terrific information. I think what you have done for your child is amazing. Your information, I am sure, will help others understand what they can do. Thanks, Carolyn

Faith, It certainly could. It would be interesting if anyone on the forum, whose child has tics but choose not to vaccinate around this age, noticed any increases in tics. This might be some insight into your theory. Perhaps someone can share if they have had this experience. Carolyn N.

Faith, Thanks for your encouragement! In regard to the enzymes for your child from Dr. Houston I just have to wonder if he was not just experiencing the "die off effect of candida". This can certainly make matters worse. I know the enzymes attack candida and if you kill candida off too quick you can get some yucky symptoms. So perhaps you need to start him on a smaller quantity of the enzymes and work up to the normal doseage. In regard to the Benadryl, I have given it two nights in a row. I have to tell you he has been almost tic free this afternoon. It has been in the afternoon's, the past few weeks, where his tics are the highest. I am just praising God right now!!!! So where I am going with this is until I can get the enzymes built up in his system I may need to the Benadryl to lower his histamine. I will only use it before bed because I know it will make him tired. I also wanted to add that it was mentioned by C.P. earlier in the dialogue that perhaps the reason tics naturally tend to decrease with age is it actually due to people growing out of their allergies . So I am guessing the histamine level of the body is coming down as people get older. Perhaps it is due to our bodies having more of these sulfate ions as our bodies mature? Again less histamine less tics. Also I read on one website that children are 4 times more sensitive to MSG then adults! Also I am wondering, at the tic peak ages of 10, is this the time of life when histamine just happens to be high in the body and low in thes sulfate ions anyway due to pre-puberty changes going on? I read on one website that children need more of one of the B vitamins at pre-puberty. So this could explain that their bodies are getting drained of the B's, due to a higher need at this age, and hence again sets them up for more tics (all just theories but it could just be!!!) Carolyn N.

I thought this might be helpful for those who are wanting to try using Dr. Houston's enzymes. I had e-mailed the company and asked how do you combine their products since Daniel needs the No-Phenol (for the artficle foods and fruit/veggies) but he also needs to be on a protein enzyme. This is what I now understand: You can take the No-Fenol with AFP-Peptizyde. If you eat a meal that has gluten, casein, soy or other protein -- and it has some colorings, then you give both products together. The products were made with a customized combined approach in mind. If you have a meal that doesn't have any colorings, then just give the AFP. Dose according to the size of the meal. You will want to work up to 1 capsule (or 3 chewables) of AFP. No-Fenol is strong and some find they can give a smaller dose of it. You can try 1/2 capsule each time, or 1 chewable. Use more if that dose doesn't seem to help. It takes 3 chewables to equal the potency of 1 capsule. Please note, I was just reading my literature I received from the company and it says the No-Fenol can tends to soften stools. You may need to make sure you are getting a good balance and not too much so you don't have other kinds of problems, you know what I mean! Like I said before they have a great question/answer section. So I am sure you can get more answers from their website. Also remember some people experience a die off effect of candida in the initial phases of enzymes so don't go too crazy at first. ***(Please note update-I wanted to come in and update on this post due tell you of the reaction I think my son is experiencing from the No-Phenol. We started the no-phenol yesterday. His tics have just sky rocketed. I really think he is experiencing a candida die off reaction. I just learned, through searching on the internet that No-Phenol is very effective in killing off yeast and also other enzymes can too. With his sulfate ions lacking I am assuming his body is having a hard time getting rid of the toxins from the die off. I gave him 1/2 a capsule yesterday and today. So I need to cut way back and allow his body to take this in very slowly. I am assuming once we get beyond the die off reaction we will start seeing the results.)**** I have been very impressed with the quick customer service of this company. I wish all companies were this way!!! Just for the sake of convenience, so you don't have to find the website in this long posting, here it is http://www.houstonni.com/ . Just a quick side note. I don't know if it was just my computer or their website but both times I placed orders, in the past two days, I received an error page after I clicked the ok to order button. But then when I checked my e-mails it showed the orders went through. Carolyn N.

