Andy

Susanmom, I have borrowed a post from a person from another website. She does not believe in fast or intrusive chelating. I thought that this approach might fit you. Please remember that this is from a parent and not a doctor. "Autism is considered by DAN doctors to be a metabolic processing disorder where their bodies cannot properly regulate metals. Our kids have toxic levels of many different metals including mercury, lead, aluminum, copper, cadmium, tin, bismuth, arsenic, antimony, nickel, and Thalium while being deficient in others such as zinc, manganese, calcium and magnesium. Neurotransmitters cannot function properly when the ratio of zinc/copper is not at optimal levels. In order for the body to heal, the toxic level of metals need to be chelated (taken out of the body and brain) and other metals that are deficient need to be supplemented. There are many ways to chelate heavy metals out of the body. Years ago, the medical community thought of chelation as a dangerous therapy because the IV chelations used would pull too much toxic metals out at once overloading the kidneys and the liver. Some patients ended up with liver/kidney problems due to the stress on their organs. Chelation therapy has come a long way. Our kids do not use the IV chelations as a proper way to chelate their metal toxicity. The best way to chelate is slow and steady, just as a healthy body would. There are two common prescription chelators, TD-DMPS and DMSA. TD-DMPS is a prescription transdermal chelator that is fairly new and has had very positive results for many patients. You can read more about it at http://www.drhirani.com/TD-DMPS-1.pdf. DMSA is a sulphur based chelator that is in pill form and is best used with alpha lipoic acid. It is considered one of the safest chelators available by prescription and is known to cross the blood brain barrier. It is also available without a prescription at www.vrp.com. But it is highly suggested to do the chelation with an experienced DAN doctor to avoid depleting certain essential minerals. There are also some natural chelators that are available without prescription that do not take away essential minerals. NDF PLUS and NDF are available at www.bioray2000.com. You can read information and the studies at www.healthydetox.org. NDF and chlorella, one of NDF's ingredients bind to both chlorine and Dioxin. Clinical evidence also indicates that the NDF binds to neurotoxins, mycotoxins, exotoxins, petrochemicals, pesticide residue, certain pharmaceutical drugs, and plaque. PCA-RX by Maxim is available at www.awakennutrition.com, along with a few other products parents have used to assist in the metal detox. Both the Bioray and Maxim products are said to cross the blood brain barrier. Metal Free is another optional chelator that has been shown to dump large amounts of metals out of the body. It can be found at www.metal-free.com. If you decide to use the non prescription chelators, remember to start off slow to avoid the large dumping of metals in the beginning and increase as soon as your child can tolerate". There is extensive information of chelating from the defeat autism now website. Interesting enough there are alot of DAN doctors and parents now who are starting to think that ADD, LD, TS are related to the same issues as autism due to heavy metal poisoning.

Hi Daniel it is good to see you post again. Hope all is well with your family and that you are seeing progress at home. I always thought that probiotics were one of the most important treatments that we did with our son. It was one of the corner stones of his treatment process. By the way, did you ever see the DAN doctor and if so how did it go?

Thanks for your words Kim, I really hope that a product like NDF-plus or metal free does the trick. We have had progress with chelating using DMPS with gluthione and NAC IV and great progress with DMSA but if something as easy and simple as NDF or metal free work then millions of kids have the potential of losing their assorted labels. The products are cheap compared to other treatments, safe for long term use and easy to get. I read how some DAN doctors are starting to accept NDF-plus or metal free and others still thing it is a waste, so with so little data it is still up in the air.

For those who are interested in vitamin B1 and vitamin B12 Authia cream - Thiamin Tetrahydrofurfuryl Disulfide (Vitamin B1) 50mg/ml, Methyl Cobalamin (Vitamin B12) 500mcg/ml. (each ml is approximately 1/5 of a teaspoon). Designed especially for those who are unable to take supplements in oral form or have absorption problems. I have been looking at this treatment for awhile now. We tried a pill form for my child but he would not swallow it and the product has a smell to strong for shakes. I understand that the cream has a strong odor as well. It might not be as good as the needle but it can be bought off the internet without seeing a doctor hence forth it is cost effective for those who have budget concerns. Ecological formulas has alot of alternative medicine on line that DAN doctors use that can be bought by an individual. Great thread that you have here Kim!

