I have a real treat in store for you this week, and a perfect story to celebrate PANS/PANDAS Awareness Week. Part of our mission is to bring hope to families who desperately want their children to recover and thrive, often after years of suffering. Leila's story is truly inspiring, and it's a beautiful testament to resilience and hope.

Leila had spent many years battling PANDAS flares. At just 15 years old, she was burnt out, anxious and depressed. She was no longer able to attend school, and trying to access medical and psychiatric help had only resulted in dead ends.

Six months on, under the expert guidance of Brainstorm Health Practitioner Haley, Leila has returned to school. She is working back to a full timetable and is a happy teen, enjoying the company of her friends once again. Leila’s interest in her own health and healing has blossomed as well.

After years of struggling with PANDAS, to see her thriving and reconnecting with friends and school is a powerful reminder of what dedicated support and the right guidance can achieve.

With the right help, families can find paths to recovery, even when the journey seems daunting. Book your free 15-minute Discovery Call with one of our dedicated practitioners today to find out how we can help you.

Stella Chadwick, BSc (Hons) mBANT CNHC

Founder, Functional Medicine Practitioner & Registered Nutritional Therapist

When 15-year old Leila started working with Brainstorm Health Practitioner Haley six months ago, she had been battling PANDAS symptoms for many years, possibly for most of her life.

She was burnt out, anxious and depressed and had not been able to access much medical support. With Haley’s expert guidance and gentle but effective approach, Leila has made great strides towards recovery. She has returned to school, is invested in her own health and has a bright and happy future ahead of her.

Hi Haley. Tell me a bit about your patient and the symptoms they first came to you with

Leila is a 15-year-old girl, with ASD, restrictive eating, insomnia and chronic anxiety that had worsened over several years and had culminated in her being too anxious to attend school. She’d been diagnosed with PANDAS following an initial flare when she was 11, but after talking at length with her mum, it appeared this was a condition that may have started much younger, when she was around three.

How were these symptoms impacting Leila’s life?

She was no longer able to attend school and was socially isolated, burnt out, anxious, depressed and unable to sleep due to intrusive thoughts.

What were your initial steps in helping Leila?

Mum was trying to access medical care and help from CAMHS, but was yet to receive any meaningful support. I would have liked to have started with a full blood count from Leila’s GP with additional iron, folate, Vit D and B12 levels, but she was too anxious to have a blood test and we didn’t want to pressure her. So I started with magnesium and zinc, in a gentle elemental form, and an anti-inflammatory - PEA. We don’t usually recommend iron supplementation without a blood test, but she had very heavy periods so I recommended a gentle elemental iron too. Then we added in Vitamin D+K drops after a few weeks.

What lab tests did you do? What did the tests reveal and how did that shape your therapeutic approach?

We were severely limited with the testing we could do because she had such high anxiety around any kind of tests, so Leila’s Mum and I spent a lot of time going through her symptom history and timeline, family history, and environmental factors, to build a good clinical picture. This can sometimes be just as valuable as lab tests! Her symptoms and history pointed towards potential methylation and detoxification issues so I recommended genetic tests for these pathways. The tests are cheek swabs and really easy to do and she was happy to give them a try.

Rather than general methylation and detox support which can actually worsen symptoms in many children, I was able to see clearly which parts of her pathways needed support and target the supplement recommendations more effectively.

How long did it take before seeing positive changes to symptoms?

As with most children with this profile, it’s crucial to start low and slow, to try and avoid triggering a flare in symptoms.

We continued on the initial protocol for a good number of weeks, and we worked on lowering the toxic load from her home environment, and targeted detox support with selenium and molybdenum. Then we moved on to a comprehensive liver support supplement, alternating with liposomal glutathione. These can be quite powerful supplements but my approach was very much targeted to her genetic variations. We did this very slowly over three to four months.

The changes were gradual and incremental, but each time we met, the news was more positive. After two months, she said to her mum that she was starting to feel happier, and after three months, her mum noticed Leila had more energy. After the summer holiday, she returned to school on a part-time timetable.

Her restrictive eating gradually lessened over time too, and Mum was doing a great job experimenting with homemade versions of her favourite safe foods, which seemed to go down well.

What has been the biggest ‘breakthrough’ moment on Leila's journey?

When we received the genetic reports I could see just how much she would benefit from us cleaning up her environment and reducing her toxic load. We’d already done some work in this area but seeing the results motivated Mum to work towards implementing all the changes I’d recommended.

How is Leila doing now? What will you focus on next?

Leila is back at school, happy to be back with her friends, and working towards a full timetable.

We’ve just started her on methylation support, starting with low dose folinic acid and she’s responding well.

