The Health ForumBook 5

The Health Forum

Book 5

Hope for Autism throughNutrition

Edited and Compiled by Polly Hattemer

©2003 by Polly Hattemer, also known as Pauline Hattemer

All rights reserved. Permission must be obtained from the individual contributors beforerepublishing their work. Purchase of any of the Health Forum PDF files entitles you to use itfor yourself and immediate family, but not to distribute copies to others. Please contact us ifyou want to make hard copies for an Autism support group.

Published byHealth Reflections Book CorpPO Box 900Manhattan Beach, CA 90267-0900USA

email: ReflectHealth@adelphia.net

November 2003 versionMinor updates will be done occasionally.

More Health Forum books can be found atwww.dysbiosis.com

Book 1: Candida’s Impact on your Health

Book 2: Candidiasis and Dysbiosis Abatement Techniques

Book 3: Diets for Immune Support and Gut Health

Book 4: Hormones, Dysbiosis and Candidiasis

Book 5: Hope for Autism through Nutrition

Book 6: Cleansing the Body of Mercury

Book 7: Fibromyalgia Treatment Options

DisclaimerThis book contains the opinions, anecdotes, and speculations of lay people. Anecdotes arefor pondering. They are not necessarily representative of the majority of people. However,anecdotes do serve to illustrate possibilities as well as how different we are. The contentsof this book should in no way be considered professional advice nor should it be interpretedas prescribing treatment. Use your own judgement. If you do not understand the risksinvolved with a particular treatment or supplement discussed in the book, please consulta knowledgeable professional. We have tried to present the well-known dangers oftreatments and supplements in this book. However, never treat this or any other informationas the whole truth. There is always more to be learned. Nothing is absolutely safe.Accordingly, the publisher and the contributors to this book do not assume any liability inconnection with any of the supplements or treatments mentioned in this book. Although allcontributors have tried their best to provide reliable information, this book is notguaranteed to be accurate or complete. Readers are encouraged to consult other sources.

Please note that the principal editor, who gathered these posts, does not have anyfinancial interest in any of the supplements or laboratories mentioned. If only one brandor one distributor is mentioned, it is not necessarily an endorsement. It has just beenincluded to give the reader at least one place to readily obtain a remedy. There is noguarantee that the website addresses in this book will be valid or correct. Website addressesgo stale and sometimes they are taken over by other businesses. There are also many phonenumbers in the last index of this book. There is no guarantee that they will remain valid.Prices of supplements are as of the writing of this book. Again, there is absolutely no waythat we can guarantee that these will remain the same. Listed prices may just give you anapproximate idea of the cost of products.

Table of Contents

Dysbiosis or Candidiasis? ..................................................................................... 8

About The Health Forum Books.......................................................................... 9

The Internet Forum ........................................................................................... 10

Autism Interventions........................................................................................... 11

Are Autism, Attention Deficit, and Chronic Fatigue Related?......................... 11

MSM, Sulfates, TMG, B6, And Magnesium....................................................... 12

Common Sense .................................................................................................. 15

Dr. Shaw’s Book on Autism............................................................................... 16

Milk And Wheat................................................................................................. 16

Casein, Gluten, And DPP IV............................................................................. 17

Soy ..................................................................................................................... 19

The Craniosacral System .................................................................................. 19

Secretin.............................................................................................................. 21

Herbs And Homeopathics.................................................................................. 24

G Proteins, Vitamin A, And Acetylcholine ........................................................ 25

Salt..................................................................................................................... 25

Vitamin A From Fish Liver Oil ......................................................................... 25

DMAE And CDP Choline.................................................................................. 27

Coenzyme B1 (TTFD)........................................................................................ 30

Sphingolin ......................................................................................................... 31

The Immunoglobulin IgA................................................................................... 31

Serotonin ........................................................................................................... 32

Tumor Necrosis Factor ..................................................................................... 34

Hypothyroidism And Autism.............................................................................. 34

Hypothyroidism And Precocious Puberty ......................................................... 36

Pyrroluria Or Hemopyrrollactam Uria (HPU) ................................................ 38

Phosphates And ADD/ADHD............................................................................ 40

Neurofeedback................................................................................................... 40

Clean Rooms ..................................................................................................... 40

Are Pesticides Part Of The Problem? ............................................................... 41

Fluoride............................................................................................................. 43

Lead Poisoning.................................................................................................. 44

Intestinal Irritation And Seizures ...................................................................... 44

Seizures In General ........................................................................................... 45

Does Intestinal Inflammation Cause A Lack of Sulfates? ................................. 46

Phenol-Sulfotransferase (PST) And The Feingold Diet .................................... 47

Supplementing Sulfates And MSM .................................................................... 49

Molybdenum...................................................................................................... 50

Whey And Foods High In Sulfur ....................................................................... 50

Hypothyroidism and ADD/ADHD..................................................................... 51

Neurohormones And Attention Deficit .............................................................. 51

Ritalin ................................................................................................................ 52

Norepinephrine Testing..................................................................................... 52

Tyramine............................................................................................................ 53

A Plea For Hope And Faith .............................................................................. 53

Thank You Willis Langford ............................................................................... 56

Where to Learn More ........................................................................................ 57

Vaccinations......................................................................................................... 63

Are Vaccinations Safe? ..................................................................................... 63

Vaccines And Vitamin A.................................................................................... 64

Vaccines and Mercury Poisoning ..................................................................... 64

The Pro-Vaccination Stance.............................................................................. 65

Is There An Autism Epidemic? .......................................................................... 66

And the Passion................................................................................................. 66

Statistics? .......................................................................................................... 68

Should We Keep Quiet?..................................................................................... 68

Vaccine Reform Needed .................................................................................... 69

MMR Vaccine Plus Mercury ............................................................................. 72

How to Lessen the Risks of Vaccines ................................................................ 73

Are Exemptions Available? ............................................................................... 77

Books And Websites .......................................................................................... 77

Index ..................................................................................................................... 79

PrefaceThe true power of the Internet is the people who are on it. Rather than being a hugeimpersonal library, the Internet is filled with live people from all over the world whocontribute their thoughts, perspectives and experiences. At one particular site in thisvast sea of exchanges, people have gathered to discuss health concerns related to theyeast syndrome and dysbiosis. The people at this Internet site/forum have learnedand gained so much from their cyberspace meetings that they decided to create aseries of books to let others share in the ideas and information exchanged. Thesebooks are a gift from our hearts to you. No one was paid for his or her contributions,and all net royalties will be donated to charity and for the support of the forum. Mayour efforts bear fruit, and may you, the reader, enjoy this book, and learn as muchfrom our friends on the Internet as they have from each other.

AcknowledgementThis work would not have been possible without the support of my husband, DaleGoudey, PhD. Thank you for your patience and for your generosity. A specialacknowledgement is due Raymond Peat, PhD. Without his 1985 lecture on “TheEndocrine System and Candidiasis,” I would have surely lost my health. More thananyone else, his books and newsletters have influenced the way I think aboutnutrition. Thank you Andy Cutler, PhD, for teaching me about mercury poisoning,and thank you Willis Langford for teaching me about autism. I owe much to theCandida and Dysbiosis Information Foundation, as they were my only link withreliable information for many years. Thank you to all my friends on the Internet whoparticipated in this endeavor. Special thanks to Susan Rodriquez, ShelleyThorstensen, Kippy Noble, Thone Ritch, Billie Jo Secrist, Marilyn in Seattle, JeanneJackson, and Taylor Vance for their suggested improvements to the book. Also, HuyHoang, MD was kind enough to review the book for me. Thank you Brent James forthe formatting suggestions. Rosalind James, Shari Ostapiuk and Sondra Lewis havemy sincere gratitude for proofreading the manuscript. And of course, last but notleast, thank you to Kelly Nowicki for bringing so many of us together at the healthyawareness Internet site. This book would not exist if it weren’t for the help of somany.

Dysbiosis orCandidiasis?

Those with autism are usually afflicted withdysbiosis. Dysbiosis means there is too muchyeast, harmful bacteria, viruses or parasites inthe intestines. Dysbiosis does more thaninterfere with digestion. Dysbiosis makes youtired. It alters your immune system. It upsetsyour hormonal balance. It can even make itdifficult for you to think clearly. Dysbiosis cancause anxiety, depression or mood swings.Dysbiosis can affect almost every aspect ofhealth.

Candida is a very common type of yeastfound in the intestines. Candidiasis means thatthere is an overgrowth of yeast in the body.

There have been many books written aboutthe Yeast Syndrome and Candidiasis. However,one should really take into consideration thatyeast isn’t the only problem. Yeast, bacteria,parasites and viruses are all part of the intestinalenvironment. Therefore, the more general termof dysbiosis is preferable.

Depending on the situation, a person maywant to employ antibiotics, antifungals,antivirals or antiparasitic medication to kill thepathogens inside the intestine. However, thereis a lot more to the art of getting well than justkilling pathogens. If you kill off one resident of

the intestines, another is going to take its place.Will it be good? Seeding the intestines withgood bacteria can help ensure that the newgrowth is healthy. Sometimes the lining of theintestine must be washed in order to makespace for the implantation of the good bacteria.Although this may be very helpful, this doesn’tassure a successful outcome.

The situation is very analogous to farming.You can remove rocks, kill weeds and plantgood seeds, but you aren’t going to get a goodcrop if the soil is poor. Your body is the soil.Bacteria live off of the mucous lining of theintestine. You grow this lining. Therefore, thebacteria are living off of you. If your bodychemistry is wrong, your intestinal bacteriaaren’t going to be healthy. That is one reasonwhy some people get yeast/Candida after takingan antibiotic, and other people don’t. Theirbody chemistry is different. Many aspects ofhealth need to be addressed if a stable healthyintestinal flora is to be obtained. Diet,hormones, digestive support, and certainnutrients are all part of the recovery process.

Dysbiosis or Candidiasis? 9

About The Health Forum BooksIn these books, you are listening to real peopletalk about their experiences with the yeastsyndrome, autism and mercury poisoning. Theconversations first took place on the Internet.Then they were compiled with permission intothese books. However, you will not be readingexact replicas of the Internet conversations.Editing was necessary to avoid repetition ofinformation and to help with the clarity ofpresentation. Often a person will post amessage that covers many different topics.Including the whole message/post would makeorganization of the book impossible. So mostposts were shortened to only include commentson one topic at a time. To improve theorganization further, several real discussions onthe same topic were often combined to createwhat appears to be one long discussion in thisbook. Background material and introductoryremarks were added through the voice of Polly,the person who gathered the posts for this book.Occasionally, you will find a post from a Mr. orMrs. Generic in this book. This was a necessaryartifact to keep the discussion moving.

Because there was so much informationgathered, it was necessary to split The HealthForum into several books.

Book 1 — Candida’s Impact on Your Health.Is the problem really Candida, or is it just aweakened and toxic body that allows thecandida/yeast to take over? What aboutbacteria, parasites and viruses? This book alsocovers the total body load, liver support, andthe usual concurrent health problems associatedwith yeast overgrowth.

Book 2 — Candidiasis and DysbiosisAbatement Techniques. This book delves intosome basic methods for eliminating theproblem, like employing the right antibiotics,

antifungals, and probiotics. Also, this bookdiscusses the particular vitamins and mineralsthat are more likely to be depleted in thissyndrome.

Book 3 — Diets for Immune Support andGut Health. There isn’ t a perfect diet foreveryone. However, some very commonmistakes must be avoided. There is much thatwe can learn from each other.

Book 4 — Hormones, Dysbiosis andCandidiasis. When there is dysbiosis, oftenthere is low thyroid, high estrogen and/or weakadrenals. This book explores the proper use ofhormonal support when dysbiosis is present.Migraines are also covered.

Book 5 — Hope for Autism through Nutrition.This book covers autism, attention deficit, andvaccinations. Most people with autism havesevere dysbiosis. What helps the autisticprovides insight into everyone else’ s dysbiosisproblem. The treatment of attention deficit isalso touched upon in this book. The treatmentstrategy is very similar to that for autism. Therole of vaccinations and mercury in triggeringautism is also explored.

Book 6 — Cleansing the Body of Mercury.Those who are mercury poisoned are verylikely to have dysbiosis. This book coversmercury detoxification methods and the role ofamino acids in dysbiosis and mercury toxicity.

Book 7 — Fibromyalgia Treatment Options.Fibromyalgia is a special case of dysbiosis,with usually a bacterial overgrowth in theintestines. This bacterial overgrowth cancontribute to the poor sleep, lack of energy andhormonal disturbances found in this condition.This book departs from the usual format, and isbut a summary of the information gleaned fromthe patients and medical literature.

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Even if you are only interested in the conditionsspecifically covered in the latter books, at somepoint you should consider reading the first fewbooks. The earlier books will add depth to yourunderstanding and give you many practicalhints on how to recover. All the chapters arefairly self-contained, so you can read thechapters or the books in about any order youwish. However, if you are new to this subject,you will find that the chapters in the first booksare easier to grasp.

The vast majority of messages found inbooks 1 to 4 came from the Healthy AwarenessInternet forum at www.healthyawareness.com.These messages can still be found in thearchives. However, the latter books are a littledifferent as they focus on autism, mercurypoisoning and fibromyalgia. Although theseillnesses are discussed at the healthy awarenesssite, they are not the main thrust of theconversations. Therefore, to a much greater

extent, other Internet resources were tapped tocomplete these books.

The Internet ForumThe quotes in this book are but a snapshot intime of the interactions found at the healthyawareness forum. As people heal and move onwith their lives, they visit the healthy awarenessforum less often. If you come visit the forum,most of the people found in this book will nolonger be there. Yet, you will find other veryinteresting and caring people at the forum whowould love to have you join them. Please beaware that at any Internet site, including thisforum, unfortunate misunderstandings arise.When you visit, please try to keep your postspolite and unambiguous. For many of us,fatigue and brain-fog make it difficult to createperfect posts. Please don’ t expect perfection.The forum is a place to learn, express yourthoughts and enjoy the camaraderie. Have fun!

Autism InterventionsPolly: For parents of the autistic, this chaptermay serve as an introduction to the manybiological aspects of autism that are beingdiscussed on the Internet. For those of us whohave attention deficit, the yeast syndrome,fibromyalgia, or mercury poisoning, this chaptermay give some insight into our own situation.Many of the same supplements and treatmentsseem to be applicable to all of these conditions.

Autism is characterized by impaired socialinteractions, by impaired communication, and byrepetitive interests and behaviors. Becausesensory input is difficult to organize and control,the individual’s activities and interests mayappear restricted. They may need significantrepetition and predictability in their environment.Often they lack eye-contact and facialexpression. They may experience the sense ofsight differently, sometimes seeing the world inoverwhelming detail, sometimes not seeing whatis in directly in front of them. Speech isdevelopmentally delayed or absent. Many haveseizures and sleep problems. According to Dr.Shaw, 80% to 90% of children with autism haveabnormal levels of bacteria or fungal metabolites.Many people suspect that most of the autistic aremercury poisoned.

Although autism is discussed at thehealthyawareness forum, it is not brought up that

often. Therefore most of the posts in this chapterare from various friends and different lists on theInternet.

Are Autism, Attention Deficit, andChronic Fatigue Related?Polly: I attended a lecture of Michael Goldberg,MD, a pediatrician from Tarzana, CA. He saidthat the link between Autistic PervasiveDevelopmental Delay (PDD), Attention DeficitDisorder (ADD), Attention Deficit HyperactivityDisorder (ADHD), and Chronic Fatigue ImmuneDysfunction (CFIDS) is a lack of blood flow tothe limbic portion of the brain. They can showthis in SPEC scans of the brain. With evidencelike these SPEC scans, the doctors at the NationalInstitute of Health (NIH) are beginning to believethat these are real diseases—not merely apsychological condition. Something in theenvironment is causing it. So everyone here cantake heart. Twenty years from now, the averagedoctor will be more likely to believe you.

Unfortunately, there has been a large increasein these diseases—too fast to be thrown into thecategory of just genetic predisposition. What iscausing this? Dr. Goldberg speculates that it is animmune dysfunction. Many of his Autismpatients have high levels of HHV-6 virus, the

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same one they are finding associated withchronic fatigue. However, he doesn’ t know if itis the virus that is the root cause of the problemor if it is the dysfunctional immune system that isallowing viruses to take over.

After he gets the yeast growth down in thesechildren, he puts them on an immune modulatorthat helps them get rid of the viruses. He usesseveral. One is Kutapressin, an enzyme from pigliver that kills herpes viruses. He is having somevery good results. This is Dr. Goldberg’ swebsite: www.NIDS.net.

Shelley: Wow Wow & Wow. That’ s my firstreaction. Just want to say that I have beeninjecting 1cc of Kutapressin subcutaneouslyeveryday since September 1998. I can never say“oh wow, this makes me feel better.” Yet, whenI have skipped a day, I definitely feel worse. Ihave high HHV-6 titers... active because why?There is the question. An aside: Kutapressin ismega expensive, and I haven’ t been able to get itcovered. So maybe in twenty years...? It costs(Are you ready?) $140.00 for 20 days. I’ mshopping around... eeeeek.

Note: See the section on transfer factor in theantifungal chapter, Book 2, for information onsubstances that work similar to Kutapressin tochange the balance between Th1 and Th2immune balance.

Marilyn in Seattle: Lots of mercury poisonedpeople have trouble with the herpes HHV-6 virusor Epstein Barr. Some find Larreastat (Herp-eeze) helpful.

Larreastat is thought to inhibit Sp1, a DNAbinding (transcription factor) protein, frombinding to segments of the viral DNA andinitiating replication.

www.futuredynamicadvantage.com/antiaging/larrupdt.html, phone 800-244-2438 or 480-497-5353.

MSM, Sulfates, TMG, B6, AndMagnesiumPolly: Most of the adults at the healthyawarenessforum are quite familiar with MSM, magnesiumsulfate baths, TMG, and coenzyme B6. It turnsout that these same substances are also quite wellknown on the autism lists. It is almost as if theycame to the same conclusions by traveling downa different path. The people on the autism listshave been using high dose B6 with magnesiumfor some time, but they have recently startedincluding coenzyme B6 in their treatments. (Dr.Tapan Audhya found very slow coenzyme B6formation in autistics.) They have beenemploying DMSO, but many have now switchedto MSM (also known as DMSO2), and lately areemphasizing sulfates. Just like the adults at thehealthy-awareness forum have surmised, thepeople on the autism lists have also concludedthat you must start with very low doses of MSM.For some of these autistic children, even lowdoses of MSM are too strong. They must startwith Epsom Salt (magnesium sulfate) baths.(Unfortunately, even these bathes are too strongfor some children.)

The parents were employing DMG toimprove the verbal ability of their autisticchildren, but now some are switching to TMG.Others find that TMG is too strong, and switchback to DMG. Parents also speak of antifungals,anti-virals, transfer factor, thyroid, magnesium,B12, folic acid, vitamin A, C, zinc, selenium,niacin, coenzyme B1 (TTFD), molybdenum, andcoenzyme Q10. It is very similar to what isdiscussed at the healthy-awareness forum. I findit highly fascinating that some of the samesupplements are coming to the forefront in

Autism Interventions 13

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), autism,mercury toxicity, candidiasis, and in ChronicFatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome(CFIDS). Why?

Shelley: Polly, now you are reading *my* mind.That has been my thought of the day. *Why* arethe same supplements coming to the fore in thesethings? Can’ t be just because they are thesupplements du jour? OR£are these thingsrelated....by? yeast? intertwined. Sometimeswhen I am on the amalgam list I almost forget weare not discussing candida. hmmmmmm.....Theorder of what to take when is the thingthough...(lipoic acid after mercury amalgamremoval, and B6 before antifungal...)

Polly: I believe you are right in that the order oftreatment is very important. Nowhere else is it soapparent as with the autistic. They seem to bequite sensitive to what is tried first. Each is anindividual, so there are no hard and fast ruleshere. What you use first depends to a largedegree on what is tolerated. However, there aresome general rules that may give a person somedirection. Later, as the situation improves, moresupplements will be tolerated.

Parents of autistic children are told to first trysupplements of magnesium and B6 (or coenzymeB6). These have benefited the most children. Ifthe B6 isn’ t tolerated, then more magnesiummight improve tolerance of B6. A littlemanganese should be given if a lot of magnesiumis used.

A low sugar diet is important in order to keepthe yeast and bacteria growth down. This dietshould be started before antifungals are given.Otherwise, the antifungals may be too harsh andthey likely won’ t work. Like most everything,diet should be changed gradually. Somecarbohydrates and sugars are needed in the diet.They are needed for the liver to work properly.

(See book 4 on diet.) The gluten free and caseinfree diets help many, so these diets should betried fairly early. The Specific Carbohydrate Dietis also turning out to be very helpful.

Mineral balancing should be attemptedbefore most other treatments. It is often toleratedand it lays the foundation for many otherinterventions. Zinc supplementation seems to bevery high on the list of priorities. 90% of theautistic have tested low in zinc. However, whena lot of zinc is supplemented, the progress mustbe monitored, because too much zinc can causeyeast overgrowth. Zinc and other minerals aren’ tabsorbed well if the stomach acid and pancreaticenzymes are low. So stomach acid and pancreaticenzymes must often be supplemented. (See book2.) In order to get around the poor mineralabsorption, many parents attempt giving theminerals through the skin. If you can get the zincinto the person, it should help restore stomachacid production and thus help with the restorationof other minerals too.

Copper is very often too high. It must bebrought down by giving zinc, molybdenum,vitamin C and manganese. While a person is highin copper, they should NOT be given cysteinesupplements; else it could make them very ill.(Supplements of glutathione might be a problemtoo because glutathione contains cysteine.)

Sulfur is often very low. It is very importantbecause it helps improve the lining of the gut andit helps the liver. Yet, sulfur supplements maylower molybdenum, copper and zinc. All theminerals must be balanced for each child,possibly starting with those minerals that are thefarthest outside normal range.

If the blood pressure is quite low, this is astrong indication of weak adrenals. More salt andwater may help bring up the blood volume andpressure. A little cortisol will help the body retainthe salt. If adrenal support is needed, it should bestarted before thyroid supplements. Also, before

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starting thyroid, sometimes coenzyme B1,magnesium and/or vitamin D are needed in orderto allow the body to tolerate the thyroidsupplements. (See book 4 of the Health Forumfor more information on hormone supplements.)

Vitamin A is very important for reducing thedysbiosis. The form of vitamin A most oftenemployed is from cod liver oil. However, somechildren do better starting with primrose oilbefore they try the cod liver oil. Yet, manycannot tolerate either of these oils. If these oilsare not tolerated, then one has to start with otherforms of vitamin A, and first address the gutinflammation, electrolyte balance, hormones,magnesium deficiency, low sulfates, poor flora,etc. Later, the cod liver oil may be tolerated.

Methylation is poor in about 45% of the kids.If methylation is poor, then things like DMG orTMG should be started. (If methylation is high,these should not be used.) If methylation is atleast adequate, then high dose B12 (either themethylcobalamin or hydroxycobalamin forms ofB12) may be quite helpful. Coenzyme B1 is oftengiven at the same time as the high dose B12.After the DMG, B12, coenzyme B1, and codliver oil, then the kids might be ready for asupplement that increases acetylcholine.

Biotin is very important. However, itencourages the growth of some yeast. So, itprobably shouldn’ t be given until after the yeastlevel is lower. If biotin is given, inositol shouldalso be given to help protect the liver. To usebiotin properly, more pantethine may be needed.Yet, taurine should probably be given beforepantethine, because pantethine can interfere withtaurine. Taurine needs zinc in order to beproperly utilized.

Mercury chelation should be one of the lastthings attempted. The dysbiosis and bodychemistry should be corrected as much aspossible before starting on any type of mercurychelation. In particular, glutathione, vitamin C,

coenzyme Q10 and selenium are needed toprotect the neurological system during chelation.(A biological source of selenium should be bettertolerated, like Bio-active selenium from Solaray.)CoQ10 is often low if there has been yeastovergrowth. (See discussion of the different typesof CoQ10 in book 2 of the Health Forum.)

After DMSA has been used to reduce thebody load of toxic metals, alpha lipoic acid isoften added to assist in the removal of mercuryfrom the brain. However, the alpha lipoic acidwill deplete B12. So B12 should be increasedbefore getting to this point in treatment. Ingeneral, as much as possible should be attemptedto correct the body chemistry before startingchelation. (Book 6 is about chelation.)

Roula: I just thought I would share some greatnews about Jack. (Jack is 2 years 9 months oldand is on the autistic spectrum.) I recently startedhim on B6, magnesium and zinc. His speech hadstarted expanding just before with some newwords, but once I introduced the B6, magnesiumand zinc its just exploded!!

He is using 2 words together, “bottle milk”,“Nan’ s house” “Bye-Bye Daddy see ya” (that’ s3!!). He is also pointing, turning to look at mesaying “bear”, so some shared interest as well.Whilst at his Nan’ s the other day we wereplaying chasing, when I told him to chase andcatch me and HE DID!! Normally it has neverreally computed that he should chase too, youusually had to pull him along. After a fewrounds, it seems he got bored and stopped shortof me, I turned to see what was up and he says“oh-oh fall down” and proceeded to throwhimself on the ground laughing!! Well I nearlydied!!!

Then the icing on the cake, after battling toget him to leave Nan’ s as we pull up ourdriveway, he throws his drink cup down and yells“go back Nan’ s”. I had my first REAL parenting

Autism Interventions 15

dilemma, he had expressed his want and I wassoooo overjoyed, now how was I going sayno...?? Well I didn’ t.....I enticed him into thehouse with a treat! Whew!!

He has added at least 20 words in the lastweek and is attempting so many more as theycome up. He is even singing words in songs. Allin all, pretty miraculous! (even though he hasn’ tsaid Mama yet...) Oh well, all in good time.

Common SenseLauren: Just remember, what works for onechild, doesn’ t necessarily work for another. Eachchild can have a variety of very similar or verydifferent problems going on. Some need extracalcium, and some can’ t handle extra calcium.Some need extra fatty acids, some can’ t handleextra fatty acids, etc. At this point, since there areno real guidelines for our children, sometimes wehave to use our own best judgement to assesswhat supplements are truly beneficial for ourINDIVIDUAL child, and which could potentiallybe harmful. This can be a difficult task at times.. . but remember, right now YOU are your child’ sbest “ assessor” , SO, if your child gets a rash, orseems cranky after you’ ve tried something new,. . .something is telling you that maybe youshould stop that one for a while. Eg, when I gavemy daughter Epsom salts baths, she got hyperand wouldn’ t go to sleep at night, . . . and yetmany people write in on how it has a calmingeffect on their child. Will I continue with theEpsom baths? NO. Eg, when I gave my daughterANY of the essential fatty acids, in all the varietyof combinations, Effalex, EPA, DHA£she gotCRANKY with the essential fatty acids. Will Icontinue with the fatty acids? NO. I could go on,but I think everyone gets the point.

Polly: Although essentially I agree with you,one must take into consideration the severity of

the reaction, and whether or not the reaction istemporary. The body sometimes goes throughan initial upheaval when things start to workagain. Sometimes all that is required is a lowerinitial dose of a supplement until the body getsused to it.

Ros in Australia: My son had obvious reactionsat the beginning of all of the interventions wetried, but the reactions stopped after a couple ofweeks. This seems too me to be an indication thatthe reason for the reactions was because he reallyneeded them. The hyperactivity especially isoften a sign of something working, as is thecrankiness (think about die-off, or the healingcrisis, both necessary parts of healing). Rashes onthe other hand should subside quickly or beinvestigated further. If these reactions went onendlessly then I would be concerned.

Crankiness with EFAs is a sure sign of acytokine reaction, which is a known side effectand simply means that the dose is too high andshould be reduced until cytokine reactionsubsides. Hyperactivity with EFAs can also meanthis. Hyperactivity with other things is often anindication that the supplement given has thrownsomething else out of whack, not that it isunneeded (a classic example is TMG withoutsufficient B12 and folate). If you aren’ t sure, aqualified practitioner with experience in theseparticular problems may help you understandwhat is happening.

Polly: Everything seems to have exceptions tothe rule. Even though sulfates may be low inanyone with mercury poisoning or intestinalinflammation, there is also the possibility that itwon’ t be tolerated. Dr. Shaw says thattheoretically, someone with a Clostridia infectioncould suffer a reaction if given sulfates.Clostridia inhibits an enzyme that removessulfates from key brain lipids. Excess lipid

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sulfates cause demyelination. You can check tosee if there are excess lipid sulfates in the urine.If your kid has a reaction to sulfates, this mightbe a good thing to check.