If anyone has read my orginal detoxing posting 5+ months ago, we were using once a month DMPS IV's with gluthione and NAC along with weekend DMSA suppositories( which were added two months and three weeks ago). This was along with supplements, which have since decreased, gluthione lotion, probiotics, which have since decreased, and special allergie restictive diet. Well this week we decided to stop the DMPS IV, which we did see gains from, and replace it with a Monday to Friday usage of NDF-plus. We will continue to use DMSA during the weekends. We have seen tremendous gains with the DMSA and will continue it for a while longer. However, we want something to mop up the metals and other poisons in my son on a daily basis and we are giving the NDF-plus a shot. I had tried it on my self and it seemed ok and so far my son has not shown any ill efffect from it on the contray his face seems even more relaxed then I thought was possible. In addition we got the biggest seal of improvement this past weekend when my mom informed me that one of my brothers who lives down the road from us mention to her that it is amazing how my son has changed, " it is like it is two different people". This was from someone, with an Ivy League School educatation who felt that it was a genetic issue and there was nothing that could be done for curing it. Needless to say, we are very happy with the detoxing as well as everything we have done before it that lead to the chelation treatments.

Interesting comment by Dr. Mercola. Like I said, my oldest boy does not drink milk ( has allergies to milk and milk products), but my middle son drinks the organic in moderation.

Kim, Thanks for your words regarding my Dad. In reference to the Organic Milk, the brand we buy is processed the same way as other milk is the difference is in the cow. My oldest son can not drink any kind of milk but our middle son does drink organic milk for the following reasons: "Organic milk, produced without synthetic chemicals, hormones or antibiotics, is the best choice for kids and families, according to Dr. Alan Greene, one of the nation's leading pediatricians. Sought after for the wealth of information he gives parents at DrGreene.com, Greene is a pediatrician at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University clinical assistant professor of pediatrics, father of four and author of McGraw-Hill's "From First Kicks to First Steps." In recognition of June Dairy Month, Dr. Greene is offering the following seven reasons why families who drink milk should choose organic: 1. Produced without antibiotics. "Antibiotic overuse is a major public health problem. One of the main places where antibiotics are used today is in agriculture. Organic milk comes from organic cows that have not been treated with antibiotics, so it doesn't contribute to the growing problem of bacterial resistance." 2. Produced without synthetic hormones. "Hormones are powerful. Even trace amounts can cause dramatic changes in living beings. When you choose organic milk, you know that added synthetic hormones are not stimulating the cows' milk production." 3. Produced without harmful pesticides. "Agricultural pesticides are now widespread. They can even be measured in raindrops falling from the sky, fog rolling over the hills, 'fresh' snow, and in water we drink. Organic agriculture reduces pesticide exposure because it comes from organic cows that are fed food grown without chemical pesticides." 4. High in Conjugated Linoleic Acids (CLAs). "CLAs are important 'good fats' that have been linked to decreased heart disease and diabetes. In fact, in the May 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health reported low-fat dairy products, including milk, might lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in men. "Milk made from cows who pasture has higher CLA content. Since many organic farmers rely upon pasturing and give their cows fresh green grass whenever weather permits, organic milk often has a high CLA content." 5. Excellent source of calcium. "Most of America's school children are failing to get the calcium they need each day for their growing bodies. Kids 4-8 years old need 800 mg per day. Kids 9-18 need 1,300 mg of calcium per day. Organic milk contains about 300 mg per eight-ounce glass and is one great way to help kids get the calcium they need. Organically flavored milks, such as chocolate and strawberry, are popular options for kids, too." 6. It's wholesome. "Organic milk is a natural, whole food beverage—unlike most beverages promoted for kids that are packed full of artificial chemical ingredients. Many of them contain high fructose corn syrup, aspartame and/or artificial chemical dyes." 7. It's the right thing to do. "Unlike factory cows, organic cows must have access to open air. Organic cows from some dairy farms are allowed to graze freely in organic pasture when it is in season. This kind of farming is kind to animals, supportive of wildlife, healthy for rural communities, respectful of our air, water and soil, and healthy for children." "Parents need to practice the precautionary principle when it comes to the foods they feed their families," advised Greene. "This is especially true when it comes to eating higher on the food chain where pesticides and other toxins are stored in fatty tissue. By choosing organic milk, butter, and cheese, however, families can avoid this exposure." About Alan Greene, M.D. Dr. Alan Greene, a practicing pediatrician, father of four, and spokesperson for Organic Valley Family of Farms, has devoted himself to freely giving real answers to parents' real questions. His answers combine cutting edge science and practical wisdom with warm empathy and a deep respect for parents, children and the environment. Dr. Greene's Web site, http://www.DrGreene.com, was selected in July 2004 by the Wall Street Journal as one of the best health sites. He is also the Pediatric Expert for Yahoo! and for ParentsAction.org. Dr. Greene teaches at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and is an attending pediatrician at Stanford's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. He is a senior fellow at the University of California San Francisco's Center for the Health Profession and is a board member of the Organic Center for Education and Promotion."

