When 12-year-old David's* parents first approached Brainstorm Health for help, David was suffering from severe anxiety, tics and OCD. From being a normal, happy, energetic young boy two years previously, he had withdrawn completely from family and friends and could no longer cope with school. Under Stella's care, within seven months, David was a different boy. His zest for life was restored with many of his symptoms dramatically reduced. He could return to school and was physically in much better health. Here, Stella shares with us the steps she took to help David regain his health and her hopes for the future as her journey with David's family continues.
Hi Stella, tell me a bit about David and the symptoms he first came to you with.
David is 12 years old. Two years before coming to see me, he had had a seemingly mild bout of Covid. In the three months following this illness, he developed symptoms, including tics, OCD, separation anxiety, occasional stuttering, sleep disturbance, constipation and sensory issues. David had a prior history of digestive symptoms, tending towards constipation. As a baby, he had suffered from multiple ear infections and had had a few rounds of antibiotics. Of note, he was born via c-section and was formula-fed as a baby.
How were his symptoms impacting his life?
David could not cope with school and had not been in education for nine months before seeing me. He had debilitating anxiety and a body tic with involuntary shoulder and neck movement. He had become withdrawn: he refused to engage with family or friends and could not perform simple self-care tasks like brushing his teeth and hair or getting dressed. He would not allow his parents to hug him. His diet was restricted to very basic, bland, high-carbohydrate foods. He was compelled to take multiple showers every day due to contamination OCD.
What were your initial steps in helping him?
Initially, I focussed on stabilising adrenal function and output, using a glandular supplement and magnesium, both oral and transdermal. I then used PEA 600 by Biomedica to help calm inflammation and Histease, and also by Biomedica to reduce histamine load. I followed this with some Micro-immunotherapy (MIT).
From the initial stages, David’s sleep and mood improved. His bowel function also improved significantly. I am certain this contributed to increased appetite and an interest in eating a more varied diet again. The PEA, Histease and MIT took a couple of weeks to kick in. After this, he started to feel more like himself. However, his tics were still quite severe, so I waited to see what his test results would show me to guide the next interventions.
What did his lab tests reveal, and how did that shape your therapeutic approach?
We completed several tests, including a stool test, organic acid test, food sensitivity test and a hair toxic and essential minerals analysis. We wanted to do an immune panel, but he could not cope with a blood test at the time.
The urine organic acid test showed signs of dysbiosis, poor protein absorption, high oxidative stress and low levels of vitamins and minerals, especially zinc and B6. This made me want to explore kryptoprrolluria (KPU), and we found elevated levels of pyrroles in his urine. His food sensitivity test showed a very strong immune response to dairy and gluten and egg white. His gut microbiome was significantly out of balance, with evidence of intestinal inflammation. His hair test showed poor excretion of toxins and low lithium and selenium. There was also evidence of blood sugar imbalance and adrenal fatigue - bearing in mind that the test samples had been taken before any interventions were implemented.
We introduced a supplement specifically formulated to compensate for the deficiencies associated with KPU. We also removed the problematic foods, one at a time. We started by removing dairy. Alongside the KPU supplement, this was a game-changer regarding the tics. They reduced dramatically within a couple of weeks. We removed gluten next, which improved his digestive symptoms significantly. His OCD also subsided. We then removed egg whites and added supplements to support liver function. This was a magic combo. Tics were reduced by 90%. OCD and anxiety were much better, but still there. Then I added a small amount of supplemental lithium and selenium. Together, these had a significant positive impact on anxiety levels.
How long have you been working together now?
We have been working together since April 2022.
What has been the biggest ‘breakthrough’ moment on David’s journey?
There were so many. Each level of support gave us different results, and each intervention paved the way for the next. Reducing the tics, OCD and anxiety probably had the greatest positive impact on David socially, but we could not have achieved those gains without doing the groundwork beforehand.
How is David doing now?
David is now in school three days a week, and his OCD and anxiety are much reduced. His tics are almost gone, and he has become more social, wanting to be with his family again. His sensory issues, especially around touch and sound, only rear their heads when he is very tired or has had to cope with too many changes. We are currently working on his gut health, and we hope to get him to a place where we can do a blood test. I believe there is some underlying viral and/or other infection. Once we have blood test results that shed some light on this, we can devise a targeted plan to help balance David’s immune system. Microimmunotherapy will be an important tool in achieving this.
*The patient's name has been changed in this report to protect their privacy.
Please note that we do not diagnose or treat illnesses at Brainstorm Health, but we can help you advocate for the right medical diagnosis from qualified doctors if necessary.
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