Another ENHANSA question

[cara615]

DS has had a positive reaction to ENHANSA. We are on 300mgs 2x/ day. I think that is the max dosage. It immediately lowered the frequency of his tics.

 

My question is:

Do the effects wear off? Does the curcumin build up in the body and have a cumulative effect over time?

[nicklemama]

I have no idea if it builds up or is cumulative. How old is your son? My son is 10, weighs 75lbs and takes 600mg twice a day.

[SSS]

For me personally, and I've been using Enhansa for a long time (it seems),

it never loses effectiveness, nor do I need to keep increasing my dose for more power.

In fact, I recently started getting it through the pharmacy (thinking I would get nice price break from my insurance,

and only a $10- or so pay difference)

But, it seems stronger- maybe because it is fresher- and I can't go up- now holding my dose-

it does recommend if you go off, to titrate back down-

[cara615]

Thanks for all the info. My son is 6 and 40lbs. It seems that I must give it after a meal to increase its effectiveness. What i figured out on my own is that DS still needs abx I was trying to wean him from the augmentin and it seems as though everytime I do this, his tics come back. When I bump his does back up - tics go back down. There has to be another way to reduce inflammation. I can't imagine that the abx are that necessary especially since he does not have an active infection.

 

His titres are still elevated (Anti Dnase = 172) but his ASO is neg. Maybe once his titres do back down he won't need the abx?

[WorriedDADNMOM]

Cara, we have been using enhansa for a couple years now. Definitely better behaviors on as opposed to off. Ours is 600mg one time per day.

 

For us Strep titers were always low or negative. But we did have low positive with neg culture swabs. We did however find out several months later after blood draw about Mycoplasma titers being extremely high coupled with the worst onslaught of neurological and psychological issues. The doc never told us and we struggled all summer.

 

I only say that to encourage you to investigate other infections that could be triggering your kiddos issues. In addition there are many supplements to boost immune system. Also during exacerbations, if your pedi would try it, combo abx.......We are on PenVK prophylaxis coupled with the rare, albeit occasional, zithromax.

[cara615]

DS has been on daily abx since Nov 2013. First he was on Azithro 75mgs daily till march. Then we upped to 150mgs daily. Then in April we moved to Augmentin 250mgs 2x per day. Don't you think if there were other infections that these broad spectrum abx would cover and treat them?

 

BTW - we are neg for Lyme.

[smartyjones]

cara -- I know that I found and so have some others (momwithocdson) that it took quite a long time to get our kids off abx - actually for us it was a homeopathic remedy that we used as one would use abx. we tried multiple times over quite some time to wean him off that remedy and were unsuccessful. after maybe the 3rd or so time, our doc just said, we'll just leave him on for a while -- perhaps another 6 months. then we tried and didn't see symptoms come back.

 

so - yes, I can see that you are discouraged and it is good to be searching for other options, but don't be too discouraged. it may just not be the right time NOW to get off the abx- but you will get there!!

 

oh wait -- do I see correctly that he has been on abx since Nov -- so you're talking 6-7 months? I know you may feel anxious to get him off that but I don't actually think that's an extensive time. my ds was on 6 weeks of Keflex - 100% remission. then after 6 weeks, symptoms returned. he did another 6 weeks Keflex but not to same great results. we then went searching for other answers. about a year later, we found our current doc and got on the remedy we used. he was likely on that for a year or so before we started to see success in weaning him off. granted, it's a homeopathic remedy, so things are different - but I do know at that time, there were also many people seeing that kind of result in trying to wean off abx.

 

good luck!

[cara615]

Thanks for the feedback. We are doing homeopathy as well. I know it doesn't always work as well when you are on abx but i wanted to start the process. DS has a constitutional remedy and 2 nosodes (strep and candida). Its a homotoxicology protocol.

 

i am confused at what you are saying though. Did you ever have trouble weaning from abx or was it trouble weaning from the homeopathic remedy.

 

i want to wean from the abx because its destroying his gut as well as who knows what else (bones? height? overall health?). I just get sick every morning that i have to give him abx.

[smartyjones]

hmm - do you have a homeopath that you are working with? we work with an integrative MD. I would think you may be doing a little shooting yourself in the foot if you are doing both. it could be possible that you are engaging a herx-like reaction from the homeopathy and the enhansa that the abx is keeping that in check. idk - just a thought.

 

maybe you then should bite the bullet and get off the abx - ?? idk. perhaps wait until summer when you don't have to deal with school -- ??

 

yes -- I'm with you -- we first did the abx b/c he was so sick. even though he saw great results initially - so I knew abx were effective, I wasn't jazzed about having him on them longterm. when the second time didn't see the great results (although we did see some results) I knew we had to find something else.

each time, he was only on for 6 weeks.

 

the trouble weaning I'm speaking about is from the remedy - which was a bacterial formula -- like a strep nosode. what is your ds's constitutional?

Edited May 7, 2014 by smartyjones

[cara615]

Yes we work with an HP. She says healing can still occur, just not as quickly. His constitutional is Californica Butterfly and his 2 nosodes are strep and candida. i wouldn't have an issue staying on a nosode for a year or more. Its the abx that are doing REAL harm to his gut biome.

 

Once school i out i am set to try the BRAVO probiotics. I am hoping this can really create a new gut biome for him and get rid of all the dybiosis. This would probably be a good time to wean from the abx. i will try it again over the summer.

[WorriedDADNMOM]

Cara, not sure if you are weaning or just stopping??? For us zithromax supposedly has immune modulating properties. Therefore the integrative pedi that we use did a few 30 stints of daily zithromax....then transitioned to a MWF weening period for a good amount of time also. Kinda similar to Prednisone, but not exact.....same kinda idea.

[cara615]

i was weaning by lowering the dose ever so slightly each day. It just seems when I do that for a week or so, his tics start to increase. I just want to get his gut in good place so we don't need to rely on the abx daily. I would love to get on a prophylactic dose MWF. At least that would give us the opportunity to heal his gut a little more. maybe when school is out and I start the BRAVO probiotic I will be able to deal lower his abx dose.

[rowingmom]

Keep us updated on BRAVO. Thanks.