It is always important to start slowly with anyintervention. However, there is also thepossibility that a reaction to a new treatment isjust temporary, and will subside as soon as thebody has had a chance to adjust. It is difficult toknow every possibility. If there is an adversereaction, you might want to try some othersupplement first, and then much later go back tothe one that was a problem. For instance, thebody may react poorly to coenzyme B6 if thereisn’ t enough magnesium. Or the body mighthave a problem with glycine if there is aKlebsiella overgrowth or if there isn’ t enoughB6 or folic acid. Or excessive folic acid mightbe interfering with an anticonvulsant drug.Sometimes you just have to start with thoseinterventions that are tolerated and gingerly tryother things. Of course, you can’ t let yourself beso afraid that you never try.

Besides being a teacher and guide, I think thevalue of an alternative health professional is toprovide motivation and reassurance. Unless I’ mtotally convinced that an intervention is thedirection I should be taking, I tend to drag myfeet and not do anything. It is wonderful to havethat extra push from a professional who says,“ Okay, let’ s confirm or eliminate thosesuspicions by taking a test,” or “ This has helpedlots of people in your particular situation, let’ sgive it a try.” Also, even though I’ ve read aboutdifferent treatments, it is certainly reassuring tohave the doctor go through a list of precautionsand make sure I have not missed something. Yet,I’ ve also heard from people on the Internet wheretheir doctor made some very basic mistakes. So,you can’ t put 100% of your trust in a doctor. Ifyou want to be as safe as possible, you need to

learn things for yourself and question, question,question.

Dr. Shaw’s Book on AutismPolly: Dr. Shaw has a book out on Autism,Biological Treatments for Autism and PDD. Inthis book he goes into detail on the nutritionaltreatment of yeast overgrowth and autism, andalso has a lot to say about the different yeast andbacteria toxins and how they affect the body.Any person with an open mind who reads thisbook will conclude that the yeast syndrome existsand that it is a big part of autism.

One of the interesting suggestions in his bookis to start on B6 before starting anti-fungaltherapy because this may cut down on some ofthe die-off effects. The added B6 will preventformation of harmful pentosidines. (Pentosidineis a crosslinked molecule of arginine, lysine, andarabinose. Pentosidine may be responsible fordemylenation of nerves.) The increasedformation of pentosines due to yeast overgrowthmay cause a functional deficiency of B6, biotinand lipoic acid.

To order the book, visit this websitewww.autism.com/shaw-yeast/ or contact theGreat Plains Laboratory phone 913-341-8949. orwww.greatplainslaboratory.com. The GreatPlains laboratory does testing for fungal andbacteria metabolites in the urine. That test is partof their Organic Acid Test (OAT). Sometimes aproblem will be caught in the urine that does notshow up in the stool, and vice versa. The labperforms a lot of other interesting tests, likevitamin levels in the urine, amino acids, and ametals profile.

Milk And WheatPolly: The majority of the autistic childrenrealize benefits from a gluten-free and casein-freediet. (Gluten is a protein found in many grains,

Autism Interventions 17

and casein is a protein found in many milkproducts. They are similar proteins.) The parentsare advised to start slowly with limiting just thecasein from milk, and then move on to the gluten.There have been a couple of cases of severereactions from removing them both all at once.Take 3 or 4 weeks to ease into the diet. Give themilk free diet at least a 3 week trial beforestarting on the gluten free diet. The casein andgluten free diet should be undertaken for at leastthree months. Younger children will respondquicker. The earlier you can implement thisintervention, the better the chance for asignificant improvement. If it helps, it is best notto go back to the old diet. You risk regression.Before removing the gluten, doctors suggestgetting a test for celiac, because you can’ t test forceliac disease after the child is off gluten foods.

Some parents are lucky, and see immediatechanges in their children when milk and/or glutenare removed. However, in some cases, severalweeks or months are necessary until clearbenefits are seen. Many parents have noticed thateven small amounts of gluten or casein aresufficient to remove the majority of the benefits.Unfortunately, these substances are hidden inmany processed foods and places you would notexpect, like in canned fish or the coating on gum.

To implement the gluten free/casein free(GFCF) diet properly, you should read a book byLisa Lewis, PhD, Special Diets for Special Kids,or log on to the computer and join a list likeGFCFKids at www.yahoogroups.com. There arewebsites too, like www.gfcfdiet.com andwww.autismndi.com.

The children aren’ t necessarily allergic togluten and casein. The problem is that usuallythey aren’ t digesting these proteins. If the body ishaving trouble digesting the gluten or casein,then the undigested peptides can form opiate-likeneuro-toxins, which may mimic some of theeffects of opiate drugs like heroin and morphine.

Also these peptides may inhibit the recycling ofbiotin in the body, thus creating a deficiency. [1](Biotin supplements have been particularlyhelpful to a few. However, note that biotin shouldbe kept balanced with pantethine, alpha lipoicacid, and inositol.)

People are currently debating if these opiate-like substances are actually from the casein andgluten. However, this is the best explanation sofar. The casein may also be particularly harmfulif a bacteria like Clostridia acts upon it.Clostridia can convert the casein into vasoactiveamines, which can induce migraines.

There is a modification to this diet that youmight want to consider. The specificcarbohydrate diet (SCD) is designed to get rid ofintestinal irritation. It is described in the bookBreaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall.(There is also a discussion of this diet in Book 3of this series.) At www.amazon.com there is areview of the book by Jennifer Young who had ahighly functioning autistic child. She found thatjust removing wheat and gluten wasn’ t helpful.When she put her son on the SCD diet, he cameout of autism without implementing any otherinterventions.

Casein, Gluten, And DPP IVPolly: Don Pangborn is an expert in amino acidprofile interpretation and is a consultant for theGreat Smokies Laboratory and other companies.He recently gave a lecture at the DAN! 2000Conference on the subject of a protein/enzymecalled DPP IV. [2] DPP IV helps us digest caseinand gluten. However, DPP IV has many differentfunctions in the body besides digesting glutenand casein. This protein is known to influence Tcells of the immune system. It is also a bindingprotein for purine, and adenosyl deaminase.Because of this, a problem with DPP IV canthrow off the immune system, the amino acid

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profile, and methylation. The interference withDPP IV may even be implicated in the children’ sreaction to secretin.

What could cause a problem with DPP IV?

1. Mercury

2. Lead

3. Fluoride

4. Peptides made by abnormal intestinal flora

5. Pesticides

6. Fungicides

7. Herbicides

8. Certain antibiotics

9. Cadmium

10. Copper

11. Zinc

The above substances interfere with DPP IVthrough different mechanisms. Depending onwhich of the above substances is present, and aperson’ s individual biochemistry, you will getdifferent manifestations of the problem.

Notice that zinc interferes with DPP IV.Hence an arbitrary zinc supplement would bedetrimental if not needed. However, many ofthese kids have low zinc, and it is very importantthat it is supplemented in these cases. Zincshould not be taken with food or it could interferewith digestion.

Many of the autistic have high levels ofpesticides and solvents in their bodies. Thiswould interfere with DPP IV. (Is the high level ofpesticides and solvents due only to exposure, oris it also due to an impaired ability to removethese poisons?)

To improve methylation when this DPP IV ishampered, these nutrients might be helpful: tri-methyl-glycine (TMG), B6, folic acid, B12,magnesium and serine. Glycine may also beuseful since the body creates serine from it.However, folic acid is needed for this conversion

of glycine to serine. (Folinic acid is an activeform of folic acid and is a better choice. Here isone of many places where you can purchase it:www.integratedhealth.com/hpdspec/folinic.htmlphone 800-228-4265) A supplement of a littlemethionine or S-Adenosyl-Methionine (SAMe)may help, however, Dr. Pangborn said that it isnot clear at this point whether the addition oflarge doses of methionine or SAMe will help orharm.

800-228-4265

There are at least three products on themarket that are specifically designed to helpdigest gluten and casein. They are marketed forthose with ADD/ADHD as well as for those withautism. One is called is called DPP IV Forte andis available from Kirkman Labs, websitewww.kirkman.com, or phone 800-245-8282.Another one is called Serenaid, and is made byKlaire Labs. See www.serenaid.com, phone(509) 946-1695 or www.klaire.com phone 800-533-7255 or (208) 665-1882. The inventor ofSerenaid has a new product called Peptizyde.Peptizyde is available from HoustonNutraceuticals, website www.houstonni.com andphone (866) 757-8627 or (510) 549-4548. It isstrongly recommended that you first start on thegluten and casein free diet before trying thesedigestive aids. It could make things worse insteadof better if you add the digestive aid beforestarting the diet. Even those who have first putthe child on a gluten and casein free diet havesometimes noticed an initial problem with addingthe DPP IV. Thirst, bedwetting, more stimming,or loose stools. One can only speculate as to thereason. It might be breaking up stored peptides orit might be affecting the immune system. After awhile on these enzymes, some parents have beenable to reintroduce gluten and casein foods.

Autism Interventions 19

Please be aware that these particular digestiveenzymes are made using a mold calledAspergilus. There is a chance of an allergicreaction, especially a breathing problem. Whentrying anything, please start with small doses, beobservant, and get as much information aspossible about it. Also, these kids need the wholearray of pancreatic enzymes due to their digestivedifficulties. So you can’ t just focus on the DPPIV enzyme.

If you put your growing child on a milk-freediet, it is particularly important to provideanother source of calcium. Dr. Shaw hasmentioned that some of the autistic will end upwith eye pain when low on calcium. A few havepoked out their eyes in an attempt to relieve thepain. Calcium is in particular demand in a childwhose bones are growing. It is also needed tokeep the parathyroid hormone in check. If theparathyroid hormone is elevated, this causescalcium to be taken up by the cells, and thisinterferes with energy production. Many peoplehave reported improvements in the child whenthey give the child a calcium supplement.

One other curious thought. In the intestines,you must have the DPP IV available to breakdown and transport / absorb proline-containingpeptides. Hence, anyone with low DPP IV maynot be getting enough proline from their food.Especially, people in the US, in their stressfullife, no longer bother to cook their soup bonesand are thus already eating a diet deficient inproline. However, this doesn’ t necessarily meanthat a blood test will show low proline becauseproline can be synthesized from other aminoacids, like ornithine, alpha ketoglutaric acid, andglutamate. It just means that without proline inthe diet, the body will be working hard to makeup for such a deficit and dietary imbalance.

In healthy people, eating gelatin shouldeventually increase the amount and activity of theDPP IV enzyme in the intestines. [3] However,

when gelatin is given to a person where the DPPIV enzyme has been poisoned, all the dynamicsare thrown off. There are some reports of autisticchildren not tolerating gelatin. There is no clearanswer here. However, one wonders if the gelatinis creating a demand for additional DPP IVenzyme that cannot be met. In this situation, itseems logical to use a supplement of the DPP IVenzyme to increase the tolerance to proline richfoods, like gelatin and colostrum.

SoyPolly: According to Dr. Kalle Reichelt, soyproteins sometimes cross react with antibodiesagainst casein. Hence, there is concern that soyprotein might inhibit the breakdown of opioidsand thus increase the deleterious effect of milkcasein on autism and attention deficit. Even ifyou have your child on a strict no casein/nogluten diet, it might take as much as a year forthe offending peptides to clear. Hence, soyprotein used during this first year might beparticularly problematic. (See the article entitled“ Food allergy vs intolerance, soy and autism” atthis website: www.GFlinks.com/reichelt.html.)Some advocate a little fermented soy. That mightbe okay in limited quantities. Yet since soy hasphytoestrogens (phenols), it doesn’ t seem like agood food for anyone with phenol-sulfotransferase (PST) problems, which includesmost of the autistics and many of those withADD. See

www.mercola.com,

www.soyonlineservice.co.nz and

www.westonaprice.org/soy_alert.htm.

The Craniosacral SystemPolly: At the congressional hearings on autismand vaccinations, John E. Upledger, D.O.,O.M.M., testified to Congress on his findings

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treating autism using cranial manipulation. In hisopinion, some cases of autism may be due tobrain membrane dysfunction. Decreasedflexibility of the membrane that covers the braincan interfere with the proper flow and pumpingof the fluid that baths the brain. This fluid carriesnutrients to the brain and removes metabolicbyproducts. The membrane also containschelating agents that help remove heavy metalsfrom the brain. The membrane might be damagedby fevers (eg induced by a vaccine reaction), orby a mechanical injury such as a birth deliveryusing suction, or bending the head/neck at birth.The damage often manifests as compression atthe base of the skull. He mentioned that cranialsacral manipulation can also be used to treat colicand hyperkenesis (muscle spasms).

The treatment procedure is not frightening.Dr. Upledger places his hands on the head andgently stretches the membrane that covers thebrain. This treatment decreases the head-banging,thumb-sucking, and wrist-biting behaviors oftenfound in autism. Once this mechanical stretchingof the membrane has been accomplished, theparents, with proper instruction, can help with themaintenance. More information is available inthe book written by Dr. Upledger, A Brain isBorn (North Atlantic Books, 1996, $45.00), andavailable from his institute. This treatment is alsohelpful for many cases of attention deficit. For adirectory of practitioners, the InternationalAssociation of Healthcare Practitioners (IAHP)publishes a directory of more than 38,000healthcare practitioners. The directory lists theirprofessional designation as well as listing theIAHP- recognized courses they have completed(phone 1-800-311-9204, extension 9944).

The Upledger Institute, Inc.11211 Prosperity Farms Rd. D325Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410-3487Phone: 1-800-233-5880, extension 9945

Fax: (561) 622-4771Home page: http://upledger.comE-mail: upledger@upledger.com

Marie: I wanted to share my experience withcraniosacral therapy for anyone considering it. Atabout age two, and at his worst, we went throughprobably the most frightening experience withour son (he’ d been normal till his first MMRshots at the age of 15 months). He started losinghis sense of balance and couldn’ t walk but a fewsteps before falling, oftentimes hurting himself,and the situation was becoming progressivelyworse.

We were fortunate enough to hear aboutcraniosacral therapy back then and were able towork with a therapist who, after the very firstsession, somehow managed to restore our son’ sability to maintain his balance; he stopped fallingliterally overnight. We haven’ t had a problemwith his balance since (that was five years ago).

I would like to know if anyone has had achild treated by the Upledger Institute? We werenot familiar with the principles that Dr. Upledgerworks with back then and I am interested inlearning of anyone’ s experience with his work.

Marianne: My son has been treated at theUpledger Institute about 30 times in his short 4and 1/2 years. Starting when he was only 2 or 3months old. Fortunately we live only 1 hoursdrive from the Upledger Institute. I know theysee many patients for intensive work, doing manysessions in one week’ s time, for people that flyin. They also do share care weekend workshopsaround the country for parents to learn to dosome simple techniques for their families. Myhusband and I both did this. It was veryinexpensive, and we learned the principles ofwhat is going on (sort of, smile). John Upledgerhas also written a couple of books. I can’ t sayenough good things about the therapy. However

Autism Interventions 21

we changed therapists early on, to one that reallyconnected with our son, and saw much betterresults. Our son began speaking right after one ofhis sessions (age 3.5). He also began interactingwith other children right after another session(age 3.6). He also turned from a VERY difficultchild, into a SWEETHEART after quite a fewsessions when he was about 2. The therapist(Jim) kept telling me there was this sweet child inthere. I couldn’ t IMAGINE what he was talkingabout at the time. Well .....HE WAS RIGHT!!!!Our son also used to hold one arm close to hisside when running or walking— not swinging itfreely. That was corrected also, although notright away. In the beginning, he went throughmany re-birthing type sessions. Jim alwaysfollowed our son’ s lead. It was always clear tome that our son was doing the work in thesession. Jim was just facilitating. After watchingall that went on, I was convinced that I wouldhave no idea where to begin to help him myself,and finding a really experienced therapist wouldbe important. Luckily, Jim travels all around theworld teaching, so I feel we have one of the best.

SecretinPolly: Secretin is a hormone made by the cellslining the small intestine. Many of the autisticchildren improve when given natural secretin, butthere are mixed results with the differentmanmade secretins. [4] For the vast majority ofchildren, there have been no adverse effects fromadministering secretin, although increasedhyperactivity is to be expected for a while afterthe infusion. Unfortunately, there have been acouple of children who suffered seizures. It maybe the cysteine in the solution, the excitement ofthe procedure, or perhaps the amount of secretinwas too much for that child. Some of secretin’ sknown properties are:

1. Secretin stimulates the liver to produce bile.

2. Secretin helps get rid of leaky gut.

3. Secretin, acetylcholine, and cholecystokinin(CCK) act synergistically to inducepancreatic secretions of enzymes andbicarbonates. (In contrast, serotonin, which isoften high in autism, opposes the action ofsecretin and acetylcholine on the pancreas.)[5]

4. Secretin also induces the release ofbicarbonates from the small bowel. [6]

5. Secretin couples to G-proteins. [7] (G-proteindefects are suspected contributors to autism.)

6. Secretin is not found in the brain, butreceptors for hormones from the same familyare found there. [8]

7. Secretin stimulates blood flow to theintestine. [9]

8. Secretin increases immune levels in bile. [9]

Besides supplements of plain secretin, somepeople are using about a teaspoon of duodenumafter meals. Duodenum is a naturally occurringsource of secretin and other components of thesmall intestine. See www.krysalis.com

Wally, Sr.: We have been using the transdermalsecretin on our son, Wally, Jr., for approximately5 months. We started the transdermalapplications 12/3/99. We did not use anyinfusions but started with the transdermalapplications. Our son is 33 years old and weighs125 pounds (very thin for his 6’ 3” frame) and hasa seizure disorder.

The first 10 days we used 7.5 cu/day ofFerring (natural secretin) that was compoundedwith the DMSO and PLO. This was applied tothe wrist, back and belly areas of his body. Afterabout 10 minutes of starting the applications inany of these areas, his skin would become redand puffy. This condition would begin to fade inabout 4 hrs and would be gone by the next day.

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We would apply the secretin to a different spoteach time we applied it so as to not cause toomuch harm to any one spot. Now we apply thesecretin to his legs with no problems that we cansee.

I wore the latex gloves, but noticed that Icould taste a slight DMSO taste on the back ofmy tongue. I will soon try the vinyl gloves assomeone has suggested to see if this stops thetaste of DMSO in my mouth as well as possiblystopping any possible reaction to the latex thatmy son might have in the future. The morningafter the first application of the secretin we couldnotice the DMSO breath on our son. We knewwhat it was since my father used DMSO 10 or 12years ago for joint pain caused by arthritis. Atthat time, we became aware of the “ DMSObreath” that he developed. So far, after 5 months,the DMSO breath is the only negative that wecan report from the transdermal secretin. This isnot very noticeable now since the daily dose hasdecreased.

We started to give the secretin in the eveningafter bath time and continue with this schedulewhenever we make an application. We usuallyslowly count to 100 as we work the secretin inand by the time the counting is done the secretinis worked in to the skin.

We noticed results within 1 hour of the firstapplication as our son slowly looked at eachobject in our family room as if he was seeingthem for the first time. Other results that we havenoticed since starting the secretin are not asdramatic as those that were experienced by theBeck family or others but what we did seerepresent slow, subtle, and small steps, all ofwhich are positive and continue.

We noticed an increase in verbal languageuse; in understanding verbal directions and anincreased ability to follow these directions; anincrease in awareness of his surroundings;increase in his ability to interact with people; and

an increase in his ability to control his body andhis impulsive behaviors. It is easier for him tosmile and to be touched by others. He is nowmore deliberate in many of his actions. You cantell from watching him that he is thinking aboutwhat he is doing and not “ running on automatic”all the time. These are all positive small steps thatwe see from the vantage point of an observer.

After the first 10 days of the 7.5 cu/day dose,it was suggested by our doctor to reduce the doseto 2.5 cu/day or 2.5 cu twice per day, totaling 5cu/day in an attempt to find a dose that would bethe best for our son. We would have toexperiment for a while to see what dose workedthe best.

We tried the various doses as suggested byour doctor. and with input from our son we arenow at a dose that is equal to approximately .8 cuper day£we apply 2.5 cu every 3 to 4 days.

As I mentioned earlier, all of the smallimprovements that we saw and continue to see,we have seen from the vantage point of anobserver. You will also notice that most of thereports that you read about the secretin effects,either positive or negative, big or small, all comefrom the observations of the parents, teachers,rehabilitation workers or other staff who workwith the autistic person who is taking the secretineither by infusion or transdermally. Very fewreports come directly from the autistic person.Some parents have reported that they saw onlyslight improvements or no improvements in theirchild and opted to stop the secretin therapybecause they saw no benefits from the secretin.From our observations from the “ outside” thiscould have been a possible outcome for our sonif it were not for his ability to type to us what hewas experiencing on the “ inside” . I would like toshare with you a few excerpts from a runningconversation we have with him about what hefeels about the secretin and how it is impactinghis life. It is from information from these

Autism Interventions 23

conversations that we were able to adjust hisdaily doses of secretin to his present level of .8cu/day which he says is optimum for him.

12/8/99 “I am not regurgitating to the extent thatI was. Each key remains essentially still. (Eachkey on the computer keyboard prior to secretinappeared to our son to be vibrating and movingso that the “ I” would appear as an “ H” , an “ F”would appear as a “ P” , etc.) With reducedmovement (of the keys) typing will be moreindependent.”

12/14/99 “Gut is feeling better fire is out.” (Ourson has told us on several occasions that from thefirst secretin application that the burningsensation he had had in his gut was gone.)

1/16/00 from a letter written by our son toanother autistic young man: “Though I look as Ialways have, upon receiving the secretin I’mtotally a new person on the inside. I now cantaste food that previously had no taste for me. Ican eat vegetables now and know whichvegetable I am eating by its taste rather than byits color or shape. Textures of the foods are nowtremendously important to me since I can nowfeel in my mouth the difference between potatoesand meat or between moist meat and dry meat orfood that is meat you might call hamburger andmeat that is roasted and cut up. The joy ofrealizing what eating brings to a person finallyhas been unlocked for me since starting onsecretin.

Too, I get excited now realizing that thistreatment I am receiving is only the beginning toopen each of my closed sensory pathways. Eachof my senses reacts to secretin in much the sameway as does my sense of taste and touch in mypreviously numb mouth. Especially noteworthy isthe effect on how I see the motion of movingobjects. Previous to the secretin, the motion ofsome object from point A to point B would be

perceived by me as being choppy and unsmoothas if watching some early vintage motion picturethat displayed only a limited number of framesper second on the screen. Now the movement Iperceive is smooth and fluid much like watchinga modern video of a car moving on the open roadfrom point A to point B.

Other effects on my senses point to theopening of the inexperienced and potentiallyexciting wonders of the world that I have onlyread about and have only experienced in mymind. The potential results from this sensoryawakening are truly yet to be realized in theirentirety but I anticipate each and revel in thethoughts of their linking my imprisoned minddirectly to the world that I have not actuallyexperienced except through the experiences ofother people.”

I will summarize what our son has typed tous while we were trying to regulate the secretindose in outline form:

1) All senses are now working.

2) Only the sense of sight is affected by toomuch secretin£“It is like you are shining abright light into my eyes and I can’t shut it offwhen the optimal level is exceeded.”

3) Secretin builds up in my system as time goeson and as I get daily doses.

4) The residual secretin plus the daily dose addsup to be an overdose situation that effects mysense of sight.

5) As the residual secretin plus the daily dosescontinue to build up my sight is effected firstthen as the total of residual secretin plus dailydose increases even higher I gethallucinations and horror filled nightmareslike I did when I was on Tegritol for seizurecontrol then as the residual and daily dosecontinue to increase even more I get lightheaded and dizzy and am afraid to go up

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stairs to my room for fear of fallingbackwards on the stairs. This is why I havebeen sleeping on the family room couch forthe past few weeks.

6) Because of noticing that these effects(mentioned in 4 and 5) diminishing inproportion to the amount of secretin that Ihave refused over several days I figure thatmy optimal dose of secretin is about.8cu/day(or 2.5 cu every 3 to 4 days)

Because of what our son has been able tocommunicate to us about how he feels we willcontinue with the secretin at the .8cu/day until hetells us differently. Good luck with your childand with the secretin and remember to ask himwhat he is experiencing on the “ inside” .

Herbs And HomeopathicsRos in Asutralia: The biochemist, who has beenassisting us, has been using Golden Seal to greateffect with our kids. He says it is the naturalequivalent of secretin. Naturopaths here inAustralia also advocate the use of Golden Sealwith ADD kids, there have been reports of greatsuccess with this coupled with fish oil.

Polly: Goldenseal in appropriate doses issupposed to be excellent for intestinal upsets. Itried some, and it seemed to have an adverseeffect on my sugar regulation. (Goldensealincreases the effectiveness of insulin.) Myexperience was that Goldenseal’ s effects seemedto take a long time to dissipate. The actualgoldenseal concentration in the blood will peakafter 4 hours and clear in another 4 hours. [10]However, its effects seem much longer than that.So if you give a dose the first day, and it seemsfine, but on the second day, the same dose seemstoo much, it may be because the effects of thefirst dose hasn’ t worn completely off yet.

Chronic use of goldenseal may inhibit vitamin Babsorption. (http://my.webmd.ca/content/article/3187.13449)

There are many excellent reports about aparticular detoxification and immune-enhancingtea called Ojibwa Tea of Life. Fax (303) 316-3971 and website www.ojibwatea.com Emailtealady@ojibwatea.com This provider sells thetea at an affordable price. Brands do make adifference with herbs. The wildcrafted herbs thatare picked in the right season have differenteffects than other herbs. So before purchasinganother brand of this tea, look for currenttestimonials.

Also since a lot of the people with autismhave a Clostridia overgrowth problem, one maywant to investigate some of the medicinal herbsthat keep Clostridia at bay. Here are somemedicinal herbs that show strong invitroinhibitory effects on Clostridia: Astragalusmembranaceus, Cassia obtusifolia, Cinnamomumcassia, Coptis japonica, Corydalis turschaninvii,Curcuma longa, Eucommia ulmoide, Rhuschinensis, and Sinomenium acutum. [11]However, I don’ t know the effect these herbshave on the PST enzyme or their particularappropriateness for autism. Similarly, if there isa Klebsiella overgrowth, these essential oils haveshown invitro effectiveness against this bacteria:Cinnamon bark; Coriander; Eucalyptus(globulus); Cajaput; Peppermint; Nutmeg; Pine(sylvestris); Rosemary; Savory (hortensis,montana); Oregano (Spanish); Thyme (vulgaris)(Price et al. 1999, p70-71).

Homeopathic remedies sometimes help withbehavioral problems, like baryta carbonica andcalcarea carbonica. Barbara Brewitt, PhD, in anarticle in the January 2002 Townsend Letter,suggests that using homeopathic growth factorsmay repair some of the damage to the brain.These homeopathic growth factors are FibroblastGrowth Factor 2 (FGF-2), Insulin-like GrowthFactor1 (IGF-1), Platelet-Derived Growth Factor

Autism Interventions 25

BB (PDGF-BB), and Transforming GrowthFactor B1 (TGF-B1).

G Proteins, Vitamin A, AndAcetylcholinePolly: Mary Megson, MD, has had someamazing successes treating autism with cod liveroil (for its vitamin A content) and occasionally adrug to stimulate the release of acetylcholine.After administering the fish liver oil for twomonths, Dr. Megson will sometimes add onedose of the drug Urocholine to increaseacetylcholine. Within 30 minutes of this dose,some of the kids appear to reconnect and to beable to focus. Yet, the children are still sickly.

She came to use the cod liver oil and theUrocholine after noticing that many of theautistic children have a family history thatindicates a possible G I alpha protein defect. Shehypothesized that in these cases, autism may becaused by further interference with these Gproteins. One possibility is that additionalinterference with the G proteins could have beencaused by administering vaccines when there wasa deficiency of vitamin A. The cod liver oil sheuses replaces the vitamin A. The drug to increaseacetylcholine was tried because G protein defectscould also knock out acetylcholine production.

Vitamin A is extremely important for themaintenance of healthy intestinal flora.Generally, the autistic children are deficient innot just vitamin A, but all of the fat-solublevitamins£A, D, E, and K. In fact, some ofsecretin’ s benefit might be due to its stimulationof bile, which is needed for the assimilation ofthe fat-soluble vitamins. However, not just anyvitamin A will do. Dr. Megson feels that theretinol form of vitamin A is absorbed best. Thisform of vitamin A is found in butter, fish, andliver. (It is not found in most vitaminsupplements or infant formulas.) Of these sources

of retinol vitamin A, Dr. Megson chose fish liveroil. She did this for a very specific reason. Fishoil is the only source of 14 hydroxy-retro-retinol(14-HRR). G protein defects could block theconversion of vitamin A into this 14-HRR. Soshe starts her patients on small amounts of codliver oil£similar to the recommended dailyallowance for vitamin A. (Fish liver oil is rich invitamins A, D, and K, and it has a reasonableamount of vitamin E. Still, giving extra vitaminE with fish oil to prevent oxidation isrecommended in many books.)

