kim

Scottish Nessie, Good point. I have read several times where parents have reported that it wasn't a supplement itself, but an additive, that their child didn't do well with. The salycilates and the oxylates are still really confusing to me. Kim

Wewillbeatthis, Thank you, thank you, thank you. I too will be looking forward to hearing how your appt. and explanations of your test results go. Do you know shorthand? Take fast notes? Interesting that your D arabinitol is low. Maybe if your son has any gut issues, it's more along the lines of bacterial/ clostridia? Since the urine test for yeast/fungal/bacterial at least, is something that can be ordered and performed without a Dr., it may be really helpful here. The Alt. Dr. I saw was not very interested in the results of my Met. test, as he was more fimiliar with the Great Smokies stool test. I have been at this for a little over a year, but compared to some that have had many tests, and really good Dr.s guiding them, I'm still a newbie too, although a newbie that has seen some pretty good results. I sure hope you get some useful info. on how to help your son today! Kim

Hi Wewillbeatthis, I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for me. If you had urine through Metametrix, could you share the # of the reading for D-Arabinitol that your son showed? I'm assuming this would have been tested. On my test it was found under the yeast/fungal section. My son showed 51 for this marker. I had called Metametrix Monday to see if they had changed the testing method for yeast, as their website shows tartarate and citramalate, and the girl I spoke with said, "no" those were the old markers, that they used to use, and D-arabinitol is still what is currently tested. She said I must have found that info. on an older site of theirs. I'm also wondering if your Dr. had to sign for you to have the blood drawn, or if you just ordered this test yourself, and took it to the lab, and had the blood drawn without question? I have been dying to find someone else who has had the yeast testing done through Met. and to find out what kind of reading they got on the arabinitol, especially. If you could share this info, it would be much appreciated. Kim

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15980500 Vaccine exemption outrages mercury foes 01/23/2006 By MAGGIE BORMAN The Telegraph Advertisement Reaction has been swift to a decision this month by the Illinois Department of Public Health to delay state lawmakers’ attempts to reduce mercury exposure for those receiving flu shots. The controversy surrounds a decision by state director Dr. Eric Whitaker to issue an exemption to a law that was supposed to take effect Jan. 1, eventually banning mercury content in certain vaccines. The law, however, contains a provision that allows for an exemption if the state determines that the law would lead to, among other things, vaccine shortages. Whitaker has said the phase-out could cause shortages of this season’s flu shot and vaccines for diphtheria, tetanus, meningitis and Japanese encephalitis. Illinois’ Mercury-Free Vaccine Act was signed into law by Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Aug. 29, reducing the allowable mercury content in all vaccines to 1.25 micrograms after Jan. 1, 2006, and for all vaccines administered in Illinois to be totally mercury-free by Jan. 1, 2008. The vaccine preservative thimerosal is comprised of 49.6 percent mercury by weight and is a known neurotoxin.

Carolyn, My oldest son has had a head shaking flair since shortly before Christmas. He had had two moles removed and developed a slight staph infection. I don't know if it was the antibiotic, the infection itself, slacking on diet or what. We had also cut back to 5 of Bonnie's vitamins recently, from 10. Thanks to the people here, I was not surprised when this happened after such a long tic free period. The head shakes were very minimal until he got a sore throat, ache all over virus, then it got worse. I found a chiropractor who advertises as the areas "Only brain stem specialist." Under Brain Stem Sublimation, he has Tic Douloureux listed. I had never heard this phrase before. He explained that this involved nerves that usually involve tics in the area of the face, neck and shoulders. I loved this guy. He has 12 years of education. It is amazing to talk to the Dr.s who have the same concerns that you do. The pure water cooler in his waiting room, and the pamplets warning of immunization injuries, and what parents need to be aware of, tipped me off immediately, that we were going to get along. He has 3 young children of his own, and we agreed on so many things that concern the majority of us here. My son has had 3 appts. and two adjustments so far. He pointed out at the first appt. how one of his shoulders were dropped, which I hadn't noticed, but was very evident when you looked at him straight on. The xrays showed some tilting and rotation of structures. He said he could eliminate the head aches assoc. with the head shaking rather quickly, but he said to get the alignment back to a point where it would "stick" would probably require about 3 months of adjustments. He said he had treated twins with tics, both vocal and motor. The one brother achieved 99% reduction in tics, The other brother only about 60%. He also said my son's condition had been present for at least 5+ years, and believed that we would have better results with adjustments because we were doing supplements, omega's etc. He showed me the basil ganglian nerve bundles in relation to the brain stem, and we discussed the nervous system in relationship to the immune system. Really interesting. I'll try to update on what improvements we're seeing with the tic. I would say from the worst of this episode to now, the head shaking is about 75% better.

