CarolynN

Hi! Just wanted to share we use a Probiotic called Mindlinx. Here is a link to a company on the Internet that sells it http://www.rockwellnutrition.com/product.asp?itemid=1458 . This is not the only company that carries it. I just liked the information they had about it on this site. Note it comes in both powdered and capsules. When they ship it to you they pack it with an ice pack to keep it cold although they say that is more for peace of mind. I believe it can be unrefrigerated for at least a week without loosing its potency but you should keep it refrigerated at home. I really like this probiotic. It seems to do real well and for someone who has issues with gluten intolerance it really helps with that aspect. The only problem is it is pretty expensive. Have a good one! Carolyn

Hi Ruby! First thing I want to say is Praise God!!!! I am very, very happy for you and your son . This is the exact reason I posted this information because I really hoped it would help someone else. I know how it feels when you are so overwhelmed by wanting the tics to stop for your child and then to have something work is just so exciting. As Faith pointed out, as with all supplements, caution is needed to make sure it is not being over done or under done. I am going to cut my son back to 600 mg a day of the Acetylcysteine, rather then the 1200 mg I am currently giving him. As Faith pointed out it can drain the body of certain trace minerals like copper. I want to see how much his tics will increase on the lesser amount because I do believe in the "less is more" theory with this supplement since it can drain the body of minerals like copper and zinc. I was actually thinking it might be a good idea to have blood work done, for minerals, after being on the Acetylcysteine for a period of time. From what I am reading it sounds like 600 mg of the supplement or less is what is standardly given. I do get concerned about the kidney stone aspect because it is a possibility. I have increased his vitamin C to over 1,000 mg a day to help compensate and he does drink a fair amount of water but I would like him to drink more. But kidney stones is something that has to be considered. My doctor, though, was not overly worried about this for Daniel even at the higher amounts of the supplement. I honestly cannot say what the true risk of this would be with the product. It may depend on genetic predisposition to kidney stones. I will be REAL curious as to what your doctor says about your results. I had asked in my original post, about this supplement, if someone else would run it by their doctor. I have an appointment with a different naturopathic doctor at the beginning of May and I am going to run it by her. So if you would post your doctor's thoughts that would be great. I truly believe Daniel's great improvement is a combination of all the supplements he is on. These are all listed on the first post of this thread. Also taking out the vast majority of artificial foods, no msg, and very little high fructose corn syrup. It a package that all has worked together and has taken much research and prayer to figure out. So my point is I don't know that a person just taking the acetylcysteine would see big improvements. I obviously have nothing to base this on since this is not what we did nor did you. Ruby you obviously have done the research to know some of the other products, like a good multi-vitamin and omega 3's, are critical as is a very healthy diet. I also think it is important to have a good naturopathic type doctor involved when on so many supplements. You certainly want to make sure you are on the right amounts for the ages and weights. I really appreciate you posting to me. It makes the time it takes to put together the information so worth it. I have prayed that it would help other's just like it has helped my son. I have attached, what I thought, was a good website explaining the supplement Acetylcysteine. I believe they are selling a product along with it, I certainly am not promoting their product, but it just seemed like a nice recap of the supplementhttp://www.advance-health.com/nacetylcysteine.html . God Bless your family and I pray you keep finding answers for him. Carolyn

WOW KIM!!! My head is still spinning. How in the world were you able to even be able to put that all together . It is such a complicated process. If one part of the chain is missing, like adequate amounts of B vitamins or magnesium, so many other parts are affected. I just feel so blessed to understand that it is supplements Daniel needs and not the good old doctor's prescription that just ultimately exasperate the situation in so many. You are really on a hot trail Kim. Keep up the good work. You may yet be the one to figure this whole thing out. Wouldn't that be AMAZING! Carolyn N.