Urocholine is a prescription drug thatstimulates the release of acetylcholine at nerveendings, and acts like an artificial acetylcholine.(Bethanechol is the generic name forUrocholine.) It stimulates gastric motility,increases gastric tone and often restores impairedrhythmic peristalsis of the intestines. It alsoincreases bile and pancreatic secretions andindirectly stimulates the vitamin A receptors inthe brain’ s hippocampus.

For more information on Dr. Megson’ s work,go to these websites, http://bhare.org/newtx.htmland www.megson.com.

SaltPolly: Dr. Mary Megson suggests letting autisticshave salt. If there is a G protein defect, three ofthe channels that remove calcium from the cellsare blocked. The only other major means ofremoving calcium is with salt. If there isn’ tenough salt in the diet, there is the danger that anautistic will calcify his or her brain cells.

Vitamin A From Fish Liver OilWillis: The problem with supplementing vitaminA is threefold:

1) Vitamin A as palmitate is not assimilatedwell by these kids with gut problems. The

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palmitate is not only ineffective, there can bea negative response.

2) The usual form of many supplements ofvitamin A from cod-liver oil is a gelatincapsule. This inactivates most or all benefitfrom the vitamin A and fatty acids it issupposed to supply, and now we learn it alsoinactivates the DPP IV enzyme necessary todigest peptides. Do not use vitamin Acapsules.

3) We now learn that the cis vitamin A is largelyremoved in processing cod-liver oil, and thenreplaced with palmitate, another reason thecapsules don’ t work. Only one cod liver oilguarantees only cis A is used, and that isKirkman. One mother has reported that codliver oil was not only ineffective, butnegative to her child, until she orderedKirkman. There was a definite beneficialresponse immediately. So, buy Kirkman, butnot their capsules, the bottled oil only.

Polly: Kirkman labs usually carries the morepopular supplements for the autistic population.They even have samples of different supplementsfor $3 so that you don’ t waste a lot of money onthings that aren’ t going to help. Besides sellingthe fish oil, they have casein-free colostrum, andother products specifically for those with autism.Go to www.kirkmanlabs.com or phone (800)245-8282 if you wish to order from Kirkman. Dr.Megson states that if the autistic child has a Gprotein defect then they will have troubleconverting the trans form of vitamin A into thecis form. This is all the more reason to be carefulabout brands.

A good percentage of the children withautism cannot tolerate the fish liver oil. Onemother posted that she tried the fish oil, andwhen it wasn’ t tolerated, she switched tomicellized retinyl palmitate as her source of

vitamin A. The supplement seemed to help herchild. So perhaps the best we can do isexperiment.

Joy: I recently gave my son cod liver oil for thefirst time about two days ago. After a couple ofdoses, I stopped. He has been waking at nightacting as though he is having stomach pain. Lastnight he was awake from 10:30 to 3:40 and someof that time he was crying. He is crying rightnow. He has also started having tantrums duringthe day— not typical for him. Has anyone elseexperienced this with cod liver oil?

Kathy: My son had a cluster of seizures. Makesure you are balancing correctly his omega needs.Sometimes our kids have problems convertingcod liver oil.

Rose: Joy, my son has always been intolerant ofcod liver oil; it has never agreed with him.However, after we switched to the orangeflavored cod liver oil from Nordic Naturals,which has a good taste. He threw up, and ofcourse, his stomach hurt. We had to give himsome Alka Zeltzer Gold that time, even thoughwe had just started him with 1/4 teaspoon of theNordic Naturals in applesauce. When wereceived the NO FENOL, we tried it by openingup the capsule and mixing 1/2 capsule into theNordic Naturals cod liver oil mixture. (Themixture I created also had added minerals andextra vitamin E.) It was amazing; he held downthe cod liver oil mixture and there was absolutelyNO STOMACH UPSET AND NO CRAMPING.The NO FENOL has enabled him to take the codliver oil everyday with no problem. He is nowtaking 1 1/4 teaspoons of the cod liver oil andstill using just the 1/2 capsule of NO FENOL. Iwould highly recommend anyone to try this. Idon't know if it will work with your son, but it

Autism Interventions 27

sure helped my son. I am very happy with theNO FENOL!!!

I asked Devin Houston, a biochemist and themanufacturer of NO FENOL, if it has lipase in it;he said it does not have any lipase activity, andlipase doesn’t really do much for cod liver oil,since lipase only works on triglyceride fats.Devin said he could not give me a readyexplanation as to why NO FENOL would helpwith cod liver oil, but if it does, that is great!

Polly: Rose, did your child have exactly the sameproblem with the cod liver oil that was notflavored? It could be just that the No Fenol ishelping him tolerate the orange flavoring.

Rose: Yes, he could not tolerate the plain codliver oil either. It was really bad.

Dana: My son did not tolerate cod liver oileither. I would give it to him, and it would givehim major diarrhea and a bright red bottom withlittle bloody spots. Plus he would really havevisual issues, waving his hands in front of hiseyes all the time. I tried giving it with No-Fenolenzyme and he was able to tolerate it just fine.No bowel problems. And it eliminated his visualissues also.

Polly: Fish oil also has hormone-like componentsand fat-soluble vitamins in it. The No-Fenol mustbe making a difference by acting on one of these.

Note: Dr. Patricia Kane wrote a short articleabout cod liver oil. It is at Mercola’ s website:www.mercola.com/1999/nov/21/vitamin_a_cod_liver_oil.htm There is some information about thedifferent types of vitamin A in the chapter onvitamin supplements in Book 2 of this series. NoFenol is a digestive enzyme that was designed tohelp people digest foods that contain phenolics.

The product is made by Houston Nutraceuticals.www.houstonni.com phone (866) 757-8627 or(510) 549-4548.

DMAE And CDP CholinePolly: Urocholine isn’ t the only substance thatcan increase acetylcholine. DMAE, CDP cholineand the amino acid taurine are all thought toincrease acetylcholine levels in the brain. (Formore information on taurine, see the chapter onamino acids in Book 6 of this series.)

DMAE (2-dimethylaminoethanol) occursnaturally in the body and is a precursor tocholine. DMAE is believed to cross the bloodbrain barrier and increase acetylcholine levels inthe brain. Initial use may cause a dull headache.DMAE is available in most health stores. It isalso known as Deaner, Deanol or DNZ-2.(BioTech sells DNZ-2 to professionals and hassome literature on it.)

CDP-Choline (cytidine 5’ diphosphocholine),also increases the synthesis of acetylcholine inthe brain. It also supports the creation ofphosphotidylcholine, and improves the regulationof neuronal membrane excitability andosmolarity. CDP-Choline is made by Jarrow.

According to the Pfeiffer treatment center,DMAE should not be used if the child is under-methylated. In Dr. Bill Walsh’ s presentation tothe 2002 DAN! conference, he stated that about45% of the children with autism are under-methylated and about 15% are over-methylated.From their database of patients, they haveobserved general characteristics of these twoconditions. The following table contains theseobservations. They aren’ t hard and fast rules, butthey may help you determine the best nutrients totry first.

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Overmethylation Undermethylation

Might help DMAE, folic acid, B12 andniacin.

methionine, calcium, magnesium,B6, SAMe, DMG, TMG and/or

inositol

Might react poorly to TMG, inositol, SAMe, copperand methionine

folic acid, choline, DMAE

More likely to have low histamime,high norepinephrine,

high serotonin andhigh dopamine.

high histaminelow norepinephrinelow serotonin and

low dopamine

More likely to display Depression, severe chemicalsensitivities, food sensitivities,

anxiety, upper body pain,underacheivement

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder,Oppositional-Defiant Disorder,seasonal depression, seasonal

allergies, perfectionism,competitiveness

General observations by Dr. Bill Walsh of Pfeiffer Treatment Center

Marianne had some success with DMAE.Then she found that Jarrow’ s CDP Cholineworked better for her child. Here is what she hadto say.

Marianne: I have a four-and-a-half year old sondiagnosed with autism, or Aspergers. After fouryears of sleep deprivation we started giving himmelatonin. It has been a miracle. For the firsttime in his life, he has slept through the nights,and woken up rested! Life (for the whole family)improved so much, that I decided to keep lookinginto supplementation. Next we started onmagnesium. My son was so noise sensitive, that

we could hardly go anywhere. We bought himear muffs to block the noise, and they helpedenough that we were able to at least run thevacuum. He even had to have them to go into thebathroom, because one time the fan was on, andthe noise scared him so much. About his point Imet Willis, and he suggested we add B6 with themagnesium. This has made such a difference thatthe ear muffs just sit around unused 99% of thetime. This is a complete reversal of USING them99% of the time!

Well now for the most amazing thing ofall.....My son has drooled since he was 2 monthsold. Soaking through 3-5 shirts a day. When he

Autism Interventions 29

was a baby, I made him cute bandanas to wear,and just thought it was teething....ha....He has hadall his teeth for years! Anyway Willis suggesteddrooling could come from excess dopamine inthe system, because of too little acetlycholine. Iread that DMAE helps the brain stimulate theproduction of choline, which then helps the brainbetter produce acetlycholine. Well, in 2 DAYS ofgiving him this, the drooling is almost non-existent. I realized at the end of the dayyesterday, that my son had the same shirt on fromthe morning, and it was dry!!!!!

We have been working with an occupationaltherapist on some oral motor exercises to help thedrooling, along with his speech. We were tryingto get him to make a “ fish face” with his lips lastweek. He couldn’ t make his lips pucker at all.Well yesterday, he looked at me, and had the bestfish lips face you have ever seen! I guess thereason his speech was so unclear, is that hecouldn’ t make his lips move right. Well....wehadn’ t even done the exercises, so it IS thecholine factor, as Willis pinpointed!

We are also having success with the TMG.Our son is so much more out going. He is talkingand singing up a storm. This is the same childthat said his first word at age 3.

Thanks to Willis, and you all, for such greatinformation, I know time is limited when caringfor these wonderful children. By the way, my sonhas never been vaccinated, had antibiotics,fluoride, or all of the things that contribute. Hewas breast fed for 2 years, no cows milkever.......just to add to the confusion.

Polly: Be watchful. Too much acetylcholine canalso cause drooling. Since you now have yourson on B6, you may find that you don’ t need themelatonin for his sleep. The sleep disturbancesmight be due to an excess serotonin influence.Glycine, taurine, B6 and magnesium might helpreduce this influence and thus help with the

sleep. Although melatonin can counter some ofthe effects of serotonin, this adaptation is at acost to the body. Melatonin is a stress hormoneand should be used with caution.

It is interesting that your son didn’ t have allthe predisposing factors that people thinkcontribute to autism. However, have youconsidered exposure to mercury in the womb?There is the danger of flu shots just beforebecoming pregnant, or Rhogam shots whilepregnant, since these contain mercury. There aresome moms that report having dental work whilepregnant, and fear this is the source of thedamage. I wouldn’ t rule mercury poisoning outjust yet.

Marianne: Yes, I have considered mercury fromthe womb and my breast milk. I have a hugeamount of mercury fillings in my mouth, so I amsure some got into my son. I also had manyproblems with chemicals as I worked in thehairdressing business for 20 years. I finally hadto quit. Luckily I wasn’ t in that environmentwhile I was pregnant. I do think that he has agenetic predisposition though as both myhusband and myself have quite a few Aspergerscharacteristics, although nothing diagnosed. Myhusband also has ADD.

As far as the B6 goes, I found it was keepingmy son up at night. I strictly use it only in themorning now. My son was going to sleep finewith the melatonin but he was waking up in themiddle of the night. The Epsom salts baths haveREALLY helped this too. I am really new to allof this, so we are still experimenting witheverything. I know this is the right track though.I have also started using CDP choline fromJarrow instead of the DMAE, and have found itworks much better.

Polly: My daughter does not have autism, but shewas definitely having sleep difficulties. I used to

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give the coenzyme B6 to my daughter in themorning for the same reason that you state. I hadheard that it takes a couple of weeks for the bodyto adjust to it, and during this time it can disturbyour sleep. It took two weeks of 150 mg per daybefore I noticed the improvement in mydaughter’ s sleep. I now give her coenzyme B6about once a week, and at any time of the day.The Epsom Salt baths didn’ t help my daughter’ ssleep other than to relax her a little bit beforebedtime. (There is a little more information onacetylcholine in the chapter on mercurypoisoning.)

Coenzyme B1 (TTFD)Polly: Dr. Lonsdale has done a preliminary studyof 10 autistic children, ages 3 to 8, using thecoenzyme form of B1. (The body must convertB1 into its coenzyme form before it can beemployed. The coenzyme form of B1 is calledthiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide, (TTFD) orallithiamine.) 50 mg of TTFD was administeredtwice a day rectally for two months. Eight of thechildren showed clinical improvement in speechand behavior. One child showed a worsening ofsymptoms. [12]

There are several reasons why B1 isparticularly important to the autistic. B1 is oftenlow in those with mercury poisoning. B1 isimportant for the use of sulfur. B1 helps the bodyremove lead, arsenic and other heavy metals. B1also helps the body keep serotonin levels undercontrol. B1 is involved in the production ofacetylcholine. Yet, B1 can desensitizeacetylcholine receptors.

Michele: My daughter has been on thetransdermal TTFD cream for eight months. Shehad been taking the oral TTFD for about ninemonths prior to that. Dr. Lonsdale has suggestedalternating where I apply the TTFD cream— use

the ankles (top of foot area), inner elbows, spinearea and back of the knees. The cream does notsmell that great. When applied to the back of theknees, it seems to smell the strongest, although Ihave no idea why. My daughter is older (a teen)and very self-conscious around other teens.Therefore, we decided to use the cream only atnight. This seems to be working well as sheshowers every morning before school. If youwant to apply the cream more often, you have theoption of washing it off after about a half-hour.Most of the TTFD will have soaked in within ahalf-hour, so it should be safe to wash it off then.Some of the odor is still detectable even afterwashing, but certainly not as bad. Certain soapsseem to work better than others.

Mrs. Generic: Have you seen any improvementswith the TTFD?

Michele: I have observed many improvements inmy child since TTFD, but then I am also usingmany other supplements— probiotics, anti-virals,anti-fungals and alpha lipoic acid (ALA). Mychild no longer has an auditory processingdisorder upon professional testing. She no longerhas any sensory problems with smell, touch,taste, and sight. She no longer has staring spells,no longer is hyperactive, rarely has insomnia.Her food intolerances are disappearing. Stomachproblems are gone. She understands things muchbetter. Her communication is more ageappropriate. No rages, no mood swings, nodepression, no anxieties, just many, manyimprovements. I can not say that just the TTFDdid this, but with everything else, she is doinggreat.

Marilyn: There is another coenzyme form of B1called Benfotiamin or Benfotiamine (S-benzoylthiamine-O-monophosphate) fromAdvanced Orthomolecular Research. The

Autism Interventions 31

literature states that it increases the effectivenessof metal chelators and that it is more bioavailablethan TTFD. This is one place to purchase it. Seewww.y2khealthanddetox.com/bft.html or phone1-877-402-5450

SphingolinPolly: Sphingolin is a myelin basic protein.Myelin covers the nerves, and has been likenedto the insulation covering electrical wiring. (Seewww.myelin.org) About half the autistics haveantibodies to myelin basic protein. In these cases,sometimes a low dose use of a sphingolin productis helpful. If the antibodies are not present, thenDr. Vijendra suggests that the supplement shouldnot be used. Sphingolin is made by EcologicalFormulas, phone (800) 351-9429. You can ordersphingolin directly from Ecological Formulas oryou can try www.vitaminexpress.com. DEWSResearch also includes sphingolin in their J-factors product. The J-factors is one of theproducts that people with multiple sclerosis try.J-factors contains purified lecithin, acetylcholine,cephalins (phospholipids), sphingomyelines,cerebrosides, and L-glutamic acid. DEWSwebsite is www.DEWSnatural.com, and theirphone is (940) 243-2178.

The Immunoglobulin IgAPolly: Sudhir Gupta, MD, a prominentimmunologist, gave a lecture at the DAN! 2000Conference on the immune system in autism.Here are some notes from that lecture. In apreliminary trial of immunoglobulins takenintravenously, some of the autistic recipientsimproved significantly. One of theimmunoglobulins, called IgA, is of particularinterest. IgA is the most predominant type ofantibody that is found covering the gut mucosa,and IgA is low or absent in a fair number ofautistic individuals. IgA keeps toxins and

bacteria from binding to the cells that line theintestines. Without enough IgA, the intestinesbecome inflamed, and the lymphoid tissue in thegut swells. (Andrew Wakefield found lymphoidnodular hyperplasia in the autistic children heexamined. Other researchers have found this inADD children too. The changes in the gut aresimilar to, but not exactly like Crohns and colitis.[13])

IgA is also important because it lines themucosa of the lungs and urinary tract andprotects these from infections and allergens. Thegood news is that IgA does not need to be givenintravenously. It can be given orally orintranasally. The oral IgA has been used inEurope to treat multiple sclerosis and variousdiseases. Unfortunately, it is not currentlyavailable in the US. Dr. Gupta will be workingon getting it approved for some trials here.

One source of immunoglobulins is colostrum,or mother’ s first milk. The IgA in colostrumhelps the correct bacteria get established andprevents infection by viruses. However,colostrum from cows will not be as effective ashuman colostrum in fighting disease because thecows have not been exposed to the same bacteriaand viruses that we have. Yet there is enough ofan overlap that these colostrum supplements maybenefit some people. Kirkman Labs carries acasein free colostrum. I have spoken with peoplewho find very big differences in the effectivenessof different brands of colostrum. The mosteffective colostrums are made from unadulteratedfirst milkings. Typical doses are 3,000 to 4,000mg per day, or usually 6 to 8 capsules for anadult. The capsules are best administered byopening them up and rubbing them on the insideof the mouth. (Lactoferrin should beadministered this way too.) The colostrumshould be split into two doses per day. Ifinterested, this is a very good small book oncolostrum, Colostrum: Mother Nature’ s Healthy

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Alternative for Every Generation by LanceWright, MD. [14]

One of the mothers at the conferencementioned that music therapy can increase IgAproduction. See www.MusicTheraphy.org orphone (301) 589-3300. Bifidobacterium longum,a probiotic bacteria, increases IgA. [15] So doesthe Bb-12 (lactis) strain of Bifidobacterium andthe soil-based bacteria called B. Subtilis. [16]Egg yolks contain IgA, and light cooking will notdestroy it. If appropriate, undenatured whey willprovide IgA. The amino acid glutamine willincrease secretory IgA. Natural progesteroneincreases IgA. Avoid omega-6 oils because ratsgiven omega-6 fatty acids produce less IgA. [17](Omega-6 oils are high in most seed oils like corn,safflower, soybean and cottonseed.)

Jock posted these two links to articles aboutIgA deficiency and testing. The first is from theJeffry Modell Foundation.

www.jmfworld.com/html/selective_iga_deficiency.html

The next article is from a laboratory, Diagnos-Techs, Inc. in Washington. This lab does testingfor IgA, phone (800) 878-3787.

www.diagnostechs.com/mainFrame.asp?refPage=http://www.diagnostechs.com/body_text/tests/asi/asimonograph_new/asi_intestinalsecretoryigatest.htm

Deficiencies of IgA can be caused by exposure toRubella, protozoan infection, cytomegalavirus(CMV) or the drugs penicillamine or the anti-epileptic drug Dilantin. Genetics may also causean IgA deficiency. Candida Albicans secretes anenzyme that breaks down IgA and also albumin,collagen, keratin and hemoglobin. [18]

SerotoninPolly: In many cases of autism, there is a strongserotonin influence. A heightened influence ofserotonin can cause central hypothyroidism,which occurs in about 30% of the autistic.Serotonin can also interfere with intestinalmotility, pancreatic function, and mitochondrialenergy production. It can even make a personmore susceptible to seizures.

Platelet serotonin levels are usually high inautism, but they can also be abnormally low inautism. [19] (A similar pattern of plasma richplatelet readings of serotonin occurs infibromyalgia. Like in autism, there is a very highincidence of central hypothyroidism.) In autism,there is altered serotonin synthesis in a brainpathway important for language production andsensory integration. [20] In infantile autism, theplatelets were found to be leaking serotonin. [21](This leaking of serotonin is also suspected infibromyalgia.) Serotonin that has leaked out ofcells is called unbound or free serotonin.Unbound or free serotonin would cause the bodyto act as if it has too much serotonin. If freeserotonin is high, what could be causing this?Here are some possible reasons for excessive freeserotonin.

1. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This is a toxinthat is found in the shell of gram-negativeintestinal bacteria. LPS can release serotoninfrom mast cells. LPS can also increaseplatelet aggregation and this leads toincreased release of serotonin from theplatelets. [22] Hence LPS can increase freeserotonin levels.

2. Low Magnesium. This increases thelikelihood that platelets and mast cells willrelease their serotonin and histamine.

Autism Interventions 33

3. Stress Plus Polyunsaturated Oils. Stress,when combined with excess polyunsaturatedoils in the diet, will cause serotonin to leakfrom cells.

This is Dr. Raymond Peat’ s explanation of therelationship between stress, fats, and serotoninleaking from cells:

Stress also liberates free fatty acids from storage,and these fatty acids increase the uptake oftryptophan into the brain, increasing theformation of serotonin. … Serotonin liberatespolyunsaturated fats, and these in turn liberateserotonin from cells such as the platelets, andliberates tryptophan from serum albumin,increasing its uptake and the formation ofserotonin in the brain. Saturated fats don’ tliberate serotonin … [23]

Therefore, it seems prudent to eliminate most ofthe polyunsaturated oils in the diet Corn,safflower, cottonseed, peanut, canola, soy, fishand flax oils are all high in polyunsaturated fattyacids. Notice that fish and flax oils are in this listof polyunsaturated oils. Even though there issome benefit to limited use of fish and flax oils,too much can be quite harmful. In my opinion,one should limit their fats/oils to mainly butter,olive and coconut.

Natural factors that will help keep serotoninlevels under control are thyroid, protein,magnesium, carbon dioxide, decreasedtryptophan consumption, vitamin B1,progesterone and exposure to light. [24] Also, theamino acid glycine may counter some of theeffects of excess serotonin. Compare this list ofharmful effects of excess serotonin with this listof protective properties of glycine. RaymondPeat, PhD states:

“ Serotonin excess produces a broad range ofharmful effects: Cancer, inflammation, fibrosis,neurological damage, shock, broncho-

constriction, and hypertension, for example.Increased serotonin impairs learning, serotoninantagonists improve it. The simplest,nonessential, amino acid, glycine, has been foundto protect against carcinogenesis, inflammation,fibrosis, neurological damage, shock, asthma,and hypertension. Increased glycine improveslearning (Handlemann, et al., 1989; File, et al.,1999), glycine antagonists usually impair it.”[25]

Although the benefits of a glycine supplementare impressive, please be careful. Glycineprotects not just your cells, but it protectsbacteria like Klebsiella and possibly some yeast.If you happen to know that you have anovergrowth of Klebsiella, it may be prudent towait a while before trying glycine. If you wish topurchase some glycine, a bottle of just glycinepowder will be cheaper than encapsulatedglycine. Glycine tastes sweet and not bitter, somost people won’ t mind the taste of it.

Since platelet serotonin is often high inautism, people have thought that loweringserotonin levels might be helpful. There was astudy where tryptophan was lowered veryquickly with an amino acid drink. That turned outto be a mistake. It made many of the kids worse.I suspect the failure of this approach may havebeen due in part to the very abrupt lowering theserotonin or perhaps other effects of the aminoacid drink itself. For instance, a quick loweringof serotonin could cause a migraine.

If such an experiment is tried again,tryptophan should be lowered gradually withdiet. Also, thyroid medication may have to belowered if tryptophan is restricted in the diet.(Tryptophan restriction increases T3 thyroid.[26]) The age of the person must be taken intoconsideration too, since tryptophan is needed fora child to grow. However, as an added bonus,with less tryptophan, there would be less

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formation of IAG, which can break down theblood-brain barrier. (IAG is Indolyl AcryloylGlycine. It is formed by certain bacteria acting ontryptophan.)

Tumor Necrosis FactorPolly: High levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor(TNF) down-regulate the production ofglutathione and decrease the blood flow to thebrain’ s cerebrum and to the extremities. Whenthere is inflammation in the gut, you will alsofind increased production of TNF. LoweringTNF seems to reduce the inflammation. (Theanti-TNF-alpha drug Remicade is presently usedon an experimental basis to treat theinflammation in Crohns disease.) Coconut oil andfish oil can lower TNF. [27] The DPP IV enzymewill degrade (lower) TNF. [28] Glycine canlower TNF. Serotonin will raise TNF. [29] Justthe DNA from probiotic bacteria lowers TNF.

Hypothyroidism And AutismShirley: For about 5 years, my daughter totallyrefused all food and lived solely on ProsobeeBaby Formula. She wouldn’ t even try to chew it,wouldn’ t even eat pureed. She is now 10 yearsold. Last year I finally found a doctor who wouldgive her the Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone(TRH) test. We found out she was severelyhypothyroid. She tested normal on all the regularthyroid tests, but the TRH proved they weretotally incorrect. Since she has been on thethyroid medication she has started to eat and nowhas a huge appetite. For years she was 43 lbs. Sheis now about 70 lbs. She still wants some foodpureed, but now she has also started eating quitea few table foods too. Her holistic doctor thinksthat her thyroid was so swollen that it caused astricture of the esophagus. That’ s why sherefused to eat, was so gaggy and projectilevomited all the time. She was diagnosed at 18

months as PDD/Autistic Spectrum. Since thistime, she has also had a funny curl (I alwayscalled it a neurological curl) to her tongue. Whenshe opened her mouth to take a bite, her tonguewould elevate in the back on one side and thiswould cause her tongue to curl sideways. So itwas hard for food to go on her tongue rather thanunder it. This too is probably caused fromatrophy to the muscle due to the hypothyroidism.My guess is that she has probably sufferedneedlessly for the past 7 years with a severethyroid problem. No doctor ever diagnosed itproperly due to the inaccuracy of the fast pacedtesting. Only the TRH test showed the realproblem.

P.S. My daughter was also completely non-verbal for 7 years. After addressing the thyroidproblem, she started talking and can now talk in8, 10 and 15 word sentences.

Polly: I’ ve talked to several people who foundthat thyroid supplements were beneficial for theirautistic children. However, it will be a whilebefore enough parents try this and we get an ideaof what percentage it helps. I think we are backto the same problem with the blood tests. Theymeasure how much thyroid is in the blood, butnot how much is being used. These blood testsare notoriously inadequate for children. The TRHtest has recently come to people’ s attentionbecause it has uncovered many cases ofhypothyroidism when the standard TSH, T4, andT3 tests didn’ t reveal the problem. Here is a sitethat speaks of another autistic child who wasdiagnosed with hypothyroidism by the TRH test,www.avn.org.au/newpage118.htm. The normalthyroid tests didn’ t reveal a problem. However, Idon’ t trust even the TRH test to reveal all casesof hypothyroidism, and I don’ t think it is aparticularly safe test. You need a doctor who willmake a skilled interpretation of symptoms insteadof relying only on tests. Instead of risking

Autism Interventions 35

regression with this TRH test, a therapeutic trialof thyroid would be a much more civilizedapproach.

If we but look for it, there are probably plentyof reasons why an autistic child might needthyroid despite normal TSH, T4, and T3. Hereare a few items that suggest these tests might beinadequate when autism is present. They need tobe more fully investigated in autism.

1) Serotonin or its influence is often high in theautistic. Serotonin suppresses the release ofTRH, which in-turn lowers TSH. [30] A 1989study of autistic children showed that theyhave a lowered TSH and lowered delta TSHresponse to TRH. (This is called centralhypothyroidism.) In 5 of the 14 childrenstudied, the response was borderline. [31]Doctors rarely perform this test, and thereforemany cases of hypothyroidism in autism areperhaps being missed.

2) G-protein defects could interfere withthyroid.

3) Bilirubin might be higher than normal inautistic children. (Glucuronic acid andphenol-sulfotransferase, PST, are used toclear or get rid of bilirubin, and phenol-sulfo-transferase is not working properly in most ofthe autistic children.) A buildup of bilirubinwill give a yellowish cast to the skin, whicha few of the moms have mentioned. Bilrubinis toxic to the brain. Bilirubin can inhibit thetransport of thyroid into the liver (invitro).[32] A lack of thyroid transport into the liveris serious because the liver is the main placewhere thyroid is converted into the activeform.