Lilbit 95, I read 2 forums which are basically autism bds daily. Neither of my boys, ages 9 and 13 would be considered autistic, aspergers, or exhibit the main problems commonly asssociated with autism. But.....It sure appears there can be some common issues. My boys have both been diagnosised with TS, once by a Pediatric Neurologist, and Chronic Tic Syndrome by a pediatric allergist. Now a days, I really don't care what "handle" is put on the disorder. The chronic tic diagnosis, as with the TS diagnosis, were both based on information that I gave the Dr.s as no tics were visible at any office visits. Two lists which you might find helpful also, are asd solutions@yahoo.com and EnzymesandAutism@yahoo.com. There are many similiar stories there, and many,many posts on what parents report to be beneficial in resolving hand flapping and toe walking. As Chemar mentioned, food allergies, yeast and bad bacteria overgrowth, and various supplements are common ones. An alternative Dr. or DAN Dr. are SO beneficial when trying to sort this all out. My experience with the reg. Dr.s has been horrible. I just don't give up on trying to make them understand that I'm not insane, and they need to PAY ATTENTION when a parent says I don't need medication, I need tests!!!!!!!! It has been really frustrating to realize that even my insurance offers something like IgG food testing, and they don't want to order it. My insurance covers chiroprators, if primary physician will do a referral. He won't. They don't recognise a Chiro. findings, is what I was told a week ago. He thinks adjustments can be harmful. Where was he when they were dosing my babies with mercury on the day of birth? Too bad they weren't as diligent then about possible risk of harm! Sorry, as you can tell, I have some pretty strong feelings on that subject. My oldest son was a kindergarden hummer. This was before any motor tics were present. It happened on and off through 2nd grade. His teacher said she didn't think he even realised he was doing it, so I do feel it was kind of tic related. Many feel that the younger you can get intervention for any medical issues, deficiencies, etc. the better. So, good for you in educating yourself. So sad about the DX or considered bad behavior remark. Your little ones struggles are bad enough without having to worry about punishments for things that are beyond his control. If you have a great pediatrician, maybe you can get him to order the strep titers, zinc/copper tests, and IgG allergie testing as just a starting point. Don't know how many posts you have been through here, but if you need more information on what I'm talking about, please ask! Kim

Claire and All, http://www.directlabs.com/testtypes.php#Dys The test I had done from Direct Labs was the Disbiosis Urine Marker #0097. At the time (5/05) the marker they were using for yeast was D Arabinitol. Now it appeares this test is using the markers of Tartarate and Citramalate. Cost $187.00 The Organic Acid Analysis #0091 is showing the same two markers, Tartarate and Citramalate. Cost $266.00 I'm assuming you ordered the Organic Acid Analysis? Dr. Shaw from Great Plains had been critical of Direct/Metametrix for their yeast marker in the past. I will call Monday. If this is a recent change without a logical explanation, I'm going to try to get them to redo the test I had done last May. Recent discussion on autism bd. had a thread of posts with people reporting good results with Candidase (I'm not fimiliar with this product) for yeast. A few had talked about good results with Threelac too. Kim

http://www.theepochtimes.com/news/5-12-30/36349.html Autism: An Epidemic Is Finally Acknowledged Government agency takes first step to protect our children James Ottar Grundvig Special to The Epoch Times Dec 30, 2005 The year 2005 will be a year to remember in the autism epidemic: The debate came to a head between parents of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) children and the federal government, which has long denied an autism epidemic exists. The ebb and flow has turned in the favor of these long-neglected children, who today number well over one million in the United States alone. Governmental agencies in charge of children's health and the pediatric-psychiatry-pharmaceutical axis had erected a wall to protect their errant policies regarding baby vaccinations. In 2005 that wall began to shows signs of cracking. Turning Points

No problem Giselle Your posts have been soooooo helpful. I think so many times we soak up every post and get so much from them, but don't take the time to let the poster know how truly helpful their post was. Yours have been such a wealth of information, so thanks right back to you for many, many wonderful posts!!!!