Hi Faith, Sorry for the delayed response. I have been extremely busy! Anyhow this article may explain what you are referring too. The only thing I do get confused about with the over or under methylator is Daniel falls into several of the categories within each one. I assume from what I have read he is an under methylator but I also know he seems to have histamine issues which would throw him, from what I understand into the over methylator . Anyhow here is the article http://www.enzymestuff.com/methylation.htm . But you are correct B6 falls right into all of this and the article does explain B6 as part of the process. Again I still do not completely get the under/over thing but it seems like a guideline at best from what I can understand. Carolyn N.

Gargling with grapefruit seed extract (3 drops diluted in about 5 or 6 ounces of water) does amazing things for strep. Also being on a really good probiotic. The grapefruit seed extract is a natural anti-biotic. I can attest I have used it on myself with strep and also my children. It really works great. I would gargle perhaps two times a day with it. I wayyyyyyyy over did it one time, like once an hour, and ended up with a blocked saliva gland. So don't over do it. You can read the testomonies on the Internet as to how gargling helps strep so much. Carolyn

Kim, I had some time to read the articles you posted. All very interesting! It is amazing what the sulfation system of the body does for a person and all the problems it can create when it is not running properly (allergies, asthma, mood changes, tics etc). One thing that I started to theorize about while reading this material and also have pondered on for almost two years is why is it that tics go up to much around the age of 10? I have to wonder, from the reading I did in these articles, is if it is because of the relationship with sulfation being a key part in processesing hormones through the body (you have to scroll down a ways to read it in English) http://www.genitoricontroautismo.org/index...df=1&id=107 . Well it is known that when a person starts pubery their body requires more B6 at this time of life http://www.autism.com/ari/editorials/ed_pu...ionseizures.htm. You then jump over and realize that in order to have a smooth running sulfation system your body requires adequate amounts of B6. So what I am wondering are the two worlds colliding, so to speak, where both the hormones and the sulfation system are competing for B6 in the body. Perhaps somebody with tics, who has a poor sulfation system, are so poorly drained of B6 at this age simply because of the increased need at this time of life? So then your sulfation system is not running properly and now cannot process all the extra hormones coming at it along with all the other things the sulfation system is trying to keep on (neurotransmitters, histamine, and toxins). So hence you have this backed up sulfation system that would make your dopamine ultimately increase which would ultimately cause more tics. This article discusses the need for adequate B6 with the sulfation system http://www.newtreatments.org/fromweb/sulfur.html . Also what stuck out to me, is how poor sulfation can cause small portrions of the gut wall to be exposed and hence a person can get leaky gut from it (I know Candida can cause a leaky gut too and the sulfation system has to process out the toxins of the candida as well). I remembering reading this before but this article explains, to a point, that a leaky gut can cause allegeries http://www.genitoricontroautismo.org/index...df=1&id=107 (again you have to scroll down a ways) . So now your body is producing histamine in reaction to the allergies. This histamine is also processed through the sulfation system and when it gets backed up so do your neurotransmitters including dopamine again which would increase tics. To me it seems like making sure your sulfation system is running properly is absolutely key in managing tics. It makes all the sense in the world that if this "basic" system of the body is not functioning correctly you are going to have problems. This system of the body is just responsibile for handling so much. This same article http://www.genitoricontroautismo.org/index...df=1&id=107 , near the bottom of the page, says you should start adding supplemental sulfates slowly because it seems your body has to adjust to it. I can say again that Daniel is still doing great. He ate some pink cotton candy the other day at a birthday party. I say his eyes start going within 30 minutes of eating it but they were not severe. I had some epsom salts lotion I had made up with me and I just rubbed it on his arms, legs and chest. The tics went away. I think that all the supplements I am giving him and the epsom salts lotion is truly doing wonders for him. Have a blessed day, Carolyn

Caryn, Thank you so much for this great article. I had read about the Kidney Stone possibility and that you need to increase water intake but I did not know about the increasing vitamin C. I didn't realize all the other amazing benefits of ACN. From this article, it sounds like it does a lot for a lot of different situations. The only thing I was confused by was it said to take 3 times the amount of vitamin C. I am wondering if this means 3 times the amount of the ACN or 3 times the amount of a daily requirement for vitamin C? Have a great weekend?