Well I'm a big believer in the supplements for I saw the difference that they made and the blood tests had shown the need for them. With that said, I do not see anything wrong with "down-sizing" the intake of supplements our kids take if we feel they might not need them anymore. We ourselves have cut our boy's supplement load in half and he's been doing fine. Now for the issue of a child not wanting to swallow pills, my son will not swallow anything. To get around this we buy supplements in powder form, liquid form or in capsules. We then usually mix them into juice shakes. We stopped the prescribed shakes mixes of Brain Sustain and another brand from Thorne Labs. Best of luck and I agree that the summer time, when schools out, is the best time to try something different.

Well I'm a big believer in the supplements for I saw the difference that they made and the blood tests had shown the need for them. With that said, I do not see anything wrong with "down-sizing" the intake of supplements our kids take if we feel they might not need them anymore. We ourselves have cut our boy's supplement load in half and he's been doing fine. Now for the issue of a child not wanting to swallow pills, my son will not swallow anything. To get around this we buy supplements in powder form, liquid form or in capsules. We then usually mix them into juice shakes. We stopped the prescribed shakes mixes of Brain Sustain and another brand from Thorne Labs. Best of luck and I agree that the summer time, when schools out, is the best time to try something different.

Hi Lula. We feel that all the supplements that we give to our child are importent for blood testing showed the need for all of them. However, the most important of the supplements would be the calcium and magnesium in a 2:1 ratio, the zinc, 50 mg, The Folinic Acid, 800 mg, the vitamin B's especially vitamin B1 and vitamin B 12, the Taurine, the probiotics, and Nordic Cod Liver Fish Oil. I would not replace one with the other for they are all needed in my sons case. We also rely on garlic, vitamin C, and vitamin E. The probiotics are most likely better given at night and we try to divide the supplements into morning, afternoon. and evening. However, we always gave the B's , the calcium/mag and the taurine in the morning for we saw it helped him get thru the school day but for better body absorbion I would think that Chemar evening mark makes sense. Latley we have cut back on the supplements so I only mentioned the ones that we still use above.

I find your milk reference interesting, "Milk and dairy products from cows treated with the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (bGH) milk contain an increased amount of the hormone IGF-1, which is one of the highest risk factors associated with breast[7] and prostate cancer." since when my dad came down with prostate cancer one of the first things he was told was cut out milk and dairy products. He has since left us, five years now, but I rarely drink milk or eat dairy products since then. However, I do have my middle son, age 4, drink Organic Valley Milk. They claim that the milk is produced without sntibiotics, synthetic hormones or pesticides. Their website is www.organicvalley.coop The milk costs more but it the "regular" milk has been so tampered with do I have a choice?

Sis, I have three kids and they are all different with everything from milestones to personality. However, to be on the safe side and so you have peace of mind I would recommend as a parent that you take your son to a DAN doctor for a check up.

Kim it seems like there is always something in life that comes from out of no where and turns everything upside down. Hope everything gets back to where you want it and may your family's love keep you all strong.

Hi Caz, I really wasn't sure if my son's gut was ready for it yet. We had a stool test that came back ok for the yeast issue but didn't follow it up with the urine test. This was mainly for I wanted to wait a few more months but after reading all that is involved with NDF, no sulfur foods until the second urination cycle, I realized that I better start this summer while school is still out. Eggs are a big thing in his diet for the sulfur, the B vitamins, for the protein and it fits his restrictive diet. But after 4 years of Probiotics, I guess he should be ok. We will follow up your advice of 1 drop a day and we will do it in between his DMSA detoxing days. Personally, I find the NDF claims hard to believe but then again when I meet and speak to parents of kids with needs about the results of DMPS and DMSA, supplements, restrictive diets , etc.. they usually find me hard to believe. I can not speak for Dr. Levinson but I can say that I get the notion from him that he believes that heavy metal poisoning has alot to do with the labels mention on the autistic spectrum list as well as ADD etc. I can not speak for him of course but I also get the notion from our talks that he believes once the toxic metals and other junk is detoxed from the body then alot of issues like food allergies, tics, ablility to focus, etc will also be taken care of. The doctor seems to be big on testing and basing treatments on the test results so everyone has an individual treatment plan based upon the DAN procedures. My son is not the only TS labeled child that he see and I know Dr. Berger who is now in Tampa used to see ADD kids as well as ASD in the practiced that he shared with Dr. Levinson in Miami. Dr. Levinson is known for his use of DMPS IV's and DMSA/DMPS supposorties. However, he also seems to be big on restoring the body's glutathione levels and using Glutathione with his treatments. I have two causal friends who take their children to him and both have different treatment plans but both are very happy with the results that they are seeing. Please let me know the results of the NDF-plus that you have with your child. I will post mine as well to let others know out there so they could see if they should view it as an option.