Claire, That answer was worth waiting for, thanks. I sure will be anxious to hear of someone else's results on the OAT from metametrix. There's a lot of talk about probiotics being destroyed before they reach the gastro. tract. Klaires site claims that their's are able to survive stomach acid, and this is part of the reason I was wondering if they needed to be taken on an empty stomach. From the Klaire site-http://www.klaire.com/probioticleader2.htm Highest Quality Klaire uses only the purest and highest-quality probiotic ingredients available. All probiotics used in our formulations have been thoroughly researched, documented, and certified against currently available American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) strains. Highest efficacy Probiotics are living organisms that can be degraded by digestive acids and bile. InTactic™, the proprietary delivery technology used in our Ther-Biotic™ formulations, protects probiotic strains from stomach acid and delivers significantly more live organisms than unprotected probiotic formulations. Also, wanted to mention, thanks to our friends on the Autism bds. and all the great info they post/share, Dr. McCandless told everyone during biochat, if they ordered from Klaire to mention that they were patients of hers, and you will get a 20% discount. Is the die off you saw, the achy flu type reactions? rash? fever? Just wondering what to look for. So far nothing with youngest son with the no fenol and 1 culturelle per day. I will start giving two soon. Kim

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06018/639721.stm Drug error, not chelation therapy, killed boy, expert says Wednesday, January 18, 2006 By Karen Kane, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette One of the nation's foremost experts in chelation therapy said she has determined "without a doubt" that it was medical error, and not the therapy itself, that led to the death of a 5-year-old boy who was receiving it as a treatment for autism.

Andy, That's such great news. I hope for everyone's sake, especially your son, the treatments you have done to date, are enough to have allowed your son to heal, and you can put the majority of this behind you. I pray your test results show good things. I have read so often about the metals keeping the gut, and yeast flaired and therefore not allowing the supplements to be absorbed. I'm so hoping this is not the case for my youngest son. His tics are minimal and for the most part always have been. It's the diet that's most concerning. I finally just decided to start the Culturelle, and I have started Houston enzymes again. I started with no fenol this time. Btwn the No fenol, which is supposed to weaken the outer structure of the yeast, and the probiotic, I feel like this would be a very gentle (and probably very slow) way to at least see if can make any small gains. Has your son's appetite improved through the chelation process? Giselle had posted that her DAN Dr. wanted her son to take something like 90 billion units a day of probiotic. The culturelle only has 10 billion per capsule, as I'm sure you're aware. Many on one of the autism lists, rotate probiotics, and I have been thinking of ordering one from Klaire, the Thera formula has 50 billion. I don't know how much die off we would be able to accomplish without a "killer" though. Thanks for posting your updates Andy. Your son's story is one of such hope and courage, and so important to all of us who are off the beaten path here. Kim

Carolyn, Congratulations! So glad that's over for you and went well. I bet with your extra zinc, you'll heal quickly. Good thing you weren't sedated, I trust YOU were able to retreive the tooth from your shirt? Did you ever get any results from your "specks" analysis? Kim

PANDAS LINKS http://www.enzymestory.com/PANDAS.html Ad_ccl Can you tell me if you give probiotic on an empty stomach, or doesn't it matter?