So I heard back from my doctor's office regarding the Acetyl-L-Cysteine doseage. My son Daniel who is 52 pounds and 7 1/2 years old, is taking a 1/4 teaspoon twice a day. A 1/4 teaspoon equals 800 mg. So he has been taking 1600 mg a day. I just bought some at the store tonight and it is 600 mg. So I am planning on giving him two 600 mg twice a day rather then continuing purchasing the product directly from the doctors office. My doctor's office did say to increase water intake while taking this product. I notice my bottle of N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, that I purchased today, says to take one a day. So I don't know if my doctor is suggesting is in the "extreme" amount of what should be taken or if that is actually standard. Have a great day! Carolyn

Tracey, Regarding the Acetyl-L-Cysteine, my son Daniel who is 52 pounds and 7 1/2 years old, is taking a 1/4 teaspoon twice a day. A 1/4 teaspoon equals 800 mg. I just bought some at the store tonight and it is 600 mg. So I am planning on giving him two 600 mg twice a day. My doctors office did say to increase your water intake while taking this product. I notice my bottle says to take one a day. So I don't know if my doctor is suggesting is in the "extreme" amount of what should be taken or if that is actually standard. My son Daniel is on GABA too. But I buy it also through the same doctors I bought the Acetyl-L-Cysteine through and I do not know the exact mg dose for the 1/4 tsp twice a day I am giving him. Hope this helps you figure some of out what you need. Carolyn N.

Bonnie, Here are a few links that might help you. Here is the definition of a pro-biotic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotic . Here is the link to the Mindlinx Probiotic http://www.rockwellnutrition.com/product.asp?itemid=1458 (please note it also comes in straight powder form that is not in a capsule already). For the most part, when you start reading about Three-lac on the Internet, you will read glowing reports. My gut, no pun intended here, is that for general intestinal health you would want to be on a real good probiotic like Mindlinx (I am sure there are a host of other's too). I remember reading Dr. Mercola, who is well known on the internet, saying taking a daily probiotic is one of the best things you can do for your overall health. A healthy intestinal track makes for a healthy overall body. You might just want to read more up on Three-lac. I believe some people even use it as a daily maintenance type of supplement. You could also consider, after you run it by the doctor, using the Candida Clear by Now and a Pro-biotic to get the benefits of both. I just don't know what age you could start using the product. I read the bottle a while back and it does not say. Have a great day enjoying this beautiful Spring weather in Arizona, Carolyn

ilovedogs, The question is for what purpose are you looking to use the products? These products serve completely different functions. The Threelac is designed to kill off Candida. The Mindlinx is designed to feed in healthy bacteria to improve gut health. Not necessarily to kill of Candida (which I am sure it will to some extent because you have giving your body all the good bacteria to help fight the battle). Mindlinx is probiotic that is also designed to also help you body process carbs more efficiently. My friend, whose son is autistic, has used it with great success. I have used the Candida Clear by Now, that Chemar mentioned for myself to kill off Candida, and had great results. Also, a quick note about Threelac, my dad has used it with great success. Although, I have a good friend who tried it and got really nasty reactions to it. She had to stop taking it after several doses. I know I read on the Internet of another person who got ill from it too. I know some will say it is due to the Candida die off period which could be the case. However, what is interesting is my friend who had never had a yeast infection, in her entire life, got one within days of being on it. She also ended up with really bad cramps. So in my only two cases I personally know off it is mixed reviews. Carolyn N.

