Update- Parasites!

[Betty04]

Just wanted to update after our visit to the DAN doctor last week in case this is helpful for anyone. I am surprised at how many factors can actually play a role in tics. My son has continual "poop" issues and we were testing him through Metametrix with DNA testing to see if he had C-Diff. This test was more accurate than prior stool tests that were negative. To our surprise he tested positive for hookwork and cryptosporidium. He will take 2 meds over the next couple of weeks and hopefully we will not only see an improvement GI wise but also with his tics. The DAN doc says that all of us are exposed to these parasites but his poor immune functionning has made it impossible for him to ward off... now if I only knew why he has a poor immune systems!? Hope this is helpful or interesting to others... the stool test by Metametrix was very comprehensive. Betty

[ilovedogs]

Thank you, Betty. I think many of us are dealing with parasites even as adults. There are products on the market for parasite cleansing but I've heard they can really affect your energy levels and digestive issues, too. This may be something I look into down the road.

Bonnie

[Chemar]

one of the things I like about Candida Clear is its blend of things that are anti parasitic

 

when we first started having radiogenic transdermal testing (I think they call it lots of other things now too) I was so surprised at parasites that were coming up for my son that I had some additional tests blood & stool tests run where possible and sure enuff...he had them! This was before the overnight switch on of intense depression and also tics that happened about 2 years later. The physician treated my son with a series of ANTITOX drops (Apex) and it really seemed to help based on his subsequent tests

 

prior to the Crohn's dx we had more transdermal testing done and parasites showed and so son went on the drops again and again improvement although that was likely just getting rid of an additional irritant to the Crohn's condition

 

candida clear has oregano oil in it, known to be an "all purpose" antiparasitic.

(the oil alone is VERY VERY strong and even a drop in small glass of water is barely tolerable! it is so strong! so do be careful re kids with the pure oil!!!)

but in the candida clear capsule its undetectable (except by the nice smell ) and I believe there are other oregano oil capsules and blends available (we also use the dried and fresh herb in cooking a lot, along with rosemary and garlic)

 

green pumpkin seeds help with worms (yup, so many kids( and adults--) have 'em and dont even know it!)

[ilovedogs]

one of the things I like about Candida Clear is its blend of things that are anti parasitic

 

when we first started having radiogenic transdermal testing (I think they call it lots of other things now too) I was so surprised at parasites that were coming up for my son that I had some additional tests blood & stool tests run where possible and sure enuff...he had them! This was before the overnight switch on of intense depression and also tics that happened about 2 years later. The physician treated my son with a series of ANTITOX drops (Apex) and it really seemed to help based on his subsequent tests

 

prior to the Crohn's dx we had more transdermal testing done and parasites showed and so son went on the drops again and again improvement although that was likely just getting rid of an additional irritant to the Crohn's condition

 

candida clear has oregano oil in it, known to be an "all purpose" antiparasitic.

(the oil alone is VERY VERY strong and even a drop in small glass of water is barely tolerable! it is so strong! so do be careful re kids with the pure oil!!!)

but in the candida clear capsule its undetectable (except by the nice smell ) and I believe there are other oregano oil capsules and blends available (we also use the dried and fresh herb in cooking a lot, along with rosemary and garlic)

 

green pumpkin seeds help with worms (yup, so many kids( and adults--) have 'em and dont even know it!)

So, Cheri, are you saying that his depression happened after you treated for parasites, etc or did you just have the tests run and then 2 years later he had the depression and tics? And, then treated with the Antitox drops?

I will be putting ds through NEAT next month and was hoping we'd find some things like this so that I could do further testing, etc.

Interesting about the green pumpkin seeds, I didn't know that!

Bonnie

[Chemar]

sorry

no,

The parasite dx was 1997. it was two years BEFORE he had the dramatic depression/tic onset that we learned of the parasites. He had the antitox treatment at the time of parasite dx (ie when he was around 8yo)

Looking back my son has always had tics and mood/OCD issues, but they manifested very noticeably and intensely just after his 10th birthday in 1999. it is believed that is when the TS gene "switched on" fully (I dont understand genetic mechanisms fully)

 

 

 

He had antitox drops again in late 2005 and again in 2006 prior to getting the Crohn's dx which was actually the reason for his abdominal pain, bleeding etc. The parasites had likely been agravating the Crohn's that was as yet undx, as the antitox gave a period of remission from those symptoms.

 

Apex makes an excellent range of Antitox products as well as other remedies.

http://www.apexenergetics.com/catalog/home.../plex/aplex.htm

[P_Mom]

Betty,

Thanks for the info. Sorry to ask specifics about the "continued poop issues," but, could you tell me what kind of issues he had?

 

Thanks!

[Greyhound]

green pumpkin seeds help with worms (yup, so many kids( and adults--) have 'em and dont even know it!)

Dried seeds?

