If you are joining us for the first time, welcome. We are glad you stopped by. I have made it no secret that our little guy, my grand-nephew, has been diagnosed with severe autism. As some of you know, in the autism world, he is a three on the diagnosis chart. One being mild, two being moderate, and three being severe.
Like many parents, an autism diagnosis can be overwhelming. So many thoughts race through your mind, and at least for me, there is a sense of urgency to find out as much as possible. That is true for us and many others I know. We are told the most crucial years for a child with autism are the first years, so we cannot afford to wait on treatment and therapy. Unfortunately, many parents, grandparents, and caretakers find themselves in that very spot – waiting. Since first receiving a diagnosis in December 2021, we have taken several steps to get him help.
We have been blessed with a diagnosis, treatment, and therapy all in less than a year, which I am told is unheard of in the autism community.
Why were we so successful? I credit one thing – The Lord. I believe the Lord opened doors for us to help those who are waiting, hoping, praying, and struggling. Everything I have learned so far has been posted to this blog under the autism tab. There is a lot of information there, so I hope if you or someone you know is struggling and looking for answers, you will guide them to this site.
Today’s blog post is all about urine. Gross, I know, but in our case, a welcome topic.
Several months ago, we learned from Jaxon’s integrative pediatrician that we could test his urine and check levels to see if any areas were out of whack. We had already done stool testing and were blown away by the results. Changing Jaxon’s food and adding supplements due to the stool testing has been a huge game changer in our house and with Jaxon. What a difference changing food can make. We got rid of gluten, went sugar-free and dairy-free, and eliminated wheat. Jaxon barely spoke in February 2022, and now he is saying more words, knows his numbers in any order, letters, and animal sounds, and echoes noises and sounds from his favorite cartoons. My personal favorite? When he sings songs he has heard on tv or in church.
Urine testing was a given in my mind. If stool could tell us all we have learned so far, urine testing was worth the investment. It cost me $390.00 for a two-time collection kit. The investment to rule anything amiss was well worth the time and effort. We will retest his urine in 8 to 10 weeks, but I have some results to share with you.
The following information comes from the doctor’s notes for discussion. Like me, you may not know you can test for these things through urine. So often, we think blood has to be drawn to check everything,
Patient 3y 11m 10/31/22
NeuroLab HPA Profile Neurotransmitter Analysis from a urine sample collected on 9/25/22 reveals:
Inhibitory neurotransmitters:
Serotonin (optimal 180-350) 315.0
GABA (optimal 570-1170) 236.7 (L)
Excitatory neurotransmitters:
Dopamine (optimal 200-400) 758.9 (H)
Nor-Epinephrine (optimal 34-70) 70.3
Epinephrine (optimal 4-14) 17.9 (H)
Glutamate (optimal 3-8) 10.6 (H)
PEA (optimal 1.6-7.3) 13.7 (H)
NOTES:
Decreased GABA levels/activity in the brain leads to anxiety, depression, insomnia, and mood disorders. GABA is a natural brain relaxant. In the rest of the body, GABA plays a myriad of important protective roles. It modulates the adrenal response to stress by acting as the gatekeeper of norepinephrine and epinephrine release (catecholamines responsible for the adrenaline surge).
GABA is synthesized from the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate in a process that requires vitamin B6 as a cofactor.
Dopamine – high levels are linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), binge eating, and addiction. It is also linked to being more competitive, aggressive, and having poor impulse control.
“PEA” stands for phenylethylamine. It is a hormone-like substance that is naturally produced in the brain and body and serves as a biomarker for ADHD. It has stimulating effects. It can improve mood, increase attention and energy, and promote a feeling of well-being.
Serotonin balances out the excessive excitatory neurotransmitter effects.
All of the neurotransmitters require a healthy, noninflamed, nonleaking gut to remain balanced.
Revised Treatment Plan Objectives:
- Continue to rebalance the gut microbiome by providing beneficial bacteria, thus eliminating commensal (imbalanced) bacteria.
- Continue with the eradication of yeast presence.
- Continue to provide immune system support.
- Rebalance neurotransmitters, specifically by raising GABA and lowering excitatory neurotransmitters.
Treatment Plan:
Stop his current probiotic and begin Xymogen ProbioMax® Sb DF – 1 capsule once daily.
Saccharomyces boulardii is itself a yeast, but one with probiotic potential that has displayed anti-Candida properties in relevant research studies. S. boulardii has been shown to inhibit populations of Candida and deter them from establishing in the intestines, and it’s also suggested that S. boulardii may help to reduce the risk of Candida yeasts translocating from the digestive tract. These effects occur because S. boulardii produces caprylic acid, an antifungal substance effective against Candida yeasts.
Continue Vitamin D3 drops – 3 single drops by mouth once daily (3000 IU).
Continue current daily multivitamin – Mary Ruth’s gummies or liquid.
Continue Nordic Naturals DHA Jr. Liquid Omega – give one full teaspoon (1060 total omega 3’s) once daily.
Continue Nutribiotic Grapefruit Seed Extract drops – add 5 drops to a glass of water & have him drink once daily for the entire two months, then may discontinue. DO NOT GIVE THE DROPS UNDILUTED, AND DO NOT GIVE THEM WITHIN 2 HOURS OF HIS PROBIOTIC.
Begin NeuroScience GABATrex 100 mg chewable tablets – give one tablet twice daily (L-Theanine). Start this one first.
Begin NeuroScience Alpha GABA capsules – empty one capsule into food or drink and give twice daily. Start this one week after starting GABATrex.
Begin NeuroScience Calm PRT capsules – empty one capsule into food or drink; give once daily for 60 days, then stop. Start this one week after starting Alpha GABA. We are phasing each one in so we don’t overload.
To ensure adequate hydration, he needs to drink at least 1/2 his body weight in ounces of water per day.
Collect a repeat urine sample for NT testing 8-10 weeks after starting supplements, GABATrex, Alpha GABA, and Calm PRT. This is extremely important to determine how to adjust the supplements for the best efficacy.
There you have it, folks. The urine indicates we have some work to do. Jaxon has heightened aggression, especially when he gets mad. He has been known to get aggressive at daycare, hitting and biting when he is told no or doesn’t like something. One could say all kids hit and bite, but Jaxon’s is beyond what I would consider normal for kids his age. He still rams his head into the wall over a green bean. I don’t like pumpkin, but I am not ramming my head into the wall when my daughter makes pumpkin muffins.
We have seen great success with the supplements we implemented for his yeast belly, so I am confident we will see results from adding these new supplements, especially when we are stair-stepping their implementation. I am glad we found an integrative pediatrician who can test his urine. I want to test my urine and stool to see what is off in my body. I’m tired of guessing.
Stay tuned for periodic updates as we get closer to a month of being on these new supplements. I am curious to see how his little body handles them and what changes we will see. I pray for positive changes, especially for his well-being and mind.
Blessings,
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