4) The gluten in grains and the casein in milkhave opioid properties. If undigested, theseproteins might induce some of the symptomsof autism. Since other opiates are known tointerfere with TSH and/or its response to

TRH, there is a possibility that these opiatelike compounds do too. [33]

5) A buildup of mucopolysaccharides caninterfere with thyroid getting to the cells.Which means the blood thyroid levels maylook normal, but there is a deficiency. Thisbuildup of mucopolysaccharides seems tooccur fairly often in those with mitochondrialdisease. People on the net are starting tonotice a correlation between some cases ofautism and mitochondrial disease. How oftenis there a buildup of mucopolysaccharides inautism?

6) Lipopolysaccarides from gram-negativebacteria in the gut can cause centralhypothyroidism.

7) Then of course there is mercury. In chapter 7of Hal Huggin’ s book, Uninformed Consent,he speaks of mercury binding to iodine andruining the quality of the thyroid hormone.On page 109, he states,

“ A person may have adequate levels of T3and T4, but if the hormones arecontaminated, for practical purposes theperson is functionally thyroid deficient.”

Karen: My daughter definitely hashypothyroidism. We see a specialist in NYC, andhe diagnosed it with a TRH test. She had all thesigns, including low resistance to infections andan ice-cold body. I don’ t recommend this TRHtest because it caused my daughter to regress.The regression stopped when we put her onthyroid hormones, but it was a frighteninginterim. Nearly all kids on the spectrum,according to this doctor, have hypothyroidism,along with low-functioning adrenal glands.

My daughter has been taking thyroidreplacement hormones (T3/T4) for nearly a year,and this has greatly improved her health. She isgrowing and gaining weight. My daughter’ s

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weight before we started the hormones washovering around 36 pounds. Now it’ s about 42pounds. We were able to wean her from Nystatinwithout a return of drunken giddiness. And we’ renot up with her for hours every single night withcoughing caused by a swollen thyroid. Now, thisonly happens when we need to raise her dose.

The downside is that we’ ve had to raise herdose four times. She is taking a full grain, and Ithink it could even go higher. I am concernedbecause it seems like she always needs more. It’ salmost like she’ s resistant to the hormones. Herpre-treatment hormone levels were in the normalrange and her TSH (well over 5.0) was on thevery high side of normal.

We are now working with a new homeopathto try to get to the root cause of this problem. I’ mkeeping my fingers crossed than can reduce oreliminate the need for huge doses of hormones.Polly made a very good point about this beingrelated to mercury poisoning. Maybe this is theroot cause.

Later£Polly: Here are a few more things thathint at a possible involvement of the thyroid inautism.

1. Thyroiditis. At the recent DAN! 2000Conference on autism, Jane El Dahr, MD,mentioned that you will often find thyroiditisin autistics if you look for it.

2. Mary Megson, MD, said that she is seeing alot of thyroid problems and she thinks itmight be because of interference with thereceptor that the thyroid simulating hormone(TSH) lands on. She is also finding adrenalissues in some of these children.

3. According to Dr. Megson, night blindness isoften found in the families of autisticchildren. I find it interesting that Dr.Wilkinson includes visual disturbances andnight blindness in his list of possible

hypothyroid symptoms. (See the thyroidchapter in Book 4 of this series.)

Since thyroid along with the retinol form ofvitamin A is needed to create progesterone andpregnenolone, I wouldn’ t be surprised to find adisturbance in the creation of these laterhormones too. [34] In fact, after normalizing thefatty acid profile, Patricia Kane, PhD, has hadsome success with administrating 25 mg ofpregnenolone to autistic children. [35]

Theoretically, serotonin’ s release of storedunsaturated free fatty acids could inhibit theconversion of T4 thyroid to T3 thyroid. [26] Thiswould make T3 thyroid a particularly importantcomponent of any thyroid therapy. At least, theappropriate amount of T3 thyroid needs to beexplored in each person. Unfortunately, you mayhave to switch doctors if they insist on only usingT4 thyroid.

Hypothyroidism And PrecociousPubertyPolly: There is a higher incidence of precociouspuberty among the autistic than the norm.Perhaps it is because many have a phenol-sulfo-transferase problem, which would make it moredifficult for them to eliminate environmentalestrogens and pesticides. Or it might havesomething to do with excess serotonin influence.(Tryptophan restriction or inhibiting the synthesisof serotonin in the brain increases the age ofpuberty. [36]) Thyroid will support the liver’ sability to get rid of estrogens, and it helps thebody lower the serotonin influence. It is knownthat sometimes thyroid will get rid of precociouspuberty.

My daughter is not autistic, but she did havelearning problems at school, depression (almostbipolar), and precocious puberty. At the time thatI was carrying her, my thyroid level had not beencorrected, and I had a poor amino acid profile

Autism Interventions 37

due to the many previous years of yeastovergrowth in myself. I suspect that both of thesefactors contributed to the damage. In particular,I wish I had known about my low taurine levelsand had corrected them before my pregnancysince taurine is so important to the properformation of the fetus brain.

Eventually, it dawned on me that mydaughter’ s precocious puberty might be due toher being hypothyroid. Yet, when I took her tothe local university pediatric endocrinologist, hegot very angry with me when I mentionedthyroid. He told me that yes, I was right about herhaving precocious puberty, but I was way offbase with the thyroid. I showed him a paper fromNORD, the National Organization for RareDiseases, that said sometimes thyroid wouldcorrect the problem. But he replied that NORDdidn’ t know what they were talking about, andbesides, my daughter couldn’ t possibly be lowthyroid because she was tall. I almost believedhim, but fortunately, not enough to eschew asecond opinion. When I consulted the BrodaBarnes Foundation, they said that a child couldbe tall and still have low thyroid. A child canhave enough thyroid hormone to grow, but notenough to control the growth. Usually,precocious puberty is characterized by adeficiency of some hormone. Usually, it is notgoing to show up in a blood test.

Thanks to the Broda Barnes Foundation andone of their referral doctors, we obtained someArmour thyroid for my daughter. The first thingthat the thyroid did was to clear up my daughter’ sdepression. She used to cry for an hour everydayafter school. That cleared up within a month. Oneof her teachers really noticed the difference in herpersonality; the teacher cornered me, and spentan hour telling me about it. (The teacher hadn’ tknown about the thyroid supplement.) Mydaughter had been tested at school for learningdisabilities and found to be bright but unable to

focus. Her focusing problems cleared moregradually. Within a year she went from thebottom of her class to an honor roll student. Thethyroid seemed to slow the precocious puberty,but I can’ t say for sure what the normalprogression would have been otherwise. Thyroidis known to clear up bedwetting, but in mydaughter’ s case, it was several years after gettingthe thyroid supplement before the constantbedwetting finally ceased. So I don’ t think thethyroid helped much with that.

There were a few things that helped merealize that the thyroid wasn’ t just a placebo. Onewas that her hair started to grow faster. It used togrow 1 inch per year. It started to grow almost aninch per month. Another thing that convinced mewas that her basal temperature stopped jumpingall around, although it still remained low. Thekeratosis on her stomach disappeared soon aftergetting the thyroid, but she still has it on herupper arms and thighs. (The keratosis is smallnumerous bumps on her skin. People on theautism lists refer to it as chicken skin.) Mydaughter also has flushed cheeks and red ears.This characteristic is also mentioned often on theautism lists, usually as a symptom of a PSTdeficit. Some suggest that the red cheeks and earscould also be an accumulation of IgG due to foodallergies, especially allergies to wheat and milk.Yet, my daughter doesn’ t seem to have foodallergies or yeast overgrowth. Maybe?

The thyroid supplement helped some things,but my daughter was still having problems goingto sleep, and she still had low energy. Moreneeded to be addressed. Coenzyme B6 solved theproblem with falling asleep at night, but not theenergy. Her aminos were tested and she wasfound to be very low on taurine, cysteine, and allthe aminos normally associated with yeastovergrowth. (She had had tons of antibiotics forearaches as a toddler, but was always givenNystatin with it. And, yes, she had all of her

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vaccinations on schedule.) So we started her onsmall amounts of taurine. The supplements oftaurine definitely increased her energy andimproved the quality of her sleep. Now shewakes up when the alarm clock goes off insteadof taking an hour of coaxing to get her out of bed.However, more needs to be done. Her glutathionelevels are low, her basal temperature is still toolow, and her energy level is not what I’ d like it tobe. Recently, I took her to a doctor of Chinesemedicine. He looked at the missing moons on herfingernails and the red tip of her tongue when sheextended it, found some very slight “ teeth” markson the side of her tongue, and declared her to behypothyroid. (He had not known about herprevious diagnosis of hypothyroidism andtreatment with thyroid.) We then tried adding alittle T3 thyroid to her regimen, and this helpedher energy more than just increasing the Armour.

Connie: By the way, the hormonal problemsmention above reminded me of sleep problemsbeing corrected for us by Symplex F (girl child)from Standard Process— adjusts the pineal.Added bonus— also solved the bed wettingproblems for our child. (Connie’ s child has ADD,and symptoms of mercury poisoning.)

Pyrroluria Or HemopyrrollactamUria (HPU)Polly: Bill Walsh (Pfeiffer Treatment Center,Naperville, IL) and Hugh Riordan (BioCenter,Wichita KS) found that a significant subgroup ofpatients with ADHD and Autism haspyrroluria£high levels of pyrroles in the urine.Pyrrole is a toxin that interferes with liverdetoxification and with heme production. Whenpyrroles are elevated, there will be a very highrequirement for zinc and B6.

You can get a urinary screen for elevatedpyrroles for $32 from BioCenter Laboratory in

Wichita. (800) 494-7785. Collect the urine withthe child off all zinc and B6 supplementation fortwo days prior. Put the specimen in the providedtransport tube, freeze it, and ship it in dry iceovernight, with it scheduled to arrive mid week.Keep the specimen away from light.

Tessa, from the forum, alerted us to a Dutchbook (June 2000) on pyrrolurics called Heeft uHPU? or Do you have HPU?. (HPU is anacronym for hemopyrrollactam uria, which isalso called pyrroluria.) It is a popular version ofa scientific book called Pyrroluria by Dr. JohnKamsteeg. There are plans for an Englishtranslation. This is a website with a littleinformation in English about the book.www1.tip.nl/~t159602/hpue.html#english.htmlThese are some symptoms of HPU as listed inthat article.

paleness of the skin, especially of the face(pallor).

recurrent ear infections, colds

allergy’ s, hay fever, skin reactions

hyperreactivity, dermatografy

headache, migraine

easy bruising

anemia

inability to climb in a rope, climbing rack, orflying rings

abdominal pain in the upper left

convulsions

in summer the shin is yellowish or golden brown

a bad set of teeth

hypermobility of the joints

growing pains, especially of the knee (left)

changes in handwriting

white marks on their nails

sensitivity to sunlight

Autism Interventions 39

loss of appetite

stretch marks on the skin

sweetish breath odor

constipation but more often a excessive stoolmucus with bloating

light colored stool

learning and behavioral problems

There is also some background informationin Carl Pfeiffer’ s book, Mental and ElementalNutrients. Here is a list of a few things thatmight help.

1. Zinc picolinate may be preferred to other zincsupplements since due to the lack of B6, theformation of picolinate may be suboptimal.Manganese will be required to balance therelatively large doses of zinc.

2. There may be a need for niacin because B6 isrequired to convert tryptophan into niacin.

3. Many of the children with HPU have lowlevels of histamine, which may make themmore sensitive to allergies. Carl C. Pfeiffer,PhD, MD said that folic acid and B12 willhelp raise histamine.(www.ithyroid.com/aluminum.htm)

4. Many of those with pyrroluria have low AAfatty acids (AA is arachidonic acid). Tosupport the production of AA, Dr. WoodyMcGinnis puts these patients on eveningprimrose oil. (If available, I’ d try Mead oilinstead. It is an analog of AA and it has muchbetter anti-inflammatory properties.)

5. One source of the elevated hemopyrrollactam(pyrroles) is intestinal bacteria (Irvine andWilson 1976). Sometimes forms of theantibiotics tetracycline and kanamycin turnoff the production of pyrrole.

6. HPU belongs to the non-acute porphyrias. Inporphyrias there is elevated porphyrins in theurine. Hormones play a part in the

porphyrias. Dr. Raymond Peat has observedimprovements in people with porphryia whenthey were placed on thyroid and/or naturalprogesterone. [37] He also states that vitaminE is recognized as a factor in the control ofporphyrin synthesis. [38]

Avandish: I came across an activist group in D.Cthat had published papers on multiple chemicalsensitivity (MCS) that linked it to porphyrinmetabolism problems. The MCS advocates hadan article on a lawsuit of Boeing Airplaneproducers, where hundreds of workers developedMCS, often disabling. They had no good lab testto distinguish these people from healthy peopleuntil someone explored porphyrin metabolism.All of the sick workers had impaired porphyrinmetabolism. This test helped them win one of thebiggest lawsuits ever. Without it, they were toldas candida sufferers are, that “ your problems arepsychosomatic” or all in your head with nophysiological cause.

Hal Huggins, DDS, (famous mercury freedentist) states that heavy metals causeinterference in heme metabolism, oxygensaturation and transport, and cause elevatedlevels of a number of porphryins in urine. I havemultiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and I hadelevated heavy metals including lead andmercury that appeared on a provocative urinechallenge with the chelating agent DMSA. I didthe porphyrin urine test to verify my suspicion.Some of the porphyrins were elevated. By theway, the Mayo Clinic doctor that I asked to runthe porphyrin test said it was genetic and didn’ tbelieve I would have elevated levels in the urine.Anyway, he did run the test and he was wrong.Hal Huggins was right on the money.

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Phosphates And ADD/ADHDPolly: In the book The Hidden Drug, DietaryPhosphate: Cause of Behaviour Problems,Learning Difficulties and Juvenile Delinquencyby Hertha Hafer, she points out that phosphatesin our diets have been increasing, especially inprocessed foods and soft drinks. Reducephosphate intake can help some children withADD/ADHD. When ADD/ADHD children werechallenged with capsules of a buffered 75 mgPO4 (a very physiological form of phosphate),some of the children reacted quite violently to thephosphate with relapses of their previoussymptoms that lasted for days. Seehttp://members.aol.com/SynergyHN, and look innewsletter issue 6. (Excess phosphates seem to bea problem in some cases of fibromyalgia too. Itmay have something to do with a yeast toxincalled tartaric acid that is high in phosphates.)

NeurofeedbackPolly: Neurofeedback or EEG biofeedback is atraining method for regulating brainwaves. In astudy of 1,100 adults and children, Drs. SiegfriedOthmer and David Kaiser found that 85% ofthose with ADD and other attention and behaviordisorders were able to improve their attentionability after 20 sessions. However, the typicalnumber of sessions employed for those withADD or ADHD is around 50 to 200, dependingon the severity of the problem. [39] Children onthe autistic spectrum need many more sessions.

The procedure is rather simple and fun. Twoelectrodes are placed behind the ears to monitorthe brain waves. The patient sits in front of acomputer with what appears to be a Pacmangame on the screen. However, instead ofcontrolling the movement of the ball on thescreen with a joystick, the patient controls themovement by adjusting his brainwave patterns.Daily professional treatments are usually two-15

minute or three-10 minute (younger children)neurofeedback sessions. It should be used at least5 days per week. After about 10 sessions with atherapist, most people should be able to justpurchase or rent a downgraded version of theequipment and continue treatment at home. [40]At home, you can continue with perhaps threehalf-hour sessions per day. Be patient, in somecases of ADD/ADHD it may take 20 sessionsbefore you notice a difference.

The home units plug into your homecomputer. To give you an idea of the prices, thehome model made by Lexicor of BoulderColorado costs about $695 for one channel, or$995 for two channels, phone (303) 443-9944.The Brainmaster EEG Biofeedback Units start at$1000, phone (440) 232-6000. The Brainmasterunits can be rented from EEG Biofeedback HomeTraining, phone 561-694-8516 and websitewww.ADD-biofeedback.com. Many othercompanies are listed atwww.epub.org.br/cm/n04/tecnologia/recursos_i.htm

Clean RoomsPolly: Drastically reducing environmentalexposures and eliminating all food allergiesallows the immune system of the autistic to calmdown. This can sometimes eliminate thesymptoms of autism.

“ Within 2-5 weeks of complete diet change andremoval of all environmental contaminants, thephysical manifestations of the disorderdisappear. …

The subjects tended to quickly achieve ageappropriate physical skills, abilities andtemperament coinciding with normal health,however in terms of learned behaviors, thechildren have tended to behave as if the yearsthey “ lost” to autism never happened. The

Autism Interventions 41

subjects have been able to learn quickly, eagerly,and with apparent ease, beginning again fromthe place in time that they became autistic… .

In our program, without exception everychild has improved. In the 45 children studied, 5have fully recovered already and their diagnoseshave been removed. Half of the children haveachieved an 85% or greater reduction in overallsymptom levels, and are well on their way to fullrecovery. The remainder have achieved at leasta 50% reduction overall in their symptoms; thedifference in this group are the parents, whohave been slow to complete the environmentalchanges so clearly necessary for full recovery.”[41]

The program requires the installation of anindustrial clean room in the home. Volatileorganic compounds, plastics, resins, and moldsmust be eliminated from the environment. Theclothes have to be pristine in nature. Charcoalfilters need to be placed on the water supply forthe toilets. (Without this intervention, the autisticwould continually flush the toilet. They will alsoobsess over any remaining scented objects.) Thediet is a rotation of unusual tropical root cropsand other unusual foods. When placed in thisnew environment, the autistic will resort tosmelling their own breath or bodily fluids. Whenthis behavior is stopped, there is a dramaticreduction in symptoms.

It must be noted that the program cannot befollowed halfway or gradually introducedwithout jeopardizing the results. Eliminating foodallergies without cleaning the environment canlead to increased environmental sensitivities. Oreliminating environmental sensitivities withoutaltering the food will lead to increased foodsensitivities. Instead of calming the immunereaction, partial changes may cause the immunesystem to become overly sensitive. The dietaryfood used and much more comprehensive

information can be found at Karen M. Slimak’ swebsite.

www.specialfoods.com

Or contact

Special Foods!9207 Shotgun CourtSpringfield, VA 22153(703) 644 - 0991

A cautionary note. We really don’ t know how todetermine which children would benefit the mostfrom this regimen, and it can get expensive.Therefore, for many, it may be best to first dosome simple things to clean up the environmentand see if there is any gradual improvement. Iwould like to emphasize the word “ gradual”because changes in the immune system can takea long time to manifest. It took a year of using aHEPA filter in my daughter’ s bedroom beforeher constant stuffy nose disappeared.

Are Pesticides Part Of TheProblem?Polly: Paul Shattock OBE is a retired professorof Pharmacognacy at the Autism Research Unitin Sunderland, England. He has done a lot tocontribute to the opioids theory of autism. (Seehttp://osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/autism/aru.htm.)Dr. Shattock has suggested that the increased useof organophosphate pesticides might becontributing to the autism epidemic. [42] Theswitch from the older organochlorine insecticidesto the organophosphate insecticides occurredlargely between 1979 and 1982. Californiarecords show a dramatic increase in reportedautism cases between 1979 and 1992 (birthdates). Is this rise due to the increased number ofvaccines, or mercury poisoning, or pesticides, orto a combination of these?

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Organo-phosphate pesticides cause paralysisby inhibiting certain enzyme systems. One ofthese pesticides, Diazinon, has been shown toseriously interfere with the metabolism oftryptophan in a way that might force tryptophanmetabolism towards the IAG (Indolyl AcryloylGlycine) route. Are these pesticides contributingto the increased IAG in the urine samples fromthe majority of people with autism, fibromyalgia,chronic fatigue and related disorders? InEngland, about 80% of those with autism orADD/ADHD have high IAG levels. IncreasedIAG could contribute to increased intestinalpermeability (leaky gut), and perhaps increasedblood-brain-barrier permeability. Also, theprecursor to IAG called IAA (indole acrylic acid)can degrade unsaturated fats. [43] Thesepesticides also interfere with the Th1 immunesystem, which is necessary to keep yeast,bacteria, viruses and protozoa under control. [44]Low dose chronic exposure can interfere with G-proteins. [45]

Pesticides and other environmental chemicals(ECs) can induce environmental illness. Dr. BillPlapp suggests that the mechanism might be aninterference with thyroid and/or an interferencewith the production of the retinoic acid and theretinol forms of vitamin A. Low levels of retinoicacid and retinol are found in these environmentalillnesses. Dr. Plapp states:

Suspect ECs have one or both of twocharacteristics in common. Many of them mimicthe structure of thyroid hormones and react withtransthyretin, the protein that transports boththyroid hormones and vitamin A from storagesites to sites where they are needed. Examplesare dioxin, PCBs, DDT and other chlorinatedinsecticides and the newer synthetic pyrethroids,all of which contain a phenoxybenzyl chemicalstructure similar to that of dioxin. Other ECs,particularly organophosphate, carbamate, and

pyrethroid insecticides, are probable poisons ofthe enzymes that activate retinoic acid from itsfat-soluble precursors, retinyl acetate and retinylpalmitate. [46]

These types of pesticides are everywhere. Someare stronger than others. They are used to controlfruit flies, termites, ants, fleas, lice, and pests onfood crops. They are used in schools, retailoutlets, office buildings, forests (Christmas treestoo), and every place we go. Fortunately, thereare safe alternatives that will control head lice,fleas, and common pests in our homes, officesand schools. See www.safetouse.com, or phone(909) 372-9850.

In particular, I feel it is criminal to advertiseand sell pesticides to control head lice when thereare safe alternatives. There are enzymes for salethat are safe, and one can even use the dodecylalcohol found in coconut oil to kill head lice. Inthe excellent book Home Safe Home, Debra LynnDadd suggests killing head lice by using soap orshampoo with coconut oil in it and leaving it onthe hair for 30 minutes. (When I tried this, theshampoo left on for this long seemed to dry thehair too much. So I prefer to use just plaincoconut oil.) There is also a very new productthat does not dry out the hair. It is Paw Paw LiceRemover Shampoo. (Paw paw is a fruit.) Theshampoo works on your pets’ fleas and ticks too.You can even use the shampoo around the gardento help control pests there. Just dilute it and put itin a spray bottle. (The extract of paw pawinterferes with the respiration of the insects.) Thispaw paw extract can also be used as part of aherbal parasite cleanse. (Nature’ s Sunshinemakes the shampoo and herbal parasite cleanse.www.naturessunshine.com Or phone (800) 453-1422.)

Exposure to certain pesticides can inhibit thebreakdown of acetylcholine and lead to excessacetylcholine. Pesticides are even a suspect in the

Autism Interventions 43

etiology of “ mad cow” disease. The organo-phosphate pesticide called Phosmet binds tocopper. The use of Phosmet as a dip for animalscoupled with copper deficiency and surfeits ofmanganese might be the real cause of “ mad cow”disease. The symptoms are the same. This theorywas proposed by Mark Purdy, a farmer. Thetheory is gaining acceptance as a credible reasonfor the epidemic. (There is also a theory that madcow is an autoimmune reactive disease followinginfection with a bacteria called Acinetobacterfound in the "winter feeds". [47])

If you want more information on pesticides,contact Beyond Pesticides/NCAMP, at 202-543-5450, or website www.beyondpesticides.org.

FluoridePolly: If you look up fluoride on the net, you willfind many who feel that it contributes tochildren’ s attention deficit reactions. Doris Rapp,MD, who wrote Is this your Child?, suggests thatyou test your child’ s reaction to fluoride. Seehow he/she acts after all sources of fluoride havebeen removed. Besides toothpaste and fluorideprescriptions, you often will find fluoride in themunicipal water, some well-waters, mouthwash,commercial soups, pesticides, and packagedjuices made from concentrates.

Linda: In case you're living in a fluoridated area,I should tell you that my autistic son improvedprofoundly when I stopped bathing him influoridated water. About 2/3 of the contaminantsthat get into the body from water go through theskin, including fluoride. Some foods and drinkscan be very high in fluoride too so it pays toeducate yourself on what foods to avoid.

The most affordable water filters I know ofare available on www.needs.com. They have bathand shower filters that can remove fluorine andchlorine. They are made of copper and zinc so

you don't get undesirable exposure to aluminum.I use the bath ball and put Epsom salts in the bathbecause fluorine is very attracted to magnesiumand bonds with it instead of being absorbed. Youcan get a bath ball for less than $40 and throw itaway once a month. In a fluoridated place filtersonly get all the fluoride for a month or two. It'snot a perfect solution but it helps.

But the best thing of all is to move to a placewhere your water supply is unfluoridated. I triedto live with filtering bath water for a whole yearin Tempe and it was exhausting and expensive.My son was a real water baby before I figuredout that the fluoride was poisoning him. Hethought nothing of spending an hour a dayplaying in the bath, and he loved swimmingpools. He stopped stimming immediately when Istopped putting him into fluoridated water — Imean within DAYS. His foggy little eyes cleared,he became alert, centered and focused. It wasreally amazing. Fluoride was also causingchronic diarrhea and digestion problems before Igot him off it. We also both had allergies andasthmatic wheezing from it.

I wrote to a toxicologist at the EPA at thetime and described for him what had occurredand he told me that he wasn't surprised, that hehad been trying for years to get fluoridationstopped without success. But he keeps trying. Asdo others. I guess industry lobbyists are what'skeeping it in our water. Nothing else makes senseto me.

Polly: Did he stop stimming when you filteredthe water or when you moved to the non-fluoridated area?

Linda: My son stopped stimming when I startedbathing him in filtered water. This was in TempeArizona, which uses fluosilicic acid in theirwater. We didn't move to a non -fluoridated areauntil many months later.

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If you aren’ t sure about your water supply,here's a site of a dental school that will test yourwater for $15.00.

http://www.tambcd.edu/sterile/#fluoride

Lead PoisoningPolly: Lead is well known to be a contributingfactor to ADHD and autism. [48] To protectyourself and children, get a lead paint test kit atyour hardware store. Besides testing paint, testyour dishes. There was a couple in France whofound out that their severe lead poisoning wascoming from some fancy coffee cups. When theglaze on your dishes is heated, more of the leadleaks into the food. So be sure to test your coffeecups or any earthenware oven dishes where hotfood will be. So far, the only lead I’ ve found inmy dishes was in a beautiful children’ s tea setfrom China. Luckily, I caught the problem beforegiving the set to my daughter.

Vitamin C, DMSA and EDTA chelation areoften used for lead poisoning. However, be awarethat EDTA chelation is usually not recommendedwhen mercury poisoning is present. There is anew company that carries suppositories of lowdose EDTA for the chelation of lead in children.Since the EDTA is delivered slowly, it may alsobe a good means of detoxifying adults too. Thisis the company: World Health Products, Inc,phone (877) 6564553 or (801) 983-1035 www.detoxamin.com.

If your child has ADHD or autism, you mayalso want to check the levels of other toxins likealuminum, arsenic, tin, cadmium, etc. (If arsenicshows up, increased folic acid can be protective.)To find a doctor who will help you remove leador heavy metals, try www.ACAM.org or phone1-(800) LEAD OUT.

Willis: These are the symptoms of leadpoisoning-do they look familiar? Chronicinfection in children, loss of appetite, weight loss,constipation, chronic fatigue, cramps, insomnia,nausea, headache, weakness, metallic taste,anemia, pre-eclampsia, miscarriage, sterility,kidney damage leading to elevated bloodpressure, peripheral neuritis, arthritis,hyperactivity, aggressiveness, delinquent anddisruptive behavior, depression, mentalretardation, convulsions, delirium, coma, anddeath. General cognitive, verbal, and perceptualabilities decrease as lead in the system increases.If any of these readings are “ high normal” ormore, they must be detoxified— preferably bynutritional means.

Intestinal Irritation And SeizuresPolly: All too often, seizures are a topic on theInternet autism lists. Part of the problem may bethe intestinal irritation that is so prevalent inautism. The Meridian Institute has shown thatepileptic seizures can be due to adhesions in thelymphatic ducts surrounding the intestine.Deborah Taylor reports,

“ When absorbed food encounters thesestrictures, caused by adhesions, they irritatethese strictures causing spasmodic reactions.These are then referred by neurologicalpathways to the cerebral cortex, initiating aseizure.” [49]

Couple this with the fact that Dr. Wakefieldfound lymphoid nodular hyperplasia (swollenlymph tissue) in the intestines of autistic children.Since oils are easily absorbed into the lymphsystem, perhaps one should be particularlycareful about which oils are used in the diet. (Seethe chapter on oils in Book 3 for some propertiesof different oils.)

Autism Interventions 45

Intestinal irritation can induce seizures. Sologically one would want to reduce inflammationand irritation. There are many agents that mayhelp do this. However, to be on the safe side, Iwouldn’ t pick bioflavonoids as an anti-inflammatory agent. Bioflavonoids have someestrogen-like properties, and estrogen promotesseizures. (See the leaky gut chapter in Book 2,and the oil chapter in Book 3 for some ideas onhow to lower intestinal inflammation withoutresorting to bioflavonoids.)