DKRESmith, You are so welcome regarding the sulfation information. It is so amazing how complex our bodies are and how many different systems of the body exists (God made us in such an amazing way). One big word of caution with the No-Phenol. Don't go too fast in introducing. I started with a 1/2 capsule the first day and my son started making a very loud gulping tic that lasted for at least a solid day. I am convinced it was because the No-Phenol was killing off bad bacteria (probably Candida) because the No-Phenol has the properties in it to do so. So then when you have these toxins dieing off the sulfation system has to process out the toxins of the dead Candida and guess what you now have an overwhelmed sulfation system from the excessive toxins being processed. Hence you now have a back up of neurotransmitters not being able to be processed by the sulfation system and now you get increased tics. This is why it is so important to treat Candida because the Candida, even when untreated, releases toxins and your sulfation system is having to process these toxins and basically cannot keep up on the job it needs to do with again processing excessive neurotransmitters, histamine, and other toxins like artificial foods, chemicals etc. So anyhow, I ended up cutting him back to 1/4 capsule for a about a month. He is now up to 3/4 of a capsule after about 2 1/2 months or so of using it. I am about ready to move him up to one full capsule and see how he does. My main point is if you notice an increase in tics, it is not necessarily a bad thing. The enzyme is doing its job in getting the gut healthy but it can take some time and it will not necessarily be an overnight success. From what I have read, depending on the extent of unhealthyness of the gut, it can take any where from 2 weeks to 2 months to start seeing results. Have a blessed day, Carolyn

Kim, I just wanted to let you know this week has gotten a little busy for me to really sit down and read the articles you discussed in your post. I know the weekend is packed for us too. So I should be able to get to them the beginning of next week. I just wanted you to know I had not forgot. I tried doing a personal e-mail but your inbox was full (you must be very popular ) By the way, you had asked if Daniel was vaccinated when he was born. I forgot to respond to you on the post. Anyhow, I had done a bunch of reading, prior to his birth, and declined the vaccination. The only vaccination he has had was Polio and 3 DT (not the DPT). My biggest regret is we even did these. My naturopathic doctor at the time told me to do at least these three at around 8 months of age. Knowing what I know now with Daniel's body there is no way I would ever do these if I could go back in time. I actually had planned on doing zero on him but this Naturopathic Doctor talked me into it. But ultimately it was my decision but it is a decision I regret. But thank God, literally, that I did not do more on him. I believe I could be dealing with a much worse situation. How different my life and his life would be! I have not heard back from my doctors office regarding the mg amount for the Acetylcystiene. Once I do I will post it. Have a great and awesome day! Carolyn

Kim, Thank you for your reply. It sounds like you have been very busy reading and studying very complicated topics!!!! Thank you also for your kind words. I would love to look over the articles and see if I can capture anything I can share. It is really interesting this whole sulfation system of the body. It sure would be nice if standard doctors would put the effort forth to really see the bigger picture, of what is truly going on, rather then masking the situation with medication. Keep up the good research. I will not have a lot of time this weekend to read over the articles, due to Easter, but I will try over the beginning of the week to look at them. Have a great Easter/Resurrection Day Everyone!!!! Carolyn N.

ilovedogs, Yes it was Dr. Profrock! Thank you also for the information regarding the NAC and the Apple Cider Vinegar. Can you explain to me what the "Mother" means. I am unfamiliar with this? We were just at a Major League Spring Training game up in your area of the "woods" today (as if we have woods in the Phoenix area)! We were at the Peoria Spring Training Center! Hope you have had a chance to go because it was beautiful weather to be out and enjoying a game. Carolyn

Caryn, The only allergy test I have done for him is something similar to NAET. This system called NEAT tests for literally thousands of allergies. It is done through my Naturopathic Doctor. After you are tested that day, you have a series of four visits, the doctor then does acupressure to help desensitize you to the allergies. It really is an amazing process. Thank you for the information regarding the PH balance. It is all so intriguing to me! Carolyn

DKRESmith, He has risen indeed!!!!!!!! The Apple Cider Vinegar capsules I have been giving him are by "Natural Factors". I found it at Whole Foods. It was pretty cheap. I think around $8 for 180 capsules. Have a great Easter weekend! Carolyn