Hello everyone again! Kim's links explain exactly why the lack of sulfate ions could be the ultimate cause for some tics. PANDA's tics could also be attributed to this according to what I read in her post. From what I could quickly gather after a person has strep guess what the sulfate ions go down!! So now toxins are building up in the body which will ultimately affect the nervous system. So getting this all working again in a person, through the correct enzymes (this part may not necessarily prove to be easy in figuring out which is best), could be an answer. I am not saying other supplements are not needed like, magnesium and B's, but perhaps this is the foundation of which ultimately needs to be repaired. Another point to think about, and I am just theorizing, but if someone is high in metals (like mercury) could this keep the enzymes from doing their full potential? Perhaps you would have to get the metals figured out along with the enzymes. I am so sorry for all the posts I keep doing but my mind is going 100 miles an hour on this. Thanks Kim for posting this it just seems to really prove that there really could be something promising to this theory! Carolyn N.

I just found out from my friend, whose son is autistic, which enzymes she uses for him. I know she has done a lot of research for her son in terms of finding what is best for him. I don't know why or how she came to the conclusion to use these ones but here is the information. She gets them from Kirkman Labs. They make a lot of different enzymes and she uses Enzyme Complete DPP-IV II Isogest Formula http://www.kirkmanlabs.com/products/enzyme...ymes_index.html . I know her son has a very hard time with gluten. Again everyone's bodies are different in what is going on with the enzymes so what works for one person may not for another. I know for my son it looks like he really needs the No-Phenal products to help process out the toxins in foods. I think, ultimately, it may be a lot of trial and error to figure out the right combination. She also told me she uses a probitoic by Pharmax. It is called HLC MindLinx it is designed for autism and ADHD. Their website is at http://www.millnut.com/HLC-Mind-Linx_p_0-96.html . Carolyn N.

Maryann, Wow! That is so exciting to me that you saw the same result with your child when taking the Benadryl. I just think it is so exciting that enzymes could be the answer for many along with other supplements and correct eating. From the reading I have done I am understanding that not all enzyme products are the same. I certainly am not promoting Dr. Houstons enzymes. But from the reading I have done he seems to have done a lot of research in developing them. So my point is this perhaps someone has been on enzymes and has seen no results. Perhaps it is due to it not being the right enzyme for the problem going on in the intestional system. It may take a combination of enzymes like the "no-phenol" along with another enzyme, for example for carbohydrates or for protein, to get the result needed. Perhaps buying enzymes say from, a general vitamin store, may not be a good enough grade enzyme to make the difference. We all know that some manufacturers of vitamins and supplements seem to be of "better quality". I think of Bonnie Grimaldi's vitamins for example. They are formulated so well. Just for the sake of reference here is Dr. Houston's website http://www.houstonni.com/ . I also wanted to share when Daniel got up this morning he did have a few tics, whereas yesterday he did not. He still was lower in tics overall this morning. I noticed they did pick up again after he ate breakfast (my guess is his body was getting more histamine from the food.) Also he still is fighting a sore throat. Again, please realize I am by no means an expert on what I am sharing here. It is all just from what I have read recently. Carolyn N.

Chemar, I came across something in my research and I thought of your son, while reading this, with his problem with some B vitamins. This is a long post, and I included it in my orginal information, but scroll down about half-way. You will find a section that is labeled "So what does this have to do with enzymes or autism/conditions neurlogy". Right below this it goes in nice detail about why some people have a problem with some B's. I am curious if this makes sense to you after you read it http://www.enzymestuff.com/methylation.htm . Also I found this old Latitudes post where they go in great detail about "undermethlayte (high histamines) and overmethlated (low histamines) and which supplements to take or not take. I really enjoyed it and for one thing I found so interesting is I, having OCD, exhibit a lot of the symptoms of a undermethylation. Here is the post http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=837 . Chemar, do you have any gut level guesses as to what could have been in the anti-histamine to give a reaction? I am just thinking if we could understand why he reacted it could be another piece of the puzzle for people. I am finding all this information so interesting. I have to say, Claire who I have not seen on the forum in recent times, was very knowledgeable. It was from her posts that really the information started coming together for me. So Claire if you happen to read this thanks! Carolyn N.