Seizures In GeneralPolly: Anything that interferes with metabolismcould promote seizures. Examples of things thatinterfere with metabolism are: too muchunsaturated oil, not enough thyroid, too muchestrogen, not enough B6, lack of glucose, lack ofoxygen, and/or not enough magnesium.Susceptibility to seizures is also increased bywater retention, low sodium, running, strongemotions, or unusual sensory stimulation.Hyperventilation with its loss of carbon dioxideis associated with seizure activity.

Of all the possible alternative treatments,magnesium, B6, and taurine are perhaps the mostwell-known. They should probably be among thefirst interventions tried. However, there are manythings to try.

1. Progesterone is known to be protective. [50]

2. Avoid estrogen, phytoestrogens andpseudoestrogens (pesticides).

3. The amino acid glycine is used to treatepilepsy, as well as to treat depression, andhyperactivity. [51]

4. Doris Rapp, MD, author of the book Is thisyour Child?, gives examples where allergiesand even electromagnetic radiation can setoff seizures in susceptible children.

5. Getting rid of the pesticides and chemicalcleaners in your house would be a good idea.Shaklee and Neways make environmentallysafe cleaning products. (Pesticides haveestrogen-like properties.)

6. Pregnenolone might be helpful. Ward Dean,MD, has an article at his website on usingnutrition to control seizures. Seewww.vrp.com. [52] He mentions that there isone dramatic case in which pregnenolonecontrolled seizures that had plagued a womanfor 50 years. (This is only one anecdotalreport without confirmation or otherexamples.)

7. Ward Dean also mentions the use of taurine,DMG (di-methyl-glycine), GABA, B6, B1,folic acid, magnesium, selenium (to helpincrease glutathione peroxidase), Kava Kava,and a gluten-free diet in the control ofepilepsy. Although these substances might behelpful for an individual, one must always becareful. In particular GABA or DMG, if inexcess, could be harmful.

8. Since certain anti-epileptic drugs depletecarnitine, this amino acid must besupplemented in some cases. Be careful withthe amount used. Too much or too littlecarnitine can promote seizures.

9. The Institutes for the Achievement of HumanPotential (IAHP) has an interestingperspective. www.iahp.org They feel thatseizure medication is often damaging and canactually cause seizures. Instead ofmedication, they use training techniques tohelp heal the brain.

10. Dr. Freeman has written a book about a highfat diet to control epilepsy. It is a carefullyregulated diet with four times as much fat asprotein and carbohydrates combined. The

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book is titled The Epilepsy Diet Treatment:An Introduction to the Ketogenic Diet,Demos Publications, 1994, New York (Maltz,1994). The publisher’ s phone number is(800) 532-8663. For additional informationon the diet see www.ketogenic.org.

11. The estrogen in animal fat could pose aproblem. So only purchase meat where youknow that hormones have not been given.Animals fed grains are usually exposed tomore pesticides than those fed grass.

12. The saturated fats are protective, especiallythe lauric acid found in coconut oil. (If youtry coconut oil, only use a teaspoon to start.Give your body a chance to get used to it.)

13. Give thyroid if appropriate.

14. Adequate salt is needed. Salt in the diet isparticularly important because sodium andchloride are needed for the transport oftaurine to the brain.

15. Taurine normalizes brain amino acids, and isparticularly important in the treatment ofseizures.

16. Glycine has anti-seizure properties.(However, glycine can make certain intestinalbacteria and yeast stronger, so glycine isn’ talways appropriate.)

17. Threonine also has anti-seizure properties. Itis closely related to glycine. [53]

18. Get rid of the intestinal irritation.

To see what the patients are finding helpful, takea look at the testimonials from patients here,http://groups.yahoo.com/group/epilepsy-testimonials/messages.

Does Intestinal InflammationCause A Lack of Sulfates?Polly: Rosemary Waring, MD, of the Universityof Birmingham, England discovered that many ofthe autistic children (also ADHD and ADDchildren) have either a defect in an enzyme calledphenol-sulfo-transferase or they have a lack ofsulfates which this enzyme requires. Mercurypoisoning impairs the kidney’ s ability to retainsulfates, and therefore mercury poisoning may beone of the causes of this problem. However, thelack of sulfates could also be due to intestinalinflammation.

Willis: It was Dr. Andrew Wakefield’ s work thatshowed that the lack of sulfates might be due toan inflammation in the gut caused by a chronicmeasles infection. The gut sheds sulfatedglucosaminoglycans (GAGs) duringinflammation. [54] Not only do macrophages eatGAGs and release inorganic sulfate, there is atransporter that the intestines use to absorbsulfate from the diet, called the DRA transporter.Its levels will decrease five-to-seven fold whenthe gut is inflamed. That would make itextremely difficult to absorb adequate sulfatefrom food or from oral supplements.

When the GAGs are undersulfated, thisproduces “ Leaky Gut” . Dr. Rosemary Waringand her associates found that theglucosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the gut were veryunder sulfated, and that this caused a thickeningof the basement membrane of the gut.

Sulfates have a negative charge and repeleach other, so that charge forms a barrier on theoutside of the cell called the matrix, or theglycocalyx. Sulfate is often found in theglycoprotein film also. These films are on allcells of the body, so if systemic sulfate is low,you most likely have a big problem that is quitegeneral to the whole body. Specifically, the more

Autism Interventions 47

densely sulfated the GAGs, the more they canresist all kinds of infection. These sulfatemolecules govern or influence the ability of thecell to produce its unique set of specializedproteins. It is not something you want to beoperating from a deficit, yet that is the conditionof most autistic children.

Polly: I read an advertisement for MSM sulfurthat suggested it was useful for sulfating theGAGs that line the intestine. Perhaps this is oneconnection to its apparent usefulness. However,if there is a chance of mercury poisoning, it maybe safer to use sulfates, like chondroitan sulfate,to repair the lining. (The chapter on leaky gut inBook 2 has a little more to say about repairingthe GAGs that line the intestines.)

Mrs. Generic: My compounding pharmacistknows quite a bit about autism. She compoundsa 64% zinc-sulfate gel that is applied topically tothe soles of a child’ s feet. It is absorbed betterthan taking it orally and it corrects the zincdeficiency so common in autism. She also makesa glutathione gel which is applied topically to thetrunk of the body. This avoids the problem ofglutathione being ruined by stomach acid andturned into things like cysteine that may not bewanted. The dosage is between 150 and 300 mg,depending on the age/size. She also makes up aNystatin suspension, which is free of the sugarsand other crap present in the over-the-counterproduct. The suspension can be between 250,000and 1,000,000 units/teaspoon. She also makes upa DMSA suspension for chelation purposes.

Polly: You can also purchase the glutathionecream from Kirkman Labs or N.E.E.D.S.

Phenol-Sulfotransferase (PST)And The Feingold DietPolly: There are many different sulfotransferaseenzymes in the body that need an adequatesupply of sulfates to attach to other molecules.One very important sulfotransferase enzyme isthe one that attaches sulfate to phenolcompounds, called phenol-sulfotransferase(PST). Without the PST enzyme workingproperly, the liver will have trouble eliminatingthe phenols in food. Phenols are present in fooddyes, in highly colored fruits and vegetables, inbioflavonoids, and in cartenoids (carotene, lutein,lycopene, xanthophylls, and zeaxanthin).Eliminating the yeast overgrowth may alsoreduce the burden of phenolics on the body.Yeasts and fungi in the intestines can producephenolics. [55] Phenolic compounds are alsofound in many foods that contain salicylates.Phytoestrogens are also phenolics. Therefore,eliminating the yeast, and avoiding the phenols,salicylates and phytoestrogens in food mayreduce the strain on the PST enzyme. Makingsure there is enough magnesium should help thefunctioning of the PST enzyme. [56] Yet youmust be careful with the B6. Too muchcoenzyme B6 can suppress phenol-sulfotransferase. [57] However, Dr. Waringfound that this effect is mitigated if moremagnesium is given.

To protect the PST enzyme, it is particularlyimportant to avoid or eliminate the salicylates.Not only are the salicylates a strain on the weakdetoxification pathway, but the salicylates andcertain phytoestrogens suppress the enzyme P-form phenol-sulfotransferase. [58]

If you wish to avoid salicylates, there is acomprehensive list of foods that containsalicylates in Dr. Paul St. Amand’ s book onfibromyalgia. Or you can find this list of foods atwww.netromall.com/guai-support/sal-full.htm. If

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you want to help the body get rid of salicylates,you might try increasing glycine and making surethe urine is alkaline during at least part of theday.

In cases of acute salicylate poisoning, doctorsgive charcoal to absorb the salicylates in theintestines. They also alkalinize the pH of theurine. (An alkaline urine facilitates the removalof salicylates, whereas an acidic urine interferes.)To alkalinize the urine, they first correct theserum potassium levels then administer sodiumbicarbonate (baking soda) to make the urine pHalkaline. However, most of us are dealing with along-term problem. For long term use, a morebalanced bicarbonate like tri-salts may beappropriate. (See the chapter about pH andacid/alkaline in Book 3.)

In acute salicylate poisoning, doctors alsoadminister the amino acid glycine to help theliver prepare the salicylates for removal. Forgeneral salicylate detoxification, there is a DrVera product that uses a mixture of the aminoacid glycine and branch chain amino acids. (Seewww.orthoplex.com.au/prodserv.htm.) I don’ tknow why the branch chain amino acids areincluded in this formula. However, if a branchchain deficit exists, correcting may be helpful.

Many of the autistic and the ADD/ADHDpeople must follow a diet similar to the Feingolddiet, which eliminates most salicylates andphenols. However, like so many things, it issomewhat individualistic in its implementation.There are many different types of phenoliccompounds, and a person might not be sensitiveto all of them. For instance, I’ ve heard that mostautistics cannot tolerate the bioflavonoids in milkthistle, but some can tolerate the bioflavonoids inpycnogenols (eg grape seed extract or pine barkextract). Certain colors in vegetables may betolerated and others not tolerated. Eg, green maybe okay, but not red or yellow, or some othercombination. The list of tolerated foods can be

quite different for each child. People recommendeliminating all the phenolic foods and thenreintroducing them one at a time to see what istolerated.

There is also a digestive enzyme productmade by Houston Nutraceuticals that might help.Their No-Fenol product helps the body removecarbohydrates from phenolic compounds and thismay make it easier for the liver to remove thesephenolic compounds. This is their website,www.houstonni.com and their phone (866) 757-8627 or (510) 549-4548. There have been a fewanecdotal reports of this product helping with thered cheeks and ears that are sometimes presentwith autism. Initial reports are very favorable.

Robert J. Sinaiko, MD explains a reason thatthe PST deficit could cause behavior problems.

Certain areas of the brain appear to lack theglucuronidation pathway, and in those areasdeficient PST activity might allow theaccumulation of toxic phenolic compounds. [55]

Willis: The PST (phenol-sulfotransferaseenzyme) is underactive in the majority of autisticchildren. PST is a Phase 2 liver enzyme thatdetoxifies leftover hormones and a wide varietyof toxic molecules, such as phenols and aminesthat are produced in the body (and even in the gutby bacteria, yeast, and other fungi) as well asfood dyes and chemicals. The enzyme links anoxidized sulfur molecule (a sulfate) to thesesubstances to solubilize them so the kidneys candispose of them. Obviously, if sulfate is low ormissing this can’ t happen effectively. Hence, theproblem can be two- fold: there may be a lack ofphenol-sulfotransferase enzymes, or there may bea lack of the sulfates (due to the absence of or tothe poor absorption of amino acids in the diet, ordue to a failure to metabolize them into sulfateform). Dr. Rosemary Waring believes the lack ofsulfates is the primary problem.

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Since sulfur intake is low, and its oxidation isslow in many autistic children, any foodstuff thatrequires or uses up sulfate ions during itsmetabolism, will make the situation worse. Thesefoodstuffs include apple juice, citrus fruit juices,chocolate, and paracetamol (TylenolTM).Blueberry extract, and grape seed extract, andother things have phenols, salicylates, and otherstuff that are normally detoxified by PST. Forinstance, one or two minutes after a dose ofTylenolTM, the entire supply of sulfate in the liveris gone! In fact, any chemicals with a highproportion of phenolic groupings will have thiseffect, and will enhance the problems referred toabove. Many coloring materials, whether ofnatural or synthetic origin, possess phenolicgroupings. For this reason, some practitionersrecommend the removal of all pigmented foodsfrom the diet (Sara’ s Diet). You must at leastreduce juices (or limit to a little pear juice), andeliminate all artificial colors and flavors.

Following the Feingold diet plan will benefitthese kids by exclusion of foods known toinclude phenols, salicylates, dyes, and such. Fora small membership fee, The FeingoldAssociation will provide a listing of foods toavoid, as well as a continually updated list of safefoods. Their address is: Feingold Association ofthe United States, PO Box 6550, Alexandria, VA22306, 1-800-321-3287.

Symptoms of PST/sulfate deficiency arereddened ears, night sweats, black under eyes,excessive thirst, facial flushing, and odorous bedclothes. Certain foods may cause fevers, andsome, especially those taking ParacetamolTM

(TylenolTM), may go up to 24 hours withouturination.

Supplementing Sulfates And MSMWillis: To increase sulfate levels, certain sulfatecontaining substances may be ingested, such as

glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, andminerals in sulfate form— like zinc sulfate (mayirritate sensitive stomachs), iron sulfate, andEpsom salts (magnesium sulfate).

Oral supplementation of sulfates may not betoo successful, however. The best way is to takean Epsom salts bath (two cups or more in a tub ofhot water). Soak it up through the skin for 20minutes, and don’ t rinse off-and don’ t worry ifthe child drinks some of the water. This bath hasbeen shown to increase sulfur content of theblood up to four times. (Start with less Epsomsalts and a shorter bathtime to make sure the bathis tolerated.)

Be sure to filter chlorine and other poisonsfrom the water you drink and bath in. Chlorine inbath water is breathed and absorbed, especiallyfrom hot water. This is important as chlorine is adeadly poison. It can produce fatigue andtiredness after the bath. I should mention thatthere is a small chance of magnesium toxicitywith the baths. If there has been any indicationthat the child’ s kidneys are not functioning fully(possibly high creatinine levels), check with yourdoctor before using magnesium (or potassium),and have him monitor magnesium and potassiumlevels. Strive for high normal levels.

SAMe is said to improve sulfoxidation, infact, it is necessary to the manufacture of allsulfur-containing compounds in the body.

Jeff Bradstreet, MD, father of an autisticchild, has this to offer:

“ If the child has an unusual odor at night or theirbedclothes do, or if they sweat while asleep (PSTdefect), use MSM 1500 to 3000 mgs per day. Inthe study, 83% of autistic children were PSTabnormal, and MSM should help this. It did inour son’ s situation.”

(Build up MSM dosages carefully and gradually.For some, sulfates may be a better choice. Seethe chapter on mercury poisoning for more about

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Epsom salt baths. Also see the chapter on MSMin Book 2 of this series.)

MolybdenumWillis: The efficiency of the available PSTenzymes can be enhanced by supplementingmolybdenum and histidine. These are needed inthe molybdenum-histidine containing enzymes,sulfite oxidase and cysteine dioxygenase thatoxidize sulfur. Also important are iron, and theB-complex vitamins (especially niacin).

Oral sulfate or copper tends to depletemolybdenum, so molybdenum must besupplemented along with the sulfates. Acoenzyme, vitamin B-complex supplement ofmoderate potency should be supplemented aswell. One mother in supplementing molybdenumreports that her daughter, who was doing quitewell, regressed into severe, autistic symptoms forthree days, including 18 hours of screaming—possibly due to a detoxifying. Her doctor urgedher to cease, but she stayed the course, and todayher daughter is far and away better! This isserious stuff.

Incidentally, a gross deficiency ofmolybdenum manifests as tachycardia, headache,mental disturbances, and coma. An excess intakeof 10-15 mg daily (for adults) can cause a goutlike syndrome because of an elevated productionof uric acid. Dosage range should not exceed 1mg per day. Very little molybdenum is needed,but it is an important element in severalimportant metalloenzymes (xanthine oxidase,aldehyde oxidase, and sulfite oxidase) thatparticipate in crucial liver detoxificationpathways.

Note: There is some more information aboutmolybdenum in the chapter on vitamins andminerals in Book 2.

Whey And Foods High In SulfurPolly: Some of the autistic and mercury poisonedpeople have noticed that they are sensitive tofoods high in sulfur. Part of the problem may bedue to relatively high levels of the sulfur aminoacid cysteine; or the problem may be due in partto the ability of certain forms of sulfur to movemercury around.

Willis: Until the body regains its ability tooxidize sulfur, it may help to limit high sulfurcontaining foods (cruciferous vegetables,broccoli, onions, garlic, turnips, eggs, red meat,turkey, dairy products); and supplements likealpha lipoic acid, and L-cysteine, and N-acetylcysteine. Those who have a problem withthese foods likely have an impaired sulfuroxidation (a cysteine oxidation) problem, andshould be alert to cysteine toxicity. Supplyingany of these sulfur foods may be a problem tosome of these kids who do not oxidize sulfurwell. One indicator may be fatigue after eatingthese. However, to restrict these foodsunnecessarily will cause a reduction of the vitalantioxidant glutathione. (Glutathione consists ofcysteine, glycine, and glutamic acid.)

Here is an example of what can happen whencysteine (a sulfur amino aicd) toxicity occurs.This happened to a mother of a 17 and a 15 yearold, both autistic£the older one more severelyso. She is a very experienced, well-informedmother who taught me much of what I know. Infact, she has seen tremendous gains in the pastyear using MannatechTM products and manyother nutritional interventions. Her son no longersuffers daily seizures, only one in over a yearwhen something became a little imbalanced. Shehas been using ImmunocalTM undenatured wheyfor both children for six months or longer. (Wheycontains a lot of glutyl-cysteine and cystine.)Though she had seen this PST/sulfate

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information, she overlooked their obvious PSTsymptoms. While Christmas Shopping, herdaughter, who passes for “ Normal” suddenlybegan screaming, attacked her, nearly ripped offone side her face, bit her arm£generally wentberserk. Her eyes were glaring with the pink of abunny rabbit! A red, lacy rash broke out all overher body! Of course, she hastened home, only tosee the rash disappear almost as quickly as itcame. The child showed high anxiety, and a daylater diarrhea. She suspected ImmunocalTM,called them, and was informed it was possibly asign of ImmunocalTM having created too muchglutathione. I suggested that before glutathioneexcess would come, you would havecysteine/cystine excess. When I listed thesymptoms of cysteine/NAC toxicity: violence,rash, anxiety, wheezing, nausea, cramps, anddiarrhea, she immediately recognized these as thesymptoms her daughter displayed, and when Ireminded her of PST/sulfate symptoms (listedabove), she acknowledged that both children hadthem, red ears and all! She discontinuedImmunocalTM, and the children are doing reallywell.

Polly: Since there is a lot of cysteine in whey,there is concern that this could be detrimental tothose with mercury poisoning or to those withcertain types of impaired PST activity. Cysteinecan also suppress thyroid. Yet, please don’ t getthe impression that autistic children should neverbe put on undenatured whey. Undenatured wheyis highly beneficial for some. It all depends onthe individual, the type of poisoning they mayhave, and what stage of healing they are in.

Ros in Australia: I have it from 3 biochemistsnow that butter and whey contain only minisculeamounts of casein if any. However, whey is highin lactose. We use both butter and whey now andmy son shows NIL casomorphins on his tests. (I

made my own whey from raw goats milk for awhile.) For some months, we have also beenusing whey to soak oats as this was reported topredigest the small gluten content. We havefound that not only does it improve the taste ofthe oats and give them a creamy texture, but myson is not registering any gliadomorphins on hislast test. So presumably the whey really doesbreak down the gluten and make it digestible. Myarchaeology tells me that this kind of foodtreatment (ie soaking beans and grains in variousthings in different parts of the world) was well-known to women and common practice until theindustrial revolution. Providing fresh bread enmasse in particular meant it was no longerexpedient or cost effective to go through thesoaking process.

Hypothyroidism and ADD/ADHDPolly: It is imperative that hypothyroidism andhyperthyroidism are ruled out before resorting toRitalin. Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidismchange the way the brain uses dopamine,norepinephrine and serotonin. In a study ofpeople with generalized resistance to thyroidhormone, there was a very high incidence ofattention deficit. [59] In another study of peoplewho were bipolar, those who were also ADHDwere hypothyroid. [60]

A component of the immune system calledIL-1 is suspected of disrupting memory andlearning in attention deficit. [61] This same IL-1can cause central hypothyroidism and IL-1 isassociated with thyroiditis. [62] Too muchthyroid can also interfere with attention. [63]

Neurohormones And AttentionDeficitPolly: Fuad Lechin, MD, PhD, is an EmeritusProfessor at the Central University of Venezuela.

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His team studies the effects that neurohormoneimbalances have on diseases and the immunesystem. (See www.lechin.com/reasframe.htm.)Dr. Lechin´s team has found two types ofneurochemical disorders in attention deficithyperactivity. One presents excessive freeserotonin in the plasma, while the other showsexcessive dopaminergic activity plusnorepinephrine overactivity.

If dopaminergic activity and norepinephrineactivity are high, Dr. Fuad Lechin will sometimesbalance the profile by administering serotoninprecursors, like tryptophan or 5-HTP. However,in my opinion, this isn’ t the first thing to try. Ifdopaminergic activity and norepinephrineactivity are high, this could be due to the body’ sinability to eliminate these and related amines.Low sulfates and/or a poor PST enzyme could bethe reason these amines aren’ t being eliminated.One could try supporting the PST enzyme withsulfates and the Feingold diet. [64]

Weak PST, high norepinephrine and/or highepinephrine is a possible manifestation ofmercury poisoning. [65] So the child should beevaluated for mercury poisoning. Also check tomake sure copper levels are adequate. Copper isimportant for the breakdown of manyneurotransmitters.

What does one do if there is excessive freeserotonin in the plasma? Dr. Lechin uses drugsfavoring serotonin uptake at the synaptic level.However, as mentioned previously, there areother ways to reduce free serotonin. To stop theexcessive free serotonin, a person needs toincrease magnesium, eliminate food allergies,eliminate stress, eliminate much of the gram-negative bacteria in the intestines, and eliminatemost of the polyunsaturated oils from the diet.

RitalinPolly: Ritalin and other drugs in theamphetamine family are often prescribed forpeople with attention deficit and sometimes forpeople with autism. Possible side effects arevomiting, confusion, delirium, headache,tachycardia, palpitations, cardiac arrhythmia, andhigh blood pressure. There are also reports ofinsomnia, growth impairment, weight lossstomach pains, appetite suppression, withdrawal,anger and restlessness. [66] If these drugs aretried, don’ t go beyond the recommended dose. Itis not safe to do so. There have been a few casesof suspected death (cardiac arrhythmia) fromoverdoses of Ritalin.

I would be particularly worried about startinga kid on thyroid supplements if they were still onRitalin. Thyroid sensitizes the body to adrenaline(epinephrine). The presence of Ritalin mightexacerbate some of the initial reactions to thyroidtherapy, with potential serious consequences.

Amphetamines and methylphenidate (Ritalin)augment the effect of norepinephrine anddopamine in the brain. It is not the correcttreatment for every child with attention deficit.From Dr. Fuad Lechin’ s work, some of thesechildren have high dopamine and norepinephrineactivity, not low. Giving them Ritalin in thissituation seems illogical. The kids should at leastbe tested for norepinephrine activity beforeplacing them on Ritalin.

Norepinephrine TestingPolly: How do you test for norepinephrineactivity? Ask your doctor for a test of totalMHPG (3 methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol). [55]If the total urinary excretion of MHPG is low,this suggests that smaller than normal amounts ofnorepinephrine are being released into thesynapses of the brain. [67] (The total MHPG is

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usually low in autism, indicating reducednorepinephrine activity.)

An additional benefit of this test is that theratio of MHPG sulfate to MHPG glucuronidewill indicate if there is a sulfation or possiblePST problem. If MHPG sulfate is low comparedto MHPG glucuronide, then there may be a PSTproblem. If there is a PST weakness, thenadditional sulfates and the Feingold diet may beuseful. Also, thyroid, particularly T3 thyroid,should improve sulfation. [68] This 24-hour urinetest is available from SmithKline BeechamClinical Laboratories.

There are rare occasions where a missingenzyme completely stops the production ofnorepinephrine in the body. This can besuccessfully treated with a drug called L-dihydroxyphenylserine. [69]

TyraminePolly: If you have tried everything else, and iftesting shows that norepinephrine activity is low,then you may be tempted to fall back to Ritalin.However, you don’ t have to use Ritalin toincrease norepinephrine activity. Tyramine willrelease neuronal norepinephrine. Tyramine is anover-the-counter supplement. The body alsocreates it. Tyramine has been helpful in somecases of attention deficit.

Tyramine is created from tyrosine. (Tyrosineis an amino acid available in most health foodstores. It is often mentioned as a treatment forattention deficit.) Theoretically, tyramine shouldwork better than tyrosine for attention deficitbecause the body doesn’ t have to do theconversion. Tyramine is abundant in many foods,however, there is a chance that the body is havingtrouble unbinding it. In this case, the free formfound in tyramine supplements may be useful. Asfar as I’ m aware, the unbound tyramine ispresently only available from DEWS Twenty-

first Century Products, phone (940) 243-2178 orwebsite www.DEWSnatural.com They call theirtyramine product TAT.

DEWS also has a product called BHP. BHPhas tyramine and threonine. The threonine helpsimprove the functioning of enzymes, includingthe desaturase enzymes (fat modifying enzymes).The threonine also helps defat the liver. If theliver works better, then all the neurohormones aremore likely to be at correct levels, and eventuallyyou may end up not needing the tyramine.

Folic acid, NADH, copper and vitamin C areimportant factors for the proper use of tyrosine.In particular, make sure there is adequate folicacid. Low folic acid is associated with low aswell as excess dopamine. [70]

Before trying tyramine, you should makesure that the PST enzyme and sulfation areworking well. Tyramine, norepinephrine anddopamine are removed via sulfation. You don’ twant to put a strain on a weak sulfation pathwayby giving the body more than it can handle.

More precautions: Be careful when usingtyramine because tyramine, by increasing theproduction of adrenaline, may increase bloodpressure. Tyramine should not be taken with theanti-depressant MAO inhibitor drugs. Also, ifyou are low on copper, your MAO can be low.So don’ t take tyramine if you know that you arelow on copper. You could end up with high bloodpressure and hyperthyroidism. Too muchtyramine all at once can initiate a migraine. Soyou may have to spread the dose out over theday.

A Plea For Hope And FaithPolly: Often the struggle to take care of anautistic child is overwhelming. Sometimes therecomes a point when the parents must face the factthat everything they have tried has not helped.Yet it is so hard to give up hope and trying. Not

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everyone can do that. No one should criticize aparent who has tried and failed at this enormouschallenge. Also, no one should tell parents thatthere is no hope, because there are cases wheregradual progress has been made, and people havegotten their children back. Kathy is a fortunatemother who has seen progress with her autistickids. When told to stop talking about so manyholistic interventions and to just accept her sweetangels for what they are, she could not agree todo so.

Kathy: Many of us believe our kids were perfectwhen born and something happened afterwards(vaccines, environment who knows?). There areothers who know there was something differentat birth. It matters not WHEN autism occurs,only that it is here, and what are we going to doabout it? Is it an attitude adjustment, a blessing,a challenge? No matter what, it takes a lot offaith and courage and help from others who havegone through it, to get through it.

Whether there is something viral, structural,metabolic, endocrinological, or immunological,this is something that has increased in epidemicproportions, and I frankly want this to cease inour generation. Notwithstanding, the greatness oftheir spirits is unquestionable and truly deserved.I believe that autism is not spiritual, it is atemporal, temporary state in which these kidshave been “ assigned” so to speak. I think Godgave us brains, and the ability to heal diseasesand “ states.” It is our personal responsibility andour stewardship to find these answers for ourchildren, to make their lives more pleasant andmore livable, and to help them to be moreaccountable, more productive, more able to takecare of themselves. If that doesn’ t happen, don’ tthink for a minute that in this journey I have not“ accepted” who they are, and what they havetaught me. There is not a difference or spectrumof my love and compassion for both!

I know this will be hard to hear, but let’ s putthis on the table.... I have “ healed” my son froma metabolic disorder and epilepsy,ASSOCIATED so often with autism. I have alsoincreased both my children’ s immune panels tonormal reference ranges. Their gastrointestinalhealth is the best ever. I have been able to takeaides off one child, and make the other childmore independent. Hope and salvation, if youwant to call it that, can turn into despair and loss,if the nutritional problems in the child are notcounteracted BY THE PARENTS. Our childrendo not reach for the DMG or theAMBROTOSE® (a Mannatech product), they donot reach for these things, because theyCANNOT COMMUNICATE their needs.