If anyone is trying to talk their Dr. into ordering IgG testing, this may help convince them. Gluten Ataxia and Post-Streptococcal Central Nervous System Syndromes: Emerging Immune-mediated Disorders of the Central Nervous System? Wills A, Dale R, Giovannoni G. Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1 3BG, United Kingdom. G.Giovannoni@ion.ucl.ac.uk. There is an "emerging concept" that central nervous system dysfunction can be caused by an aberrant immune response triggered by exogenous antigens such as the food allergen gluten or streptococcal infection. The hypothesis of a gluten sensitive ataxia remains unproven, but is worthy of consideration. The data in support of this hypothesis require critical review before any treatment recommendations can be formulated. The idea that anti-gliadin antibody seropositivity per se justifies the term "gluten sensitivity" is important because it offers potential therapeutic possibilities, including simple exclusion diets, for patients with anti-gliadin antibody-associated ataxia. Post-streptococcal basal ganglia dysfunction has various manifestations, all of which fall into a relatively well-defined symptom complex or syndrome. Anti- basal ganglia antibodies that are associated with serologic evidence of recent streptococcal infection are a potential diagnostic marker for this group of disorders, which includes Sydenham's chorea (SC) as the prototype. More recently subjects with pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infection, Tourette's syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other movement disorders have been described in association with anti-basal ganglia antibodies. The apparent overlap between the clinical phenotype of SC, pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections, Tourette's syndrome, and obsessive- compulsive disorder suggests that they may represent one disease entity. The current working hypothesis is that antibodies induced in response to streptococcal infection cross-react with antigenic determinants in the basal ganglia resulting in basal ganglia dysfunction. Although the experimental evidence is incomplete, there is sufficient evidence to support immune-mediated basal ganglia dysfunction as an emerging clinical entity. This has important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of subjects with these disorders. The latter includes the judicious use of antibiotic prophylaxis and immunomodulatory therapies. Apart from the diagnosis and management of SC, no consensus exists regarding the diagnosis and management of the other clinical entities within this group of disorders.

12 States Oppose Bush Pollution Plan By MICHAEL GORMLEY The Associated Press Friday, January 13, 2006; 8:16 PM http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...6011301010.html The proposed changes, which require congressional approval, would exempt companies from disclosing their toxic pollution if they claim to release fewer than 5,000 pounds of a specific chemical _ the current limit is 500 pounds _ or if they store it onsite but claim to release "zero" amounts of the worst pollutants. The chemicals involved include mercury, DDT, PCBs and other chemicals that persist in the environment and work up the food chain. Companies must report any storage of dioxin or dioxin-like compounds, even if none are released.

Sunshine, I'm not going to tell you not to be sad, I was sad and terrified. I can tell by your post that your son is very lucky to have you for a parent. It is exhausting but wonderful to find this site that gives you the option of actually having something to DO to help your child. It sounds like you have already identified the sensitivity to lights/flicker and you have appts. with two people who I hope can offer you some answers and guidance. You are doing the very best thing you can for your son by educating yourself. I lost my faith in the ability for regular Dr.s to offer anything useful for this syndrome, but it helps to have a good understanding of what the alternative Dr.s/naturopath are proposing too. Don't forget to take a step back, realise this is not threatening your sons life, hug him, smile, so he doesn't sense your anxiety and take it one day at a time. There are many, many people here who will be glad to give you support and advice. Please let us know how your appointment goes tomorrow. You might want to bring a note pad with any specific questions you have, and also to jot down anything that you may need in case the stress induced brain freeze sets in. I used to get that, but I'm getting much better. I can actually leave an appt. regarding the boys and find my car! Kim

Sunshine, Just use the Add reply option, not the "reply. It sounds to me like if what your son is doing is a tic at all and not just a habit, it would be more along the lines of a motor tic, as it doesn't really involve the vocals. I read recently where about 10% of school age kids experience some kind of transient tic. Hopefully, that's all it is. If you have any other concerns that you think someone may be able to help with, just ask Kim

As new research published today reveals a link between poor diet and mental ill health, Fran Gorman says it's time for the government to act Rise in mental illness linked to unhealthy diets, say studies Monday January 16, 2006 http://society.guardian.co.uk/socialcare/c...1687598,00.html Chickens now reach their slaughter weight twice as fast as they did 30 years ago, which has changed the nutritional profile of the meat. Whereas a chicken carcass used to be 2% fat, it has now risen to 22%. Also, the diet fed to chickens has changed, which has reduced omega-3 fatty acids and increased omega-6 fatty acids in chicken meat. Similarly, the diet fed to farmed fish is changing the ratio of fatty acids in the fish we eat. As a result, the population's intake of omega-3 fatty acids has decreased whilst the consumption of omega-6 fatty acids has increased. This unequal intake combined with a lack of vitamins and minerals has been linked depression, concentration and memory problems.