Tom's Mom and Kim thank you so much for your kind words! I just have to share I am sooooooooo exicited. I gave Daniel some more Benadryl tonight, because he did start having some tics right before bed but minimal compared to the nights prior to my "experiment". I just got him up to go to the bathroom and guess what NOT A PEEP!!!! I seriously do not know if I will sleep tonight. I just am so hopeful these enzymes will sort out his intestional system and in turn lower his histamine. It certainly would be an answer to my prayers and my husbands! Carolyn N.

Hello, I want to share something with you I have been researching for the past few weeks on the internet that may be beneficial in trying to understand the ultimate cause for some peoples tics. I wanted to post this to see if anyone has any thoughts as to why or why not what I found would or would not work to decrease tics. I just really want to help my son and others, who are experiencing tics, so any additional information would be great. I certainly do not want to create a false sense of hope either but I was really excited in finding this information. So here it is. My son Daniel, as many of you already know, has both vocal and motor tics and has since he was 3 he is now 7. He is triggered by artificial food dyes (especially yellow dye), high fructose corn syrup, MSG, and caramel color. The question that I have had in the back of my mind, for a long time, is what ultimately is making Daniel sensitive to these chemical foods especially MSG? I am going to be sharing a lot of information with you and I will include the links that led me from one point to another (I also want to quickly mention I have not been able to figure out how to get the spell check to work on this post so please forgive any misspellings). This is not exactly easy for me to explain but please hang in there with me. I have to say I am only a layperson but I have spent many, many hours reading materials regarding Tourettes and Tics. My understanding now is Daniel's tics may directly related to the lack of something called "sulfate ions" which in turn is creating a higher amount of histamine in his body. What I found out is that histamine is actually a neurotransmitter. So when you have more histamine in your body you have more of this neurotransmitter which ultimately effects the nervous system http://www.raysahelian.com/neurotransmitter.html . Last night I tested this theory out. I don't know if you read in a previous post, but I accidentally gave Daniel MSG and also let him have way too many treats over Christmas. He has been experiencing a high level of tics for him. Well his body started coming down from it but it never rebounded completely. He did have some foods that I could explain why he would still be having tics but his tics have been at a higher level then I expected (including saying something like "berverba" over and over). So I thought if it is the histamine being too elevated, in theory, an antihistamine would bring him back in line. So before he went to bed I gave him Benadryl with no dyes (he has never had Benadryl before). We always have to get Daniel up around 12 p.m. to go to the bathroom, or else he wets his bed. When he is "ticcing" he ALWAYS tics during this time when we get him. I forgot I gave him the Benadryl until I realized when I laid him back in bed I had not heard a peep from him nor did I notice any motor tics. I then, literally, held my breath when he got up this morning to see if he would have any. He did not have one until about 40 minutes after eating his breakfast. I cannot tell you how excited I was. I found this post regarding a mother who also noticed a decrease in tics after Benadryl http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p;mode=threaded . So this afternoon his tics were greatly decreased, from prior days, and what is interesting is he is getting a cold. This always increases tics in him. They also had a party at school and he had some items like marshmallows, some colored cereal, and few pieces of colored candy. So I was still excited this afternoon to see his tics still decreased (As a side note, I know some children can get hyper from Benadryl so perhaps in that case it might cause problems for some?) Now I am going to explain, as best I can, what seems to be the ultimate problem at hand for Daniel and his chemical sensitivity with foods. I got this information from a posting off of Latitudes from a few years ago http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...amp;mode=linear . Everyone's bodies have something called sulfate ions. These sulfate ions are key to detoxify the body. When you read the post you will see and I quote "The PST sulfation pathway is necessary for the breakdown and removal of certain toxins in the body. This includes the processing of a type of chemical called phenol." It goes on to say "if the sulfation pathway is not functioning well the person may not be able to process out the phenolic compounds as fast as they consume them. There is a CUMULATIVE EFFECT. When the phenols start backing up in the system, it can cause a myriad of negative