Lurker, What insightfulness regarding the vaccinations. Isn't that amazing at the time the body needs to be working its best, to process the toxins of the vaccination, and here doctors tell parents to give Tylenol which cripples the body from doing its job to process out the toxins! I have to share something very quickly. When Daniel was born we had him circumcised. He was only a day old. He wouldn't stop crying, after the circumcision, so I asked the doctor to give him, guess what, Tylenol. She said they really don't like giving this to babies until after 2 months old but she agreed. I am sure she agreed just to pacify me. Well at the same time he was given this Tylenol he was also dealing with jaundice. So here he had two major blows against his sulfation system in his first few days of life. I just have to wonder what would have happened if he never had been given that dose of Tylenol? Perhaps his sulfation system would be better if he had never been given the Tylenol. I obviously have know idea but it is interesting that Tylenol is so hard on the system and here he had it at such critical time of life. Carolyn

Faith, You are exactly on the right on track. That is what amazed me so much when I starting reading all the information regarding this sulfation pathway. Especially from this article http://www.newtreatments.org/fromweb/sulfur.html . This system of the body needs the B vitamins and also the magesium taurate is a supplement that helps support/supplement it. When I started realizing these supplements are so critical to sulfation I was thinking about all the people on this forum who are using these products with success. So I can only imagine this has to be, at least some part for everyone, who is experiencing tics. We obviously all have livers and we all have a sulfation system so perhaps, people with tics in general, are dealing this system of the body not working up to par compared to others. I know if you read the article I referenced it focuses around autism. With autism they have found over 90% of these children have sulfation issues. Carolyn

C.P. Absolutely, all the Praise does go to the Lord!! Sometimes it is so hard to understand why I or someone I love is going through a certain "crisis" in life. But everytime, I have always seen God's hand at work. In the long run, even though it is so uncomfortable to go through, it turns into a blessing and I have grown as a person and as a Christian. I will check out Nan's fun thread. Thanks for letting me know about it. It will be fun to read . Regarding the PANDA's Kim would be the person to ask about this. She posted this a while back and her understanding is sulfation is directly impacted by strep (read post #18) http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...=2844&st=15 . Wouldn't that be exciting if this helped PANDA's out too!!! Have a great weekend! Carolyn

Hi Nan, To answer you question regarding the sulfate ions and if there is a test, I don't know how it can be tested. The problem, from what I understand, is the system fluctuates greatly depending upon what is thrown at it. For example, if someone takes Tylenol it wipes the system out. So if you where to test right after taking Tylenol you would show very low levels. Also if you had a heavy load of artificial foods or chemicals coming at your body your system would be low. So, perhaps, there is a test but I never asked my doctor. Honestly, it was by the Grace of God that I came to understand this and nothing less. It was in January when my son's tics where pretty high and I was starting to feel desperate. I prayed and asked God to please show me what is the underlying root cause of these sensitivities. I truly felt bad for him that he could not even eat a piece of birthday cake, at a friends party, and not have a reaction from the articial flavors and colors. I came across this post on Latitudes that really helped get the ball rolling http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...amp;mode=linear . I started following the chain of information and really came to believe this is what is going on with Daniel because the picture just really fit together. The things he is so sensitive too, artificial dyes, high fructose corn syrup, and MSG all have to be "detoxified" through this system of the body. I also understood, after reading this post that he was considered a high histamine type. Regarding his tic reduction, this is hard to say, because since January I have not allowed him any artifical foods. So his tics have been minimal since the end of January. But, with what I have thrown at him the past few weeks, the other supplements he has been on would not have masked the tics to the point these products seem to. So my excitedness is that the tics basically never where able to get rooted in again once I started the introduction of these foods. Again this would not have been the case in the past. Also I really believe the enzymes are helping his system process foods better too so that is allowing his histamine levels to stay lower and helping his digestion overall. He has been on the enzymes since January. I have read it can take a few months for some people to start seeing the positive results of enzymes. Not everyone takes that long mind you. Hope this somewhat answers your questions. It is all so complicated isn't it . Carolyn N.