After typing the response to Mary, I looked at zinc test done through Labcorp. It said serum zinc, not plasma zinc. If anyone has zinc results, could you post which one was done? TIA Kim

Mary, Your very welcome for the response and sorry it took me so long to get back to you. The first tests my boys had were basic blood work and urinalysis through Pediatrician shortly after oldest son had started Bonnie's vitamins,(her site recommends a physical/proper kidney and liver function) and standard allergy testing. Youngest son only had three mild reactions, oldest was an explosion of environmental reactions like dust mites, trees, grasses, cat, etc., 6 medications were prescribed btwn the two of them. One being a stomach acid reducer, and one being a nasal steroid. Two things that I did not feel I wanted them on. I do give oldest 1 zyrtec per day, and it has helped. That's the only prescription medication we're using. I also ordered a test through Direct Labs/Metametrix to detect yeast and bacterial issues. This is a test that you can order yourself, (no Dr. signature necessary) They just mail you a urine collection ( plastic container) and you follow the directions and mail it back. It did show a high reading for youngest son on a yeast marker. I didn't order it for oldest son, as he has never shown the stomach problems or eating aversions like youngest. Then I took the blood work, urinalysis and my Metametrix test results to an Alternative Pediatric DO who specializes in allergies and is familiar with the vitamin therapies. He said the metametrix test was one indicator of a yeast problem, and wanted me to get my Pediatrician to order thyroid, blood yeast, ammonia level (this is something I thought for sure would be high in youngest son, but....Dr Shaw from Great Plains says not to do ammonia testing, it's too unstable, you need to test orotic acid) and IgG food allergy testing. He said these were standard tests that any Dr. could order and if ordered through primary care physician, insurance would cover. It was very obvious that our Peds office, or the girls in the lab were not familiar with the IgG testing to say the least. I believe it's a good test to have done, if you have insurance that will cover. If not, Immuno Labs tests way more, much cheaper and does ELISA testing which seems to be the preferred way of testing amongst posters/DAN dr.s. It appears we're seeing some positive results with the removal of peanut from youngest sons diet. He also wanted a comprehensive stool analysis from Great Smokies, and sent us home with those test kits. We never did the Great Smokies test, because the boys didn't want to, but I have read that it's a good test for digestion, and I think fatty acid metabolites and sometimes will pick up yeast overgrowth/bad bacteria (It seems many post that this test can miss the yeast problems, and the urine test is more reliable than the stool test?). I think everyone knows the results of the IgG testing, if not just ask and I'll do another thread I have not seen the reports on the other tests that Ped had done, just the food reports. He considers things to be "normal" that I find concerning, so I need to get copies of those as well, for next appt. with a different Alt Dr. As far as dosing Bonnie's vitamins, I just started giving my, at the time 12 year old about 3 first night, then 5 and so on. When we got to about 15, he felt hyper. I emailed Bonnie, and she said to cut back or ride it out, that there were no stimulants in the vits. I had read many times where B vits. can cause hyper feelings so we cut back to about 10 and stayed there for a long time. So, I guess the answer is to follow her dosing instructions, go slow with upping the dose, and observe how your child is reacting. I wanted to use the most minimal amt. possible, and have found a MUCH lower dose than what is allowable according to her dosing chart, for his weight, to be effective. Youngest son takes what ever I can get in him, due to his eating issues which I have made no progress with. Usually about 5 per day, and about 25 mgs. of zinc and a little extra vit. C here and there. I really feel he needs additional zinc, probably much higher due to low zinc on blood test, but won't use higher amts. without a Dr. tracking. The Alt. Dr. said 50 mgs. per day would be ok, but I still think you need to keep track of the zinc/copper ratio (as Claire recently pointed out again) and I didn't know when we were going to get back to him for retesting. Unfortunately, copper was not tested on CBC originally, zinc only. I think, if you can convince your childs Dr. to order this one single test, it may be helpful. If anyone does this as a starting point, I sure hope you post your results. The struggles with the Pediatrician and insurance have been horrible. I have made some head way, but it has been slow going. Just when I FINALLY get a referral (first appt. wasn't covered, I paid $300.00 for a consult on both boys) for the Alt. Dr. I get a letter informing me that he's retiring in Jan We do not have a family history of tics or TS. Personally, I don't think it makes any difference, except for a "heads up" when you start to see a problem with a child, or even before. Claire posted Dr. Walsh's opinion on the "Loaded with info" thread, I believe he pretty much sums it up there. http://www.directlabs.com/testtypes.php OAT test I had done, no Drs. signature required http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/russian/test1.html Lab many use for OAT testing, does require Dr.s signature. http://www.gsdl.com/home/assessments/cdsa/ Requires Dr.s signature http://www.bonniegr.com/index.htm http://www.immunolabs.com/ Requires Dr.s signature http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/art.../walshMP.htm#Py excerpt from last; Tests for plasma zinc, serum copper and serum ceruloplasmin can give a good indication of "metal" oxidative stress. A Cu/Zn ratio greater than 1.20 or an excessive amount of "unbound" copper..... that is, copper not bound to ceruloplasmin..... are indicators of excessive free radical metal ions which can suppress or destroy many digestive enzymes, cause diarrhea, digestive pain, maldigestion, malabsorption and multiple food sensitivities. The levels will be abnormal in the presence of toxic overloads of mercury, cadmium, lead, antimony, etc. A hair analysis for the metals can provide some information also.(March 6, 2003)