Susanmom, we feel that the elimination diet, supplements of amino acids, anti- oxyens, vitamins and minerals, epsolm salt baths, garlic , were all needed steps. However for us the missing piece was the chelatin. Some of the measures above were natural chelation but it didn't seem to be enough. Good luck with you DAN Dr. visit and try to go in prepared so you have an understanding of what is being discussed and what you wish to discuss. It helps if two people could go with one asking the questions and the other taking notes of everything that is being said. Once again, good luck!

My son has had his 5th DMPS/NAC/Glutinone treatment. We also did another challenge test so it will be interesting to see what the results are. I hate seeing the needle go into the little guys arm but because of it I become a cheerleader when he starts peeing out the metals. Sounds weird unless youv'e been there. Still think the DMSA is working better but who knows what process the IV's may have started that the DMSA's are finishing. Still feel that veg/fruit shakes with B, C and A vitamins and gluthaione lotion are the long term solution with hopefully NDF but for now the DMPS and DMSA has really shown results. We hope that the chelatin gets out enough metals so that the more natural ways can then become more effective.

I ordered NDF plus today. NDF is has a big buzz on alot of parent sites. Don't know if it is the real deal but looks like it can not do any harm. I am very happy with the progress of the 5 DMPS/NAC/Gluthione IV treatments and the 2 month 2 weeks of weekend DMSA treatments but lets face it, a safe long term detoxer is needed to finish up with mopping out the body and then to keep the body clean afterwards. Hope the NDF plus works. Will use it on myself for the first few weeks to see if I feel any side effects. If anyone out there has had positive or negative or neutral feelings about NDF, please post your comments.

I wanted to leave advice on where to get started to those parents who are searching for answers. I would strongly suggest that a parent should obtain Shelia Rogers book called "Tics and Tourettes – Breakthrough Discoveries in Natural Treatments" which could be accessed from the home page. I would also strongly suggest that all parents should read the 42 page Consensus Position Paper by leading DAN doctors of "Treatment Options for Mercury/Metal Toxicity in Autism and Related Developmental Disabilities" that can be accessed for free from www.AutismResearchInstitute.com Treating tics and TS, ADD and compulsive behavior disorders is a multi-procedure but it can be treated with success. There are thousands of kids who are living proof out there as examples.

potlib, I do not know a thing about your child but before I would let a doctor medicate my kid I would make a check list of what might be setting off the tics. We found in the past that summer time was the worse time of the year for tics and we did a check list with the encouragement of others here on the watching TV, playing video games, computer, swimming in pools. We found that if we cut out the screen time, eliminate the pool time the worse of the tics subsided over a period of two weeks. Now as for my family, we do not think that what I mentioned above caused the tics but was rather a trigger for the tics. We had our son tested for toxic metal poisoning and yes he turned out to have high levels of lead, mercury and other things in his body. We are currently detoxing with DMPS and DMSA and we have found that we can now take our son to a crowed movie theater, that he can now watch tapes on the TV and can go swimming three times a week with an hour epsolm salt bath afterwards. The progress my son has made could not even be promised to me by the doctors who wanted to prescribed and why prescribed a heavy medication when the body may need to be cleanse of heavy metals and or need to be fed with supplements that it is missing. Chemar is an expert with supplements and natural detoxing. Look up and read some of her old posts when you have a chance. I know I spent alot of sleepless nights reading the past posts of Claire, Chemar, Heather, etc.....and then comparing it with what I knew and then went to research it all using the search engine of the web. Also read Kims posts on biochat. There is a ton of information there once you know what the doctors are talking about.