She’s had a couple of viruses since and her flares have been minimal so that’s a great sign that her immune system is becoming more regulated. However, I plan to add in some more anti-inflammatory supplements to get her closer to baseline, and perhaps also initiate micro-immunotherapy to help with this. She has a strong family history of auto-immune conditions so I want to mitigate her risk of future flares as much as possible.

Her periods are lighter and less painful, but still not optimal, so I'd like to further explore her hormone balance with testing as I suspect a dominance of inflammatory oestrogens compared with protective oestrogens, which I find common in teen girls with a PANS/PANDAS profile.

What I’ve loved about working with this patient is seeing her interest in the process develop. She started out resistant, anxious and avoidant and at the last consultation she joined us and actually asked a few questions, which was so lovely to see.

Always consult a qualified practitioner before introducing new supplements. Book your free discovery call today to discuss how we can help your child achieve optimal health.

Tri-Fortify Watermelon Liposomal Glutathione + Vitamin C by Reseached Nutritionals

Tri-Fortify Watermelon Liposomal Glutathione + Vitamin C is designed to deliver powerful antioxidant support through a unique liposomal delivery system. This formulation combines glutathione, a master antioxidant, with vitamin C to enhance absorption and efficacy, promoting overall health and wellness.

Health Benefits of Tri-Fortify Watermelon Liposomal Glutathione + Vitamin C

• Supports Detoxification Processes 🚰
• Boosts Immune Function and Resilience 🛡️
• Enhances Skin Health  ✨
• Improves Energy Levels and Reduces Fatigue ⚡
• Supports Cognitive Function and Mental Clarity 🧠

And there's more....

• Liposomal Technology: This innovative delivery method enhances absorption, ensuring that the body receives maximum benefits from the nutrients.
• Delicious Watermelon Flavor: Appealing to kids
  
• High-Quality Ingredients: Formulated with premium, non-GMO ingredients.
  
• No Fillers or Additives: Crafted without unnecessary fillers or artificial ingredients, providing a clean and effective supplement.
• Supports Holistic Health: Aids in overall wellness by addressing multiple aspects of health through its powerful antioxidant properties.

Enjoy a 10% discount on Tri-Fortify Watermelon Liposomal Glutathione + Vitamin C using the code L8FQQL

Please consult your practitioner or medical professional before adding any new supplement to your plan

Food of the week: Stella's Brainy Breakfast Omelette

Set your kids up right for the day with this simple recipe that elevates the humble omelette to the next level with nutrient packed activated walnuts and delicious raw honey

WIth just three simple ingredients you will have a nutritious and energizing breakfast that fuels your kids for success!

Eggs 🥚

• Brain-Boosting Nutrients: Rich in protein, healthy fats, and essential vitamins that support cognitive function.

Walnuts

• Nutritional Activation: Soaking walnuts, or “activating” them, enhances their benefits.

  • Reduced Phytic Acid: Soaking decreases phytic acid, which blocks the absorption of important minerals.

  • Increased Nutrient Absorption: Can boost absorption of magnesium, iron, and zinc by up to 50%.

  • Simple Process: Soak in water with a touch of sodium bicarbonate and dry slowly for optimal health benefits.

Raw Honey 🍯

• Natural Energy Boost: Provides a quick source of energy.

• Immune Support: Contains antioxidants and has antibacterial properties.

Please only introduce new foods or supplements under the guidance of your healthcare practitioner and remember dose is important! We always recommend that people start with a very small dose and work up. Supplements are not meant to be used long term. These are general recommendations only and not intended to diagnose or treat any health issues. If you are already a patient of ours, feel free to ask your practitioner if these are suitable and don’t forget to use the discount codes listed below.

Meet our practitioners
We are a unique clinic in that each of our practitioners is a parent. Many of us have a child with special needs, and we all have different passions and expertise. Please head to our website to meet Jo, Sarah, Haley, Mémé and Emma, and get in touch if you'd like to know how to work with us. 

Appointments
If you’d like to become a new patient please follow this link to our appointment page and follow the directions.

Existing patients can book follow-up appointments with their practitioners using this link. Please note Discovery Calls on this page are only for people we have not seen yet, and not for existing patients.

Buying supplements from our trusted suppliers

We recommend our patients buy supplements from the below suppliers. Note any supplement mentioned in the above article is for educational purposes only. You should only try new supplements with your child with the approval of your healthcare practitioner. If you have already gotten approval, please feel free to make use of the exclusive Brainstorm Health® discount codes we have negotiated with our suppliers. Some suppliers support Brainstorm Health® with a small commission which we reinvest into creating quality content like this newsletter to give as much free support to our community as possible.

The Natural Dispensary
Discount Code: SMC010

Amrita
Discount Code: L8FQQL

Your Health Basket
Discount Code: Brainstorm10