Pls help-questions about midline defects and supplements

[utahmama]

I have been reading several of the midline defects threads over the last week or so and I'm overwhelmed and trying to wrap my head around all the info!  I'm really hoping you can help me sort my thoughts out and suggest what supplements I can give my ds to help.  I'll try to keep this short. :)

My history: I've had Keratosis Pilaris for years.  I have extremely high thyroid antibodies and many symptoms of hypothyroid but no doctor will treat me for it. I'm anaphylactic to aspirin and have just started reading on here about salicylates.  Wondering if I should be avoiding those?  High homocysteine levels when pg with ds.  Took metformin while TTC; stopped around 8-10 weeks pregnant?  Developed pre-eclampsia at 28 weeks and was on strict bedrest for 9 1/2 weeks.  (From what I've read all of these things can cause midline defects?)

DS is now 5 1/2 and was dx with Chiari Malformation when he was 3.  He has a sacral dimple and is also showing signs of ADHD.  Possible tethered cord.  Chronic constipation problems, behavior problems and was allergic to practically everything as a babe.  Has passed many foods now but I believe he still has food intolerances.  Still allergic to wheat.

Based on this information, what do you recommend for him?  I know high folate foods (which most of those he won't eat :(  I make green smoothies and hide the spinach with lots of blueberries and he still won't drink them).  Also, magnesium, right?  What dose and brand?  What other supplements?  We were seeing a naturopath (who I wasn't completely thrilled with) who did an allergy test where they touch your thumb with a pointy pen with a metal tip and a machine would read and the needle would go really high if he was sensitive.  Anyway, they said his body did not like B vitamins??  What could that mean?

I know I'm asking a lot but if any of you have any direction for me I would really appreciate it.  His behaviour is getting to be really bad--very ADHD like lately and I'm at my wits end.

I know there are many that are dealing with this and I'm hoping maybe someone could point me in the right direction.  (Please!!  Spoken in desperation!!).

Thank you!!!!

Kathy

[Starry-eyedMom]

 Bump.

Sorry, I have no answers to give, but I'm interested in this for some of the same reasons. 

[utahmama]

Thanks for bumping!

Anyone have any suggestions? 

I need to copy and paste a response I got from WuWei.  It was helpful.  I would like to hear anyone else's recommendations or experience with any part of this.

Thanks!

[tanyalynn]

I'll throw in what comments I can..

Originally Posted by utahmama 

I have been reading several of the midline defects threads over the last week or so and I'm overwhelmed and trying to wrap my head around all the info!  I'm really hoping you can help me sort my thoughts out and suggest what supplements I can give my ds to help.  I'll try to keep this short. :)

My history: I've had Keratosis Pilaris for years.

You read the threads in Allergies about KP, right?  It seems like essential fatty acid deficiencies, magnesium deficiencies and/or vitamin A deficiency can be involved.  I don't know a better way than guess-and-check to figure out which one.  And a food intolerance can cause some of those, especially the mag deficiency, so removing foods someone is intolerant of can remove the cause of the problem. 

  I have extremely high thyroid antibodies and many symptoms of hypothyroid but no doctor will treat me for it.

For you, have you removed gluten?  Thyroid antibodies (really any auto-immune thing) can be caused/exacerbated by gluten.  Any chance of celiac in your family?  People with long histories of digestive issues (regardless of diagnosis), any type 1 diabetes?  And selenium deficiency, supplementing selenium has reduced thyroid antibody levels too, there's a study if you want to google it. 

 I'm anaphylactic to aspirin and have just started reading on here about salicylates.  Wondering if I should be avoiding those?  High homocysteine levels when pg with ds.  Took metformin while TTC; stopped around 8-10 weeks pregnant?  Developed pre-eclampsia at 28 weeks and was on strict bedrest for 9 1/2 weeks.  (From what I've read all of these things can cause midline defects?)