Mary, If you have read Sheila's book and have an appt. with an allergist, you probably have a good start. Just wanted to let you know that I have a 9 year old son too, with the same two tics you described. He was eye twitchy since he was about 4 or 5 although I would have thought nothing of it (hardly noticable), had his older brother not had tics. Then came some mild hummmm hummming, then the head shake, then the shoulder shrug. Currently, nothing noticable and these things were pretty much one at a time. He did get facially more twitchy last week during a sore throat, body ache virus. At this time, I have no idea if the small amount of Bonnie's vitamins, and supplementing with zinc (he had a low zinc serum of 76) removing peanut butter from diet as it showed high on IgG testing and have started Culturelle probiotic recently, have helped or if we're just in a low tic phase. His tics have never been very severe, but that head shaking one, is one you can't hide, and the one I have found most upsetting with both boys. With my older son it's painful, with younger, just noticable but not a violent shake. My older son used to do just what you told your son about the bathroom at school. At one time he had a loud vocal tic-which passed relatively quickly and never came back. I can only imagine what people passing that bathroom thought. He also got into a shoe squeaking tic. He would make his tennis shoes squeak and leave black marks on the floor. Pretty soon most of the class was doing it, and really making life miserable for the janitor. I'll never forget when the boys went to register at the start of one school year. The janitor was outside in front of the building and saw us comming. He took off like a bat out of hang (and he's a short heavy man) practically threw himself in front of the doors to stop us from going in, and informs us that he was just locking the school. I later figured out that his highly polished floors were the problem, as they were having an Administrative meeting that evening at the school. When at all possible, we have kept a good sense of humor about tics. I don't know if you have as many ticcy kids where you live, but as far as I'm concerned, we have many in the schools. During my sons music programs, which the whole elem. school participates in, the kids stand on risers on stage under lights. You should see the eye blinking, nose scruntching, shoulder shrugging, going on. No one pays any attention. It may make your son feel better if you point some of that out to him. Also, with the return of longer hair styles, we're seeing a lot of head shaking, as boys throw their hair off of their face. My guys are still short syles, but good diversion for a flair! At the age your son is at and my younges, it seems to me boys are in constant motion, and I believe other kids hardly notice. My older son(13) and I were talking about this just before Christmas. I asked him how many kids in middle school had tics. His answer was "a lot." I'm super sensitive to them, and figured he must notice too. I asked him what he notices the most and he did the facial stuff, and named about 5 kids that did some form of head shaking, neck tic or at least what looks like it. So if you stop focusing on your own child, and notice some of the others and their movements, you may see where it's not as noticable as you think. I watched a kid in the outfield for a whole inning thinking it was my younest son, shoulder shrugging last summer. When they came off the field, I realised it wasn't him I don't know if this boy was ticcing or if his jersey was just too big, which is what my youngest son says makes him do it. He says his clothes don't feel right, so maybe it's more of a sensory issue than a true tic with shoulder shrugging. Anyway, you're not alone and neither is your son. If you have any specific questions please ask. I can't tell you how helpful this bd. and other's experiences have been to me. There are SO many things to explore to eliminate or at least keep things managable. I'm sure Sheila's book which I haven't read yet, along with the people here will help you sort it out. Kim

