RecoveringNicholas.com

After giving Nicholas a dose of Olive Leaf Extract last night, he’s a different kid today.  By far, a different kid from the one I saw yesterday. 

 I got him to bed with no problem last night - he was out in 10 minutes flat (maybe even 5!) - and this morning woke at an un-characteristically 7:30am instead of 9:30.  He’s napping now, since he was up so early, but it has been a pleasant day so far with him - and I’ve gotta say, the last couple of weeks have really been hell for me with the way he was acting.

He sat on the couch with me and ate an apple, which he loves, but isn’t allowed to have because of the phenol issue - but he wanted one and he loves them, so I caved (and followed it with a no-fenol) - and he was just adorable.  As he was eating his 2nd or 3rd slice, his face under his lips and above his chin started getting red splotches all over it. 

I don’t see any obsessive, repetative behavior so far today, like I was beginning to see.  And, we’ve never really seen it before, so it was starting to freak me out.

 He woke up this morning with a red-eye.  his eyeball wasn’t red, but the skin around his eye was bright red.  It was gone a few hours later, but it was odd.  Like he had a black eye, except replace black with red.

I’ll update more later……..

I’m ditching the gerber juice and yogurt juice Nicholas loves so much - and we’re going back to the pulps/purees exclusively….. so here’s the new menu….

AM Juice - Mixed with banana or pear juice.

• Vitamin World d-Alpha Tocopheryl Vitamin E - 800 IU  (2×400iu)
• Kirkman DMG (125mg) with Folinic Acid (400mcg) and B-12 (6 mcg) - 2 Capsules
• Zinc - 50mg - 1 capsule/day
• Kirkman GABA - 250mg - 1 capsule
• Nordic Naturals Complete Omega 3-6-9 Liquid - 2 teaspoons
   - EPA - 675mg x 2
   - DHA - 450mg x 2
   - GLA - 165mg x 2
   - OA  - 400mg x 2
   - Other Omega 3’s - 287mg x 2
   - Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol) - 30IU x 2
• Biotin - 300mcg (he gets more in his Brainchild)
• Holding off on these three for a bit:
  • Iron - 5mg Hypo capsules from Kirkman
  • Adrenal Cortex Extract
  • Houston Nutraceuticals Tri-Enza

With/after breakfast, he gets a small amount of grape juice with the theanine and Olive Leaf Extract mixed in.  (boy, that must taste lovely!)

Later on, I mix 4-5 drops grapefruit seed extract in with some snapple iced-tea, usually with lunch.

Later in the afternoon, here’s the concoction, this is given twice throughout the day/early evening:

• 1 teaspoon Minerals
• 1 teaspoon Vitamins

With/after dinner, I try to get another round of grape juice/theanine into him, but haven’t been successful more than once. 

Before bed, here’s the mixture:

• Pear or Bananna juice mixed with these:
  • Culturelle
  • Pro Bio Gold
  • Threelac (we’re taking a break for a week)
  • Oxypowder (only as needed, depending on how/if he’s pooping)
  • Evening Primrose Oil

Nicholas went to school today after being out Tues & Wed.  He seemed much better, wasn’t coughing, etc - and was pretty happy to get in the car and go.  School called early and had us pick him up as he was coughing and threw up, so needless to say, he won’t be going in tomorrow.

My sore throat (could be strep, who knows!) came back for the 4th time since Nov/Dec.  I was not going to take another round of antibiotics, so I looked for a natural remedy in my arsenal of Nicholas’s supplements.  I took a dose of Olive Leaf Extract and gargled with 4-5 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract - and my sore throat is gone, gone, gone, gone!  My mother and husband are now doing the same thing as well, and it’s helping them nicely.  Anyway, it got me to thinking that perhaps Nicholas’s regression is because he has a bacteria or viral issue going on - and he could probably benefit from the OLE.  So, tonight, I hid some in his grape juice - and for the first night in many, we had a pleasant night.  I hope it’s not a fluke…. I’m really beginning to wear thin.

Also, I’m giving his system a break for a week (or so) from the threelac and ProBioDefense.  I’ll still continue the culturelle, but we’re going to give him a bit of a break with the probiotics and see what happens.  No need to give him Oxypowder tonight, as he’s got diareah - what fun for me on top of everything else!

MB-12 given tonight while he was in the bath.  (I’m getting creative!)

I’ve been struggling for weeks and it’s tiresome.  Our old routine no longer works with the am/pm juice that he would just ordinarily chug, so I’ve had to get a bit creative.

AM Juice - Must be in a Gerber Yogurt/Juice blends bottle - and I’ve been giving him this as a daily treat (read bribe) so he’ll swallow what’s tucked inside there:

• Vitamin World d-Alpha Tocopheryl Vitamin E - 800 IU
• Kirkman DMG (125mg) with Folinic Acid (400mcg) and B-12 (6 mcg) - 2 Capsules
• Zinc - 50mg - 1 capsule/day
• Kirkman GABA - 250mg - 1 capsule
• Nordic Naturals Complete Omega 3-6-9 Liquid - 2 teaspoons
   - EPA - 675mg x 2
   - DHA - 450mg x 2
   - GLA - 165mg x 2
   - OA  - 400mg x 2
   - Other Omega 3’s - 287mg x 2
   - Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol) - 30IU x 2
• Biotin - 300mcg (he gets more in his Brainchild)
• Iron - 5mg Hypo capsules from Kirkman
• Adrenal Cortex Extract (just added today)
• Houston Nutraceuticals Tri-Enza (just added today to counteract the milk/soy in the yogurt juice)

With/after breakfast, he gets a small amount of grape juice with the theanine mixed in.