Sue's mom. I re-read your post and saw the eye tic. We have found that Taurine helps alot with not suppressing this but with feeding the body for the need for it. Henceforth a deep reduction of eye tics. We use the Solar brand found in stores for it is free of sugar, corn, yeast, wheat, soy, and dairy products. My son has food allergies or an issue with all of the above. Taurine is an amino acid and as we know from high school science, Amino acids are the building blocks of life. Our son is currently six years of age and he takes 500 mg a day. Kim. we waited 3 days before we had the first series of tests done and 5 days the second time we tested with the The FIA Comprehensive Profile 5000 and the Spectrox Total Antioxidant Function. We have it done once a year for the past two years. Why 5 days the second time. Because the tests are not cheap and we wanted to be safe then sorry. Especially since we had added alot more supplements since the time before the first test. As for the food sensitivity testing we only had that done once and it was with our nuerologist. The test was done by Great Smokies Diagnostic Lab and it was called the Food Antibody Assessment IgE & IgG. Our current DAN doctor feels there is no need to do a second test for he thinks that once we remove the heavy metals out of my son's body, the digestive track will heal and most if not all the food allergies will be gone. So we do the detox and in December, my son's seventh birthday, we will reintroduce rice as a rotation food item and see how that goes and take it from there. Enzymes may be added to assist with the others.

Another great post Kim, truly wonderful. It also was nice to see the DAN doctor we use, Dr. Levinson noted. Dr. Levinson is truly dedicated to the cause. I will most likely go back and read your posts from Bio-chat again. I think it is important for us to remember thru that the studies were all done on kids labed with ASD and our kids may not need as lengthy treatments since the damage is not as severe, even if it does suck. Caz, I am a big believer in detoxing our kids but there are so many ways to detox. Don't feel pressured to chelate. Chelating with DMPS and DMSA seems to have been great for us but there are others on this site who have had success detoxing thru other means. Do what you feel is best for your child based upon your childs needs. But you knew that already, I just thought you might want to hear someone else say it as well.

We consulted with a DAN doctor for our nine month old for prevacination and post vacination measures but as for our four year old we just informally asked our neurologist and DAN doctor over time if epsolm salt baths (two cups), nordic cod liver (1 teaspoon), probiotics and a multivitamin would be ok for the middle one and we were told that everyone should be doing that. The epsolm salt bath is the only detoxer of the bunch but we try to get fruit shakes in when we can. I am glad that you are seeing a DAN doctor. May I suggest that you read the Treatment Options for Mercury/Metal Toxicity in Autism and Related Developmental Disabilities Consensus Position Paper that can be accessed from www.AutismResearchInstitute This way you will have background knowledge and know what the doctor is talking about. Most of the treatments that are used for the ASD kids are the same for TS, ADD, OCD kids except the time needed for treatment may, from our experience I say this, may be alot less. Best of luck to you. I wasn't a true believer in it until I got the test results back and saw the junk that was in my kid and I wondered how he functioned at all. I became an advocate after I saw the progress my kid made in short time.

Money is always an issue in life. If you have the extra money I would suggest having your children tested. Claire and Chemar are the experts with this and if I was you I would give them a private e-mail for information. I have more then once in the past. Once you have the test results you would know what plan of action to take and where not to waste your money as well. Meanwhile these are the tests that I started out with: The FIA Comprehensive Profile 5000, and the Spectrox Total Antioxidant Function, the Food Anitbody Assessment IGE & IgG, as well as prior individual tests for PANDAS and Gluten. Currently we have added chelatin with DMPS and DMSA as well as using gluthione lotion 2x a day. But have had a toxic metal test done first.

Nick, I noticed that you mentioned that you have another son that is very ADD with a learning disability. My DAN doctor treats kids who are ADD. He feels that alot of ADD may also be a result of heavy metal poisoning and the University of Texas did a study that found children who lived close to factories, hospitals with smoke stacks, and electric plants were found to have high levels of metal poisoning as well as the schools located in those neighborhoods had much higher numbers of students in Special Education. We all talk about vaccination shots but we forget that industrail pollution could be an added factor with ASD,TS, and ADD. As for children in families having TS, there are alot of families with more then one child with Autism as well. Research is suggesting that bright children have sensitive brain membranes and may be predisposed to being more damaged from vaccination shots due to this. Another factor may be gluthanione levels which may or may not be an inhert trait. Gluthanione levels is a question like the chicken or the egg , what came first. Were the low gluthanione levels that most of our kids have come first or did the heavy metals. Did the heavy metal damage cause the low level or was the low level the reason the body retained the heavy metals in the first place. It goes on and on but you are proactive with seeing a DAN doctor and I am sure that you know that alot can be done with test assessing the problems and then supplements and detoxing, your choice, fixing the problem. Hang in there and with time and effort it will all work out but effort is the biggest thing of all besides telling and showing love to the kids.