effects." (quick side note, I read Epsom Salt baths help with the process of removing these toxins the post explains this real well) This is the most key part to me. Again from the same post above "The detoxification pathway processes other phenolic compounds including salcylates, artificial food colorings and some food colorings" . So in other words, without the sulfate ions working correctly the body cannot detox itself from the chemical foods Daniel is sensitive too. What I am picturing in my head is this. When I allow Daniel to have more treats then normal, like Christmas, what is happening is I am overtaxing his already low, sulfate ions, which in turn cannot process out the toxins. So now his system is in overload and has no way to take out the toxins it needs too including the toxins that naturally occur in vegetables, fruit, milk etc. So even though Daniel is not "allergic" to these foods like milk, vegetable and fruit he longer can process the toxins out of these foods creating a more toxic environment. Then lets say he goes to a birthday party and eats icing with artificial dyes he is going to have an even bigger problem because his overtaxed sulfate ions have no way of process out the toxins and hence he has higher levels of histamine. As I mentioned prior, the histamines are a neurotransmitter and will ultimately affect the nervous system. Now comes the next part of the picture. There is a man, many of you may be familiar, named Dr. William Shaw. He is part of the Pfeiffer Treatment Center.. He explains in in this interview with Shelia Rodgers his theory about Tourettes and people with Tourettes tend to have a high histamine issue, or what her refers to as undermethylation http://www.hriptc.org/latitudes.pdf . The undermethylation is very confusing but I found this website to be useful http://www.enzymestuff.com/methylation.htm . This is the part what I found very fascinating. If you look at the list of things Daniel is sensitive too most of them fall under one category they are all naturally high in histamines themselves even before you consume them http://sun1.awardspace.com/Conditions/Sola...tamine_diet.htm . So here I have a son who is naturally high in histamines now adding more histamine into his body from foods and chemical foods. So he is getting more and more histamine in his system that ultimately effects the nervous system. I have a friend of mine whose son is autistic. She has done everything for him completely taking gluten out of his diet, vitamin therapy, amino acids, etc. She saw success from doing these things but kept seeking answers for him. She recently started going to the same doctor I go to, for Daniel, to do the treatment similar to NAET that I have posted. The doctor told her to put her son on digestive enzymes. My friend said she cannot believe the difference in her son since being on the enzymes. She said it has freed him up to eat so many things he could not eat before. She still keeps him off gluten though. (I found this book which I have not read but have ordered called "Enzymes for Autism and Other Neurological Disorders by Karen DeFelice"). My doctor had tested Daniel and said he needs to be on enzymes, too, because he is not digesting proteins well. My friend told me about a doctor who has dedicated his career to developing enzymes his name is Dr. Houston. Dr. Houston has an enzyme product called No-Phenol. The No-Phenol breaks down the "toxins" in the foods including artificial foods and also salicylate food (vegetables and fruits). They also have enzymes to help with proteins (milk included) and carbohydrates. Anyhow I contacted the company by e-mail, and I found them very helpful in answering my questions. I will be starting Daniel on these enzymes as soon as I get them. I also think I will be putting him on an enzyme to help break down proteins. Here is the link http://www.houstonni.com/ . They also have a great Q&A section on the website. In regard to the enzymes, a few things I learned that once you start taking enzymes you start digesting your vitamins more efficiently and ultimately you may have to back off on how many vitamins you are giving because more is being absorbed into the body. Also I learned you can experience a die off effect from the enzymes because they kill candida. So if you do not start gradually, you could actually get worse before you get better due to the die off effect of the candida. I also learned that it takes time to see the ultimate results of the enzymes. They can take up a month to build up in the system. Enzymes, are in general according to my doctor, a very beneficial thing for anyone to take. ***(Please note update-I wanted to come in and update on this post due tell you of the reaction I think my son is experiencing from the No-Phenol. We started the no-phenol yesterday. His tics have just sky rocketed. I really think he is experiencing a candida die off reaction. I just learned, through searching on the internet that No-Phenol is very effective in killing off yeast and also other enzymes can too. With his sulfate ions lacking I am assuming his body is having a hard time getting rid of the toxins from the die off. I gave him 1/2 a capsule yesterday and today. So I need to cut way back and allow his body to take this in very slowly. I am assuming once we get beyond the die off reaction we will start seeing the results.)