Hello Everyone, I wanted to share with you some information I am excited about. Some of you may remember, back in January, I posted regarding my theory as to what was truly going on with my son's tics. I believe it is a lack of something called sulfate ions in his liver. Here is the post I did about this for those that want a refresher or never read it http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...mp;hl=sulfation . Well I went to one of my Naturopathic Doctors, here in Arizona and who I am convinced is about one of the world's smartest doctor, and presented my theory to him. I explained to him, that in my reading of the sulfate ion system, I came to understand that neurotransmitters (it is the dopamine neurotransmitter that directly impacts tics) can be directly affected by increased histamine. When your sulfate ion system is not working correctly it cannot process this histamine properly so hence it also is unable to processes out excessive neurotransmitters because of it. He said this is exactly correct. I then explained to him I understood that this same system of the body would help process out toxins in artificial food. He said that is correct too. I went on to explain to him that I tested my high histamine theory out by giving my son Benadryl. I explained to him how it seemed to reduce his tics. He said to me, at this point, all this made sense to him. As a side note, since I have read this on the forum, I asked him why a small percentage of people have an increase with tics with Benadryl (or any anti-histamine). He explained it is called a paradoxical effect. He said some people's bodies react negatively because their body sees the histamine being lowered with the medication basically as a threat (histamine protects the body). So their bodies up histamine production to replace the lost histamine. So in otherwords, their bodies get a surge histamine because the body is basically freaking out since the histamine was lowered with the medication. Since now you have a surge of histamine being produced, you then have neurotransmitters (dopamine) elevated and hence increased tics. He went on to explain to me that when someone is high histamine they have a high PH balance in the body (high histamine = high PH balance). He said that one way to get histamine down, which in turn would help not overwhelm the sulfate ion system so much, is to reduce the PH balance of the body. He said the simplest way to do this is with Apple Cider Vinegar. This article, about the sulfation system of the body, basically comes to the same conclusion http://www.newtreatments.org/fromweb/sulfur.html (when I tried to pull it up when typing this post it gave me an error message so hopefully it is still accessible). I have started giving my son, Daniel, Apple Cider Vinegar 500 mg twice a day in capsules. You can also buy it just in plain old liquid form but I think it is pretty strong. I don't know how you could hide the flavor. Anyhow he has taken this for the past 3 1/2 weeks. The other supplement, that I am truly excited about and completely believe is an answer to prayer, is called N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine. My doctors words to me was this "if you are right about his tics being a sulfation problem then this will be the ace in the hole". Well I have seen dramatic improvement in his tics in terms of his tolerance for being able to take in more artificial foods since being on it for 3 1/2 weeks. Let me explain to you what I mean by dramatic. I have purposely held back sharing this information until I could have a really good sense that his improvement was not a fluke. We have been on spring break for the past 1 1/2 weeks. I thought this will be my time to test out how well this supplement is working. To remind everyone Daniel is very sensitive to artificial foods. Especially yellow #5 and #6, caramel color, Red #40, and high fructose corn syrup. His biggest "enemy" is MSG. Anyhow, I started letting him everyday have something with artificial ingredients , but have not given him an MSG food yet, since being on Spring Break. For example, he has had a blue "Icee", donuts from Entemanns, a snow cone, Sprite, cookies from the mall with green sprinkles, and brownies from a box mix (there were other items too but basically one or two items a day). The long and short of it is he has had next to no tics. Normally, especially with all he has had the last 1 1/2 weeks, he would be at a fairly high level by now. I can compare this because I have been observing him for the past 18 months, since the tics really started to flare, and I have noticed over that time that it is always a buildup in his system. His body can tolerate some very minimal artificial foods but not much. The diet he has eaten, the last 1 1/2 weeks, is a considerable amount for him. I do have to say he was chewing on the inside of his cheek some and making it sore. But this was sort lived for about a day. I have seen a few eye rolls, maybe a total of 7, over the past 1 1/2 weeks. But again vast improvement over all. Every day I tell my husband what he has eaten and