If research accumulates in a certain area thatI feel addresses my children’ s problems, shouldI just stand still and not venture? Sometimes, Ido. Sometimes I don’ t. It depends on our familiesresources, strength, will, courage, and frankly,money! Every Mom knows their kid’ sconstitution, their weaknesses, but your listinvites me to encourage and applaud theweaknesses, to not invite out in any form(Facilitated Communication or speech) mychildren’ s true “ voices” . My children bothexpressively and by FC (FacilitatedCommunication) have communicated “ I HATEAUTISM. I LOVE ME, BUT I HATE BEINGSILENT. I HATE NOT BEING ABLE TOUNDERSTAND PEOPLE. I HATE BEINGFRUSTRATED. I HATE BEING SILENT. IHAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.”

How long do you want to prolong their prisonsentence? If you do not allow others to express“ what has worked” for their children that is whatyou do. Do you know what my higherfunctioning child says? She says, “ Tell them,Mom, I can think really clear now. Tell them Ican speak with my own voice!” Put yourself intheir shoes for one moment. If you had a time in

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your life where you were able to speak, and tothink clearly, and someone took that away, howwould you feel? Frustrated, angry? No wondersome of our kids have behavior problems! If youreally thought about it further, even if theyNEVER talked, NEVER developed, do you givethem any credit that deep inside, they feel, thinkand want their needs known? I frankly view themas “ stroke” patients, who have it upstairs, butcannot communicate these truths to you.

If I “ spin my wheels” all my life in mypursuit to find answers to autism, I think I havefulfilled my stewardship as their Mom andprovider. Spinning wheels still gets yousomething in return, and yes, patience is a virtue.This is also part of the journey. This is part of theno pain, no gain part of autism. What your listasks of me, is to not obtain these higher ideals formy children, to view them as creatures fromanother planet, or angels so speak, and to putthem on some kind of spiritual pedestal!

If you think me unfeeling, think not I havenot cried an ocean of tears for them. I think theyhave earned the right for something better thanthat. They are children with a brain disorder.They are children who have fungal and yeastinfections. They are children who have beendamaged by vaccines. They are children whohave metabolic, viral, and immunologicalproblems. I think it is not strenuous or a stretch tosay, that they are challenged to be sure, but theyare just like you and me. They have a betterfuture that may be obtained for them when we donot give up hope!

I will not miss a list that tears these beliefsdown, telling me I don’ t “ know what I am talkingabout” . Indeed, I do. Let us not quantify orcompare our love for our children by the extentof how “ special” we feel they are. Let us not teardown someone’ s belief system for the purpose ofappearing more intelligent or researched. Let usnot insulate our fears by acceptance of these kids

“ as is” , and reject every biomedical treatmentsimply because we have made up our minds thatwe cannot change autism. Let us not close thedoors on options until we have fully exploredthem. Let us at times take Faith as our course,rather than scientific double blinds. Let us notdetermine another’ s opinions are not valid, forwe have not walked in their shoes. Let us notplace blame, but let us rather speak our minds,our heartaches, our beliefs, our sorrows with oneanother, and so fulfill our duties as mothers andfathers of these children. Let us not have ourchildren fall into the abyss of our guilt, ourdenial, and thus disregard that “ we can dosomething about this” . Notwithstanding, let usunderstand the excruciatingly painful ordeals thatchildren and parents have been through whilethey search the ends of the earth for treatmentsthat will relieve their child’ s suffering. A simplefatty acid supplied, a manipulation, a simpledietary change, a change in grossly hindereddiets, does not amount to non-acceptance of thefact of autism. If I meticulously ensure thesesmall (and sometimes difficult) changes, I ensurethat they continue to progress. Progression canerase the undercurrent of pain, and the fear ofautism.

I plead guilty of trying to help my children tobe “ all that they can be” . Many doctors clearlylack the knowledge of how our children’ s bodieswork. Their behavioral problems often are theresults of organic troubles in the brain£andthose may well be because of malabsorptionproblems. Having that knowledge, any time adoctor cannot speak, walk, or talk the language ofthis parent of an autistic child, I say, “ GOODBYE, SEE YA” . We do not know all theparameters of health in autism yet, but I knowthis to be true: given the right foods, the rightcombinations of supplements, fitted to thedistinct problems of an individual’ s spectrum of

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autism, we can combat the forces that make ourchildren autistic.

Do you think I just woke up one day andsaid, “ I am going to be super mom?” . NOPE,NADA. I cried, and painfully tried, and triedagain when there was not strength in my body todo so, and yet, I still ventured. I have beenthrough this now for 18 years, and am stilllearning, still addressing some same issues, but Ishall never, ever, ever give up!

Thank You Willis LangfordPolly: I’ d like to take this opportunity to thankWillis Langford for helping me with this chapterand for teaching me some of the basics aboutautism. There are many people on the Internetthat are trying to educate each other aboutautism. Each voice is a wonderful asset to ourcommunity. I am especially grateful to have metone of these people in the charming personage ofWillis Lanford.

At the age of 80, Willis still considershimself just an uneducated country boy, yet hehas been an avid student of nutrition and healthfor 50 years, and presently sells Mannatechnutritional products. phone (760) 439-7884 orwebsite www.mannapages.com/Willis He haseven written a self-published book (availablefrom him as a computer program/file) called Self-Help to Good Health. I asked Willis why hespent so much time helping everyone when hehas no relatives with autism. His reply was,

“ I love kids, and it broke my heart when Ilearned these beautiful kids were being givenlittle or no help, their concerned parents werebeing fleeced, and then told to throw the kidaway! I don’ t know the cause or causes ofautism, but I do know this, it is related to adamaged gut. This produces starvation, andevery one of the symptoms are indicative of that,and the symptoms can be managed with

nutritional intervention£ workarounds that getsome nutrients into the child£then miracleshappen.”

Willis hosts his own small Internet list atWilliss@yahoogroups.com, where autism is theusual topic. (One of the mothers of an autisticchild found Willis particularly enlightening, andasked him to start his own list.) Willis has writtena summary of the biological research in the fieldof autism in which he has included some of hisown observations gleaned from his interactionswith the parents of autistic children. Thecomplete article, “ Managing Autism” can befound in the files section of the Williss group atwww.yahoogroups.com. To view the article youmust at least temporarily become a member ofthe Williss group. Then look for the paper in thefiles section of the group. An earlier version ofthe article called “ To Infuse” was published in amagazine called The Autism File, phone 0208979 2525. It is a rather long and technicalarticle, but it would be worth your effort to findand study it.

Marie: I don’ t post often, mostly because I amguilty of pestering Willis directly (a little toooften, sometimes) but I had to write in and shareon my successes since having my now dearfriend, Willis, come into our lives. I “ met” Willisfive months ago and within one month offollowing his advice, we accomplished thingswith our son we hadn’ t even come close toaddressing before. Within five days (count ‘em,as Willis would say <smile> he went from anaverage of non-stop tantrumming a day to ZEROtantrums. The aggression disappeared. Thehyperactivity went next; he would actually sit toeither leaf through books, play with toys orsimply sit and be still when he didn’ t haveanything to do. The endless wandering, makingthose horrendous noises and doing basically

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nothing, were all replaced with actual playing!He would visit the toy room throughout the day,discovering toys he had never even given asecond glance to and play with them! He stoppedmaking those dreadful noises. Within a month hewas able to sit up on the floor without any type ofback support for the first time! I was told by theoccupational therapist that it would take a goodthree years of therapy to get him to do that. (Ourson is 7 years old.) We accomplished all this withWillis by our side, using Mannatech products andother supplements. Life has changed for us andwe have actually lost the fear of going out inpublic with him because his behavior is now, forthe most part, very predictable and manageable.No doctor had been able to do this for our child.How can I not be eternally grateful to Willis?

I share this to encourage other parents whoare just starting out, but just as importantly, togive public recognition to a very special personwho has given us everything without asking fora thing in return. What he has done for us hasreturned much of the faith in humanity I had lostthroughout these past few years of facing theindifference and sometimes rejection fromdoctors, school, so-called family and friends. Ithink it is obvious to you all that I love this manvery much. Thank you, Willis. May Godcontinue to bless you and your work.

Where to Learn MorePolly: Autism is such a vast subject. Hopefullythis chapter has introduced you to a small part ofthis world. There is much more to be learned.

In my opinion, the best resource is probablythe DAN! Conferences. (DAN! stands for DefeatAutism Now!) If you can attend, do so. Or ordersome tapes of the sessions. If at all possible, geton the Internet and find out about the latestautism conferences and tapes from this site:www.defeatautismnow.com.

Here are some websites that you may findhelpful if you have a child with autism.

www.mercola.com

www.autisminfo.com

www.gnd.org

www.oneworld.org/autism_uk/,

http://members.spree.com/autism/

www.autism.com/ari/

www.autism.org

www.AutismNDI@aol.com

www.secretin.com

www.megson.com

www.autism-society.org

www.autismndi.com

www.necc.org

http://146.115.123.179/AR/index.html

www.canfoundation.org

www.autism.com

http://autism-diet.com

If you are interested in a comprehensiveoverview of all the current theories on autism,take a look at this article. www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm.

There are quite a few email lists. Each hasdifferent characteristics / personalities /philosophies. Sample several before picking theone that best suits your present needs. There area lot at www.yahoogroups.com, like abmd,interven, GFCFKids, AutismNet, CAN-CLL,AutismRecoverN, autism-mercury, autism_iron,autism-bio-medical-discussion, recoveredkidsand the Williss list. St. John’ s University also hasan autism list. Sign up for this list at:web.syr.edu/~rjkopp/autismlistfaq.html. You canobtain Internet access through many libraries.

The newsletter of Bernard Rimland, PhD, canbe obtained from the Autism Research Institute,

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4182 Adams Avenue, San Diego, CA 92116.There is a new magazine called The Autism Filethe United Kingdom. Phone 020 8979 2525, andwebsite www.autismfile.co.uk. Latitudes is aquarterly newsletter for the alternative treatmentof ADD, ADHD, learning disabilities, explodingchild, autism, and Tourette’ s syndrome. Theirwebsite is www.latitudes.org. Their phone is561.798.0472.

Children with Starving Brains: A medicalTreatment Guide for Autism Spectrum Disorderis a new book by McCandles, MD.http://www.autism-rxguidebook.com/DesktopDefault.aspx It guidesyou through your treatment options. The Out ofSync Child by Carol Kranowitz talks about thesensory integration issue. Autism from the InsideOut by Donna Williams will give you a personalinsight into what it feels like to be autistic.Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and PervasiveDevelopmental Disorder: A Mother’ s Story ofResearch and Recovery by Karyn Seroussi, andBernard Rimland, PhD, is popular. Of course, Dr.Shaw’ s book, Biological Treatments for Autismand PDD, is very valuable for the understandingof how intestinal pathogens are part of thisdisease. I’ ve heard that The Biology of theAutistic Syndromes is quite comprehensive.Dana’s View: A Practical Understanding ofAutism is a delightful read about how tounderstand and cope with the social challengesfacing the autistic. www.autismchannel.net/dana/sitebook.htm

The Internet bookstores will have the mostbooks to chose from, yet you can still have a bigselection by having your local bookstore do asearch with their computer.

references1. Shaw, William, PhD, Biological Treatments for Autism

and PDD, 1998

2. Pangborn, Jon, PhD, “ Digestive Enzyme Inhibitionand Autism,” DAN! 2000 Conference. Tape is

available from Insta-Tapes P.O. Box 908, CoeurD’ alene, ID 83816-0908 or phone (800) 669-8273 or(208) 667-0226. If you want to look up thisenzyme/protein in medical journals, it is called eitherdipeptyl peptidase 4 (DPP IV) or clusterdifferentiation factor 26 (CD26).

3. Suzuki Y, Erickson R, Sedlmayer A, Chang S, IkeharaY Kim Y, “ Dietary regulation of rat intestinalangiotensin-converting enzyme and dipeptidylpeptidase IV” Am J Physiol 1993 June; 264(6 Pt1):G1153-91993, as referenced in Hildebrandt M,Reutter W, Arck P, Rose M, Klapp B, “ A guardianangel: the involvement of dipeptidyl peptidase IV inpsychoneuroendocrine function, nutrition and immunedefence. Clinical Science 2000, 99, 93-104

4. Seewww.mercola.com/2000/aug/20/secretin_autism.htmand www.repligen.com.

5. Lynch, MD, “ SECRETIONS II: Gastric & Pancreatic(GI Section, Lecture #73, Dr. Lynch)”http://human.physiol.arizona.edu/SCHED/GI/Lynch73/Lynch.L73.html and Suzuki A, Naruse S, KitagawaM, Ishiguro H, Yoshikawa T, Ko S, Yamamoto A,Hamada H, and Hayakawa T, “ 5-hydroxytryptaminestrongly inhibits fluid secretion in guinea pigpancreatic duct cells” J. Clin. Invest. 108:749-756(2001)

6. Cave S, MD, FAAFP “ Autism in Children”International Journal of PharmaceuticalCompounding, Vol.5 No.1 January/February 2001www.ijpc.com/_pdf/Autism.pdf

7. Ulrich II, Charles D. et al. (1998). “ Secretin andVasoactive Intestinal Peptide Receptors: Members ofa Unique Family of G Protein-Coupled Receptors.”Gastroenterology 114:382-397

8. Schutt, C, PhD, “ SECRETIN & AUTISM -- A ClueBut Not a Cure,” NAARRATIVE, Number 4, Winter1998, www.naar.org/naarative4/secretin.html

9. McGinnis, W., lecture “ Physical Health in Autism andHow to Improve It” given at a Dan Conference

10. Tice, Raymond, PhD, “ Goldenseal (Hydrastiscanadensis L.) and Two of Its Constituent AlkaloidsBerberine [2086-83-1] and Hydrastine [118-08-1]Review of Toxicological Literature,” IntegratedLaboratory Systems, P.O. Box 13501, ResearchTriangle Park, North Carolina 27709, November 1997,

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http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov/htdocs/Chem_Background/ExSumPdf/GoldenSeal.pdf

11. Lee, H et al. “ Effect of Growth-Inhibitory Substancesfrom Domestic Medicinal Plants against Human LacticAcid and Harmful Intestinal Bacteria” Food Sci.Biotechnol. Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 222~227 (2000)

12. Lonsdale D, “ A pilot study” NeuroendocrinologyLetters 2002; 23:303-308.

13. Wakefield AJ, Anthony A, Murch SH, Thomson M,Montgomery SM, Davies S, O’ Leary JJ, BerelowitzM, Walker-Smith JA ,” Enterocolitis in children withdevelopmental disorders,” Am J Gastroenterol 2000Sep;95(9):2285-95 and Wakefield AJ, Murch SH,Anthony A, Linnell J, Casson DM, Malik M,Berelowitz M, Dhillon AP, Thomson MA, Harvey P,Valentine A, Davies SE, Walker-Smith JA, “ Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis,and pervasive developmental disorder in children,”Lancet 1998 Feb 28;351(9103):637-41. At the recentDAN! 2000 conference, Dr. Wakefield said that therewould be an article in the Journal of Pediatrics near theend of the year 2000, where they have found the sametype of intestinal changes in some kids with attentiondeficit.

14. Wright, Lance S, MD, Colostrum: Mother Nature’ sHealthy Alternative for Every Generation, 1998,Katchell Publishing, Murray, Utah (888) 484-8671

15. Takahashi T, Nakagawa E, Nara T, Yajima T, KuwataT, “ Effects of orally ingested Bifidobacterium longumon the mucosal IgA response of mice to dietaryantigens.” Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 1998Jan;62(1):10-5

16. www.kirkmanlabs.com/products/articles/probio.htm. andGreen D, Wakeley P, Page A, et al. “ Characterizationof Two Bacillus Probiotics” Applied andEnvironmental Microbiology, September 1999, p.4288-4291, Vol. 65, No. 9http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/full/65/9/4288?view=full&pmid=10473456

17. Yamada K, Hung P, Yoshimura K Taniguchi S, Lim BO,Suguano M “ Effect of unsaturated fatty acids andantioxidants on immunoglobulin production bymesenteric lymph node lymphocytes of Sprague-Dawleyrats. Biochem (Tokyo) 1996, 120: 138-144 as referred toin an article by Plummer N, “ The Neonatal Immune

System and Risk of Allergy: A Delicate Balancing Act,Positively Influenced by Probiotics and Fatty Acids,”Townsend Letter, February/March 2002.

18. Kaminishi H et al. Degradation of humoral hostdefense by Candida albicans proteinase. Infection andImmunity 63.3.984-8 1995, as referenced by TeresaBinstock in her notes “ IgA and INFECTIONS apreliminary miscellany”

19. Coleman M, “ Platelet Serotonin in Disturbed Monkeysand Children,” Clinical Proceedings of Children’ sHospital Washington, DC, Volume 27, July/August1971 Number 7 (p. 187-194)www.violence.de/coleman/article.html

20. Chugani DC, Muzik O, Rothermel R, Behen M,Chakraborty P, Mangner T, da Silva EA, Chugani HT,“ Altered serotonin synthesis in thedentatothalamocortical pathway in autistic boys.” AnnNeurol, 1997 Oct; 42(4):666-9

21. Boullin DJ, Coleman M, O’ Brian RA, “ Abnormalitiesin platelet 5-hydroxytryptamine efflux in patients withinfantile autism.” Nature 227: 371, 1970

22. Komisar J, Rivera J, Vega A, Tseng J, Effects ofstaphylococcal enterotoxin B on rodent mast cells”Infect Immun 1992 Jul;60(7):2969-75 and Grabarek J,Her GR, Reinhold VN, Hawiger J. “ Endotoxic lipid Ainteraction with human platelets. Structure-functionanalysis of lipid A homologs obtained fromSalmonella minnesota Re595 lipopolysaccharide.” JBiol Chem 1990 May 15;265(14):8117-21

23. Peat R, PhD, “ Tryptophan, serotonin, and aging” RayPeat’ s Newsletter, January 2002

24. Peat R, PhD, “ Tryptophan, serotonin, and aging” RayPeat’ s Newsletter, January 2002, and Peat R, PhD,“ Postpartum, premenstrual, and seasonal serotoninsoaks: Hints about aging, insomnia and diabetes” , RayPeat’ s Newsletter, November 2001

25. Peat R, PhD, “ Tryptophan, serotonin, and aging” RayPeat’ s Newsletter, January 2002

26. Carew LB Jr, Alster FA, Foss DC, Scanes CG. “ Effectof a tryptophan deficiency on thyroid gland, growthhormone and testicular functions in chickens.” J Nutr.1983 Sep;113(9):1756-65.and since serotonin canrelease unsaturated fats from storage, look at whathappens to thyroid when this happens: Chopra IJ,Huang TS, Beredo A, Solomon DH, Chua Teco GN,

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Mead JF. “ Evidence for an inhibitor of extrathyroidalconversion of thyroxine to 3,5,3’ -triiodothyronine insera of patients with nonthyroidal illnesses.” J ClinEndocrinol Metab 1985 Apr;60(4):666-72 and SuzukiY, Nanno M, Gemma R, Yoshimi T. “ Plasma freefatty acids, inhibitor of extrathyroidal conversion ofT4 to T3 and thyroid hormone binding inhibitor inpatients with various nonthyroidal illnesses.Endocrinol Jpn. 1992 Oct;39(5):445-53.

27. Sadeghi S, Wallace FA, Calder PC, “ Dietary lipidsmodify the cytokine response to bacteriallipopolysaccharide in mice.” Immunology. 1999Mar;96(3):404-10.

28. Bauvois B, Sanceau J, Wietzerbin J. “ Human U937cell surface peptidase activities: characterization anddegradative effect on tumor necrosis factor-alpha.”Eur J Immunol 1992 Apr;22(4):923-30

29. Peat R, “ Tryptophan, serotonin and aging” RayPeat’ sNewsletter, January 2002

30. Brizzi G, Carella C, Foglia MC, Frigino M “ Thyroidhormone plasmatic levels in rats treated with serotoninin acute and chronic way.” J Physiol Paris 1997Dec;91(6):307-10

31. Aihara R, Hashimoto T [Neuroendocrinologic studieson autism] No To Hattatsu 1989 Mar;21(2):154-62

32. Do a search for bilirubin at www.healing-arts.org/children/autism-overview.htm andwww.thyroidmanager.org/Chapter3/3b-frame.htm.

33. See table 5 in www.thyroidmanager.org/Chapter5/5a-frame.htm and this site by J. Robert Cade, M.D,http://autism-diet.com/

34. Peat, Raymond, PhD, Nutrition for Women, availablefrom Raymond Peat, P.O. Box 5764, Eugene, Oregon97405

35. Kane, Patricia, PhD, “ Essential Fatty Acids -Lorenzo’ s Oil and Beyond” , Explore for theProfessional, Volume 3, 3-4, Summer 1993, Kane,Patricia, PhD, “ Autistic Spectrum Disorder: TheConnection Between the GI tract and the CNS” ,InFocus NutriCology Newsletter, Winter 2000,www.nutricology.com, Kane, Patricia, PhD, “ Reviewof Lipids and Membrane Metabolism” , AAEMConference, Baltimore, November, 1998

36. Segall PE, Timiras PS, Walton JR, “ Low tryptophandiets delay reproductive aging” Mech Ageing Dev

1983 Nov-Dec; 23(3-4) 245-52 and Pathophysiologicfindings after chronic tryptophan deficiency in rats: amodel for delayed growth and aging” Mech AgeingDev 1976 Mar-Apr, 5(2) 109-24 as found in RayPeat’ sJanuary 2002 newsletter

37. Peat, Raymond, PhD, “ Diagnosing Porphyria forLabor and Industries Claims,” Townsend Letter forDoctors and Patients, April, 1996, page 80-81

38. Peat, Raymond, PhD, Nutrition for Women, 1993, page20

39. “ Out of Focus” Beach Cities Health District WinterNewsletter, 2001, www.bchd.org, also seewww.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/ and www.chadd.org formore information

40. Thomas R. Rossiter, Ph.D “ Patient-DirectedNeurofeedback For AD/HD” at www.snr-jnt.org/JournalNT/JNT(2-4)5.html

41. Slimak, K. M. (2001) Effect of Removal of LowLevels of Volatile Organic Compounds on SevereAutistic Behaviors in Children. Conference on ScienceFor the Public Good, Association for Science in thePublic Interest, Virginia Commonwealth University,Richmond, Virginia.and Slimak, K. M. (2002) In 45autistic children sharp decreases in autistic symptomsfollow elimination of problem foods, volatile organiccompounds, plastics, resins, and molds, SecondInternational Conference On Advances In TreatmentOf Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Opening Doors - NewBiological Treatment Alternatives, SociedadVenezolana para Niños y Adultos Autistas(SOVENIA), Colegio de Médicos del DistritoMetropolitano de Caracas, Caracas,Venezuela.arial and her website

42. Shattock, Paul, O.B.E., “ Organo-PhosphorousPesticides in the Causation of Autism and RelatedSpectrum Disorders,” lecture at the AmericanAcademy of Environmental Medicine’ s 34th annualmeeting, October, 1999, and “ Environmental Factorsas Triggers, Implications for Control and Therapy,”DAN! 2000 Conference Tapes, phone (800) 669-8273Also seehttp://osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/autism/bobbudd.htm

43. Bell JG, Sargent JR, Tocher DR, Dick JR.Red bloodcell fatty acid compositions in a patient with autisticspectrum disorder: a characteristic abnormality in

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neurodevelopmental disorders? Prostaglandins LeukotEssent Fatty Acids 2000 Jul-Aug;63(1-2):21-5

44. Article based on lecture by Dr. Jean Monro, “ CytokineTh1 Immune Response vs Cytokine TH2 ImmuneResponse” Mycology News, July 2001, published byMycology Research Laboratories Ltd. (MRL), emailinfo@aneid.pt or websitehttp://mycologyresearch.com. “ These[organophosphates] inhibit interleukin-2 driven eventsthat are essential for TH1 function.”

45. Clough, G PhD “ Effects of chronic low dose exposureto organophosphates (OP), …They have been shownto interact directly with cholinergic receptors at orbelow the concentrations required to inhibit AChE,resulting in direct inhibition of cyclic nucleotideformation and alteration in the G-protein coupledreceptor function, particularly those which modulatelocal inflammatory and immune responses.”www.som.soton.ac.uk/research/ais/members/gfc1.htm

46. Plapp FW, Jr., professor emeritus of insecticidetoxicology, Texas A&M, “ Environmental Chemicalsand Environmental Illness: A Model that may Explainthe Relationship” fwplapp@aol.com, tel. 520-322-5035

47. Ebringer et al. (1997) BSE as an autoimmune disease.Immunology News Vol 4 Pg:149-150. and Ebringer etal. (1997) Bovine spongiform encephalopathy: Is it anautoimmune disease due to bacteria showingmolecular mimicry with brain antigens ?Environmental Health Perspect Vol.105 Pg:1172-1174. and Ebringer et al. (1998)Bovine spongiformencephalopathy (BSE): Comparison between the"prion" hypothesis and the autoimmune theory. J Nut& Env. Med 8, 265-276.

48. Tuthill RW, “ Hair lead levels related to children’ sclassroom attention-deficit behavior,” Arch EnvironHealth 1996 May-Jun;51(3):214-20, and Cohen DJ,Johnson WT, Caparulo BK, “ Pica and elevated bloodlead level in autistic and atypical children,” Am J DisChild 1976 Jan;130(1):47-8, and Nancy Hallaway andZiggert Strauts, Turning Lead into Gold: : How HeavyMetal Poisoning Can Affect Your Child and How toPrevent and Treat It, 1996

49. Taylor, Deborah Seymour, “ Edgar Cayce on HealthResearch” , Explore Issue: Volume 8, Number 4, 1998,see www.explorepub.com (Describes some of the

work of the Meridian Institute.) or seewww.explorepub.com/articles/cayce.html

50. Peat, Raymond, PhD, “ Epilepsy and Progesterone,”Ray Peat’ s Newsletter, July 1997

51. “ Glycine” as posted at the Bio Nutrients website,http://www.biochemicals.com/productinfo.php3?id=39phone (800) 404-8185

52. Dean, Ward, MD, “ Controlling Seizures: A NutritionalApproach” Vitamin Research News, September 2000www.vrp.com/NewsletterDetail.asp?id=449

53. Russell IJ, Michalek JE, Vipraio GA, Fletcher EM,Wall K. “ Serum amino acids in fibrositis/fibromyalgiasyndrome.” J Rheumatol Suppl 1989 Nov;19:158-63

54. Murch S.H.; MacDonald T.T.; Walker-Smith J.A.;Levin M.; Lionetti P.; Klein N.J “ Disruption ofsulphated glycosaminoglycans in intestinalinflammation” ‘ Lancet (United Kingdom), 1993,341/8847 (711-714)

55. Sinaiko, Robert J., MD, “ The Biochemistry ofAttentional/Behavioral Problems,” Presented at the1996 Feingold Association Conference in Orlando,Florida. www.feingold.org/sinaiko.shtml

56. Scriver CR and Perry, TL, Chapt 26 in Scriver et aleds, The Metabolic Basis of Inherited Disease 6th edMcGraw-Hill (1989) 765, as referenced by DonPanburn, PhD in an email.

57. Bartzatt R, Beckmann JD,“ Inhibition of phenolsulfotransferase by pyridoxal phosphate.” BiochemPharmacol 1994 Jun 1;47(11):2087-95

58. Harris RM, Hawker RJ, Langman MJ, Singh S,Waring RH, “ Inhibition of phenolsulphotransferase bysalicylic acid: a possible mechanism by which aspirinmay reduce carcinogenesis,” Gut 1998 Feb;42(2):272-5, and Eaton EA, Walle UK, Lewis AJ, et al.“ Flavonoids, potent inhibitors of the human P-formphenolsulfotransferase. Potential role in drugmetabolism and chemoprevention.” Drug MetabDispos 1996;24:232-237 and see this website Seehttp://autismawakeninginia.bizland.com/autismawakeningdietinvervention/id10.html

59. West SA, Sax KW, Stanton SP, Keck PE Jr, McElroySL, Strakowski SM, “ Differences in thyroid functionstudies in acutely manic adolescents with and withoutattention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).”Psychopharmacol Bull 1996;32(1):63-6

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60. Hauser P, Zametkin AJ, Martinez P,et al. Attentiondeficit-hyperactivity disorder in people withgeneralized resistance to thyroid hormone. NE JMed,1993, 328:997-1001.

