Curcumin for PANS and herxing

[chad72]

My 8 year old DD has PANS and was recommended fish oil. After reading the various parent experiences here, I felt it would be a better idea to try curcumin after hearing different testimonies here.

 

I started with Dr. Mercola's Curcumin Advanced with sustained release 2 days ago, everything else she has been on for a few months now, this is the only thing I introduced. My daughter's symptoms are minimal tics (about 10-20 times a day) and sensory issues. I have only introduced about 100 mg of that 500 mg capsule (empty it to an enteric coated capsule) and I take the rest for my own inflammation. I noticed my DD having a bout of 6-8 tics in a row while driving. I am not certain if it is something she is fighting or if it is due to the curcumin herxing. She typically does not do so many in a row.

 

If it is curcumin herxing, is it typical? How many days or weeks would I have to endure this? When do I know it is not the right thing for her? Any thoughts or advice? I have heard folks here give the whole 500 mg, so at what pace do you suggest I ramp it up?

 

 

Also, as a footnote, she has been bugging me for getting a gerbil pet . I have managed to ward it off till next Christmas. I have never had a gerbil, so are there things related to it and her PANS condition that I need to be aware of? I don't want her to stop living life but at the same time, wish to be careful.

 

Thanks for all your time and input in advance.

Edited January 10, 2016 by chad72

[rowingmom]

We use a Meriva-based curcumin, as well as a turmeric tincture (among many other tinctures/herbs recommended in Stephen Buhner's bartonella and babesia protocols).

 

I have never noticed DD14 herxing on curcumin, in fact by tripling her dose I significantly decreased some horrible herxing/ticcing caused by the introduction of GSE (grapeseed extract) that our LLMD recommended for plaque build-up on her teeth due to her antibiotic protocol.

 

Within 1 day of starting the GSE (at 1 drop on her toothbrush whenever she brushed), her ticcing significantly increased, as well as urinary frequency and behavioural regression. It wasn't until the end of the week that I realized what the culprit might be. By that time she was vocal ticcing so badly that she could not do a scheduled oral presentation at school, and she was unable to read because her neck jerking and eye blinking were so bad.

 

The teacher called me crying and feeling so badly for DD. I discontinued the GSE and tripled the curcumin and within 2 days she was so improved that the teacher announced me a miracle worker. The other PANS symptoms took a while longer to resolve back to baseline.

 

I would ramp up as I do with all herbals, start low and if you think you see a herx reaction decrease to the point where you no longer see a herx. Stay there for a couple of weeks (or even a month if you are introducing the more heavily antimicrobial herb) before trying to increase again. If you are producing a die-off of some sort, the die-off will continue at the lower dosage, but her body will be able to detox it. You are the one to judge her responses, although she might tell you too.

 

We have pets and they have never caused a problem for DD. But she also doesn't tend to be allergic to anything other than antibiotics, I'm not sure about your daughter.

Edited January 10, 2016 by rowingmom