Later on, I mix 4-5 drops grapefruit seed extract in with some snapple iced-tea, usually with lunch.

Later in the afternoon, here’s the concoction, this is given twice throughout the day/early evening:

• 1 teaspoon Brainchild Minerals
• 1 teaspoon Brainchild Vitamins

With/after dinner, I try to get another round of grape juice/theanine into him, but haven’t been successful more than once. 

Before bed, here’s the mixture:

• Pear or Bananna juice mixed with these:
  • Culturelle
  • Pro Bio Gold
  • Threelac
  • Oxypowder
  • Evening Primrose Oil
  • 1 capsule gaba

Adrenal Cortex Extract - 2 drops given this morning - - I’ve been holding off on this one - I have no idea why - so I added it.

 Tri-Enza by Houston Nutraceuticals - I gave Nicholas one of his favorite yogurt/juice drinks with many of his vitamins in it, so I needed to give him something for the milk/soy that’s in it.

Iron - 5mg Hypo capsules from Kirkman - 1/day

Updated: June 16, 2008 

I find myself writing and talking about this more and more.  What did I wish I knew when I was pregnant with Nicholas?  Well, here it is….. here’s my list…. everytime I talk about this, I CANNOT believe I didn’t know these things… so I hope this helps someone, somewhere. 

Flu shots for pregnant women are a HUGE risk for your unborn child.  HUGE.  Not worth taking, in my opinion.  I’ve never been a believer of the flu shot, but once I dug into the ingredients, I walk away with the “What the hell?” effect.  So, if you’re expecting, try to stay away from the flu shot, even if it is thimerisol free - that’s not the only ingredient you need to worry about.

Seafood is not as healthy as you’d like to think.  Should I ever have another baby, I will go the 9 months without a shrimp, scallop, lobster tail, etc.  Truth is, there is way too much mercury in them and you’d automatically be exposing your unborn child to it.  They tell you not to eat sandwich meat because it could kill your baby - sorry, but I think the risk of the mercury in seafood is much bigger the risk then having your favorite sandwich.

When you check into the hospital to deliver, you sign the paperwork which gives the hospital clearance to do anything they want to your child.  This includes the hepititus vaccine and the Vitamin K shot, eye antibiotics, etc.  Here are my thoughts on this…..  read this paperwork ahead of time and add what you are NOT agreeing to on the form before you sign it.  Since your soon-to-be-born baby will not be engaging in sexual acts or hypodermic drug use, you need not think about the Hep shot at this time.  The Vitamin K shot contains some nasty ingredients, so I’d pass on that as well.  And the antibiotics in the eyes thing- well, if you don’t have any STD’s (provided your baby is not a c-section) - decline this and take the time to actually bond with your baby when they can SEE you.  It is really unnecessary for a newborn to get such a huge dose of antibiotics the second they come out of the womb.  This was originally intended to prevent blindness in children of mothers who had gonorrhea and now are intended for other diseases including herpes.   Antibiotics are not something that you should give your child without thought.  Erythomycin (and other mycin drugs) have somewhat of a shaky history, so I wouldn’t be rushing to put these drops in my newborn’s eyes, especially since they also contain thimerisol (mercury).

It’s a myth to think that “your child cannot go to school if they have not been vaccinated” - the earlier you learn that this is a myth and you truly are in control of what gets injected into your child’s body, the better off you are. 

Babies need vitamin drops with flouride for their teeth.  Flouride is a toxin and you’re giving your child drops of it thinking you’re doing the right thing.  You’re not.  Google flouride and see what you find.

The pediatrician will know what kind of formula I should feed my infant.  This is another myth, especially if they’re recommending a soy based formula if the milk-based one doesn’t work for your child.  Soy is one of the worst things you can feed a child.  I have a blog post on this, I totally regret feeding my son soy-formula.  As far as I’m concerned, it shouldn’t even be manufactured.

Tylenol is a huge no-no.  Never give your baby tylenol, especially when taking him/her in for shots. 

Going to the dentist while pregnant is also a HUGE mistake.  If you have amalgam fillings, you don’t need anyone stirring the pot in your mouth letting mercury (yes, mercury) loose only to be absorbed into your body and then into your unborn child.    You’ll live without getting your teeth cleaned.  If you have an emergency, find a holistic dentist who knows what to do for a pregnant patient.

Getting your hair dyed/permed/etc. is a bad idea.  The chemicals from the various processes are toxic and your hair is absorbing them quicker than you can believe.  There’s no stopping these toxins from getting to your unborn child.  The risk is too high to take the chance.