61. Lynch MA. “ Interleukin-1 beta exerts a myriad ofeffects in the brain and in particular in thehippocampus: analysis of some of these actions.”Vitam Horm. 2002;64:185-219. Review and SegmanRH, Meltzer A, Gross-Tsur V, Kosov A, Frisch A,Inbar E, Darvasi A, Levy S, Goltser T, Weizman A,Galili-Weisstub E. “ Preferential transmission ofinterleukin-1 receptor antagonist alleles in attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder.” Mol Psychiatry.2002;7(1):72-4.

62. Wallace, D, “ The Fibromyalgia Syndrome” Annals ofMedicine 29:9-21,1997 and Brain Res 1999 Jan9;815(2):337-48 and Wang J, Dunn AJ. “ The role ofinterleukin-6 in the activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis and brain indoleaminesby endotoxin and interleukin-1 beta.” and SchneiderC, Delorme N, El Btaouri H, Hornebeck W, Haye B,Martiny L. “ Interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) action inporcine thyroid cells involves the ceramide signalingpathway. Cytokine 2001 Feb 7; 13(3):174-8(Thyroiditis)

63. Rovet J, Alvarez M., “ Thyroid hormone and attentionin congenital hypothyroidism.” J PediatrEndocrinol Metab. 1996 Jan-Feb;9(1):63-6

64. Bamforth KJ, Jones AL, Roberts RC, Coughtrie MW“ Common food additives are potent inhibitors ofhuman liver 17 alpha-ethinyloestradiol and dopaminesulphotransferases,” Biochem Pharmacol 1993 Nov17;46(10):1713-20, also see the Feingold website.

65. Holmes, A, MD“ Chelation of Mercury for theTreatment of Autism”http://autismawakeninginia.bizland.com/autismthevaccineconnectionandrelatedstories/id6.html]

66. Khosh F, Beneda D, “ Attention Deficit/HyperactivityDisorder” Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,January 2003 and Ciaranello, R.D. (1993) Attentiondeficit-hyperactivity disorder and resistance to thyroidhormone - a new idea? The New England Journal ofMedicine 328: 1038-1039. and Hancock, L.N. (1996)Mother’ s little helper. Newsweek March 18: 51-56

67. Young, J.G., et al. “ Cerebrospinal Fluid, Plasma, andUrinary MHPG in Children,” Life Sciences, Vol. 28,1981, pp. 2837-45 and Peyrin, L, Urinary MHPGSulfate as a Marker of Central NorepinephrineMetabolism: A Commentary, J. Neural Trans[Gen.Sect], Vol. 80, 2990, pp.51-65 as referenced andexplained in an article by Robert Sinako, MD “ TheBiochemistry of Attentional/Behavioral Problems”Presented at the 1996 Feingold AssociationConference in Orlando, Floridahttp://www.feingold.org/sinaiko.shtml

68. Lee A, Beck L, Markovich D, "The mouse sulfateanion transporter gene Sat1 (Slc26a1): cloning, tissuedistribution, gene structure, functionalcharacterization, and transcriptional regulation thyroidhormone." DNA Cell Biol. 2003 Jan;22(1):19-31

69. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, “ DopamineBeta Hydroxylase Deficiency” Last Modified: 4March 1999,www.mc.Vanderbilt.Edu/gcrc/adc/index.html

70. Braverman, Eric R., MD, The Healing NutrientsWithin; Facts, Findings and New Research on AminoAcids, Keats Publishing, Inc. 27 Pine Street (Box 876),New Canaan, Connecticut 06840-0876, date 1997,page 47

71. DAN! 2000 Conference Tapes. They are availablefrom Insta Tapes, P.O. Box 908, Coeur D’ Alene, ID83816-0908, or phone (800) 669-8273 or (208) 667-0226

72. Mentlein R, Rix H, Feller AC, Heymann E.Characterisation of dipeptidyl peptidase IV fromlymphocytes of chronic lymphocytic leukemia of T-type. Biomed Biochim Acta 1986;45:567–74. and DeMeester I, Vanhoof G, Hendriks D, Demuth HU,Yaron A, Scharpe S. Characterisation of dipeptidylpeptidase IV (CD26) from human lymphocytes. ClinChim Acta 1992;210:23–34. human DPP IV isinhibited by cadmium, copper, zinc and mercury, ascited in Wagner L, “ Isolation and partialcharacterization of dipeptidyl peptidase IV fromostrich kidney” Enzyme and Microbial Technology 25(1999) 576–583 June

.

VaccinationsPolly: There is strong contention over the safetyof vaccines. Many parents feel that vaccinationscaused their children’ s autism. These childrenwere developing normally until about 2 years ofage, and then they suddenly regressed intoautism. Yet government authorities point togeneral population statistics and claim that thereis no evidence that vaccinations are implicated.However, these authorities are not looking at thestatistics of subpopulations that appear to bemore susceptible to vaccination induced healthissues.

There are a couple of theories that mightexplain why one child could get autism from avaccine and another child would be spared. Onetheory is that the mercury preservative thimerosolin the vaccines caused a unique type of mercurypoisoning. Current speculation is that thosechildren with low glutathione or disturbedmetallothionein use would be more susceptible tothe mercury in the vaccines. Another theory isthat the vaccines are interfering with vitamin Aor its receptors. Those children who havegenetically weak vitamin A receptors or who arelow in vitamin A at the time of a vaccination maybe more susceptible to developing autism.

Don’ t think that Autism is so rare that youdon’ t have to be concerned. Autism is increasingin epidemic proportions, and so are the relatedconditions of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD),or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

(ADHD). However, you don’ t have to know whois correct in this argument to take precautions. Atthe end of this chapter, there is some informationon how you can lessen the risks of vaccines foryour children and grandchildren.

Are Vaccinations Safe?Ray: As a parent, I have been in contact with800-1,000 families who feel the MMR, DPT orhepatitis B vaccine was responsible for theirchild’ s autism. This includes people who are inthe medical field as MD’ s or RN’ s. Many ofthese parents have antibodies or titers blood teststhat show elevated levels.

Mary M: Please read www.909shot.com beforeyou vaccinate your children. Don’ t believe me, Iam only a mom. Do your OWN research.Educate Before You Vaccinate!!! I wish Ihad.....but it is too late for my son.... I respectyour choice either way, but make an educatedchoice, do not automatically believe the billionsof dollars of drug company propaganda aimedyour way every day.

You guys, I can’ t write much more and Iwon’ t. I’ m only a mom. I don’ t receive moneyfor trying to propagandize you. It’ s just that towarn others is the only way I can make sense ofthe needless tragedy that happened to myprecious son. At the VERY LEAST, educateyourselves. I know I am being like the pot calling

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the kettle black, as I did not educate myself. Itrusted and of course had been heavily, heavilypropagandized, as we all are.

I have lost my own health as well and manyof the moms on the Autism list have had nervousbreakdowns when they realized they did this totheir own children. I believed them when theysaid “ you have to have the shots for school” orfor this, or for that (YOU DON” T have to havethem for school, that is a lie, one of many lies weare told.)

I did not know our precious newborns wereinjected behind our backs with the extremelydangerous (banned in France) HepatitisB....Gosh, who even knew??? I was completelyignorant, and now am paying the ultimate pricehaving lost a son, and there are thousands of usout there, 6 new kids EVERY DAY OF THEWEEK are being diagnosed as “ autistic“(vaccinosis) in California alone, six perday.......and thousands more permanentlydisabled (SEIZURES, DIABETES) in otherways....

You could ask on the Autism list if there areANY vaccines where the benefits outweigh therisks. In fact, I will do that, as I remember awhile ago a very respected doctor who is helpingour kids to recover, mentioned one or two thatmight be worth the very considerable risks.

Vaccines And Vitamin APolly: Dr. Mary Megson hypothesizes that a lackof vitamin A due to poor absorption in theintestines, or due to weak vitamin A receptors inthe brain may induce Autism. Vaccines caninterfere with the use or quantity of vitamin Athat a child has. For example, the pertussisvaccine can interfere with G-proteins, whichmodulate the signal to the vitamin A receptors.This interference essentially turns off the vitaminA receptors. Antigens to the measles vaccine can

also damage the intestine’ s mucosal cells, whichare needed to absorb vitamin A and other fatsoluble vitamins. If you deplete the body’ svitamin A stores with the MMR vaccine, andthen follow this with the DPT vaccine, whichinterferes with the vitamin A receptors, you aresetting up some children for autism.

She also has expressed concern that theHepatitis B vaccine might interfere with thevitamin A receptors.

“ Of concern the Hepatitis B virus proteinsequence was originally isolated in the gene fora similar retinoid receptor (RAR beta), which isthe critical receptor important for brain plasticityand retinoid signaling in the hippocampus.”(Congressional Hearings, April 06, 2000)

Vaccines and Mercury PoisoningPolly: People with mercury poisoning show thesame defects in sulfoxidation that are found inthe majority of autistic children. Toxic metalslike mercury can pass the placenta and canappear in breast milk. [1] Might not this be atleast partially responsible for the autism andADD/ADHD epidemic?

Lyn: Yes, some children may be impacted inutero by mercury, but I bet a lot more have beenimpacted after birth from vaccines. When thethimerosol news (mercury preservative invaccines) came out I reviewed my son’ vaccinehistory and all three of his first vaccines, DPT,HIB, and hepatitis contained thimerosol for agrand total of 62.5 mcg of mercury which hereceived at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. This dosewell exceeded EPA’ s maximum recommendeddaily exposure of 0.1mcg per kg. per day.

Last week I got the brilliant idea to send offa precious sample of our son’ s baby hair from hisfirst haircut for heavy metal analysis. Just as Isuspected he was toxic with mercury and

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aluminum. We are planning to do a Chemet(DMSA) challenge to try to decrease this toxicburden. According to another parent at the DANconference they had the same findings with theirchild and saw immediate improvement afterchelation. Will keep you posted.

Lori: I have been in touch with, and/or read theposts of, several moms who think that part of thecause of their son’ s autism is the mercuryamalgams put in the mom’ s mouth, or taken outof the mom’ s mouth, while the mom waspregnant and/or nursing the child. This matchesmy experience too. Some children with autismhave had “ meltdowns” after having mercurydental work done. Thank goodness my childrenhave never had mercury amalgam fillings, onlycomposite. I am on the final stretch of getting allmy amalgams removed and replaced withcomposite fillings. There is NO WAY that Iwould put amalgam into the mouth of any of mychildren, or recommend that another parent doso. This mercury issue is HUGE and all aroundus (vaccinations, intra- muscular gammaglobulin, fish, paints, papers, eye drops and nosesprays, etc).

Later£Polly: This is an amazing article by SallyBernard and others that highlights the very strongoverlap between autism symptoms and mercurypoisoning symptoms: “ Autism: A Unique Typeof Mercury Poisoning.” The article is found here

www.autism.com/ari/mercury.html

Besides the sulfation problem, there are manyphysical changes and symptoms that are exactlysame as mercury poisoning. The mercurypoisoning is perhaps unique in that the type ofmercury preservative in the vaccinations(thimerosol) is more poisonous to enzymes thanjust mercury chloride. These previouslymentioned sites also have some suggestions on

how to remove the mercury. There is nowenough evidence connecting mercury poisoningwith vaccinations that a lawsuit has been filedagainst the manufacturers, as of April, 2001.www.mercola.com/2001/apr/7/vaccine_mercury.htm

The Pro-Vaccination StancePolly: On April 06, 2000, a US congressionalhearing on vaccinations and autism was held. Themeeting was started with statements by thechairman to the effect that this was not an anti-vaccination hearing. Indeed, no one at thehearing suggested that vaccinations wereineffective. A few parents presented their storiesof vaccine damage, including a mom withidentical twins. One identical twin was autisticand the other one was normal. Then researcherspresented medical hypotheses and clinicalexperience that might explain the link betweenautism and vaccinations. Yet, our Center forDisease Control’ s (CDC) stance was “ noevidence exists to substantiate that vaccinescause autism.” The CDC’ s position was based onseveral epidemiological studies (populationsurveys) that did not show a relationship betweenthe vaccines and autism.

Dr. Paul A. Offit is author of the bookVaccines: What Every Parent Should Know. Inhis testimony, he explained that it would behighly unlikely that the MMR vaccine wouldinduce an autoimmune problem. The immuneresponse to a disease is much greater than it is toa vaccine. Yet, people don’ t get autoimmunediseases after having measles. He also felt thereshould not be concern over combining Measles,Mumps, and Rubella into one vaccine. Dr. PaulOffit stated,

“ the combination of the three vaccines containedin MMR, or even the 10 vaccines given in thefirst 2 years of life, is literally a raindrop in the

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ocean of what infants successfully encounter intheir environment every day.”

Representative Waxman (Democrat - CA)felt that it was irresponsible to emotionalize andsensationalize a possible link between autism andvaccination. Such assertions should not bebrought to the public’ s attention when scientistshave not found a relationship between vaccinesand autism. With such actions, the publicvaccination rates will drop, as they did in theUnited Kingdom. If the vaccination rates drop,deaths and retardation will result from areemergence of the illnesses they prevent. Also,he felt that the hearing was one-sided, since thechairman, Representative Dan Burton(Republican - IN), believes that vaccines causedautism in two of his grandchildren.

Is There An Autism Epidemic?Polly: At the recent congressional hearings, Dr.Megson stated that in 1978 she was taught theincidence of autism was 1 in 10,000. Now shehears numbers from 1 in 600 to 1 in 300. Thenumber of autism cases is probably under-reported too. Dr. Megson testified,

“ Over the last nine months, I have treated over1,200 children in my office. Ninety percent ofthese children are autistic and from theRichmond area alone. The State Department ofEducation reports that there are only 1522autistic students in the state of Virginia.”

Our Centers for Disease Control (CDC)position was that it was difficult to quantify theincrease in incidence. Speaking on behalf theCDC, Coleen Boyle, PhD, stated that

“ While we cannot be certain of the reason forchanges in prevalence rate, some percentage ofthe increase seems related to broadening of thedefinition of autism, changes in referral patterns,

improved recognition and greater awareness ofthe condition.”

Dr. Rimland argued that the increase couldnot be just due to a “ broadened definition” and“ better awareness.” This wouldn’ t explain thelarge increase in acquired autism relative toinfantile autism. Previously, most cases of autismwere present at birth, and now most cases areacquired later in life. Most of these childrendevelop normally until the age of about 18 to 24months. Then they regress into the world ofautism. Why? Is it because it just naturally occursat this age? Is it the MMR and DPT vaccinationsthat are usually given at 15 and 18 months? Dr.Megson said that she had seen cases of autisticregression (acquired autism) occurring in fouryear old children after MMR and DPTvaccinations.

And the PassionKaryn Seroussi: On the day following thecongressional hearings, many parents went to theNational Institute of Health (NIH) for what wethought was going to be a meeting.Unfortunately, their agenda was, “ sit quietlywhile we tell you all about autism, and afterward,you will be permitted to ask questions.” Dr.Marie Bristol-Power spoke first, with a sort ofoverview of autism research. She explained thata 20-year longitudinal study was our best bet forcollecting data on normal brains, looking atenvironmental factors, etc. Barbara Loe Fisher(NVIC) pointed out that it would be difficult tofind “ normal” brains if all of the subjects in theirstudy were vaccinated.

Rick Rollens stood up and pointed out thatthere was revolutionary research to be done, andurged cooperation between the NIH and theMedical Investigation of NeurodevelopmentalDisorders (MIND) Institute of the University ofCalifornia at Davis. I stood up and explained that

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many of us parents and researchers had greatideas for studies, such as controlled studieslooking at immune panels, food allergies,nutritional deficiencies, gastrointestinalproblems, etc and I urged them to start lookinginto such areas instead of the traditional brain andgenetics stuff. Dr. Michael Goldberg, fromCalifornia, also stood up and emphasized howimportant it is to explore these areas. Themoderator was looking a bit aggravated. Herequested that we please refrain from speakinguntil the end of the meeting. The problem was,the meeting was from 10-12, and they had fivespeakers. It was already almost 11am. In otherwords, the meeting was just long enough forthem to say their piece.

Things got worse from there. The secondpresentation was on the potential of brainimaging to determine what is different aboutautistic brains. The doctor spoke to us as if wewere in kindergarten, saying, “ we havesophisticated technology for looking at the brain... it’ s called M. R. I.” We were hopping mad.The third presentation went something like,“ What is autism? Autism is a rare disorder seenin 12 out of every 10,000 people. It is believed tobe genetic and neurological.” The speaker wenton with “ Autism 101” for a few minutes and Iwas writhing in my seat. Rick Rollens waspatting my hand and whispering “ Down, girl.”

Finally, in the middle of it all, Dr. Goldberginterrupted— he jumped up and asked, “ Why areyou wasting our time with 20-year-oldinformation? You people need to have a majorparadigm shift in your perception of autism.These kids are not behaviorally challenged, theyare physically ill! Until you recognize this, youare going to waste another 20 years looking at thewrong issues.”

The speaker looked like she had never beeninterrupted in her entire career, and stood theregaping. Dr. Goldberg continued: “ We are looking

at a terrible, tragic epidemic that will sacrifice anentire generation of children unless you can dosomething remarkable. You need to listen to ourfindings as parents and pediatricians. We alreadyknow that autism is immunological— why don’ tyou know this already? We already have studieslooking at treatment through correcting theimmune dysfunction— why aren’ t you interestedin these studies?” He went on for a couple ofminutes and then the moderator interrupted andsaid, “ This is how this meeting is going to go:We will finish our presentations, and you will beallowed to ask questions afterward.”

Well, this was it for me. I leaped up andscreamed, “ How dare you patronize us with thiskind of information? We are not stupid— we areeducated, informed parents who have donethousands of hours of research in autism. We didnot come here to be lectured to, we came to belistened to. We are full of ideas that you musthear. We know what happened to our children—how can you think you will be able to tell usotherwise?” Then I turned to the audience andsaid, “ My child had chronic ear infections andallergies but developed typically. After his MMRvaccine, he had seizures and a high fever, andwithin three weeks lost all social and languageskills, and developed chronic gastrointestinalproblems. To how many people does this soundfamiliar?” Every hand in the audience went up.

The moderator said, “ Fine, I guess we’ ll justfast-forward through our presentations and letyou people do all the talking.” He started flippingthrough the slides. Unfortunately for him, thenext presentation was from a guy from NIHInfectious Diseases, and the slides said thingslike, “ Why Vaccines Are Safe And Effective.” Ireally started hollering then. “ Look at thatnonsense! Did you actually think you were goingto convince us that we don’ t have a problem?Listen to me: We Are No Longer Susceptible ToYour Propaganda.” Then Dr. Goldberg said

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something else. Then the guy said, “ well, youdidn’ t even let us finish.”

I pointed out that the meeting was more thanhalf over, and that if they were going to continuewasting our time, I was leaving to go have lunchand would anyone like to join me? People startedto get up, but Barbara Fisher, bless her, said,“ Hang on a minute. You go on and finish, but wewould like a chance to speak when you’ re done.”The moderator turned off the projector and said,“ Okay, here’ s what we’ ll do. We have the roomuntil 1pm. Why don’ t we finish up, and then youpeople can line up and say what you want.”

After that, Dr. Bristol-Power stood up andgave a rather subdued talk on how it might bepossible to look at some of these issues. Herlanguage had changed. She referred to autism asan epidemic at least four times, and referredseveral times to the immune issues (not the“ possible” immune issues). Then lots of parentscame up and said what they wanted. Thespeakers didn’ t say another word. Rick urgedthem to consider holding more meetings like this.One of the speakers was glaring at him with an“ over my dead body” expression on her face.

Afterward, I went up to Dr. Marie Bristol-Power and shook her hand and thanked her. I toldher that I believed she was the only person onthat stage who was actually listening to us. Shehad the strangest expression on her face. I lookedinto her eyes and I thought, oh god, she believesus. She believes us, and she can’ t say anything.

Statistics?Ros in Australia: The US congressionalcommittee inquiring into immunizations finallymade the news here in Australia last weekend.On about page 50 of one national newspaper,there was half a column citing ProfessorO’ Leary’ s testimony mostly (and incorrectly atthat or should I say partially). The Australian

government’ s immunization research team’ sresponse was that their two year study indicatedthat when you considered this issue across a widecross-section of the population, there was nocorrelation between autism and immunization.What exactly does that mean? Where are theirnumbers? Why would you want to look at a widesection of the community if the correlation hasbeen found between certain people with pre-existing conditions or a predisposition for thiskind of reaction? Are they insinuating that thework of researchers overseas is fallacious? Irealize that I might think differently about theirconclusions than most people. I work withstatistics quite a bit, and realize how what youlook for can sometimes determine what you find.Yet, the average person in the street is going tobelieve this garbage they feed us because itsounds convincing.

Polly: No matter how hard we try to get to thetruth, when we fail to see the whole picture, it iseasy to draw the wrong conclusions. Forinstance, a study might miss the boat if they onlylook for a correlation with a measles vaccine, andforget to look at who had the pertussis vaccinewithin a short time period. No one has statisticson vaccinations with which patient had justgotten over another viral illness, had low vitaminA, had just taken antibiotics, or has susceptiblegenetics, etc. Statistics are useful, but it is just tooeasy to draw the wrong conclusions if youoverlook something or if you don’ t have enoughof the right kind of data.

Should We Keep Quiet?Kathy: I can understand any parent, grandparent,or family member becoming angry aboutvaccines. My children went before theirpediatricians like “ lambs to the slaughter.” Am Isuppose to keep quiet, shut up and deal with it?

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More harm will be had in not voicing ouropinions. Autism is now pandemic and clustersare being reported all around the country and theworld. We are asking for civility and some kindof democracy in this light. Should we work withthe FDA? Work with that? They have not heardour cries, they have not seriously debated this,and they will not until MONEY is taken out ofthis issue.

I have TWO autistic children. I thought I wasdoing the right thing when I vaccinated mychildren. My children were developing normallyin every light, meeting all of their criteriadevelopmentally UNTIL these so called safe andvaluable tools of health were injected into them.As was fed to me by numerous people, to “ be agood mother” we must vaccinate. I did that. Onechild almost died, yes, died, from his vaccines. Infact the ER physician reported in the report “ thisis a vaccine sequale reaction” . I then furtherinjured another child because of that mindset.Thinking I was doing the right thing, I removedJUST pertussis, and still resultantly, I haveanother autistic child.

Many children with autism FIRSTLY havepoor immune system quality. It can be genetic. Arecent test at University of Utah shows that manyhave dysregulations in their histocompatibilityregions of MHC or c4b anulle. This gene handlesVIRALS, TOXINS and FUNGALS. My childrentested at ZERO, faulty, nada, not working at all.If I had this information before the vaccinations,NO doctor in his/her right mind would havegiven my children vaccines. My children are notcandidates in any light.

Now, does that mean stop the vaccinationprogram? No. What it means to me is furthertesting must be done to see the efficacy, safetyand the reasons why a child must have 22 (andclimbing) vaccines before school. In Japan, theyhave seen a decline in reactions because theyhave delayed many vaccinations. They

understood the paradigm that possibly childrenmust have intact myelin formation and immunesystem status before they receive their vaccines.Perhaps we must test one at a time to see if theycan handle the vaccines properly.

We are not seeing any movement on thisbecause money is involved, pride is involved,and adverse reactions are so many, that who cancompensate for all this mess we are in? It is trulya nightmare. Why is it so hard to admit that somethings need to be undermined, looked at,researched and thought through?

Polly: The trials for vaccines only look forreactions within 5 days to a few weeks. This isunconscionable when the vaccines are suspectedof increasing the incidence of crib death, autism,ADD, ADHD, diabetes, asthma, and variousauto-immune disorders. Unless something isdone to change the way vaccines are approvedand marketed, our children will be subjected toever increasing numbers of vaccines. This isscary, because we need to look at the riskassociated with taking multiple vaccines, not justthe merits and risks of an individual vaccine.Vaccines are so profitable that there are currently200 new vaccines being developed. Don’ t look tothe manufacturers to voluntarily stem the tide.There is no reason that they should take a hardlook at the direction they have taken. Legally (atleast in the US), they are not liable for any harmdone by mandatory vaccines. Once a vaccine isapproved, it is risk-free profit.

Vaccine Reform NeededLesli Mitchell: It was during a conference thisJune that I crossed over to the other side of thevaccine issue, from conventional mom tovaccine-reform advocate, and began soundingmore and more like Mulder in “ The X-Files,”

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saying to anyone who would listen, “ The truth isout there.”

At an autism conference in Irvine, Calif., Iheard the first theory that made sense to meintuitively, not just about autism but about otherchildren who were sick, children I could seearound me every day, children of my friends, the“ typical” children who shared my son’ sclassroom. Respected doctors and researcherspresented evidence that the rise in autism overthe past decade was related to immune systemimpairment, part of a spectrum of otherchildhood illnesses on the rise such as allergies,asthma, ADHD, learning disabilities and seizuredisorders. What was causing the immune systemto turn against itself? The research is pointing tobombardment by multiple vaccines thatoverwhelmed the immature immune systems ofinfants and toddlers.

The American Academy of Pediatricscautions against vaccinating children who aresick. I didn’ t know this policy at the time, andapparently neither did anyone in the doctor’ soffice, because I was never told about it. What Idid know was that he was supposed to get 33vaccines before he started school, many of themsimultaneously. My refrigerator magnet “ freebie”of the vaccination schedule, included along withmy complimentary diaper bag and free formulafrom the hospital, showed that he would bereceiving as many as eight vaccines at the sametime: combined measles, mumps, rubella(MMR), combined diptheria, tetanus, pertussis(DPT), polio and haemophilus influenzae type B.It seemed like a lot at one time, but I was simplygrateful that the combination vaccines meant hewould have fewer overall injections.

The vaccination issue had come up manytimes in online chats about autism, but I didn’ tthink it applied to me. Unlike many autistic kids,Connor was not whisked away to the emergencyroom after his MMR (mumps, measles and

rubella) vaccination for seizures; he didn’ t “ turn”autistic within hours of his DPT. He had a fewmild reactions, nothing more.

But I didn’ t discount the parents’ claims: Iknew these parents personally and respected theirjudgment. Many were doctors or researchprofessionals themselves. The only thing thatconnected a lot of us was a common history ofchronic infections, mainly ear infections, andconsistent doses of antibiotics.

I decided to attend a conference on autismand learn more about the biological research.

Before I left I went through Connor’ s photoalbum. I did this soon after he was diagnosed, butperhaps I was too close to him and too ignorantof autism to recognize dramatic changes. Thistime, I saw it: Connor at 11 months, smiling forthe camera, looking into his daddy’ s eyes,touching his mommy’ s hair. Connor on his firstbirthday, after his morning visit to the doctor’ soffice and MMR vaccination, no longer lookingat anyone, no longer smiling. And perhaps themost revealing picture: Connor walking on histoes, one of the most common behaviors inautism. Within a day he had changed.

The conference speakers presented the theorythat autism was part of a spectrum of relatedimmune disorders on the rise in children. Theimmune dysfunction in the body was triggered byreactions to multiple vaccines, either aningredient in the vaccines themselves or theaccumulated damage of multiple vaccines to theimmune system. The body reacted by attackingits own cells, an “ auto-immune” response, withreactions in the body ranging from mild allergiesand behavioral changes to severe neurologicaldamage such as autism and seizure disorders.

This evidence made a lot of sense to mebecause I was seeing these kids with my owneyes everyday— friends of mine whose kids wereprone to severe allergies, asthma, attention andlearning problems, all with no family history.

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When I was growing up, there was always onekid in the classroom who was allergic to eggs,who had circles under his eyes and pale skin. Inever saw an autistic kid at all. Now I lookaround and see sick kids everywhere.

Dr. Andy Wakefield’ s presentation wasparticularly compelling. A respectedgastroenterologist at the Royal Free Hospital inLondon, he had been minding his own businessstudying inflammatory bowel disease andCrohn’ s disease when he encountered somethingvery curious that he hadn’ t seen before. When hetested the growing number of autistic childrenwho had come in with bowel problems, henoticed that their GI systems were damaged as ifthey’ d been diseased for years.

Wakefield listened to parents about the lateonset of symptoms, the similar stories ofregression and the parents’ belief that vaccinedamage may have caused the problem. When heran more tests on the children he found measlesvirus in their GI tracts, where it wasn’ t supposedto be. He published preliminary findings in arespected British medical journal, the Lancet, andimmediately came under fire from colleagues inthe USA and UK.

As I listened to the evidence Wakefield hadgathered, I looked around at the other parents.There was no commonality among us— we wereof all races and ethnic backgrounds andgeographically spread out. A few of us had agenetic history of autism or allergies but most ofus didn’ t.

