Digestive Enzymes?

[MomWithOCDSon]

A couple of months ago, when DS13 began to complain of tummy trouble (he's still taking abx), I decided to try adding digestive enzymes to his supplements, along with the probiotics he's already taking.

 

I do think the enzymes have assisted his digestion, but in looking back through our journal, I'm beginning to think that they may have interfered with the effectiveness of the abx, also. He hit a behavioral bump, and we thought he'd been either re-exposed to strep or perhaps was responding to a norovirus that was running around school and in our home (unfortunately). But then, just on intuition, I decided to cease the use of the enzymes last week, and he's been on an upswing ever since.

 

So I'm beginning to wonder if the enzymes were somehow suppressing or negating the abx. Anyone else have a similar or contrary experience? Thanks!

[lynn2]

I tried DS on enzymes. There are some that really don't work for him (can't recall the brand, but they make Trienza which works for many people, just not us)--they make him hyper and increase his tics. He did well for a year or so on Enzymedica Digest Gold and Glutenease, with Candidase for yeast--it really did seem to improve all of the symptoms although they were still there. Then we stopped when we started the PANDAS treatment because it seemed like just too much. I tried starting again recently and they seemed to make him worse. Could be I started too fast--low and slow is absolutely essential for enzymes. Or maybe the worsening could have been totally unrelated to the enzymes. The Enzymedica manufacturer has stated that they don't interfere with antibiotics.

[mama2alex]

I can't answer your question, but I found an interesting web site you might want to check out:

 

http://www.enzymestuff.com/dietsmeds.htm

 

The site is put together by Karen DeFelice, author of Enzymes for Autism and Other Neurological Conditions, and looks like it has some great information, including this section on enzyme interaction with medication and supplements, including probiotics.

[kimballot]

Nancy - We've never tried digestive enzymes, though I have been curious about them. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience!

[MomWithOCDSon]

I can't answer your question, but I found an interesting web site you might want to check out:

 

http://www.enzymestuff.com/dietsmeds.htm

 

The site is put together by Karen DeFelice, author of Enzymes for Autism and Other Neurological Conditions, and looks like it has some great information, including this section on enzyme interaction with medication and supplements, including probiotics.

 

Thanks for the link! Since we have our DS on XR (a time-released Augmentin), I found this section particularly interesting:

 

There is one caution with time-released medications and the specific enzyme cellulase. Some time-released medicines or supplements use cellulose to slow down the digestion and release of the product. Not all do. Cellulose is virtually indigestible in humans since people do not produce that enzyme internally natually. If you take an enzyme product with cellulase (the enzyme that breaks down cellulose), the cellulase may break down the cellulose in the medication and mess up the time-release design.

 

Maybe that explains the "bump" we've documented! I'll have to check the enzymes I have and see if ceullulase is among its components. Thanks again!

[NancyD]

Wow...thank you, Nancy, for raising this question, and mam2alex for finding this info on Karen DeFelice's informative website. I just checked DD's digestive enzyme, which she has been taking for 10+ years and sure enough, there is cellulase in it. Then I called our pharmacist and she checked the inactive ingredients in Augmentin XR (we use the generic one) and yes, there is indeed cellulose in that. Lastly, I emailed Karen (as I know her) and I will report back when she emails me. I asked her if she could send me any citations specific to the interaction of cellulose and cellulase. But based on this, I think I will stop DD's digestive enzyme. Thankfully she doesn't need them the way she used to. Good find Nancy and mama2alex!

 

Nancy

[MomWithOCDSon]

Yes, I just got home from work and double-checked our bottle of enzymes, as well. We were giving DS "DigestMore" by Renew Life, on top of which, I was dosing him at meal time, right alongside his Augmentin XR! Sure enough, this supplement includes 250 CUs of cellulase, alongside the other five enzymes in it. Wow! I so frequently feel as though I'm chasing after "cause and effect" with this PANDAS stuff without any real, final validation for it, this is really making my day, I must say!

 

Thanks again, Mama2Alex for the link! More proof (as though we needed it), that it does indeed "take a village!" And another validation for keeping a journal, too. Some nuances become magnified when you can track a pattern over a period of time, and without a journal, I don't think I would've made this connection at all.