Try to be as natural as possible with the products you use on your body; soap, shampoo, makeup, etc.  Check the cosmeticdatabase to see what ingredients are in your favorite products:
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com

I’ll add to this list as more things come to mind……

Spectrum Support II with PAK (I’ve been getting 2 teaspoons of the vitamins & minerals in him twice every day until we get passed this regression we’re in.)
- Mixed Cartenoids from Dunaliella Salina - 6000 IU
- Vitamin C (Calcium Ascorbate) - 500mg
- Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol) - 200 IU
- Vitamin E (Natural d-Alpha-Tocopherol Acetate) - 125 IU
- Vitamin B-1 (Thiamine Hydrochloride) - 20mg
- Vitamin B-2 (Riboflavin-5-Phosphate) - 20mg
- Vitamin B-3 (Niacinamide and Inositol Hexaniacinate) - 35mg
- Vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine Alpha-Ketoglutarate) 20mg
- Folinic Acid (Calcium Folinate) - 500mcg
- Vitamin B-12 (Cyanocobalamin) - 600mcg
- Biotin - 500mcg
- Vitamin B-5 (Calcium Pantothenate) - 100mcg
- Choline (Citrate) - 60mg
- Inositol - 80mg
- TMG (Trimethylglycine) 100mg
- L-Glycine - 100mg
- DMAE (Dimethylaminoethanol Birartrate) - 40mg
- N-Acetyl Cysteine - 15mg
- Calcium (Krebs Chelates) - 70mg
- Calcium D-Glucarate - 100mg
- Magnesium (Krebs Chelates) - 60mg
- Zinc (krebs Chelates) - 15mg
- Selenium (Selenomethionine) 100mcg
- Manganese (Succinate) - 2mg
- Chromium - 25mcg
- Molybendum (krebs chelates) - 200mcg
- Potassium (Alpha-Ketoglutarate) - 25mg
- Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) - 200mg

Vitamin World d-Alpha Tocopheryl Vitamin E - 800 IU

Kirkman DMG (125mg) with Folinic Acid (400mcg) and B-12 (6 mcg) - 2 Capsules

Zinc - 50mg - 1 capsule/day

Kirkman GABA - 250mg - 2 capsules/day  (one in am juice, one in pm juice)

Grapefruit Seed Extract - 5 drops/day

Culturelle Probiotic - 1 capsule per day

Pro-Bio Defense by Kirkman - 1 capsule per day

Evening Primrose Oil - 1300mg (includes Gamma Linolenic Acid 130mg and Linoleic Acid 962mg)

Nordic Naturals Complete Omega 3-6-9 Liquid - 2 teaspoons
- EPA - 675mg x 2
- DHA - 450mg x 2
- GLA - 165mg x 2
- OA  - 400mg x 2
- Other Omega 3’s - 287mg x 2
- Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol) - 30IU x 2

MB-12 Injections - Every other day

Houston Nutraceuticals No Phenol - 1 in every am supplement mix and as needed for phenol effects

Houston Nutraceuticals Peptizyde - (as needed)

Houston Nutraceuticals Zyme Prime - (as needed)

Theanine - 1 teaspoon 2x/day

Biotin - 300mcg / day

Oxypowder (to keep his bowels moving) - 1 capsule per day  (this stuff is fantastic!)

These are being tried/added as soon as we’re passed this regression…..

Iron - 5mg Hypo capsules from Kirkman

Mycelized Vitamin A liquid, also from Kirkman - 3/4 of a drop per day. (note added: this version not good for asd kids)

Adrenal Cortex Extract

Liver life

Olive Leaf Extract

So, the dr suggested we try theanine to see if that helped any - and I’m really giving it a try.  But, it’s $150 a month for 2 teaspoons of this stuff per day.  I’m trying to figure out the difference between the supplement L-Theanine found at the vitamin stores and the Theanine compounded by the compounding pharmacy that we use.  I’m going to call the pharmacy tomorrow and speak with someone there who can *hopefully* shed some light on this as the cost is really quite huge especially when you factor in all of the other $$ I spend on Nicholas’s supplements.  Don’t get me wrong, if it was this fantastic thing which produced results that were astounding, there would be no debating it, he’d be getting it no matter what I needed to do to get it.

What I have been able to find out is that it is an amino acid found almost exclusively in green tea.  It has beneficial effects on brain metabolism, relaxes without drowsiness, approves learning ability & sensations of pleasure as it effects the dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters in the brain by antagonizing glutamate toxicity.

Nicholas seems to be coming down with something…  Tonight, he has a fever and what sounds to be like a croupy kind of cough, runny nose, etc.  Got his juice into him, then he spit it all up 10 minutes later.  Working on getting the supplements back into him tonight with little success.  At least I was able to get his MB-12 into him.  (No theanine today either)

He’s back to doing his deliberate gagging-throwing up thing and it’s really getting to me.   He seems to only do it once in a while unless he’s off of his supplements, then it seems to happen more often.  I wish I could figure out the root of this so I can fix it.    If anyone has any ideas, I’d love to hear them!