[Betty04]

Don't mind sharing the details. He is 3 1/2 yrs and still not potty trained so we talk about poop all the time

 

Basically for the last year he has had loose stools. This began before we started multiple courses of antibotics. Then we noticed and other caretakers commented on the quantity of undigested food in his stool. Then there was the extremely offensive smell... my husband is a physician and he said it smelled like C-diff wards in the hospital. The smell took over our home every time he pooped... I would be upstairs and him downstairs and the minute I started coming down I would know he pooped!

I will update on his progress with the treatment. We are at day 2 of a 3 day course of treatment for hookworms. Then next week we start to treat the other parasite. We also restarted probiotics. I pray this helps because it is not easy getting a 3 year old to eat all this stuff!

 

 

Thanks to everyone for commenting, I had no idea how common parasites are!

 

 

Betty,

Thanks for the info. Sorry to ask specifics about the "continued poop issues," but, could you tell me what kind of issues he had?

 

Thanks!

[michele]

This thread was interesting to me because my one year old daughter has had loose, watery stools for twelve days today. At times it would run out of her diaper and make such a mess. She goes about four to six times a day. Her little bottom is really red. The Dr. said probably a stomach virus and to stop giving her milk, just give her bananas, Gatorade, rice, applesauce, and toast. After fourteen days she said she would culture the diarreah. I wonder if she could have a parasite. Her stools were always formed in the past. What could cause such a bad case of diarreah that lasts so long? Could it be a parasite and what causes them?

 

Michele

Don't mind sharing the details. He is 3 1/2 yrs and still not potty trained so we talk about poop all the time

 

Basically for the last year he has had loose stools. This began before we started multiple courses of antibotics. Then we noticed and other caretakers commented on the quantity of undigested food in his stool. Then there was the extremely offensive smell... my husband is a physician and he said it smelled like C-diff wards in the hospital. The smell took over our home every time he pooped... I would be upstairs and him downstairs and the minute I started coming down I would know he pooped!

I will update on his progress with the treatment. We are at day 2 of a 3 day course of treatment for hookworms. Then next week we start to treat the other parasite. We also restarted probiotics. I pray this helps because it is not easy getting a 3 year old to eat all this stuff!

 

 

Thanks to everyone for commenting, I had no idea how common parasites are!

 

 

Betty,

Thanks for the info. Sorry to ask specifics about the "continued poop issues," but, could you tell me what kind of issues he had?

 

Thanks!

[emma1]

First, Michele and Betty -- hope everything is going better for both of you.

 

I am very interested in this info re: parasites as it is something I have never considered even though one of my children has had a lot of stomach issues (and my doctor, obviously has never mentioned it either). How does a child end up with parasites?!?!

 

Also, Betty, my understanding was that c diff was usually hospital acquired. Was your son in the hospital at some point that you suspected it?

 

Thanks for the info.

[Betty04]

First, Michele and Betty -- hope everything is going better for both of you.

 

I am very interested in this info re: parasites as it is something I have never considered even though one of my children has had a lot of stomach issues (and my doctor, obviously has never mentioned it either). How does a child end up with parasites?!?!

 

Also, Betty, my understanding was that c diff was usually hospital acquired. Was your son in the hospital at some point that you suspected it?

 

Thanks for the info.

 

 

My son was exposed to C-diff during a visit from my mother in law last year. It does typically occur when in the hospital but since he was exposed in our home and it coincided with his poop issues we decided to test for it. My understanding is that one of the parasites my son has is in dirt (hookworm), so we are currently keeping him out of the sandbox and no visits to the beach. The DAN doc said that 70% of the kids she sees on the "spectrum" (which she is not restricting to autism, but includes tics) have had issues with parasites due to poor immune system functionning. All of us I believe are exposed to these parasites on a regular basis but are bodies defend them off. That being said, I am going to follow up on the 16th with a visit to a GI doc... he told my husband over the phone that he was shocked my son has hookworm as it is incredibly rare and he was questionning the reliability of the lab results. That being said I can tell you that since being treated for the hookworm, my son has normal looking poops, has finally gone poop in the toilet for the last 3 days and is now insisting on wearing underwear. The DAN doc thinks the loose stools may be the reason he has not yet toilet trained, though he is a boy and 3 1/2 years old. We also started him back on probiotics and today I gave him a second dose of Singular for allergies. I can't decide yet if his tics are improved, they unfortunately are still present. I will update as time passes... on Sunday we give another dose of med for the hookworm and begin treating the second parasite. I pray I see something improve to justify these meds! Let me know if you want any further info.

[faith]

Do you have any pets, like a cat? I know whenever we had our cat to the vet, she always tested for positive to some kind of worm, I forget which, but this was years ago, we got annoyed that even when she finished the medication for it, there would still be a positive result, and so figured why bother. It is an indoor cat, so don't know how she could aquire that. Oh, well, I don't think my son has any issues there, but it is interesting to note. I think I would have that test repeated sometime just to see if it goes away.

