Test Results

The doctor, an immunologist and allergist who we recently saw has experience in working with children on the Autism spectrum.  I explained Hunter's health history and my hypothesis for the start of this journey.  We never truly determined if he had strep or just an ear infection, since the doctor who prescribed the antibiotic at the acute care didn't run a specific test.  I have assumed it was a strep infection, and have done much research on the effects that strep can have on the brain  (PANDAS info: http://intramural.nimh.nih.gov/pdn/web.htm).  He informed me that typically in his practice, the parents of the children cannot pinpoint a significant event that would lead to a change in their child.  He thought the course of development relative to Hunter was unique.  He decided to have labs completed to determine if there were any viruses in his body affecting his development.  I also wanted to have his food and environmental allergies tested to see if there were any other foods that we should be avoiding. 

Four weeks is a long time to wait!  I was anxious prior to the appointment, mainly to see if my feelings would be validated or if nothing would be abnormal.  When the tech handed me the lab results, after seeing no abnormal results in any of the allergies, or other viruses, my eyes filled with tears and I wept as I read the strep test.


The dr. however, indicated that although the numbers read high on the lab testing, the children in his practice who suffer from PANDAS often have astronomical counts.  He asked if Hunter had strep since the initial reaction, and I told him that he had not been sick since. 

Another test we had run reviewed his neurotransmitters. Fascinating!
Neurotransmitters are chemicals that communicate information between cells in the nervous system. They can be excitatory, inhibitory or modulatory. All movement and thought, as well as homeostatic regulation in the body, is controlled by a delicate neurotransmitter balance. Any disruption of this balance, especially in a developing brain, can result in a collection of motor, cognitive and regulatory disturbances (Source: Autism Speaks).

The primary role of dopamine is pleasure and motivation. The continued release of dopamine provides feelings of enjoyment and reinforces the activities that supply those feelings, as it is associated with the pleasure system of the brain (source: Live Strong).  Could be linked to his repetitive movements and OCD tendencies for objects of desire (ipad, mcqueen, etc).  Dr. said that is has four different receptors.  When it is high, it could either be a stress response, or some of the receptors of dopamine may not be functioning well.  He didn't think interfering with dopamine at this point would be beneficial for him.

Anxiety and panic are related to high levels of norepinephrine and glutamate.  Hunter's anxiety, paired with his sensory integration disorder, often lead to meltdowns and non-compliance.  However, Hunter's GABA (an inhibitory transmitter) is high, so his system is attempting to balance each other out (they act on the same receptor).

Serotonin is high, but trying to balance the norepinephrine.  Dr. said he is attempting to balance his excital toxins.  His epinephrine is a low, which indicates a chronic stress situation.  At this point, he didn't want to tweak too much- just adding the L-Theanine (for anxiety and OCD tendencies).

Dr. decided to run a few more labs to see if there were any other viruses harboring in his body.  We go back on the 17th to review the results. Again, we will wait in anticipation to see if there is a round of heavy antibiotics in our future, or if we will just continue on with our same therapies, diet, and optimism.The skeptics criticize the DAN (Defeat Autism Now!) doctors, and I have to admit that we have entered this phase with some skepticism, but at this point, we have nothing to lose.  I want every option explored until we find the best possible treatment plan for Hunter. 

Why NOT us. :)