he cannot believe that he is not having an increase in tics. So how is it that this N-acetyl-L-Cysteine works? It helps in the process of producing something called glutathione, which my doctor explained is directly related to the sulfation system (I had a hard time finding information on the Internet to share regarding a direct relationship to the sulafation system). But I did find this http://ezinearticles.com/?Nutritional-Info...e&id=388569 and also this http://www.vitamins-supplements.org/amino-acids/cysteine.php (we are not using the exact product advertised on this page but it was good information). I am giving Daniel 1/4 teaspoon of the N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine twice a day (I am packing it in empty capsules I ordered from the Vitamin Shoppe). I purchased the supplement through my doctors own pharmacy. I am going to need to find out how many (mg's) this is exactly and I forgot to call today. I am sure some may be interested in trying to figure out the correct doseage amount for their own situation. So I will try to remember to call the office on Monday and will post my findings. Also, what is strange is the longer we have it the "gummier" it is getting. It looks like it go wet and is getting sticky. It smells very much like sulfur. ******************************************************************************** I have added this in after the fact. Please click on here to get an update from me as to me realizing that the doctor had also mixed in Potassium Bicarbonate into the N-Acetyl L Cysteine and this combination seems to be what is really helping him http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=3497 . This would also explain why the mixture I received from the doctor's office was sticky because it was the mix of the two products together. I now have them seperated out so they will not get sticky. ******************************************************************************** According to this article, it is just a quick blip in it, there is theories the N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine helps with OCD http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetylcysteine . With all this said, I have to remind you these are by no means all the supplements Daniel is taking. He is also on the following. He is 7 1/2 years and old 53 pounds. * Bonnie Grimaldi's TS-Plus (I cut him back to 6 a day because the enzymes should be helping his body process the vitamins more efficiently) * additional Magnesium Taurate 250 mg a day * Glycine 4600 mg a day (Amino acid to help neurotransmitters. My doctor said if the N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine worked we could stop giving Daniel the Glycine) * additional 500 mg of vitamin C a day *Omega 3 (Nordic Naturals Junior) * Dr. Houstons No-Phenol enzyme (we are currently up to 3/4 of a capsule a day). This is to help process artifical food dyes and salicylates. * Dr. Houstons AFP-Peptizyde (to help process proteins and carbs. It also helps improve "gut" health) (2 a day) * Phosphatidylserine (this one my Naturopathic doctor really thinks is beneficial to the brain. He said he has seen tremendous results for all kinds of things with brain function. But it is not an overnight result it takes, I believe up to two months to build in the system. Also it is rather $$$$$. I read it also helps counteract the side effects of MSG to a point). * pro-biotic called MindLinx (it also helps with processing gluten and getting the gut healthy). *GABA for anxiety We break up his vitamins both morning and night. I also prepackage my vitamins in ziplocks. I can do this with everything except the pro-biotic, which needs refrigeration, and the Glycine and Gaba (they are both powder which I add into an all natural lemonade called Simply Lemonade). It has made life so much easier because I do not have to compile all these vitamins everyday. What I do is a put out 40 bowls or cups and just go through like a factory and put vitamins in each bowl and then package them up in a ziplock. I only have to really mess with them once every 20 days. It is hard for me to quantify the exact impact that the two new supplements have had on Daniel because I think it is everything working together as a whole. But I can say, as I said earlier, he has had remarkable improvement in being able to tolerate artificial foods. Also, please remember I also started him on Dr. Houston's products, back in January, http://www.houstonni.com/ which help with the processing of his foods. So I AM SURE this has helped him a lot too. Anyhow, I am excited because I believe these two new products, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine and Apple Cider Vinegar, will greatly help Daniel. I do have some further questions for my doctor regarding the N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine. For example, I read it can effect copper and zinc levels. I also read that you should drink water to avoid something called cystine renal stones (kidney stones). But I don't know, until I talk to him what the likely hood is for these "side effects". Everything