 

Also, on another note, I myself had tested positive for the C-diff about 5 years ago, We had traveled to Mexico for vacation, however, I did not get sick there, it was about two weeks later that i became very ill with flu like symptoms and bloody "d", and ended up in hospital with IV and they said all they found was C-diff. who knows how I got that.

 

And for what it is worth, my son was not fully potty trained until just a couple months before his fourth birthday, so that is probably not that unusual for boys. He had a cycle going on where he probably did not want to go on potty, and so held it in and became constipated (for it dries up the longer you hold it) and then it was painful for him to go so he did not want to go, and so the cycle would go on. Eventually we just let him go in his pull up a few weeks til he was ready (to get rid of the stress) and did give some mineral oil to help with lubrication. Once he was comfortable we tried again, and he was more cooperative with a little pep talking.

 

Betty, also, are you still giving the B12 shots? Curious to know how that is going. If so, how long now and are there still tic symptoms?

 

 

Faith

[faith]

deleted double post.

[Betty04]

Do you have any pets, like a cat? I know whenever we had our cat to the vet, she always tested for positive to some kind of worm, I forget which, but this was years ago, we got annoyed that even when she finished the medication for it, there would still be a positive result, and so figured why bother. It is an indoor cat, so don't know how she could aquire that. Oh, well, I don't think my son has any issues there, but it is interesting to note. I think I would have that test repeated sometime just to see if it goes away.

 

Also, on another note, I myself had tested positive for the C-diff about 5 years ago, We had traveled to Mexico for vacation, however, I did not get sick there, it was about two weeks later that i became very ill with flu like symptoms and bloody "d", and ended up in hospital with IV and they said all they found was C-diff. who knows how I got that.

 

And for what it is worth, my son was not fully potty trained until just a couple months before his fourth birthday, so that is probably not that unusual for boys. He had a cycle going on where he probably did not want to go on potty, and so held it in and became constipated (for it dries up the longer you hold it) and then it was painful for him to go so he did not want to go, and so the cycle would go on. Eventually we just let him go in his pull up a few weeks til he was ready (to get rid of the stress) and did give some mineral oil to help with lubrication. Once he was comfortable we tried again, and he was more cooperative with a little pep talking.

 

Betty, also, are you still giving the B12 shots? Curious to know how that is going. If so, how long now and are there still tic symptoms?

 

 

Faith

 

We do have a dog. The DAN doc did not think that was a factor. My husband, sitter, and I took a dose of the meds in case we were carriers but the DAN doc said she never has treated any pets in the home?

 

We are still doing the B12 shots (startted the end of March!), added folic acid into the shots and he is still on B6, calcium and magnesium. Things have not improved with any of these supplements. The current hope is that treating these parasites will heal things and thus improve his tics. I guess it is too soon to tell. His tics may be somewhat improved, though he had two additional eye rolling episodes after we started treatment of the parasites and he had his vocal tics several times throughout the day today... so that's not really any better! Betty

[Betty04]

Do you have any pets, like a cat? I know whenever we had our cat to the vet, she always tested for positive to some kind of worm, I forget which, but this was years ago, we got annoyed that even when she finished the medication for it, there would still be a positive result, and so figured why bother. It is an indoor cat, so don't know how she could aquire that. Oh, well, I don't think my son has any issues there, but it is interesting to note. I think I would have that test repeated sometime just to see if it goes away.

 

Also, on another note, I myself had tested positive for the C-diff about 5 years ago, We had traveled to Mexico for vacation, however, I did not get sick there, it was about two weeks later that i became very ill with flu like symptoms and bloody "d", and ended up in hospital with IV and they said all they found was C-diff. who knows how I got that.

 

And for what it is worth, my son was not fully potty trained until just a couple months before his fourth birthday, so that is probably not that unusual for boys. He had a cycle going on where he probably did not want to go on potty, and so held it in and became constipated (for it dries up the longer you hold it) and then it was painful for him to go so he did not want to go, and so the cycle would go on. Eventually we just let him go in his pull up a few weeks til he was ready (to get rid of the stress) and did give some mineral oil to help with lubrication. Once he was comfortable we tried again, and he was more cooperative with a little pep talking.

 

Betty, also, are you still giving the B12 shots? Curious to know how that is going. If so, how long now and are there still tic symptoms?

 

 

Faith

 

We do have a dog. The DAN doc did not think that was a factor. My husband, sitter, and I took a dose of the meds in case we were carriers but the DAN doc said she never has treated any pets in the home?

 

We are still doing the B12 shots (startted the end of March!), added folic acid into the shots and he is still on B6, calcium and magnesium. Things have not improved with any of these supplements. The current hope is that treating these parasites will heal things and thus improve his tics. I guess it is too soon to tell. His tics may be somewhat improved, though he had two additional eye rolling episodes after we started treatment of the parasites and he had his vocal tics several times throughout the day today... so that's not really any better! Betty