**** Also it is very important for you to realize that pro-biotics are not enzymes. They have two different functions. Here is a link that explains the difference. You just need to scroll down about halfway on the link and look in the right hand column and it explains it http://heartspring.net/probiotics_enzymes_...stion.html#diff . From what I am understanding, both probiotics and enzymes would be very beneficial together for the intestinal system. So what I am starting to wonder is the reason our children or ourselves need such high levels of B vitamins and other vitamins because they are not ultimately getting absorbed due to lack of enzymes? So by getting the body balanced better through the enzymes would allow the body to absorb more nutrients directly from food and also from the vitamins. Now a few last things to mention about my son's situation. Daniel is on Bonnie Grimaldi's Ts-Plus (10 capsules a day), glycine (an amino acid), Gaba, and Omega 3. I don't believe Daniel has a metal issue or candida issue. So my point is this perhaps the only thing left to clear his system of tics was getting rid of the additional histamine. In another persons case perhaps if heavy metals are still a problem just getting the histamine back in balance might not be enough (I am absolutely theorizing I have no idea). I also don't know how this would all work with someone with PANDA's since PANDA's is related to a bacterial strep infection. One way or another I feel like I am starting to get a better feeling on ultimately what is going on with his body. I am looking at it like this. If you build your house on sand you are not going to have a strong foundation. In terms of Daniels body, if he does not have enough enzymes to help process the toxins it is ultimately going to create problems within the body. Perhaps, some and I am not saying all, people experiencing tics it is simply the way the body is showing its allergy through the increase in histamine due to the lack of enzymes and also being deficient in certain nutrient like the B vitamins and magnesium. I got thinking about this post http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2329 because I read it a while back and it was in the back of my mind why did he stop having tics while sick with the stomach bug. Well I just wonder if it because his histamine level was lowered due to no foods entering in his system. I also remember another post, I could not find it, of a mother that when she gave her child high levels of vitamin C his tics went away. Well vitamin C is a natural way to lower histamine and so is magnesium. I thought you might find this interesting. I found this posting from a man who suffered from migraines for 20 years and finally came to understand that he could not tolerate a high histamine food diet and he also explains how MSG would play into this. He also talks about a lack of enzyme being involved http://www.migrainepage.com/dcforum/discussion/14166.html . This article is very interesting regarding people who cannot tolerate chemical foods also states it is due to lack of enzymes http://www.plantpoisonsandrottenstuff.info...troduction.aspx . Again any thoughts or new directions I could follow I would so greatly appreciate. By no means am I saying I am 100% accurate in what I am conveying nor am I, as earlier stated, trying to create false hope. From what I learned, with the information I have so far, it seems to be somewhat plausible theory. Perhaps I am misunderstanding something or Daniel's no tics this morning and decreased tics this afternoon was just purely a coincidence but I can tell you I have not had a tic free morning, with him, since prior to the beginning of December (all the fun treats around Christmas and going out to eat more then we should!). I am passing this information along to see if we, as a forum, can come up with some more answers as to what might be an underlying cause. Also PLEASE feel free to correct me if I was wrong in any of the information I just passed along. I certainly do not want to convey incorrect information to people who are seeking answers to what can be such a stressful situation. I am going to keep praying for answers. I have learned one thing in my life God is faithful! I may not understand his timing always, or why things happen, but he has always guided me. I am so thankful for Him. I think I will try to go to bed now. This is my third night in a row up until 2 a.m. My husband calls me the "bulldog". When I get focused in on something I just don't stop until I understand it. My OCD, that I have since I was around 7, is actually helping my son out. Isn't that funny something that plagued me for so long could actually be a benefit! Carolyn N. [i]John 3:16 "For God so loved the world he sent His one and only Son that whoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have ever lasting life" [/i]