else I read it seems to be a very safe non-toxic product. Although, I do not know how someone would react if they had issues with sulfur products in general. This certainly has a sulfur property to it. IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU OR YOUR CHILD REACT NEGATIVELY TO SULFUR, I WOULD CERTAINLY RUN IT BY YOUR DOCTOR FIRST. Perhaps someone on the forum may know the answer to this. One thing interesting about N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine is this is what they give patients when they overdose on Tylenol. And speaking of Tylenol, it is EXTREMELY hard on the sulfation system of the body. I read that Tylenol wipes out your sulfation system of its sulfate ions for a period of time. My doctor confirmed this for me. So people with tics should be aware of this because what happens is now with a wiped out sulfate ion system, again your body is now unable to process excess neurotransmitters, toxins, and histamine out of the body. The other thing that is hard on the sulfation system is chlorine. I read, in the above mentioned article http://www.newtreatments.org/fromweb/sulfur.html again, unfortunately, was not coming up you should immediately do epsom salts baths after swimming to help with the sulfate ions that were destroyed from the chlorine. I have been doing the epsom salts homemade lotion I have posted about previously and it is real convenient. This is how in Karen DeFlice's book "Enzymes for Autism and other Neurological Conditions" it describes how to make them. On page 244 I quote "Cheap and easy. Heat some Epsom salts with a little water to dissolve them. I put about one teaspoon of water in three tablespoons of salts and microwave for a minute or so. Add more water if necessary. Then mix this into around four ounces of any lotion or cream you like. I have used suntan lotion, hand cream, cocoa butter, body lotion, aloe vera cream, whatever I find that is on sale or inexpensive without the chemicals I am trying to avoid." I would be real curious if anyone is going to a Naturopathic doctor in the near future what their doctor thinks of N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine? So if someone is and is willing to ask I would love to hear a different perspective. I also have been meaning to post, for some time, that I read drinking more water will help lower elevated neurotransmitter levels. So when your child is experiencing more tics you might want to try to get them to "flush" their system with some good old water. I am not saying it will get rid of them completely but it certainly will not hurt and perhaps you will see a reduction. I am excited because I have prayed about this for Daniel. I truly believe God has given me some amazing answers and I pray it may all help others too. **************************************************************************************************** I just wanted to add an update because I thought it was real important. It was posted further down in this thread that if you are diabetic you should check with your doctor first before taking Acetyl-L-Cysteine because it could block insulin. Also, it was posted by the same person that you should take 3 times the amount of vitamin C to help prevent Kidney stones from forming. I am not sure if this means 3 times the amount of the mg's of Acetyl-L-Cysteine or if it means what the current daily allowance would be. But the same poster, Caryn, had a great article that states all the wonderful benefits of Acetyl-L-Cysteine so I would take time to read it if you can. **************************************************************************************************** Have a blessed day, Carolyn N.

Hello, I just wanted to say what a wonderful friend you are for caring. That is truly a gift in and of itself. I was just going to suggest you might want to post your question under the Tourettes section of the forum. It gets a lot more activity there and many, many people are dealing with PANDAs that read this section of the forum. Have a blessed day, Carolyn N.

Faith very good point! Jeff thank you for posting this originally. It really helped me out this year for Easter. Carolyn N.

Thanks for all your responses. Thank you also Chemar for the name of the other company. It honestly is a relief to know that there is alternatives. Tami, you sound like you have an adventuresome spirit to you. You will have to let us know if you succeed. Also I like the idea about the thread for various holidays. It is difficult when everyone else around your child is getting their yummy "treats" and your child is looking at you like what about me. I really try hard to find out what food is being served at homes or parties we are attending to I can plan ahead to give Daniel a comparable alternative. ilovedogs, I may take you up on your offer. I am a real sweet tooth (unfortunately). This past few weeks I have been on a kick for Trader Joes Chocolate Covered Pretzels and also the Panda's Black Liquorice. I am paying the price though. I just got on the scale and I have gained 5 pounds. Time to lay off the sweets! Carolyn N.