Claire, Sorry about your compounded vitamin, but it sounds like your making progress after many months of preparing for this. I'll really be interested to see what what results you see with the MT promotion. I read recently where one of the DAN's said basically what Pfeiffer is, that mercury may bind to testosterone and hang on, where it is not excreted as easily as in females. If the girly hormones help this process, it makes sense. I think it was Daniel who posted Dr. Walsh's chart that listed hairy people as being either over/under methylators where the hormone factor is probably what is considered. I think any parent or person with a neuro disorder, should have the zinc copper test done as a first line test, and this comes from no one with any great doc's or much testing, but it sure appears that this is a MAJOR player in this whole thing or maybe a major clue at the starting point, would be a better way to put it, and ANY Dr. should be able to order for you. I really wondered when Momonamission was giving her son the carnosine, if that wasn't part of the problem when it stopped working, a zinc/copper problem (some links on that thread) I had posted a question to you on the Chelation thread with Carolyn. Don't know if you missed it or just didn't have time to respond, but I would really like to know if you have had or plan to do the Direct lab/metametrix oat /yeast or if you will stick with Great Plains? Also, have you heard anyone suggest that yeast NOT be treated?????? I'm wondering how much magnesium you were supplementing with when your test results came back high. Is it possible to overload when only supplementing with say 200 to 500 mgs? Thanks for the update, and I hate to ask too many questions of you, but I'm wondering what you have "started with" regarding the MT promotion. Kim

I guess it would not require conversion. http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/med...,712451,00.html One group of compounds the body needs are the prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that play a part in everything from cell rejuvenation and the regulation of blood pressure, to how we feel when we get up in the morning. Normally, these chemicals are manufactured from linolenic acid - a fatty acid found in nuts, seeds and vegetable oils - but in some people the conversion process fails. Poor diet, stress, ageing, alcohol abuse and glucose intolerance can all compromise the production of prostaglandins, as can metabolic disorders such as diabetes. The solution is to take linolenic acid in the form of EPO, usually in glycerine capsules. This converts more reliably into prostaglandins

Ronnas, The first set of bold type paragraphs seems to support that a high ratio of 6 to 3 could be detremental, with the exception of what the second paragraph talks about which would be the faulty conversion process. I'm assuming that the evening primrose would not have to undergo the conversion in the liver, and would directly supply the long chain PUFA? Interesting that the vitamins, zinc and insulin are needed to make the conversion. The alternative Dr. seemed puzzeled as to why I wasn't supplementing with evening primrose also. He did recommend the Great Smokies stool test which would show what the fatty acid status would be, but the boys were really put off with providing the samples. My youngest son will not take the fish oil in the capsules like my older son, as they do have a fishy aftertaste if not taken on a full stomach so I need to get a lemon or some flavored one and am just wondering which way to go. He doesn't get anywhere near the variety in his diet of cooking oils or anything else as his brother does due to his limited diet. As for the Alternative Dr. just when I get the referral in place (I paid out of pocket for the first office visit) and get a few tests done- food sensitivity testing, thyroid test, blood yeast, etc. I receive a notice that this Dr. is retiring this month and no one had said a word about this, as I was graveling with my Pediatrician to Give me the referral, and order the testing that this Dr. recommended as insurance would cover, if the labs were ordered through Primary Care Physician, which he did agree too 3 months after I requested it. He wouldn't return my calls, I was told he was out of town, many excuses. Finally youngest son get pneumonia , I take him in and suddenly he says no problem to the test that the Alt. Dr. wants. What a hassle. It would be much easier if I was only dealing with one child, but with two, I really need to utilize what ever I can with insurance. If you have a different take on the article you posted, I'd really like to hear it! Kim