I just wanted to pass this along. I found this thread regarding enzymes that was from a few years ago on this forum. It is very interesting and yet complicated too (I still do not have my head around the whole thing). It looks like certain enzymes could really benefit some on this forum if they are not currently taking them. Anyway here is the thread http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...phites&st=0 I contacted a company which develops enzymes. My question to them was do they have an enzyme that would help with my son's MSG intolerance. I was told no because because MSG is already an amino acid and an enzyme would not work to break it down any further. However, after reading the above thread that I realize one of their products, No-Fenol, would possibily help break down artificial colors for which he is sensitive. So I just ordered some and I should have it in several days. I am praying it will work to help my son beable to tolerate some additonal foods. Carolyn N.

Chemar, I just want to reiterate how much you have helped my son. Without your post regarding MSG, and how it had such consequences on your son, my son would be in a whole different situation. It truly was the biggest part of the puzzle and an answer to prayer. Thank you for your time and dedication because I can only imagine how much time it takes. I truly hope you realize the amazing work for which God is using you. Carolyn N.

Mom2Three, I can only imagine how overwhelmed you are. I wanted to attach an two old posts I found similiar to your situation. Both these people who posted had their children come up with negative tests for PANDAS but PANDAS was still the suspicion. I thought you might find it interesting http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=1894 and http://www.latitudes.org/forums/lofiversio....php?t1826.html . Do you know about the subset of PANDAS called PITANDS? Also I was thinking about what kind of things could cause a reaction where you did not see one before. I remember reading of a boy who had a sudden onset of bad tics. They were able to track it back to newly layed carpet at his school. The fumes from the new carpet were triggering him. Perhaps did you buy a new vehicle that would have new carpet in it or any new carpet at home? I was thinking, just a long shot, but have you had a lot of rain in your area where there could be the possibility of mold that grew all of a sudden in your home that she could have had a reaction too? Did she start using a new body wash, soap, or did you switch laundry detergents? Can you think of any new scents like candles or airfreshners? One other thing to consider, and I don't know if you read my MSG information I just posted, but I was thinking lets assume x,y,z triggered her body (whatever it is). Lets also assume, because I don't know, she normally has a fairly high tollerance for MSG or artificial food dyes. At this point one way or another, because of her original trigger, her neurotransmitters are not in balance. So lets assume what ever triggered her is no longer necessarily affecting her directly but other things that affect the nervous system (like MSG and artificial food colorings) would be continuing on the reaction and not allowing her neurotransmitters to come back into balance. Because these foods naturally excite the nervous system they would be carrying out an additonal reaction in her. Even if these foods normally, when her body is not taxed, did not bother her. I see this with my own son when his tics are elevated. Here is my post on what foods to look for that contain MSG http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=2598 . If you think it is an underlying bacterial infection, whether it be strep or something else, I wanted to share with you what my Naturopathic Doctor told me to do for my two sons when they had perianal strep (strep that grows in the intestional track and out the bottom - very painful!) and I had strep throat recently and it worked for me. Since strep is a bacterial infection, this should work, in theory, for other bacterial infections too. I don't think it would do much for a viral infection. As a side note, my one son had been on two forms of good old anti-biotics for the perianal strep and it did not get rid of it but the below remedy did. She told me to have my sons (at the time they were 3 and 5) take grapefruit seed extract (125 mg tablets) twice a day. Also to take collodial silver twice a day (I buy a brand called Sovereign Silver supposably it has the smallest partical size) and a good quality probiotic. She told me to do this for 10 days. The grapefruit seed extract is a very powerful natural antibiotic. It cleared up both cases of perianal strep. Now when I had strep I also got liquid grapefruit seed extract and put two or three drops in about 6 or so ounces of water and gargled. Within about 2 hours, and I am not joking, after I started gargling with it I noticed a big difference. By the next evening it was a vast improvement. The problem that I ran into is I over did a good thing. Grapefruit seed extract is VERY bitter. I should only have gargled a couple times a day and I was doing it at least every two hours, and also when I would wake up at night. So with that said I ended up with a blocked salvia gland. If you read on the internet about using grapefruit seed extract, in not such high doses as I did of course, you will see that it is very effective against strep and I can certainly attest to it! One easy way to get children to swallow the liquid form is put it in lemonade it does a pretty good job of disguising the taste. Just very quickly, I know there has been some press on side effects of collodial silver. If you take it in a manner where you manufacture it at home you can end up with a condition, using it over a long period of time and in VERY rare circumstances, where the skin turns a silver type color. But if you read up on it you will quickly see it is not related in with the reputable manufacturers and by using it according the the correct directions. I, personally although many people do take it every day, only use it during times of illness to take any remote possibility of risk away. Also if your daughter has a metal allergy I don't know how that would effect her taking the collodial silver or if she has a citrus allergy would she react to the grapefruit seed extract? Just something to consider. My son has been on Bonnie's vitamins for right at a year. They are very expensive but for us they have been worth every penny. The ONLY way I can get them in him is to mix them with peanut butter. I make the "peanut butter balls" just small enough that he can swallow them without having to chew it. The vitamins have a really bad flavor (it is the B's portion of the vitamin that gives it the yucky flavor) and it is hard to disguise. I tried everything else I could think of to mix it in. Any liquid form I tried mixing it in made him really gag. But the peanut butter really hides the flavor fairly well. But your daughter is old enough she might be able to swallow the pills. My son is 7 now and we give him 5 in the morning and 5 at night. Keep up hope. Obviously something triggered her. This strong of a reaction did not just come out of no where. I will be praying for you and your daughter. Carolyn N.