Those wouldn't cause midline defects, the midline stuff happens very early in pregnancy, I think around week 6-7?  Except conception is week 3 so it's really early, thus the rec for people to take folic acid before pregnancy, though of course it should be folate instead of folic acid. 

DS is now 5 1/2 and was dx with Chiari Malformation when he was 3.  He has a sacral dimple and is also showing signs of ADHD.  Possible tethered cord.  Chronic constipation problems, behavior problems and was allergic to practically everything as a babe.  Has passed many foods now but I believe he still has food intolerances.  Still allergic to wheat.

Gluten and dairy are the two first steps in eliminating foods.  Constipation can be caused/exacerbated by magnesium deficiency, and it seems like inflammation (whatever the cause) can make people need extra magnesium.  My DS gets really low on mag when he gets dairy, makes him hyper. 

Based on this information, what do you recommend for him?  I know high folate foods (which most of those he won't eat :(  I make green smoothies and hide the spinach with lots of blueberries and he still won't drink them).  Also, magnesium, right?  What dose and brand?  What other supplements?  We were seeing a naturopath (who I wasn't completely thrilled with) who did an allergy test where they touch your thumb with a pointy pen with a metal tip and a machine would read and the needle would go really high if he was sensitive.  Anyway, they said his body did not like B vitamins??  What could that mean?

How do you feel about supplements?  In some ways, I threw in the towel with regard to trying to solve things just with foods.  I try to make good food choices, but when push comes to shove, we avoid the foods DS is intolerant of and take the pills and call that good enough--and I've seen progress that way, I'm pretty happy with how things are going. 

My guess is that he could be at a point where he's not absorbing/using B vits well.  If this is a NAET practitioner, it could be, not exactly an allergy, but something similar to a particular nutrient.  I don't know what to do about that other than NAET (an allergen-clearing protocol), but I haven't done it for any of us so I can't say whether it works. 

re: supps, consider teaching your son to swallow pills.  You can start small, but even young kids can swallow pills and then getting supps into a kid gets much easier. 

re: mag, you'd want magnesium citrate or magnesium glycinate, look for the fewest fillers, probably capsules instead of tablets.  For a long time, I opened capsules for my kids and stirred them into about 2 tablespoons of strong-tasting juice. 

Thorne brand has real folate, so if/when you want a B complex supp, that's the one I'd choose.  Do a search for mamafish9's discussion in Allergies for ADHD, we've inadvertently pretty much done that in the order suggested over a couple years (DS has ADD tendencies, not usually hyper but lack of focus).

Easiest supp to add is cell salts, there's a long thread, bioplasma alone helped with a few things with my kids, it reduced the amount of some supps that they need, noticeably reduced them.  And they're chewable and tasty so it's easy. 

I know I'm asking a lot but if any of you have any direction for me I would really appreciate it.  His behaviour is getting to be really bad--very ADHD like lately and I'm at my wits end.

I know there are many that are dealing with this and I'm hoping maybe someone could point me in the right direction.  (Please!!  Spoken in desperation!!).

Thank you!!!!

Kathy

I don't know if an ana reaction to aspirin implies salicylate intolerance.  Though removing salicylates (basically do something like the Feingold diet, Failsafe is a more thorough but tougher version, it reduces amines as well, a different type of food chemical in addition to salicylates) is probably a good thing to consider, maybe for your whole family.  Easier in the winter with less fruit and berries available, but it seems like salicylate intolerance often causes behavior issues with kids.  If sals are the issue, go to the Salicylate tribe thread in Allergies, I think it's molybdenum and B6 that people have had success with in increasing their kids' salicylate tolerance (takes a few months and people still need to keep sals in mind, but they've got more wiggle room).  Epsom salt baths also help, I think. 

[utahmama]

tanyalynn,

THANK YOU!!!!!  I haven't been back to mothering in months...life.....you know, I got busy with my kids.  I really appreciate the time you took to answer this!  I'm going to look into everything you said.  Thanks again!!