the gut

[Guest pandas16]

How many of you addressed this ABSOLUTELY first? Meaning you get rid of the parasites, you build up the flora, you break the biofilms, you chelate the heavy metals....and THEN attacked the Lyme and Co infections? Or did you start on abx right away?

Edited October 31, 2011 by pandas16

[SSS]

Me, with my daughter. When she was just 4, I figured out she has a leaky gut. Put her on gluten free, casien free diet, she become 'clearer' (and looking back, I believe it reduced inflammation) and starting eating proteins- her whole diet/nutrition improved. When you have a leaky gut, you don't aborb the nutrients from food well- and there is yeast overgrowth. So I supplemented vitamins, minerals, and did naturals to help stave off the yeast, started giving high quality probiotics- I did this for 2 years +

My daughter has only been on antibiotics for the last 10 months.

As far as heavy metals, I have done short chelation protocols, however, the last one (5 weekends of DMSA) it released bacteria, strep and others, and that is when we came to pandas.

Many Dr.'s (both our DAN and now LLMD) feel it is wise to get the bacteria load down first (in our case, Lyme now) before going after the heavy metals- so, in another year, I will retest to see where her heavy metal load is at, because things we are doing now to treat her immune system may also be chelating some out, and if there is still a presence, then we will go back to chelation.

HTH.

[HelenJenn]

Because what I first noticed was food reactions and yeast issues- I realised there was this connection. We researched the gaps protocol and have helped him this way-removing dairy etc. He is great until sore throat returns. So we will focus on immune boosting.

[Suzan]

Before I knew about lyme, we went on gluten free diet for gut issues that we were experiencing. It helped a lot. When we learned about lyme, we went on abx right away. I didn't really learn about all the other stuff until after we started down the abx lyme path.

 

My dd9 has not improved much on abx and we are now going heavily down the detox and inflammation path to get her body into better shape and hopefully treat the lyme better.

 

Susan

[MichaelTampa]

I did some minor things for the gut before abx, but not all the serious and important stuff you listed there. This was more based on doing things as I ran into the ideas than any grand plan. It is very possible that the order you ask about would make much more sense for many people, particularly those not in a truly desperate situation of needing whatever improvements they can get ASAP.

 

While I have been off abx for a while, I am still not healthy and gut symptoms are way up there on the list of remaining symptoms.

[rowingmom]

When DD10 first became increasingly sick we embarked on GFCF, then GAPS (did not do the intro, just started with the regular GAPS diet). These did not really help too much with pain, tics or GI problems, but I think the high protein/fat helped her concentration. We then tried low salicylate/oxalate which further helped concentration (though it still waxed and waned with the other symptoms), but not with pain, ticcing or GI. At the suggestion of an allergist we tried an elimination diet, but did not see significant improvement on 2 weeks of on lamb/rice/pears and still had all symptoms. Only ABX, long with Byron White, detox homeopathics, transfer factors, Interfase, Boluoke, probiotics, methylfolate/B12, liposomal glutathione etc. has improved her symptoms. We remain on GFCF/high protein/high saturated and omega3 fat diet to decrease inflammation.

Edited November 24, 2011 by rowingmom

[rowingmom]

Two weeks ago we added A-L to A-Bart and ramped up a little fast (3 drops BID) resulting in some lyme symptoms that she has not previously complained of - sore ankles, knees, tingling arms, more emotional. These improved once I decreased the dose to 1 drop BID, which we continue with. Everything was going great (no symptoms except upon significant exertion - 1 hr celtic dancing, running and playing with friends was no problem) until we added plaquenil (100 mg BID) to her biaxin two days ago. Symptoms (lyme and bart) are now ramping up. The LLMD said if this happened to decrease the plaquenil to every other day, so I will try that, I don't want her to become too toxic. She has not had GI disturbances since we began treatment in June, or motor tics for a month now (after 4 months of biaxin/rifampin). I see an increase in symptoms if she has a cold, but they disappear once she has recovered.

Edited November 24, 2011 by rowingmom

[NancyD]

We did it that way for my DD15. Started when she was a toddler. By the time we started her on abx for PANDAS we had already healed her gut (severe colitis) and did biofilm protocol and chelation. Lyme and Bartonella treatment did not start until Sept 2010.