If you controlled for all of these factors, whatcommon link was there? Controlling for genetics,allergy histories in families and environmentaltoxins from varied geography, there was only onecandidate left that applied to all of us— amandated vaccine program. Industrializedcountries like the U.S., the UK and Canada wereexperiencing this tremendous rise in autism andother neurological disorders. And these were the

same countries where modern medicineflourished.

Interestingly, Japan didn’ t figure among theother countries’ high increase, and hadwithdrawn the MMR in 1993 because ofconcerns about adverse reactions. I started tobecome uneasy.

“ I’ m going to ask everyone a question,” saidthe conference host after Wakefield’ s talk. “ Howmany of you here believe your children havebeen damaged by vaccines?”

Seventy-five percent of the attendees stoodup and raised their hands. One woman a fewrows behind me was crying, and I knewintuitively that her faith in the medicalestablishment had finally crumbled. Her sufferingwas genuine; she sobbed quietly. When I lookedback, she was embarrassed, covering her facewith her hand.

But I was moved by her anguish, her privatesuffering, and I relived for a moment my ownstruggles since Connor’ s diagnosis. The longnights of guilt I felt as a mother, constantlywondering what I had done wrong to give himautism; the long days of research to find a cure—the doctors told me to put him in an institution,but I wasn’ t going to leave him; the countlessdoctor visits and tests Connor bravely enduredwithout understanding why he was hurting orreceiving little relief.

And finally, unsurprisingly, I wasoverwhelmed with rage. I felt it building withinme and it was like nothing I’ d experiencedbefore. I knew very clearly at that moment that Ihad crossed over to the other side, that I wasconvinced my son was a cash cow for an industrythat tested its products in production rather thanthe lab, motivated by $2 billion per year inprofits, no different in its potential for corruptionthan any other industry. I could not trust the FDAand the CDC to protect me from pharmaceuticalcompanies that wanted to get their products to

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market with as little testing as possible and topromote the repeated use of their products inorder to maintain their monopoly under the guiseof the public good.

I don’ t have a medical degree, but I havelearned how to be a thoughtful medicalconsumer. Connor’ s up for his mandated boostersnext year. I know now that he can have a simpleblood test of his antibody titers, which measureshis antibodies and confirms that he has theprotection he needs against disease. I had theblood test done and he’ s protected.

There’ s no medical exemption from theseboosters in my state for “ sufficient protectionbased on antibody titers,” so I’ ll have to use areligious exemption instead. I’ ve accepted thatthere is no binding contract between me and theagencies and companies that purport to protectmy child. But my bond with Connor remains, myresponsibility as his mother expanding to includeadvocacy— even activism— along with love.

Polly: Lesli Mitchell is a writer and editor whospecializes in education and technology. Herchildren’ s book about autism, “ Party Train!” waspublished in September 2000 by DRL Press. Theabove offering is a portion of an article writtenby Lesli Mitchell. This article first appeared inSalon.com, at http://www.Salon.com. An onlineversion remains in the Salon archives. Reprintedwith permission.

MMR Vaccine Plus MercuryMr. Generic: Today’ s Sunday Express (UnitedKingdom— December 2, 2001) contains anarticle about the latest study linking autism to theMMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine.

“ Dr. Vijendra Singh, lead researcher, studied200 autistic children, 50 with other braindisorders and 100 ‘normal’ children. He foundthat nine out of 10 of the autistic children had

experienced a reaction to the MMR vaccinewhilst only two out of the other children hadreacted.”

Separate administration of the three vaccinesreduces the risk to the body. However, forpolitical reasons, separate vaccinations werebanned in the UK. Parents were forced to go toFrance for the separate shots. Now, the RoyalCollege of General Practitioners in the UK hasrequested that the government allow separateadministration of the measles, mumps and rubellavaccines. However, the prospects look bleakgiven the mindset of the establishment. Thegovernment has plans to include chicken poxvaccine in with the MMR, making it a quadruplevaccine.

The same newspaper article had an anotherunsettling bit of news. Andrew Wakefield, MD,was the first doctor to publish information inmedical journals that suggested a connectionbetween the MMR vaccination and autism. Forpolitical reasons, he was asked to resign from hisposition at the Royal Free Hospital in London.

Polly: With all this controversy about the MMR,why make it worse by adding the chicken poxvaccine to it? That is callous and irresponsible.Also, why must people like Dr. AndrewWakefield be persecuted? Society can’ t afford toignore important information just because itimpinges on someone’ s political turf, ideology orprofits.

“ All truth goes through three stages. First it isridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, itis accepted as self-evident.” (Schopenhauer)

Breaking the MMR vaccination up into separatevaccinations might not be the complete answer,but it certainly wouldn’ t hurt to do so. There isalways more risk when you give more than onevaccine at a time. Combined vaccinations can

Vaccinations 73

lower the Th1 cell-mediated immunity (CMI)further than a single vaccine by itself. HughFudenberg, MD states

“ Because of great decrease in cell-mediatedimmunity (CMI) in infants, the vaccines lowerCMI further; one decreases CMI by 50%; twotogether by 70%” [2]

When the CMI is lowered, this allows yeast,protozoa, and viruses to take control. When andif these take over, it is difficult for the body torecover from the damage done to the immunesystem.

An article in the Townsend Letter by BarbaraBrewitt, PhD, explains one reason why a measlesinfection can become chronic due to mercurypoisoning. Mercury theoretically increases therate of the virus’ s mutation. It is harder for theimmune system to keep up with a virus if it keepsmutating into a different form. She also talkedabout how measles infects specific brain areasthat correspond to brain areas commonlydamaged in the autistic. [3] Stephanie Cave, MD,also points out that the mercury preservative willsuppress the Th1 immune system, which killsviruses, yeasts, and parasites. [4]

Judy in Nevada: The link between the MMRvaccine and irritable bowel disease (IBD) hasbeen confirmed. This is a short quote from astory at www.gastrohep.com/usalinks

Measles-containing vaccines and IBD. AndrewWakefield, 02 January 2002

In an ironic twist, investigators from the Centersfor Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) andthe Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) Project haveconfirmed an association between measles-containing vaccines (MCV) and inflammatorybowel disease. Specifically, they have alsodetermined how age at exposure to an MCV maybe important in determining the type of

inflammatory bowel disease—Crohn’s disease orulcerative colitis—that develops.

Polly: That story has a rather ionic twist. It usesDavis’ s data to prove Wakefield’ s point. Therehas been a rather heated debate over the possibleassociation between measles vaccines andautism. Wakefield has found measles in thebowel of his autistic patients, and the strainmatches that of the vaccine. However, Davisinsists that his statistical data clearly shows thereis no association between vaccines and autism. Inan ironic twist, Wakefield took Davis’ s data,looked at it from another perspective and showedthe association. Wakefield points out that Davis’ sdata clearly shows an association between age ofexposure to measles and the type of boweldisease acquired in later life. Those whodeveloped Crohns disease were much more likelyto have been exposed to measles later inchildhood (closer to 6 years of age) than thosewho developed ulcerative colitis. It will now beharder for the CDC and Davis to deny theassociation between the measles vaccine andbowel disease.

How to Lessen the Risks ofVaccinesPolly: I’ ve compiled a list of considerations forvaccine safety. Your doctor may not feel that anyprecautions are necessary, but parents are theultimate guardians of a child’ s health. You decidehow conservative you want to be.

1) Only use the vaccinations without themercury preservative. These are availablefrom Smith-Kline-Beecham. Fortunately, dueto public pressure, mercury will be graduallyphased out of the vaccines. Before receivinga shot, ask to take a look at the packageinsert. Even if the doctor as been told that

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they have stopped putting in mercury, youmust be careful. The drug companies maystill be getting rid of old stock. We need togive consideration to the formaldehyde andaluminum in the available vaccines too. Thevaccines may also contain ethylene glycol(antifreeze), phenol (a disinfectant/dye), andbenzethonium chloride (a disinfectant).

2) Don’ t vaccinate a premature baby or put themon the same vaccination schedule as a fullterm baby. [5] The smaller the child’ s body,the greater the relative dose of the mercury,formaldehyde, and aluminum in the vaccines.Another reason is that premature babiesusually have low vitamin A stores in theirlivers, which could make them moresusceptible to damage from a vaccine. I willspare you the heart-wrenching details thatsome moms have reported when theirpremature babies were vaccinated.

3) Never vaccinate a sick child. Teresa Binstockand others suggest that the risk is too great.There may be an adverse interplay betweenthe vaccine reaction and the large number ofpathogens in the body. [6]

4) Don’ t vaccinate immediately after an illness.The pathogen level can still be high. Also,you want to give the child a chance to buildup their vitamin A, vitamin C, and othernutrient stores. Also, if antibiotics weregiven, you want time to reestablish theintestinal flora. Never give a vaccinationwhile the child is on antibiotics. There is toogreat a chance that the wrong bacteria oryeast will get the upper hand.

5) Don’ t vaccinate when others in the family areill. The child may be coming down with thatillness, and will have elevated pathogenlevels even if they seem healthy.

6) Consider IgA screening on children prior tovaccination. Low IgA values seem to beassociated with adverse reactions to vaccines.Teresa Binstock suggests testing the immunesystem. These tests can help determine whichchildren are more likely to react adversely toa vaccine. On a more cynical note, pretestingof the immune system will give you legalgrounds for a lawsuit if injury to the immunesystem results. Otherwise, you have littlechance of winning in court. [7]

7) Our infants and toddlers are at greater risk ofimmune damage during the first few yearsbecause there is a dip in a child’ s immunitybetween the time it has the antibodies of themother and before it develops its ownimmunity. www.jorsm.com/~binstock/vacc-let.htm. We need to consider delaying someof the vaccinations, especially the MMR,until a child is older. Japan delays many ofthe vaccines until the child is at least 2 yearsold. Why can’ t we consider this?

8) Vitamin C levels should be adequate beforeadministration of vaccinations. At one time,fully half the Aborigine infants were dyingshortly after vaccinations. The vaccinationdeaths ended when the pioneering Aboriginalhealthworker, Dr. Archie Kalokarinos, gavethe children vitamin C. Seewww.autism.com/ari/editorials/vitaminc.html

9) Measure the vitamin A levels of the childbefore giving a vaccine, and/or consider asupplement of vitamin A (retinol form)before an upcoming vaccination. Dr. Megsonsuggests there is a bigger chance thatvaccines will trigger autism if a child is lowin vitamin A. She suggests giving them aRecommended Daily Allowance (RDA) ofthe natural (retinol) vitamin A, found in fish,liver, butter, and breast milk. This type of

Vaccinations 75

vitamin A is not found in margarine, fortifiednon-fat milk, and in infant formulas. If youuse cod liver oil, purchase it from a highquality source. See www.megson.com.

10) Certain viruses, like measles, can damage theintestinal mucosa cells that absorb vitamin A.Since, the MMR vaccine depletes the body ofvitamin A, sufficient time should be allocatedafter the MMR shot for restoration of vitaminA levels before the DPT shot is given. TheMMR and the DPT shots should not be giventogether. The DPAT shot is considered muchsafer than the DPT. Ask for it. (This isConnaught’s infant DPT vaccine with aJapanese acellular pertussis component. Itcosts more but you gain a much better safetymargin.)

11) There are certain conditions that suggest agenetic weakness in the G proteins or vitaminA receptors. If these conditions are in yourfamily, it is particularly important that youcheck vitamin A stores before administratingthe Hepatitis B, MMR, or the DPTvaccinations. Dr. Megson pointed out thatthose who may be at particular risk havefamilies with histories of night blindness,pseudohypoparathyroidism, adenoma of thethyroid or pituitary gland, colon cancer,diabetes, or hyperlipidemia. Other conditionswhich occur more often in autism familiesare Schizophrenia and CFIDS. However, Dr.Megson didn’ t list these last two as beingrelated to G protein defects.

12) Dr. Veira Scheibner, in her book onvaccinations, suggests that the stress ofvaccines contributes to cot death or SuddenInfant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Breathingmonitors showed changes in patterns for upto two months following the DPTvaccination. [8] There have been recent

studies of the intestinal lining and toxincontent of blood from SIDS infants. Theyindicate that a significant proportion of SIDSdeaths may be caused by the absorption oftoxins from the intestinal tract— the toxinsbeing created by bacteria like Clostridiumperfringens, Clostridium difficile,Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus. [9](The Clostridium toxins are suspected ofbreaking down the intestinal barrier andperhaps the blood-brain barrier as well.) Iwould guess that pretreatment with infantprobiotics for a short period (done severalweeks in advance of this vaccination) mayprovide a little insurance against a bad mix offlora preexisting at the time of thisvaccination.

For a general precaution against SIDS,you should always place your baby on itsback to sleep. (However, the baby should beslightly tilted to one side so that if he/shevomits, it won’ t go into his/her nose.) Onereason for the back position is that babies inthis position will breathe fewer fumes fromthe fire retardant in the mattresses. Apolyethylene mattress cover will also reducethe exposure to the fire retardant chemicals inthe polyvinylchoride of the mattress. Thesechemicals are released by contact withmildew and are suspected of contributing toSIDS. (Babesafe covers are available atwww.criblife2000.com phone 800 951-9255)

13) Ask for separate vaccinations of Measles,Mumps, and Rubella instead of thecombination MMR shot. Combinedvaccinations can lower the Th1 cell-mediatedimmunity further than a single vaccine byitself. Some doctors suggest spacing theMeasles, Mumps and Rubella vaccinationsapproximately a year apart. Do the same for

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the combination Diphtheria-Pertussis-Tetnus(DPT) vaccine.

14) Ninety-five percent of those who receive theirfirst measles shot, do not need a booster. Getthe titers measured, and if high, there is nodecent reason for a booster. The child and thecommunity are protected. You can also checkthe titers of other viruses and may be able toavoid more of the boosters.

15) If a mother does not have antibodies torubella, there is currently a practice of givingher a rubella or MMR shot right afterdelivery of her baby. Unfortunately, the viruscan be passed on in the mother’ s breast milk.There is also the possibility that the rubellavirus will be transmitted via the mother’ snose or throat. Richard Yazbak, MD hassuggested that there could be a problem withmothers being given this postpartum shot andtheir offspring later developing autism.Essentially, we are exposing these children tothis virus earlier than we think.[10]

16) Unless the mom has hepatitis B, the hepatitisB vaccine doesn’ t have to be given the firstday of life. Hepatitis B occurs primarily inpromiscuous individuals or intravenous drugusers. The estimated time of its effectivenessis seven years. [11] If used at all, perhaps itshould be given at as a teenager. It makeslittle sense to give it earlier. Its use should notbe taken lightly. This vaccine has beenbanned in France because of the public’ sconcern over possible serious neurologicaldamage. Here is an interview about theHepatitis B vaccine that will introduce you toa few of the problems with this particularvaccine and the politics surrounding its use.http://www.whale.to/m/belkin1.html

17) The injected inactivated polio vaccines (IVP)cost more, but they won’ t cause polio like theoral live vaccine might.

18) Tell your doctor if you want the IVP poliovaccine or the acellular pertussis vaccine orseparate MMR shots well before you come infor your appointment. This allows the doctortime to get the vaccines in stock.

19) If after an immunization or during any viralinfection, you suspect that more is happeningthan just some fussiness or a bit of a fever,call your doctor and/or get the child to thehospital. You are the best judge of theseverity of the reaction. Some parents ofautistic children were told by their doctorsnot to worry, which turned out to be amistake. If you are worried, take the child tothe emergency room. Parents on the net havedescribed inconsolable high-pitchedscreaming and arching of the back, orsleeping for 24 hours straight. In others, thesymptoms were not as obvious. If there weresome unusual reactions to a vaccine, stronglyconsider not getting the booster.

20) Read a few books on the subject ofvaccinations. Some vaccines aren’ t veryeffective; some vaccines seem to pose asmuch a risk of encephalitis as acquiring thedisease itself; and all vaccines lower thechild’ s natural immunity. Yet, beware.Statistics can be twisted by both sides of thisargument. If they say that half the childrenwho caught the disease had been vaccinated,this doesn’ t mean the vaccine was totallyineffective. That only proves that the vaccinedidn’ t protect 100% of the vaccinatedchildren. It is NOT the same thing as givingthe percent of vaccinated children in aneighborhood who caught the diseasecompared to the percent of unvaccinated

Vaccinations 77

children who caught the disease.Nonetheless, there seems to be plenty ofevidence to suggest that there is a very realproblem with vaccine effectiveness and avery real risk of vaccine side effects. Choosewisely. It is not just your child’ s health andfuture that is at stake; it is our society’ shealth and future.

Are Exemptions Available?Polly: The law in each state is quite different. Soyou must do a little research if you feel stronglyabout obtaining a waiver. To obtain a copy ofyour law, ask your local reference librarian tohelp you find the public health codes, educationand welfare laws pertaining to vaccinationrequirements for school entry. All 50 states allowmedical exemption to vaccination. However, afew state governments won’ t take a doctor’ sword for it, and will send the request to theHealth Board for review. In most states areligious waiver is available. However, in a fewstates, you must have a religious waiver signedby a representative of only certain religions. It iscrazy, but sometimes you have to object to allvaccinations, not just the ones that you feel areparticularly dangerous and/or ineffective.Philosophical or personal objections are allowedin some states, where all that is needed is theparent’ s signature.

In some states it can be quite difficult to geta waiver, but not impossible. Before making amistake, first find out the specific law in yourstate. Contact your state’ s health department, andread some of the information at these sites:www.909shot.com, www.washlaw.edu.

www.access1.net/via/STATES/allstates.htm

www.findlaw.com/11stategov/index.html

You can also contact Tetrahedron PublishingGroup, PO Box 2033, Sandpoint, ID 83864,

phone 1-888-508-4787 and order an educationaltape that will help. There are a few examples ofwaiver request papers at their site in the articlessection, www.tetrahedron.org.

Books And WebsitesPolly: Mary, are there any books that people canread to help them decide on whether they shouldor should not vaccinate their children?

Mary: I’ ve heard that DPT: a Shot in the Dark isa very good book. Here is another book thatmight help, Dr. Neustaedter’ s Vaccine Guide(260 pages). It is available from Autism ResearchInstitute (ARI) for $17.00 (includes postage£CAresidents $18.22). Includes the ARI vaccineinformation package at no additional cost.

Autism Research Institute4182 Adams AvenueSan Diego, CA 92116www.Autism.com

Sue: New Atlantean press publishes and makesavailable many books on vaccination. TheVaccine Policy Institute in Ohio has put out andImmunization Resource Guide that lists severalorganizations and books (although not all that isout there.)

Ray: Dr. Harris Coulter’ s book Vaccination,Social Violence and Criminality: The MedicalAssault on the American Brain is excellent. Hesees an increase in autism and developmentaldisorders due to the vaccines.

Later£Polly: I read Dr. Viera Scheibener’ sbook, Vaccination: 100 years of OrthodoxResearch shows that Vaccines Represent aMedical Assault on the Immune System. It is fullof statistics and therefore somewhat dry. I alsoread parts of another book, DPT, a Shot in the

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Dark. It wasn’ t melodramatic, but the stark truthand realism that the book brings to the problemwas hard for me to take. If you don’ t wish to reada whole book on the subject, there is an excellentsummary chapter on vaccinations in the bookWhat Doctors Don’ t Tell You, by LynneMcTaggart. Priced at only $7.00, the book is wellworth the money. The newest book is What YourDoctor May Not Tell You About Children’ sVaccinations by Stephanie Cave, MD andDeborah Mitchell (Contributor).

Technical references on vaccination reactionsare at www.trufax.org/abstr2/vaccabst.html. Thissite has a very extensive list of articles onvaccinations. www.whale.to/vaccines.html. Thissite has good articles too, www.jabs.org.uk. Atwww.egroups.com there are several lists thatdiscuss vaccines. Information about how thevaccines lower immunity are at this website,www.mercola.com. There are several articlesthere. Perhaps start with this one.

www.mercola.com/1999/aug/15/congressional_vaccine_testimony.htm.

references1. Ramirez GB, Cruz MC, Pagulayan O, Ostrea Sd,

Dalisay C.,” The tagum study I: analysis and clinical

correlates of mercury in maternal and cord blood,

breast milk, meconium, and Infants’ hair.” Pediatrics.

2000 Oct;106(4):774-81. And Clarkson TW. “ Metal

toxicity in the central nervous system.” Environ

Health Perspect 1987;75:59-64

2. Fudenberg, MD, “ Typical course of an Autistic

Patient,” at

www.whaleto.freeserve.co.uk/v/fudenburg.html

3. Barbara Brewitt, PhD, “ Autism, MMR Vaccine, HIV

Similarities and Growth Factor Cell Signaling,”

Townsend Letter, January 2002

4. Cave S, MD, FAAFP “ Autism in Children”

International Journal of Pharmaceutical

Compounding, Vol.5 No.1 January/February 2001

www.ijpc.com/_pdf/Autism.pdf

5. Sen S, Cloete Y, Hassan K, Buss P, “ Adverse events

following vaccination in premature infants.” Acta

Paediatr 2001 Aug;90(8):916-920

6. Teresa Binstock, “ Mechanisms of Vaccination

Sequelae: a sampling from scientific literature.”

www.jorsm.com/~binstock/vacc-let.htm email:

aspergerian@yahoo.com

7. Buttram, Harold, E., MD, “ The National Childhood

Vaccine Injury Act - A Critique,” Townsend Letter for

Doctors and Patients, October, 1998, page 66

8. Scheibner, Viera, PhD, Vaccination; 100 Years of

Orthodox Research shows that Vaccines Represent a

Medical Assault on the Immune System, United States

Distributor: New Atlantean Press, PO box 9638, Santa

Fe, NM 87504, phone (505) 983-1856

9. Kamaras J, Murrell WG, “ Intestinal epithelial damage

in sids babies and its similarity to that caused by

bacterial toxins in the rabbit.” Pathology 2001

May;33(2):197-203]

10. F. Edward Yazbak, MD, FAAP and Kathy L. Lang-

Radosh “ Adverse Outcomes Associated with

Postpartum Rubella or MMR Vaccine”

http://www.haciendapub.com/yazbak.html

11. Buttram, Harold, E., MD, “ Vaccine Scene 1999,

Overview and Update” , Townsend Letter for Doctors

and Patients, December, 1999

12. Townsend Letter, “ Indiana Lawmakers Duped, New

Hepatitis B Vaccine Mandate ‘All Risk - No Benefit’

for Indiana Children,” page 86 August/September

1998 issue

13. Horowitz, Leonard, DMD, MA, MPH, “ A critical

Review of the National Vaccine Information Center’ s

“ First International Public Conference on

Vaccinations” Townsend Letter for Doctors and

Patients, July 1998

Index

A

AA (arachidonic acid) · 39acetylcholine · 25, 27, 29,

31, 42ADD · See attention deficitadrenal · 35, 36allergies · 17, 19, 39, 45, 67aluminum · 44, 65, 74amino acids · 16, 48antibiotics · 18, 29, 39, 68,

74antifungals · 12arginine · 16Armour · 37arsenic · 44arthritis · 22, 44asthma · 69attention deficit · 11, 18,

19, 24, 29, 31, 38, 40,42, 43, 46, 48, 58, 63,64, 69

B

Barnes, Broda MD · 37bile · 21, 25biofeedback · See

neurofeedbackbioflavonoids and

flavonoids · 47, 48biotin · 16, 17blood pressure · 44, 52, 53

C

cadmium · 44calcium · 15, 25carbohydrates · 45

carbon dioxide · 45casein · 13, 16, 17, 18, 19,

26, 31, 35, 51celiac · 17CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue

Immune DysfunctionSyndrome) · 11, 12, 13,44, 75

choline · 27, 29Clostridium and Clostridia ·

15, 75coenzyme Q10 · 12colostrum · 26, 31constipation · 39, 44craniosacral therapy · 20cysteine · 21, 37, 50, 51

D

Dean, Ward, MD · 45depression · 36, 37, 44DEWS · 31DHA · 15diabetes · 69, 75diarrhea · 51digestion · 18digestive enzymes · 19di-methyl-glycine · See

DMGDMG · 12, 45, 54DMSA (2,3-

DimercaptosuccinicAcid) · 39, 44

dopamine · 29Doris Rapp, MD · 43, 45DPP IV enzyme · 17, 18,

19, 26, 34, 58

E

Edgar Cayce · 61environmental · 36, 66Environmental Medicine ·

60enzymes · 42, 48, 50, 65EPA (eicosapentaenoic

acid) · 15, 64epilepsy · See seizures and

epilepsyestrogen · 45

F

fats and oils · 14, 44butter · 25, 51, 74coconut · 42fish · 24, 25, 26primrose · 39

fluoride · 18, 29, 43

G

garlic · 50glucosaminoglycans · 46,

47gluten · 13, 16, 17, 18, 19,

35, 45, 51grape seed extract · 49Great Plains Laboratory ·

16Great Smokies Laboratory ·

17Guifenisen · 40

H

HHV-6 · 11, 12

histidine · 50homeopathic · 24Huggins · 39hypothyroid · 34, 36, 38

I

IgA · 31, 32, 59, 74immune system · 12, 17,

31, 69, 73, 74inflammation · 14, 34, 45,

46iodine · 35

J

Jarrow · 27, 28, 29

K

Kava · 45Kutapressin · 12

L

lead poisoning · 44leaky gut · 21, 42, 45lipoic · 13, 16, 50liver · 12, 18, 21, 25, 26,

35, 36, 38, 47, 48, 49,50, 74

M

magnesium · 12, 13, 18, 28,45, 49

Mayo Clinic · 39mercury · 11, 13, 14, 18,

29, 35, 36, 38, 39, 44,46, 47, 51, 57, 63, 64,65, 73, 74, 78

methionine · 18

migraines · 38milk · 17, 19, 29, 31, 35,

48, 51, 64, 74, 78molds · 19MSM (Methyl-Sulfonyl-

Methane) · 12, 47, 49multiple sclerosis · 31

N

N-Acetyl-Cysteine · 51natural progesterone · 39neurofeedback · 40Nystatin · 36

O

organic · 55

P

pancreas and pancreaticenzymes · 21, 25

Peat, Raymond, PhD · 33,39, 59, 60, 61

pesticides · 18, 36, 41, 42,43, 60

phosphate · 40, 41, 42, 43phosphates · 40pituitary · 75potassium · 49progesterone · 33

S

salt · 25SAMe · 18secretin · 21, 22, 23, 24seizures and epilepsy · 21,

23, 44, 45, 50, 54, 67serotonin · 30, 33, 59Shaw, William, PhD · 11,

16, 58

SIDS (Sudden Infant DeathSyndrome) · 75

Sinaiko, Robert, MD · 61soy · 19

T

taurine · 37, 45Th1 and Th2 · 73, 75thyroid · 12, 33, 34, 35, 36,

37, 39, 45, 51, 57, 75thyroiditis · 36Thyrotropin Releasing

Hormone · 34, 35TMG · 12, 15, 18, 29TNF · See Tumor Necrosis

Factor (TNF)TRH · See Thyrotropin

Releasing Hormonetryptophan · 39, 42Tumor Necrosis Factor

(TNF) · 34

U

urinary · 31, 38urine test · 39

V

vaccines and vaccinations ·25, 41, 54, 55, 63-78

W

whey · 50, 51

Z

zinc · 12, 13, 18, 38, 39, 49

More Health Forum books can be found at www.dysbiosis.com

Book 1: Candida’ s Impact on your Health

Book 2: Candidiasis and Dysbiosis Abatement Techniques

Book 3: Diets for Immune Support and Gut Health

Book 4: Hormones, Dysbiosis and Candidiasis

Book 5: Hope for Autism through Nutrition

Book 6: Cleansing the Body of Mercury

Book 7: Fibromyalgia Treatment Options

About Polly Hattemer, PhD — editor of The Health ForumPolly Hattemer’ s formal education is a doctorate in System Science Engineering fromUCLA. She has spent over 20 years working in the aerospace industry. Specifically, sheanalyzed and helped to design missile guidance systems, satellite sensors, and radarwaveforms. This background perhaps explains the way she looks at health. Because ofher systems engineering background, she is always looking for the interactions betweendifferent “ systems” in the body. However, her perspective is just one of many that willbe found in the Health Forum books.

Polly Hattemer used to have intestinal yeast overgrowth with the accompanyingsymptoms of migraines, food sensitivities, fatigue, brain-fog, and of course, intestinalupsets. Over many years, she accumulated information on how to get rid of theseailments and how to heal the damage left in its wake. Several years ago, she startedchatting with others on the Internet about this problem. She discovered that the Internetwas a vast resource of technical information and an interesting source of personalexperiences. With the permission of her Internet friends, she recorded their personalexperiences and organized them into the Health Forum books. She also addedreferences to tutorial and technical articles.