DKRESmith, I have attached a link that explains the difference. The page you pull up will have two columns. Look on the right hand column and scroll down a bit. http://heartspring.net/probiotics_enzymes_..._digestion.html Have a great day! Carolyn N.

Airbucket, Were the nachos he ate from a nacho type sauce or would they have been made from say cheddar cheese sprinkled. If it is from a "sauce" type of product, like the kind you can buy at the supermarket on the potatoe chip and tortilla aisle I can almost guarantee you it has not only a high level of MSG but allow Yellow Dye #5. Any "seasoned" meat like the kind typically served with Nachos, say at a restaurant, is seasoned with flavor packets that again contain very high levels of MSG. There is absolutely no way my son Daniel could handle eating those combinations without a reaction. If the nachos were made with actual cheddar cheese and no additives the cheese probably had Yellow Dye 5. Alot of cheeses now use annato for coloring which does not cause tics. Also tortilla chips almost are always made with corn oil. I have found some that do not. Corn oil also acts similiar to MSG because of its molecular structure. So with all this being said he could have had a VERY high MSG lunch along with Yellow Dye 5. Yellow Dye 5 gives my son Daniel tics too. It is his second worse enemy next to MSG. In regard to your question as to why he would react one day and not the next it could simply be he can handle a moderate amount of MSG/Artificial but once he has been pushed past the point of where his body can process it it just reacts. This is exactly what I have seen in my son. You probably should go to the school and ask to read the labels of the foods they fed him. What really helped me figure out the whole puzzle was keeping food logs. I had read a post by Chemar as to MSG being her son's biggest trigger and it was from that post that the whole puzzle came together. I have to say I really believe God used Chemar to answer my prayers (thank you Chemar for your dedication. My son's life is different because of your commitment!) Carolyn N.

I am sorry to hear your son is going through this. I know how scary it can be especially when new tics surface. I am very curious as to what he ate for lunch. With my son when he has a major reaction to MSG I see it within about 45 minutes to 1 hour after he consumed it. I then find his tics are usually worse the second and even third day. By the fourth day, as long as I have kept his diet clean from MSG and other artificial items, his body has started settling back down but still is experiencing a smaller level of tics. Usually by the 7 day his tics have stopped. With all this said I am also giving him supplements to to help his body. I will also say that my son cannot eat at least 50% of school lunches because of MSG. It is sad I asked the person in charge of the lunches if there was any MSG in their foods at school. Of course her reaction was no. Being that MSG is under so many names, and I know what to look for, I told her I would need to read all the labels of the food items each day to discern if he could eat them. Of course, as I stated, the school lunches are full of MSG because they are using processed/frozen foods that they are just heating up. Let me list some of the examples of the school lunches Daniel has at school that contain MSG, but are not labeled clearly as MSG products. Chicken Patty Sandwiches, Chicken Nuggets, Chicken and Gravy, Chicken Fajita, Taco Salad with Seasoned Ground Meat, Grande Nachos, and all of their soups. My thought is if he happened to have MSG lets say three or four days ago, and then perhaps two days ago, and then today you could be seeing a build up of an MSG/Artificial food reaction that just spilled out today. Just a thought? Carolyn N.

Hello, I just wanted to tell you I was at my Naturopathic Doctor today and she is doing a urine test on my son to see how well or not well his body is digesting. So there is a test available. I just don't know what the test is actually called? Carolyn N.